7 best natural cures (January 2009) by Chris Lockwood
7 best natural cures
Nature’s medicine cabinet is jammed with healthy tonics. Here’s your guide to making sure you grab what you really need
If you believe those hypochondria inducing ads, the pharmaceutical industry can make drugs to cure pretty much anything that ails us. But drugmakers literally beat the bushes for many of their products. According to one report, nearly 60 percent of the 150 most prescribed drugs contain at least one plant compound as an active ingredient or are synthesised in a lab to mimic the effects of a botanical chemical.
Herbs, like wine, can differ greatly depending on their regions of origin
You should be looking to nature for health tonics, too. But which herbs deliver on their promises, and which ones go up in smoke upon closer inspection? After all, herbs, like wines, can differ greatly depending on their regions of origin. To cut out the guesswork, we examined the research on various herbal cures out there to determine the best picks in seven key aspects of male wellness.
Read all label warnings carefully before taking any new supplement, and check with a qualified complementary and alternative medicine specialist if you’re wondering how a herb might affect you.
Call the Homeopathic Association of South Africa on 012 333 1828 for a registered homeopath in your area. Also, tell your primary-care physician whenever you take any new botanical-based remedy. Finally, remember that these herbs should augment, not replace, a sound diet and plenty of exercise.
An expanding midsection
The remedy Coleus forskohlii root extract
Why it works Unlike the stimulant ephedra, this supplement doesn’t hot-wire the central nervous system to ignite fat loss. Its active ingredient, forskolin, increases your supply of hormone-sensitive lipase, an enzyme that allows stored fat to be burnt for fuel. A recent study in Obesity Research reported that men taking 250 milligrams (mg) of C. forskohlii root extract (with 10 percent forskolin) saw their body-fat percentage drop an average of four points over 12 weeks. As a bonus, men in the study increased their testosterone levels.
Whether you’re inhaling second-hand smoke, recovering from a night of boozing it up or popping ibuprofen, your liver is among the initial lines of defence against toxins
A family history of Alzheimer’s disease
The remedy Huperzia serrata (aka toothed clubmoss)
Why it works This plant’s active ingredient, huperzine A, inhibits production of an enzyme that in turn reduces the amount of an important chemical of the central nervous system called acetylcholine. And acetylcholine just happens to be in short supply in Alzheimer’s patients. A review of several Chinese studies found that elderly people with the disease saw their symptoms lessen after they were given huperzine. And preliminary results from a recent clinical trial reveal that 400 (but not 200) micrograms of huperzine a day improved memory in 210 patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease.
Angina
The remedy Crataegus monogyna (aka hawthorn extract)
Why it works Germany’s herbal-remedy watchdog agency has approved hawthorn leaf and flower extracts as safe and effective for improving heart function in people whose cardiovascular disease has progressed enough to cause them fatigue and angina when they exercise. “The research on hawthorn for heart disease is very good, even though there’s been huge resistance to it from the medical community,” says Dr Marc Micozzi, author of Fundamentals of Complementary and Alternative Medicine.
Toxic intruders
The remedy Silybum marianum (aka milk-thistle extract)
Why it works Whether you’re inhaling second-hand smoke, recovering from a night of boozing it up or popping ibuprofen, your liver is among the initial lines of defence against toxins. Milk thistle’s active ingredient, silybin, modifies existing liver cells to create a protective barrier against these toxins. It also helps form new liver cells. Milk thistle has been shown in various clinical trials to be safe and effective in protecting liver cells from the toxicity of drugs.
Sleepless nights
The remedy Griffonia simplifica seed extract (aka 5-HTP)
Why it works 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) is the chemical that tryptophan must convert to in order to boost serotonin, the sleepy-time hormone. Unlike tryptophan, however, 5-HTP has no trouble crossing the blood-brain barrier, so you’ll be sawing wood in no time. For nearly half a century, 5-HTP has been used clinically to treat insomnia.
Fatigue
The remedy Paullinia cupana (aka guarana-seed extract)
Why it works Sure, caffeine accounts for much of the pop in this elixir from the Amazon. But another active ingredient, theophylline, makes it a high-octane energy booster. In a study published in the Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, theophylline increased time-toexhaustion rates in healthy men pedalling hard on a bike.
Nausea, upset stomach
The remedy Zingiber officinale root extract (aka ginger)
Why it works Ginger has a history of easing digestive discomfort, nausea and motion sickness. A study published in the Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics found that one gram of ginger root, consumed by a healthy adult 30 minutes before slurping a glucose solution, significantly reduced stomach discomfort. Maybe pack this for your next holiday.
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