For the male individual there are certain herbal remedies to ward off the problem of decreased sex drive DO NOT stop your medications without talking to your doctor and doing it properly. It would be great if men would take the time to read, research and brew a cup of Damiana tea, but in today's ever popular quick fix world this will not happen. If a man cannot take the time to really date what makes him likely to boil water for a cup of tea? The quick fix is in a herbal capsule
NOVEMBER 29, 2023 YOUR HERBAL CLOSET
As winter approaches you need to have your herbal closet ready for the New Year
Some of us want to have antibiotics in the medicine cabinet--just in case. I feel everyone should have a home healing medicine cabinet. There can be an Ayurvedic medicine cabinet, a Chinese herbal medicine cabinet, an aromatherapy medicine cabinet and finally, my expertise, a western herbal medicine cabinet. There are two shelves in my hall closet filled with tinctures and dried herbs. My herbal closet ( or a shelf in my new kitchen ) has the following herbs (and a lot more):
1. Elder - for cough/sore throats
2. Meadowsweet - for indigestion
3. Stinging nettles - for sinus congestion
4. Valerian - for stress
5. Skullcap - for tension
6. Echinacea - for cold/flu and congestion
7. Chamomile - for nervous stomach and sleep
There is another type of medicine cabinet that has passed on from generation to generation even within your family. This is the traditional home or Folklore Remedy Medicine cabinet or "Kitchen cabinet"
1. Garlic - fresh garlic should be in every household. This is great for intestinal infections
2. Wild flower honey - As a beekeeper I find this essential. It is great for the flu. Great for sore throats, and can be applied to cuts and scrapes. Or get honeybeeMD by Patrick at Botanical Bounty ( while supplies last )
3. Celery - For those individuals with always feeling he/she has to go to urinate. This is called cystitis. You can use fresh celery or celery seeds. A colleague uses celery for headaches.
4. Cabbage leaves - great to apply to infected hair follicles, boils or carbuncles. The cabbage draws out the infection. Place a gauze pad over the fresh cabbage leaves over the wound. Cabbage can be crushed and applied as poultice to a hot swollen joint. Useful for the gouty joints too.
5. Cinnamon sticks - It is very useful for the
Until tomorrow
NOVEMBER 28, 2023 BLADDER HERBS
There are other herbs for soothing inflammation of the bladder. Hollyhock is just one herb. Some prefer Slippery Elm (Ulmus rubra) and the other is Marshmallow ( Althea
officinalis )
To relieve pain the botanical must have spasmolytic and/or analgesic properties. The herbt hat is most commonly prescribed is Kava kava ( Piper methysticum ) Most of us know Kava kava as an anxiolytic, so if there is truth that interstitial cystitis (IC) has a psychoneurogenic component then I could see this herb having benefit. I have used an average on 2 ml of Kava three times a day for IC. I have also used Lobelia ( Lobelia inflata) Most health care practitioner use loeblia for nicotine cessation, but even this is debatable.
A hot topic in the last 10 years is the use of Marijuana ( Cannabis sativa) Marijuana is legal for medicinal use in 15 states. These states are Alaska ( 1998), Arizona (2010)
California ( 1996), Colorado (2000), DC (2010), Hawaii (2000), Maine (1999), Michigan (2008)) Montana (2004) Nevada (2000), New Jersey (2010), New Mexico (2007) Oregon (1998), Rhode Island ( 2006) Vermont (2004) and Washington (1998) and now many more Each state has its own regulations, amount used, type of plant species and for what purpose.
In recent years I have attended various lectures of Cannibis. I find the arguments for its use to be interesting and not without debate. I am more interested in psychedelics for healing and trauma
I have seen one herbalist use Rupturewort ( Herniaria glabra) The name alone frightens me. I have seen this in the Botanical Gardens. I have never seen it flower The nursery industry calls it Green Carpet and well they should. This lovely bright green creeper spreads effortlessly in all directions filling up to two feet per plant. I think you will agree that if you have lots of land with rocks and maybe a stream, it would look beautiful.
Until tomorrow
NOVEMBER 27, 2023 CANCER PREVENTING FOODS
We all must protect ourselves against cancer, whether there is a family history of not. The environment causes cancer. The air we breathe, type food we eat and the water we drink are all risk factors for cancer. Keep eating fish, nuts, fruits, and vegetables. Please be careful for the fish that contains mercury. This are tuna, sushi and swordfish. See www.vitalchoice.com for a full list of healthy fish. Two superstar heart disease protectors in these foods may also help fight cancer. Antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids may be more powerful than we knew.
Found in fatty fish and certain nuts and seeds, omega-3 fatty acids help protect your heart. Studies show they help maintain brain function. Experts are also looking at how well omega-3 fatty acids can protect against age-related mental decline, eye diseases, arthritis, and others conditions.
Some experts think omega-3s may help protect against cancer. "Omega-3 fatty acids are thought to reduce inflammation in the body. And a variety of cancers have been linked to chronic inflammation," says Sarah Rafat, RD, a senior dietitian at MD Anderson Cancer Center. I utilize mroe than 4 grams ( 4,000 mg ) of EPA for most patients.
Cancers with a link to inflammation include:
1. Colorectal
2. Liver
3. Lung
4. Prostate
Omega-3s also seem to restrict tumor cell growth, and may cause cancer cells to self-destruct. Diet and cancer studies show mixed results. Some suggest that a diet that's rich in omega-3s can protect you against certain cancers. Other studies show no benefit.
There's not enough proof to conclude that loading up on fatty fish or taking fish oil capsules will slow down or reverse your condition if you already have cancer. But several studies do suggest that a diet rich in omega-3s helps some cancer patients tolerate chemotherapy better. Fatty acids from fish may also help patients maintain weight and muscle mass. Expert suggestions: The American Heart Association recommends eating at least two servings of fatty fish a week. If you don't eat fish, you can get omega-3s from canola oil and flax. Talk to your doctor before you start taking supplements. There is a link between high levels of omega-3s in the blood and an aggressive form of prostate cancer, according to scientists at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.
Many fruits, vegetables, and other foods that are rich in antioxidants lower the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, some eye diseases, and various forms of cancer. Getting a single antioxidant from a pill, such as vitamin C or beta carotene, isn’t as protective as food. Some cancer institutions state that antioxidants may even increase the risk of certain cancers. Experts also worry that high doses of antioxidants may reduce the effectiveness of chemotherapy. I disagree with some of their statement
What we know so far: "I tell our patients to focus on food" "Foods contain a mix of many different antioxidants, along with other nutrients and fiber. The more colorful your diet is the better, since antioxidants and other phytochemicals are often what give fruits and vegetables their color."
Until tomorrow…
NOVEMBER 22, 2023 APITHERAPY PRODUCTS
Apitherapy Products for Medicinal Use
This article was published in the Journal of Alternative and Complimentary Medicine in December 2016 It was written by Patrick Fratellone MD Flora Tsismis NP, and Gregory Fratellone BS
For the past ten years, beekeeping has increased due to increased awareness of the disappearance of the bees since Colony Collapse Disorder. Most of the disappearance of honey bees can be attributed to the use of pesticides. Apitherapy is the science and art of maintaining health with the use of the products of the honeybee hive. These products are honey, bee pollen, propolis, royal jelly and bee venom. I have been beekeeping for the last 10 years. I use every product of the beehive for self and patient use.
Historical Aspects
Beekeeping is not new to civilizations. Humans started collecting honey from bees approximately 9000 years ago. A rock painting found near Valencia, Spain dating from 7000 B.C shows a man gathering honey. Drawings on Egyptian Temples built about 2400 B.C. show bee keeping and honey preparation. In the oldest medical papyri of Egypt, dating back to 1553-1550 B.C, there are indications that honey was used to heal wounds [1].
Ancient writings including the Talmud, the Bible, scrolls from the Orient, ancient Greece and Rome all praised honey and bee pollen as a source of youthfulness and health. Different cultures have used honey. The Koran in a section titled “The Bee” says honey is a “medicine for men” In the Orient a mixture of honey and pollen was used as a poultice on wounds and as a health tonic. In India the tonics prescribed ‘to give pleasure’ and ‘to preserve youth’ were mainly prepared from honey. A diet in which honey and milk were the main items was thought to prolong life [2].
The great scholar and physician, Hippocrates wrote “honey and pollen cause warmth, clean sores and ulcers, soften hard ulcers of the lips, heal carbuncles and running sores”. Historically, Alexander the Great in ancient Greece was treated with bee stings for hip pain and Charlemagne, the“8th” Century conqueror was cured of gout by bee stings [3]. The use of bee venom therapy was discussed in 1858 in C.W. Wolf’s book, The Poison of the Honey Bee, which is considered a therapeutic agent.
Bee Venom Therapy (BVT)
Most individuals know about honey and bee pollen. Few know about bee venom therapy. Bee venom therapy has been used to treat rheumatoid arthritis for centuries. Charlie Mraz a beekeeper from Vermont started treating people with arthritis and pain in the mid 1930’s with live bee stings. He learned about bee venom therapy from a New York physician, Bodog F.Beck, author of Bee Venom Therapy, who was treating arthritis with bee venom [4]. C.C Miller, a physician gave up his practice to raise bees and wrote a book, «Fifty Years of Beekeeping» Bee venom therapy, either by using a live honeybee or by a transdermal injection has been used to treat Multiple Sclerosis for decades. There is documentation of the beneficial aspects to the patient, the regression of symptoms and decrease in progression of their disease. There are more than sixty identifiable components in bee venom. Most of the bee venom components are anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and act as antioxidants [5,6]. There are many other conditions where bee venom has been used as arthritis, [7] post herpetic neuralgia, [8] and adhesive capsulitis. [9] I have used bee venom therapy for my own autoimmune condition by using live honeybees administered by an acupuncturist.
Propolis
The next component of the bee hive that individuals know have limited knowledge is propolis. Propolis is primarily composed of resins collected by the bees from trees and plants. All propolis is not the same and changes with the type of plant, climate, soil and season. This sticky substance which acts like a cement to hold the hive together has medicinal properties. It contains over 180 components which contain waxes 10-35%, essential oils 6-10%, pollen 5%, minerals as Mg, Ca, I, Na, Cu, Zn, Mn, Fe, vitamins such as A, B1, B2, B6, C, E, and enzymes. Propolis has been used for the pharynx in the following conditions: acute & chronic gums erosions, denture soreness, plaque gingivitis, and periodontal disease [10]. It has been studied and research for radiation protection as well as tissue regeneration. Propolis has antibacterial, antiviral, [11] anti-parasitic and anti-cancer properties. I have used propolis to treat external warts, [12] otitis media [13] and autoimmune diseases, especially psoriasis [14]. More individuals should be using propolis every day.
Bee Pollen
Next spring notice the bees in your neighborhood. It is important to notice their bodies carrying the pollen. This bee pollen can be consumed by you on a daily basis. Bee pollen is a nutritious high quality food. I might even say it is a super food. It can be used as an anti-depressant, an appetite modulator as well as increased endurance in sports activity. In fact it also improves functions of brain, heart liver, and prostate. It contains all the necessary nutrients for humans as proteins, free amino acids, greater than 200 enzymes and sugars. Both Propolis and bee pollen have similar nutritious value. Bee pollen contains over 50% more protein than beef and is an excellent vegetarian source of protein typically possessing more of the essential amino acids, pound for pound, than animal proteins like meat, eggs, and dairy product. It has been studied as an effective dietary lifestyle. It is effective for cardio-vascular diseases such as hypertension. I find it effective for digestive issues and ask my patients to consume one teaspoon per day. It is used for both constipation and diarrhea. I have effectively used it in anorexia to maintain good nutritional status. I usually recommend it for all my patients with autoimmune disease especially thyroiditis, multiple sclerosis, [15] lupus and celiac disease. It has been studied in benign prostatic hypertrophy, [16] memory loss, and cancer. Pollen is also protective against radiation. It is a powerhouse in my armentarium of supplements.
Royal Jelly
Royal Jelly is a costly therapy, but worth its weight in platinum. I have used it as an antibacterial and antifungal agent. It is excellent for wound healing and tissue repair. I consider it the primer of the immune system. I use it to regulate hormones as well as improve cognitive function. I have even used it in osteoporosis. As a cardiologist, I was impressed by the use of royal jelly in decreasing the lipid levels in both animals and humans [17].
Honey
The final apitherapy product most known is the golden liquid, Honey. Honey varies in taste and color based on the geographical region it originates from. Many individuals use it for allergies, but the honey must be from your local region. Manuka honey from Australia would not be effective for your local allergies of the Northeast coast of the United States. Yet Manuka honey is an excellent wound healing agent. Honey has both external and internal indications. I have used honey for external wounds, [18,19] and bed sores. It has antimicrobial properties and outstanding wound healing effects [20]. There are many published studies on wound healing and burn wounds [21]. I t is useful for gastrointestinal diseases, as ulcers, and colitis. I also use honey as a natural cough syrup combined with elderberry flowers. It impressed me with its efficacy on coughs [22]. It is not just any honey. I would search for raw wild flower honey. I also would support your local beekeeper.
References
James G, Carol G (1995) The Honey Bee. Scientific American Library pp. 1-17.
Wang KA (2001) Successful treatment of post herpetic neuralgia with the venom of Apis mellifera. Presented at the Third Annual Meeting of the Varicella-Zoster Research Foundation. San Diego Ca.
Bee Pollen and Multiple sclerosis. Systematic Review by National Standard Research Collaboration
Citation: Fratellone PM (2015) Apitherapy Products for Medicinal Use. J Nutr Food Sci 5:423.
Copyright: © 2015 Fratellone PM. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.