How Holiday Spices are Good For Your Health.

Cinnamon

The sweet and spicy flavor of cinnamon has been used by many different cultures for its medicinal properties for hundreds, even thousands, of years.

One of the most talked about benefits of cinnamon relates to type 2 diabetes. A study published in the journal Diabetes Care found that half a teaspoon of cinnamon a day significantly reduces blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes. It also reduces triglyceride, LDL cholesterol, and total cholesterol levels among this group.

Cinnamon’s other benefits include:

• Supports digestive function
• Constricts and tones tissues
• Relieves congestion
• Relieves pain and stiffness of muscles and joints
• Relieves menstrual discomfort
• Blood-thinning compounds that stimulate circulation
• Anti-inflammatory compounds that may relieve arthritis
• Helps prevent urinary tract infections, tooth decay and gum disease
• It’s a powerful anti-microbial agent that can kill E. coli and other bacteria

Nutmeg

Nutmeg is another spice that has a variety of healing properties and can be used in a wide range of dishes during the holidays and all year long. It is useful for:

• Insomnia (nutmeg can produce drowsiness so it should be taken when you have a chance to relax or sleep)
• Anxiety
• Calming muscle spasms
• Nausea and vomiting
• Indigestion
• Diarrhea
• Joint pain and gout
• Lowering blood pressure
• Male infertility and impotence
• Improving concentration
• Increasing circulation
• Lowering cholesterol
• Toothaches (nutmeg oil)

** Please note that taking too much nutmeg (one to three nuts or less) can cause side effects such as nausea, hallucinations, swelling and shock.

Clove

Cloves have a potent, sweet and spicy, aromatic flavor that makes a great complement to many foods. They have been consumed in some areas, such as Asia, for more than 2,000 years. Among the clove’s most well-known healing properties is its ability to relieve tooth and gum pain, but it has many benefits beyond that. These include:

• Anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and antioxidant properties
• Relief from respiratory ailments such as asthma and bronchitis
• Relief from muscle pains from injuries or arthritis and rheumatism
• Eliminates intestinal parasites, fungi and bacteria
• May encourage creativity and mental focus

Ginger

Ginger is another spice with a potent flavor that is great for warming your body and adding kick to foods. It’s medicinal properties include:

• Soothes nausea, motion sickness and other stomach upset
• Relieves morning sickness
• Anti-inflammatory properties
• Eliminates intestinal gas
• Relaxes and soothes the intestinal tract
• Antioxidant properties
• Relieves dizziness
• Boosts the immune system
• Protects against bacteria and fungi
• Encourages bile flow
• Promotes cardiovascular health

Peppermint

The therapeutic effects of fresh peppermint leaves have been known since ancient times and its aromatic aroma has come to symbolize hospitality in many cultures. Its healing properties include:

• Soothing to the digestive tract
• Relieves symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome
• May protect against cancer
• Inhibits the growth of bacteria and fungus
• Relieves the symptoms of allergies and asthma

While there are many benefits to be had by adding spices to your diet, don't forget that these foods should not be taken every day or you run the risk of developing an allergy to them. Spices should not be looked at as a "cure" for your health problems, only by addressing the underlying causes of illness with a healthy diet and lifestyle will you be able to achieve optimum health.

Original article from http://www.mercola.com

Natural Herbs offer protection from food poisoning, ulcers and much more.

A recent article from the DailyMail UK has many healthful tidbits regarding Natural Herbs and the various benefits they offer. While not a complete list by any means, knowing that Thyme can be a natural cure for acne and that certain food-poisoning bacterias are knocked out by coriander sure can be a helpful thing. 

BASIL: A study at Xinjiang Medical University found an extract of the herb reduced blood pressure in a similar way to medication. It’s thought it affects levels of endothelins, proteins which constrict blood vessels.

FENUGREEK: A daily extract of its seeds improves diabetics’ blood sugar control and decreases insulin resistance, say researchers at the Jaipur Diabetes and Research Centre in India. 

It may also increase inadequate breast milk supply, nursing mothers have reported. But as the spice is also a traditional remedy to induce childbirth, the seeds shouldn’t be taken during pregnancy.

OREGANO: This contains the powerful antifungal agents thymol and carvacrol. A study at Georgetown University Medical Centre in Washington showed that carvacrol inhibited the growth of the fungus Candida albicans (which causes thrush) better than a common antifungal medication.

CORIANDER: Coriander oil has been shown to fight against food poisoning bacteria campylobacter, according to research published in the Journal Of Medical Microbiology. 

Chicken and red meat (particularly mince) can carry campylobacter, which may cause illness if food is undercooked. You could add ground coriander seeds (which provide the essential oil component) to your burgers and chicken dishes.  

SAGE: Healthy young volunteers who were given capsules with high doses of sage essential oil in a study at Northumbria University said their mood was consistently enhanced.

In older people, Australian research found extract of sage improved memory and attention. The herb is thought to inhibit breakdown of acetylcholine, a brain chemical associated with attention span and sharp memory.

CARDAMOM: If you’ve had a stomach ulcer, or are prone to them, try adding cardamom to spicy dishes or rice pudding. Indian researchers found its oil extracts protected the stomach lining and helped guard against ulcers induced by alcohol and aspirin. The active ingredient is thought to be nootkatone, obtained from ground pods.

For therapy using natural herbs: visit Classical Medicine 

Read the original articles here: 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2130642/Basil-reduces-blood-pressure-coriander-prevents-food-poisoning--best-herbs-fight-ailments.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

Alternative Medicine Treatments from Hospitals?

From NPR.org 

Hospitals are going alternative. Forty-two percent now offer at least one type of complementary or alternative medicine treatment, according to a recent survey by the American Hospital Association and the Samueli Institute, a nonprofit research organization that focuses on these treatments.

What hospitals choose to offer runs the gamut, from well-known therapies such as acupuncture to less familiar treatments like reiki, in which practitioners channel a patient's energy by placing their hands on or just above specific locations on the body.

Patient demand is the top reason hospitals offer complementary and alternative therapies, cited by 85 percent. Clinical effectiveness? That comes in second, at 70 percent.

Though eager to please, hospitals are generally only willing to go so far. They typically draw the line at herbal or nutritional supplements. Eighty-two percent of hospitals said they don't sell herbs in their hospital pharmacies, and 55 percent don't sell nutritional supplements. Two-thirds said they have policies regarding using such products during a hospital stay.

There's a big difference between guided imagery and ginkgo supplements, say experts. While patients are unlikely to be harmed by the mostly noninvasive therapies hospitals have adopted so far, herbs and supplements may pose a greater threat.

An extract made from the seeds and leaves of the Ginkgo biloba tree, for example, is taken by some people to improve memory and fight dementia, despite mostly inconclusive study results.

The herb does, however, increase the risk of bleeding, and patients should discontinue its use 36 hours prior to surgery. "Many herbal remedies create herb/drug interactions," says Barrie Cassileth, chief of the integrative medicine service at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, which maintains a website with information on 250 herbs and supplements. "Many of them are not standardized, and frequently they are dirty, contaminated and unproven," she says. 

 That hasn't seemed to bother Americans, who spent $14.8 billion on such products in 2007, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. That's an amount equal to one-third of their total out-of-pocket spending on prescription drugs. All too often, however, patients don't offer up details to their doctors about what natural remedies they're taking on their own.

These days, hospitals generally ask about such use, but if they don't: Tell them. You could save yourself and the hospital a lot of trouble.

For original article read: NPR: HEALTH: HOSPITALS OFFER ACUPUNTURE / ALTERNATIVE TREATMENTS