Vitamins in Natural Medicines

Ratliff J

Looking for information about a nutritional supplement, vitamin, or herbal remedy? This guide gives you information about the history, medical uses and treatments using herbs, vitamins, and nutritional supplements, typical doses, side effects, government regulation, and how to be a savvy supplement shopper.

The evidence of natural therapies are increasing and being validated by scientists every day. Most health conditions being treated by medicine today are entirely preventable. Chronic degenerative diseases such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes and others have been clearly linked to diet and lifestyle. Now it has never been easier to learn about this scientific evidence for maintaining health.

Learn more at the Vitamin Drugstore

About the Author

J. Ratliff is a health article writer for Ask Wellness

Vitamins For Female Hair Loss Prevention

Kathlene Capelle

In today's image conscious society, physical appearance is more important than ever to a woman's self-esteem. Imagine the heartache caused when a woman notices her hair thinning? It is estimated that over 25 million women experience thinning hair in the United States. Many are genetically predisposed to the condition. Most wonder if there are any natural remedies to help or prevent their female hair loss.

Several vitamins have been found to be very effective in supporting female hair health. Of course, many factors may contribute to female hair loss but proper nutrition can help prevent further thinning and more loss.

Vitamin A has been found to support the healthy development of tissues and cells in the body and also supports healthy hair. This important vitamin promotes healthy hair follicles by keeping the root of the hair lubricated. Vitamin A can be found in green vegetables, particularly the leafy ones, red, orange and yellow vegetables, liver and eggs. Many good multivitamins contain the recommended daily allowance of vitamin A, so don't take additional supplements without a physician's supervision. Overdoses of vitamin A can be dangerous.

A healthy scalp is also essential to healthy hair. Vitamin E supports a healthy scalp by helping to increase the oxygen supplied through the blood. Americans rarely suffer from a vitamin E deficiency, but increasing one's intake of green leafy vegetables, fortified grains and cereals and nuts can help ensure that this important nutrient is adequate. Vitamin E supplements are also available for this matter.

The B vitamins are also important for hair health. Regulating the amount of iron in the blood, these vitamins also help oxygen flow through the lungs to the tissues. Of course, a B vitamin deficiency would damage the hair and scalp by limiting the amount of oxygen that these tissues receive. B vitamins are available as supplements and in several foods, including proteins and soybeans, cereals, nuts and wheat germ.

If a proper nutrition that involves essential vitamins and minerals helps in hair loss prevention and a good healthy scalp, then paying extra attention to the food and supplements that you eat is well worth the time and effort!

About The Author

Kathlene Capelle's site includes information on female hair loss, male hair loss, cause of hair loss, hair loss remedy, hair loss prevention, natural hair loss treatments, etc. Please visit www.hair-loss-remedy-central.com.

Vioxx Lawsuits Abound. Where does This Leave the Arthritis Sufferer?

Wendy Owen

Copyright 2005 Wendy Owen



Vioxx, a popular pain medication was fetching it's manufacturer,
Merck Pharmaceuticals, millions of dollars in sales in 2004.
Today it has been withdrawn from sale and is the subject of
several Vioxx lawsuits. It's demise, due to unacceptable risk
factors, leaves doctors and patients confused and wondering how
many more "time bombs" there are lurking out there



What is Vioxx?



Vioxx is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) mainly
prescribed for pain relief for people suffering with various
forms of arthritis. The product was launched in 1999 and was
available in several countries.



Vioxx is one of the family of COX-2 inhibitors. Drugs with this
label block the Cox 2 enzyme while allowing the Cox 1 enzyme
intact. The Cox 1 enzyme is necessary as it protects the stomach
lining. Without this protection, patients are at risk of ulcers,
stomach bleeding and intestinal damage.



The main risks from taking Vioxx are an increased risk (4:1) of
heart attack or stroke. While this risks were said only to
affect people who have been taking the drug for 18 months or
more, there is some evidence that they may also affect short
term users as well.



Vioxx lawsuits



There are currently over 7000 vioxx lawsuits, both individual
and class action, pending against Merck. The number of lawsuits
are growing by the day. To be eligible to claim compensation
from Merck, a person must have been taking Vioxx medication and
have suffered some ill effects from doing so.



Merck must be shown to have breached their "duty of care"
towards their customers and have acted irresponsibly in
information them of the health risks that Vioxx could cause.
Although Merck pulled Vioxx from the shelves voluntarily in
2004, there is evidence that they knew of risks associated with
Vioxx as early as 2000, but didn't pass on any warnings to the
public.



If you believe that taking Vioxx has caused you to suffer a
heart attack or stroke, it is important to act before the
statute of limitations expires. At the time of writing there
have not been any successful Vioxx lawsuits. Those who have
experienced any lost earnings or mental pain and suffering due
to taking Vioxx are also being advised to claim compensation.



What are the alternatives?



There are other COX-2 selective NSAIDS on the market, Celebrex
(celecoxib) and Bextra (valdecoxib).These are now undergoing
stringent testing by the FDA to ensure they are safe
alternatives.



The manufacturers of other NSAIDS such as Aspirin or Ibuprofen
have been requested by the FDA to change the labelling on their
products to include warnings about any side effects that may be
experienced - for example gastro intestinal bleeding.



Natural arthritis pain relief is a safe and effective option.
The medical profession is fond of pointing out that natural
remedies are not controlled or tested by the FDA. After the
Vioxx debacle you have to wonder it this really matters!



About the author:


Wendy Owen is a natural health writer and researcher. visit her
site at http://www.natural-arthritis-medication.com for
arthritis information, articles and a natural arthritis remedy.

Three Natural Cures Your Kids Want You To Know!

Robert Fioravante

Copyright 2005 Robert Fioravante



When Hippocrates said "the physician treats but nature heals," he was describing the human body's natural tendency toward minimizing illness and creating optimal health. As we know, however, the body needs a little help at times. Alternative health practices can support the physical body in its natural propensity toward healing by applying very effective remedies.



In this article we present powerful natural treatments for three health conditions that frequently affect children: asthma, head lice, and pink eye. Orthodox medical doctors and the drug conglomerates won't be overly thrilled that you know these natural treatments; they have no way of patenting or monetizing these cures.





The Asthma Remedy



Asthma is a serious (if not frightening) disorder in which the airway becomes inflamed, resulting in wheezing, loss of breath, and tightness in the chest. About 15 million people in the U.S. suffer with asthma and there are more than half a million hospitalizations resulting from this disorder.



The prevalence of asthma has been increasing for every age group affected. Children have the highest increase; over the last ten years the rate of asthma in children has increased by over 90%. Parents with asthmatic children will know that the quickest remedy for an asthma attack comes from medication, but there are times when a child's inhaler is not available.



There are two natural ways to treat an asthma attack which relate to the soothing effect that warm liquid has on bronchial tubes. First, try some hot soup which can soothe the bonchials. However, the second remedy can be more effective since it includes a warm liquid with an additional ingredient: caffeine. Coffee or tea, with caffeine, can open airways similar to the way inhalers do, so try this during an asthma episode if no medication is available.





The Pink Eye Cure



Before 1938, patentable antibacterial drugs had not been developed, so colloidal silver was the primary "medicine" for fighting infections in the U.S. It is quietly used today as a cleaning agent in water tanks, by airlines for in-flight water purification, and by NASA to sterilize water on the Space Shuttle. Why? Colloidal silver has been found to destroy about 650 viral, bacterial, and fungal "bugs."



One independent laboratory conducted research to determine the effectiveness of a colloidal silver manufactured by a company called Earthborn Products. This silver was applied to both normal and resistant strains of staphylococcus aureus bacteria and incubated at 37 degrees centigrade. The staph cultures were killed in just four minutes! Also, research at the Upstate Medical Center at Syracuse University (N.Y.) found that "silver works on a wide range of bacteria without any known side effects…"



Pink eye (pinkeye) or conjunctivitis is a highly contagious ailment in which the conjunctiva or membrane that covers the eye is infected by a virus or bacterial infection. Although harmless, the challenge is to keep infected family members from contaminating those around them. This challenge, however, has been met with colloidal silver.



Many people are successfully treating their pink eye by applying one or two drops of colloidal silver in their eyes, twice a day. In fact, Dr. Evan M. Kansas reported in Science Digest (1978) that he experienced "instant success" using colloidal silver with immune compromised patients. One example he gave was a patient's pinkeye that was totally resolved in less than six hours after topical treatment!





The Head Lice Cure



Mom and dad, if you're tired of "nit picking," then pay attention. About ten million people in America are afflicted with head lice and their eggs, or "nits." The head louse lives in human hair fairly close to the scalp where it feeds on human blood. Female lice lay about 10 eggs per day and the babies, or nits, hang-on to strands of hair with amazing tenacity.



Getting rid of head lice is a three-step process. You must kill all the live lice, check for and remove all the nits by combing and manual nit picking, and you must do a thorough job of cleaning the infested person's belongings and home environment.



Doctor Lawrence Schachner of the University of Miami School of Medicine has found what he believes is the best, fastest natural remedy for head lice yet: petroleum jelly. This cure works not by poisoning the lice (like the prescription drugs available), but by smothering them.



Dr. Schachner recommends slathering petroleum jelly on your child's scalp and hair in the evening before bed. Then put a shower cap on the child and let him sleep the night with the cap on. By morning, the lice and knits are smothered. The down side? Children must do repeated shampoos to remove the petroleum jelly, so their hair may look oily for a while.


Robert Fioravante is a professional educator and webmaster of http://www.allergyescape.com , a complete resource for conventional allergy information as well as the new energy-based allergy treatments.

Medieval Remedies That Still Work Today

Doug Smith

Copyright 2005 by Doug Smith

Home Remedies - Facts or Quacks?

In a previous article we looked at several possible definitions
of a home remedy, and patched together a definition that met our
mental image of such a remedy. If you missed it, here's the
definition we derived.

A home remedy is an experience-based or even accidental remedy
or cure prepared from herbs, plants, or other available
ingredients by common folk when modern medical help was
unavailable (or hadn't been devised yet).

But Home Remedies Are From The Dark Ages, Right?

Not so fast! Countless myths, legends, and superstitions have
survived for centuries, so why not home remedies too? Think
about it: we bless someone after sneezing to ward off evil
spirits, throw a pinch of spilled salt over the shoulder to
prevent bad luck, say that breaking a mirror brings bad luck,
and we knock on wood or find four-leaf clovers to bring luck.

How Many Times Have You Used These Folk Remedies?

Home remedies from The Dark Ages are all around us. Quick:
name three ways to cure hiccups. No doubt you immediately
thought of scaring the victim, holding your breath while
drinking a glass of water, and breathing through a paper bag.
I'm sure some of you even thought of others.

At some time, these procedures must have worked well enough
to stop hiccups that others began using them. I'm sure you've
already noticed that each cure mentioned above changes the
victim's breathing rhythm, which may be why they sometimes
stop annoying hiccups.

Look Past The Obvious

The hiccup example demonstrates the assertion that home cures
and folk remedies have at least a grain of truth in them.
Think about that the next time you rub aloe vera juice on a
burn, starve a cold (or feed a fever), or hear of a mother
who puts her child with chicken pox together with her healthy
children so they all catch it now rather than later.

Are home remedies things of the past? I don't think so!

(You may reuse this copyrighted article provided no content
is changed - other than line length - and the author's box is
intact. All links must be active hyperlinks or made active.)

=================================================================
Doug Smith is a Chemical Engineer and the webmaster of
http://www.SuperHomeRemedies.com You get free & natural home
remedies for fungus, lice, acid reflux, cold sores, yeast & more
at Home Remedies
Stay up to date with our Home Remedy News Blog at Home Remedies News
=================================================================

About the Author

Doug Smith is a Chemical Engineer and the webmaster of
http://www.SuperHomeRemedies.com You get free & natural home
remedies for fungus, lice, acid reflux, cold sores, yeast & more.

Healing With Whole Foods - Defining Health By Relationships

Rebecca Prescott

Annemarie Colbin, in her book, Food and Healing, presents a
chapter on altering diet to combat specific conditions. Her
recommendations are based on her own experience as a student of
macrobiotics and health food, and a teacher of natural healing
and balanced eating. As well as her observations of those whom
she treated in consultations, and the transformations of her
students over the years. Despite her background in macrobiotics
and vegetarianism, Annemarie isn't dogmatic about food - she
recognizes that what is healing for one person, during a
particular period of their life, may not be healing for others,
or even for that same person at different stages of their life.



She takes as her cue the fact that regular foods have been used
for their medicinal value in most traditional cultures. The
underlying principle is one of restoring balance. Illness is
considered a state of imbalance within the body. And like in
homeopathy, she believes that remedies can cause similar
symptoms to that which they cure - if the symptoms they can cure
are not present, and they are taken in sufficient quantity. So,
the remedy should no longer be taken once the symptoms of
imbalance, the illness or condition, disappears. Otherwise, the
remedy may in fact cause similar symptoms to reappear. If this
is the case, the remedy should not be taken again, as the
remedies are (according to this principle), causing the new
symptoms. Serious medical conditions she does not rely on food
cures for. She recognizes that Western medicine also has its
place. But food being what it is, can also be a useful healing
adjunct in those situations.



One thing that impressed her was food's ability to alter our
metabolism quickly. She described this epiphany after cooking a
meal for some South American friends, who were used to a diet
that was high in protein and fats. When they ate the meal
prepared by her, which was high in complex carbohydrates like
whole grains and legumes, and low in fat, sugar (for dessert),
and low in protein, they found alcohol affected them in a way it
usually didn't. The same amount they normally drank, which did
not make them drunk with their usual fare, got them quite tipsy
on hers. She observed from this that alcohol, being expansive in
nature, balanced out the highly contractive protein and fat they
normally ate. These ideas, of particular foods having an
expansive or contractive nature, is one that she learnt from the
Oriental healing systems she studied.



This approach touches on a core difference between Western
understanding of both food, and medicine, and traditional
Chinese medicine's (TCM). TCM has as its conceptual
underpinning, the study of relationships between things. Western
approaches, to both nutrition and medicine, are based on a
reductionist approach. They explore isolated nutrients, diseases
that are studied under the microscope, with a symptom that then
suggests possible causes, defined within a narrow and static
frame. Ted Kaptchuk illustrates this when he describes how, when
he was studying TCM in Macao, one of his teachers was talking
about shingles. His teacher described how shingles on the face
was different to shingles elsewhere, say, on the trunk. The
reason behind this was that "the Chinese view demanded another
perspective - seeing the relationship of the symptom to the
whole body". (Kaptchuk) he goes on to say: "The question of
cause and effect is always secondary to the overall
pattern...The total configurations, the patterns of disharmony,
provide the framework for treatment." (Kaptchuk)



References: Ted Kaptchuk, Chinese Medicine, The Web That Has No
Weaver (Rider Books, London)



Annemarie Colbin, Food As Healing (Ballantine Books, New York)



About the author:


To learn more about href="http://www.vitaminstohealth.com/acne-natural-cure.html"
target="_new">acne natural cures versus natural acne
treatments, check out this article exploring the use of
Chinese Herbs.

Home Remedies You Can Use Against Thrush

Charlene J. Nuble

The overgrowth of the fungi Candida Albicans is responsible for the onset of Thrush, which is also know as Yeast Infection or Candidiasis. Thrush is not a serious disease but it can cause great discomfort for its sufferer. The best thing you can do then you think you have thrush is to see a doctor immediately. There are also many over the counter medicines that are effective in treating thrush.

The overgrowth of the fungi Candida Albicans is responsible for the onset of Thrush, which is also know as Yeast Infection or Candidiasis. Thrush is not a serious disease but it can cause great discomfort for its sufferer. The best thing you can do then you think you have thrush is to see a doctor immediately. There are also many over the counter medicines that are effective in treating thrush. But aside from seeing a doctor and using over the counter medications, there are many things you can do at home to treat thrush.

1. The first thing you should do at the onset o thrush is to clean the affected area by washing it with plain water. It is not advisable to use soaps, shower gels and bath gels because these products can worsen the infection. Make sure that the affected area is always clean, cool and dry.

2. When you have thrush, avoid using lubricants and spermicidal creams. These products can make your conditions worse. You should also avoid latex condoms because latex or rubber can cause irritation.

3. Do not let synthetic fibers or materials touch the affected area as doing so could cause further irritation. You must wear clothes or undergarments made from natural fibers so as to minimize irritation.

4. Stress can trigger thrush this is why you should learn to relax and fight stress. Do not put yourself in stressful situations as much as possible and try to learn different stress-reducing techniques. 5. Make sure that your partner does not have thrush before having sex.

6. Melaleuca Oil is an effective remedy for thrush. You can buy Melaleuca Oil at alternative medicine and herb stores.

7. Aside from Melaleauca Oil, another effective natural remedy for thrush is Aloe Vera gel which can also be bought in alternative medicine and herb stores. Apply the Aloe Vera gel to the affected area.

8. Avoid oral contraceptives and broad spectrum antibiotics when you feel you are susceptible to thrush.

9. Individuals suffering from iron deficiency anemia and diabetes are more susceptible to get thrush than those not suffering from these diseases. So if you suffer from these diseases you must be doubly careful in avoiding thrush.

10. Avoid alcohol, steroids and too much sugar if you feel that you are susceptible to thrush. These substances can prohibit the growth of Candida Albicans.

11. You can also put natural yogurt to the areas affected by thrush to minimize irritation. Yoghurts have ingredients that can combat inflammation.

12. Food is one of the main triggers of thrush. Avoid dried fruits, dairy products, products with yeasts, mushrooms, pickled vegetables and fruits, monosodium glutamate and smoked fish and meat as these can trigger thrush. You can also try to follow a restricted diet for at least one month. The restricted diet can help you determine the particular foods that triggers thrush. You can then avoid these foods to avoid acquiring thrush.

13. Probiotic supplements that support friendly fungi in the gut such as acidophilus are also found to be effective in treating thrush.

14. If your thrush is persistent and does not respond to home remedies then you should begin to see a doctor. You should never ignore a persistent thrush infection. Or else it could lead to a much worse condition.

Note: This article may be freely reproduced as long as the AUTHOR'S resource box at the bottom of this article is included and and all links must be Active/Linkable with no syntax changes.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR


Charlene J. Nuble 2006.For answers to All your frequently asked questions about thrush, please go to: http://thrush.candidaanswers.com/