Health Help

Catnip is one of the bulk herbs that is a member of the mint family. Its scientific name is Nepeta cataria. The plant grows to be about 2 feet tall and the leaves, slightly larger than peppermint, are downy above and below. Catnip is harvested and the leaves and flowers dried when this essential oil production reaches its peak.

Catnip is a native of Europe but was imported to US and is now a common weed here. Other names include Catmint, Catnep, Catswort, Field Balm, Menta De Gato. Catnip has been used in herbal remedies on humans since at least the 15th century. It was the most commonly consumed herbal drink in Europe before teas from the orient began to be imported. By the 1890′s, Ojibwe native women were using it. It had a Native name, Gajugensibug, and was said to be a good tea to drink to bring down fevers, as well as being pleasant-tasting.

As you might suspect, catnip got its name because of its affect on cats. Cats are most interested in the smell of the plant. Cats will rub against, bite, chew, and roll in catnip – generally go crazy for several minutes. This will release the volatile oil trapped in the leaves. Then suddenly the cat will lose interest and walk away. Two hours later he could return and do it. Why he acts like this we don’t know, we do know that it is related to the chemical nepetalactone in catnip. It is a reflex response, and, though a small percentage of cats are totally unaffected by it, even tigers can be sensitive to it.

As an herbal treatment, catnip sooths the stomach and digestive system. This means it aids with flatulence, diarrhea, and colic. As an enema it can cleanse and heal the lower bowel. Taken as a hot infusion, Catnip promotes sweating and this helps with colds, flu, fevers, and infectious diseases. It is soothing to the nervous system and can help to prevent a miscarriage, premature birth and to decrease symptoms of morning sickness. But there are more Catnip benefits.

Catnip is great for treating young children. It safely stimulates the body while it settles the stomach and soothes the nerves. In combination with fennel catnip is a great remedy for colic, gas, teething difficulties, and indigestion in children. It is also a great mucus cleanser.

Another combination is to mix catnip with garlic. The two together make a powerful enema. Catnip can increase perspiration without increasing the heat of the body. This is ideal for treating a fever. Its sedative qualities add to its generally relaxing properties.

Though essential oils are taken from the flowers,  the value of the plant is found in the Catnip’s leaf. These may be purchased dried, cut, and powdered. From these you can make a tea or an extract, or you can sprinkle dried leaves on food. Of course, the dried leaves are also used to make herbal pillows for cats.

Catnip is safe for man, woman, and child to ingest. If you want its benefits to last though, you should store it in a dark, dry, and cool place. Refrigeration or freezing is even better. The petalactone in catnip is sensitive to ultraviolet light so keep it out of the sun. There is disagreement whether or not it will cause harm to a pregnant woman but most feel it is both safe and beneficial to expectant mothers.

Those who regularly use Catnip Leaf receive digestion aid, relief from fevers and stomach cramps and more health boosting benefits. To find out more about this and other bulk dried herbs, visit More Than Alive – an online store and trusted resource for family health information.

A perennial plant, ginseng grows between 7 to 21 inches in height when wild. The plant takes only 5-6 years to grow, yet the roots can stay alive for over 100 years. The root is creamy yellow or white in color, and it branches off sometimes in the shape of a person. Ginseng grows naturally on the slopes of ravines and shady, well drained, mountainous, hardwood forests. The root carries all the nutrition and makes it the most widely used herb in the Orient.

Ginseng root comes in three types. Korean or oriental ginseng is the most widely used ginseng in the world. American ginseng has a cooling quality on the body versus a heating quality for oriental ginseng. American ginseng grows from Quebec to Minnesota and to the south to Georgia and Oklahoma. The third type is Siberian, which is also common in North America. Siberian ginseng is a cousin of oriental ginseng but has similar properties. The name ginseng is Chinese meaning “Man Plant” from the root’s frequent likeness to the human form.

The goodness of ginseng has been known for thousands of years. Its benefits first center around its being an adaptogen. This means it stabilizes the systems off the body. Ginseng contains 27 ginsenocides. These enable ginseng to balance and counteract the effects of stress. Ginseng can also be used to lower high blood pressure and to raise low blood pressure. Ginseng increases performance and energy levels in people who are constantly exhausted. Those recovering from an illness and those experiencing a heavy work load will benefit from ginseng.

The presence of vitamins A, B-6 and Zinc strengthen the immune system. Ginseng also increases estrogen levels in women and treats menopausal symptoms. By increasing circulation, ginseng improves memory as well.

Ginseng is used in a wide variety of treatments. These include headache, insomnia, ease in childbirth, strengthening teeth, treating fatigue without caffeine, reducing blood sugar levels, treating rheumatism, gout, neuralgia, and double vision.

Ginseng promotes the production of sex hormones and thus is used to enhance sexual desire. It is also used to slow the aging process. Ginseng is used in cures but its main value, when taken over a long period of time, is as a preventative.

Ingesting ginseng is easy. Start by preparing a tea with root slices brewed slowly in a silver or glass tea pot for one hour. The bitterer it is, the higher the potency. These root slivers can also be added to soups or other cooked dishes. By grinding it, the powder can be used in meals or can be placed under your tongue where the high concentrations of blood vessels allow direct it to the blood system. Also, chew the dried root, soaked in boiling water for five minutes, like a piece of hard candy. The best dosage of ginseng is two or three grams a day. As stated earlier, ginseng is most effective over a long period of time. It may take six months before its benefits are felt.

Ginseng is safe but it is possible to overdose, especially on Korean ginseng, the most potent of the three types. Overdose symptoms may include nervousness, dizziness, mood changes, insomnia, headache and loss of appetite. Some warn women who are pregnant or nursing not to use it but others say it is safe for everyone. Check with your doctor to be safe.

Those who regularly use Ginseng Root receive improved energy, lowered blood pressure, stress relief and more health boosting benefits. To find out more about this and other bulk herbs, visit More Than Alive – an online store and trusted resource for family health information.

The official name is Melissa officinalis but it is better known as lemon balm, bee balm, sweet balm, Melissa, and cure-all. Lemon balm is a mint plant originated in the Mediterranean region. This hardy perennial grows into a bush about 24 inches around. You can cut the leaves two or three times during a growing season. When lemon balm’s  light green, ridged leaves are rubbed, they give off a strong lemon scent.

Today lemon balm is found growing throughout the world. The leaves, stems, and white flowers of lemon balm have all been used for centuries. The claims for lemon balm from literature as far back as the 1600’s make it sound like the proverbial cure-all miracle medicine.

The tannins and polyphenols in lemon balm have both an antibacterial and a antiviral quality. Therefore it has been used to help treat mumps, strep, and yes, herpes. Creams and ointments using lemon balm have helped to heal cold sores or genital sores induced by herpes. However, lemon balm doesn’t cause unpleasant side effects like vomiting, nausea, and irregular menstruation like prescription drugs might.

Lemon balm both helps speed the healing of wounds and also relieves pain. A traditional use of lemon balm is for treatment of nervous disorders such as chronic nervousness, anxiety, and slight insomnia. Like mint, lemon balm has a soothing effect on the stomach and digestive system. The volatile oils, including citronellal and citrals A and B are responsible for this.

Lemon balm extract has been administered intravenously to help with an overactive thyroid. It particularly helps with Graves’ disease. Lemon balm also seems to help block some of the secretion of the thyroid gland and the thyroid’s ability to release hormones in the body. An important note: If you are currently taking any thyroid medication, be aware that lemon balm may interact with your prescribed medications.

Lemon balm has been shown to help relax spasms affecting the uterus and intestines. Therefore it is used to treat premenstrual syndrome and irritable bowel syndrome. Lemon balm may improve memory and lengthen attention span in Alzheimer’s patients. The aroma has been used to affect the mood of a patient. One person made floor cleaner by mixing three-parts water to one-part white vinegar. Then she added a few sprigs of crushed lemon balm. The fragrance both masks the vinegar smell and adds some antiseptic qualities.

Lemon balm may be purchased in creams, tablets, capsules, teas, tinctures, and extracts. Typically an adult should take 1 teaspoon of lemon balm extract daily, or 1½ teaspoons of tincture. A homemade tea is made by adding 1 to 3 teaspoons of the dried lemon balm leaves to a cup of hot water. Try adding dried lemon balm leaves to your bath. If you have difficulty sleeping or have stomach problems such as flatulence, or bloating, lemon balm may be just what you need. Treating children is safe and effective. Lemon balm may be used topically on cold sores. For ingestion, adjust amounts based on the above given for a 150 pound adult.

Beekeepers have loved lemon balm for centuries. It has the ability to attract and nurture swarms of bees, as well as to provide a remedy for bee stings. Lemon balm may increase the effects of other sedatives so do not take them together without checking with your doctor.

Those who regularly use lemon balm receive fast healing, natural infection fighting, muscle spasm relief and more health boosting benefits. To find out more about this and other bulk dried herbs, visit More Than Alive – an online store and trusted resource for family health information.

Like any other seasoning, garlic powder is a great additional flavor in many cuisines. But can it truly share the exact flavor with real garlic? Why don’t we initially find out what garlic is. Garlic is a kind of spice, widely used for its rare taste, often used as part of a dish or some even roast and eat it alone. One can find people stating that once garlic is consumed naturally, it can provide health benefits. However, one merely must bear this garlic breath, which causes many other many people to control. This excellent spice includes Vitamin A, Vitamin C and Selenium, all great antioxidants for the entire body.

Garlic moreover is made up of antibacterial elements identified as the Allicin, which is often ruined when garlic is cooked. Some people often replace garlic with garlic powder if the former is not available. Often times though, it will not definitely share exactly the same garlic taste when compared to the fresh garlic. Garlic powder is often sweeter than the garden-fresh one.

Garlic powder is a powdery substance coming from crushed garlic. This is one of the bulk herbs that is also used as seasoning to most foods although it does not have the exact similar taste of real garlic. Some producers may add unnatural factors to garlic powder to generate garlic shade or enhance on the quality.

What are the features of making use of garlic powder? Initially, it is usually reduced sodium, so people limiting their sodium consumption do not need to to worry pertaining to it. Some manufacturers can imitate a real garlic flavor in their garlic powder so people would use it as seasoning for a more garlicky taste. Garlic powder is usually added in hamburger patties and soup to make it spicier as well as to eggs of any style. It is usually efficient to include tang devoid of the included sodium.

Garlic powder is associated with garlic salt by most people. They usually consider garlic salt instead of garlic powder. In reality, garlic salt came from garlic powder, as it is often a combination of salt and garlic powder. It shares the same basic elements but with added salt on the garlic salt. The difference is that when one takes in too much garlic salt, it is like increasing your salt intake. It will be not recommended to interchange salt with garlic salt as these contain identical level of sodium.

To add new flavor in your food, it truly is excellent to include minced garlic or powder within some seasoning. Garlic powder is available at local stores and thus adds to that perfect taste you have been looking for.

Garlic Powder provides great seasoning, natural infection fighting and more health boosting benefits to those who use it regularly. To find out more about this and other bulk dried herbs, visit More Than Alive – an online store and trusted resource for family health information.

The olive leaf, as history has written, was used as a form of medication by ancient Egyptians to cure many types of ailments.   It is also celebrated as a figure of supernatural beings such that it was treated as a present from the heavens.

Modern research can also establish that the olive leaf indeed has the capacity to aid in the prevention and the medication of health disorders because it has been used as an ingredient for antioxidants and antibiotics.  Aside from that, it also displays anti-parasitic and anti-fungal properties that defeat a lot of infections.  Aside from these qualities, it also helps against cardiovascular diseases, helps build up a person’s immunity against any other type of sickness, and cures problems that relate to skin infections.

High blood pressure has been a big problem in the world today and the olive leaf has played a big part in eradication this by helping to lower down blood pressure.  It is also a main concern among the population that affects millions, including children, worldwide.  This is because we can easily get high blood pressure by living unhealthily on fatty foods and alcoholic drinks.   Olive oil has then been used as a helpful ingredient in lowering down blood pressure and hypertension.

The ingredients of olive leaf also aids to detoxify our body when it is used as a medicinal supplement for cleansing our body.   Harmful substances and other chemicals that pose a threat to our body’s well being will easily be removed, allowing us to only make use of the healthy substances in our body.  All of the harmful bacteria and chemicals will be taken care of.

Like most herbs, the olive leaf is one ingredient that can help cure anybody’s pain for almost anything.  The above examples are just among those that people have successfully dealt with. The olive leaf is indeed another ingredient that each home should have in its supplies. It always is a relief to find out that we still have pure and safe ingredients that can help eradicate numerous illnesses and diseases that might harm our health and that of our families.

The olive leaf is readily made available to public use through multivitamins, vitamin supplements in tablet or pill form, olive oil, or in bulk herbs, as well.

It was always known that ever since, man had made use of the resources around him to make his life better, herbs are just among of those that had been consumed to benefit from its medicinal properties. . If given a chance to check every home, we would be able to find that most of these homes would have a supply of herbs kept in their kitchen since they hold a belief that the most effective medicine is one made naturally. The olive leaf is one of those herbs that you would want to have handy.

People have always searched for ways to make life easier and more colorful and they have found out that spices make this possible for us.  Spices have been used to add color and appeal to our cooking, they have also been administered by health practitioners into our diets to support healthy living, and they have even found out that it is one way of helping with weight loss.   The use of Cayenne Pepper powder may just as well prove this.

Cayenne was named after the city, Cayenne in French Guiana.  Other names for the spice are Guinea spice, bird pepper, and red pepper. Cayenne is mainly used to flavor dishes and used as an herbal supplement.

Cayenne pepper, like any other chili, would be found thriving in tropical or sub tropical regions.   Other places with temperate climates also have been known to grow this spice in season and would generally need to prune the fruits when frost came.

Cayenne pepper is rich in vitamin A and many homes have used this in their meals to benefit from it.  Aside from which, one can benefit from it since you can also have doses of vitamin B6, vitamin E, vitamin C, manganese, potassium, and riboflavin.

In medicine, heart problems, poor blood circulation, indigestion, and chronic pain are just among those ailments that can be treated with the help of cayenne pepper. This is because when cayenne pepper is taken in orally, its content helps out with secretions in the systems of the body that in turn alleviate pain and discomfort.

The major contribution of cayenne pepper in the world of medicine would be to help with the body’s blood circulation.   This may be explained because of the high content of capsaicin, which is the measure of the heat content of any spice.   Usually, cayenne pepper is said to measure a high content of capsaicin that helps make all the other spices function better.

In addition to this feature, cayenne pepper has also been dubbed as a great addition to anyone’s weight loss program.  Capsaicin is also responsible for this feat since the heat content helps in burning the excess fat that has been difficult for us to lose.

To explain further, this content in cayenne pepper, handles all the cholesterol by breaking it up and helping with the fat-burning process, thereby also helping to lower down blood pressure.

You can easily include one of these bulk herbs in your everyday regimen by adding lemon, honey, and water to the cayenne pepper.  Now, it is very important to have sugars in the mix since you would need this to have energy in your systems as your body would start losing the excess fats.  This is indeed a healthy way to lose weight and detoxify your systems, as well as aid in proper functioning of the body.

Cayenne Pepper powder provides inexpensive circulatory, weight loss and health boosting benefits to those who use it regularly. To find out more about this and other bulk dried herbs, visit More Than Alive – an online store and trusted resource for family health information.

If you look around us, you will see that we are surrounded by so much body of water like the oceans, lakes, rivers, and the like. Technically this is where we gather the water that has been coming out of our house systems everyday.   However, it is interesting to note that even though there is a vast supply of water in the world, not all of it is quite safe for human use.   It is a good thing that Aquasana Water Filters developed a way to guard our families about this.

Water supply in the different communities have now become safer to use because of the development of Aquasana Water Filters . It works by removing harmful materials that make water infectious such as lead, dangerous organic chemicals and chlorine.   The powerful filtration system also works on trihalomethanes, giardia, cryptosporidium, and MTBE.

You see, not all water resources are safe to gather water from and we can not risk getting our families sick in the process of taking it all in. Which is why Aquasana Water filters makes sure that only the natural minerals are left in the water after it passes through the filtering stages.

The makers of this gadget are all too knowledgeable of the fact that there are infectious disease that are spreading which is caused by the contamination of the water supply, that is why they are going through great lengths to produce and market the Aquasana Water Filters to the public. It is quite evident that water plays a major role in our health and in our lives, not just in our homes, but also all throughout the world and in different major industries.

The filtration process of the water resources has been made possible by a lot of companies, such as the one who created Aquasana Water Filters. This is a good investment for anyone who wishes to protect their family’s health and in the process, save money from unnecessary expenses.  Investing in this type of gadget will definitely be worth it since you will not risk your health.

Having only the safest and well filtered water in our supply for everyday use is one thing that we are always making sure of.  We very well know that our body has a large composition of water and that this solvent is essential in our daily fight against other illness and diseases around us.   Our family is always first and we make sure that we provide exactly what our family needs when it comes to health, safety and security.

Prevention is way better than cure and this holds true most especially when it comes to you family’s health.  It would cost us less money and less worries to provide the protection of our families before hand rather than subject them to a series of medication just because we were not able to have a bit of precaution in our water supplies.

We should not take this for granted. An Aquasana Water Filter should be a part of your household. More Than Alive has been providing the best water filters and bulk herbs for years. Visit them today.

A native Mediterranean shrub from Southern Europe, Chaste Tree berry also known as “monk’s pepper” with a botanical name of Vitex agnus castus from the Verbenaceae family of plants is a large flowering shrub with an aromatic smell reaches a height of about twenty feet tall. The flowers usually bloom during late summer or early fall with flowers ranging from lilac to blue and white.

The name Chaste berry shrub originated from a belief that the plant promoted chastity since monks from the Middle Ages use this tree to reduce sexual want as well as wards away evil. Just like other herbal plants, chaste berry tree offers consumers a lot of health benefits and is most effective when taken for several months or a year depending on the person’s preference.

Chaste tree berry has been confirmed to have effects on the pituitary gland which generates the female sex hormones estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone.  This leads to the reduction of prolactin secretion leading to the lowering of milk production.  Through a clinical practice, the results revealed that chaste berry has settled down the particular abnormal menstrual cycle as well as the hormone levels of prolactin and progesterone.  For this reason, this was used as a treatment to situations related to too much prolactin within the body. Since it can normalize hormone levels, it may also be helpful for premenopausal women with abnormally short cycles, those with heavy menstrual bleeding or perhaps after the discontinuation of birth control pills.

Another helpful benefit would be the reduction of symptoms related to premenstrual syndrome linked to excessive prolactin levels.  Research has also demonstrated that a woman who uses this herb routinely feels less breast tenderness and pressure, bloating as well as fatigue.  Chaste tree berry also has anti androgenic, an effect which means that this kind of herb is used to manage acne in both males and females. Additionally it also decreases an overactive libido. Chaste berry trees are also used in the herbal treatment of women with mild corpus luteum which is the reason behind their infertility.  A few scientific tests likewise have shown that this herb helps with breast cancer, regulates libido, decrease appetite, reduce flatulence, and also boosts sleeping.

Every one of us must remember that the value of herbal products such as Chaste Tree berry powder must always be the best, so that the optimum benefits of trying out these remedies would be obtained compared to those artificial medicines that we buy in the drug store. In addition, there are some factors that one must consider before trying out an herbal remedy.  These points include persons who will definitely take the herbs, his or her motive, the age of the item being tried as well as the degree of efficiency and kind of herb.

It comes in many forms like tablets, powders, liquids and tea but it gives the same level of effectiveness to treat the above problems.  Chaste tree berry, a medicinal plant consists of all crucial elements that are certainly a remedy to a person’s problem. It is better to know more about this plant through continuous research in order to discover more benefits of this valuable plant.

Those who regularly use Chaste Tree Berry receive inexpensive hormone stabilizing and health boosting benefits. To find out more about this and other bulk herbs, visit More Than Alive – an online store and trusted resource for family health information.

The gifted practitioners of this age of modern medicine have developed and used Bentonite clay.   Other names for Bentonite clay are montmorillonite or Pascallite.  This is actually what you get when you combine water and volcanic ash together.

Native Americans were the ones who started to experiment with the use of a Bentonite Clay mask created to treat a lot of people with health problems.  Some may even consider the use of this clay to be included in their beauty ritual to help maintain good and clear skin.  This has been on going for a long period of time and these clay masks have been sold commercially, although a lot of people have opted to go for home made varieties of the product.  It’s not important to be picky with the type of clay you are choosing.You would just have to make sure that the product is suitable to your skin and the ingredients won’t irritate it.

The consumption of Bentonite clay is amazingly one of the techniques that work for detoxification.  The chemicals that have been trapped in your body for a long time can easily be cleansed through this technique. We all know that cleaning our body inside and out has been very popular among those who are conscious with to protect their health, so they have added the advantages of clay utilization especially when it has been proven by most people in Africa, South America and Australia.

Two kinds of clay is available today and it would be clear for you to understand if we gave you a brief description of what they are. The first one is the swelling type and the second one is the non swelling type. “Sodium Bentonite” is the more popular name of the former and is being used in heavy duty industries which are exposed to hazardous chemicals.  You could be able to find this in the southern US where most people are consuming it with their livelihood.

The latter type would be “Calcium Bentonite.”This type of clay is ideal for medicinal purposes and is used in alternative detoxification purposes as mentioned above and would be located usually in the mountainous regions of the United States. China has also been known to produce such of clay.

You will find that there are different varieties that package Bentonite such as in gelatin, capsule or powdered form. It’s really a big help to the development of the treatment of health issues and continuous cleansing of the body, regardless of the packaging it may be in.

It is suggested that the intake of Bentonite should be in its liquid form and give at least an hour before taking in anything else just to make sure that it is effectively working. Its effects are amazingly like your favorite vitamin that would trigger a health conscious you into feeling a lot better and would only work for the best.  It is also understood that you might not get used to the taste at first and you might want to mix it up with other sauces, or syrup just to get in line with the regular dosage that you need. Usually, you would need to have 4 tablespoons of the stuff.

Destructive pollutants that are stored in the body that may affect our body’s health, as well as some bacteria or viruses can finally be cleansed away through Bentonite clay.

Bentonite Clay provides both inexpensive detoxification and tremendous skin cleansing benefits to those who use it regularly. To find out more about this and other bulk dried herbs, visit More Than Alive – an online store and trusted resource for family health information.

Cayenne Pepper is an ordinary seasoning used by some people for additional flavor in their meal. But out of its ordinary function comes an extraordinary finding in making our body healthy and immune. Experts agreed that cayenne pepper has health benefits once taken in the body. And so, it is considered as a “miracle herb”. It assuages pain and lowers our body temperature, cholesterol and blood sugar level. It also strengthens our heart and eliminates cancer cells.

So, what is a cayenne pepper and how does it bring wonders to people? Cayenne pepper, also known as red chili pepper, grows in tropical and subtropical places. It contains a substance called capsaicin that causes its heat and serves as a stimulant in our chemoreceptor nerve endings and mucous membranes. This certain element depletes the substance that causes us to feel pain in our body. It stops that certain substance before it sends pain signals to our brain, thus making it a pain reliever.

Besides easing pain, cayenne pepper powder keeps our body temperature at a low level. Ironic isn’t it? Regardless of it hot flavor is a feature that can rouse a part of our brain controlling the cooling of our body. That makes cayenne pepper powder a good remedy for fevers.

To recall in the above paragraphs, it was mentioned that cayenne pepper powder can stabilizes our cholesterol and blood sugar level. Statistics shows that a number of people have problems in obesity and excessive intake of sweets, causing them to suffer the consequence of high cholesterol and blood sugar level. Once taken in the body, cayenne pepper helps cleanse our bloodstream from unwanted elements which would include excess fat. Fatty elements are processed and excreted in our body through a normal bowel movement. Aside from cleansing our body, cayenne pepper also regulates our blood sugar. It not only makes us look healthy, but it also makes us look good. With a low cholesterol and blood sugar level, our body can easily control hunger, maintains energy level and burn off fat.

Interestingly, cayenne pepper is proven to kill cancer cells in the body. Studies show that the presence of cayenne pepper can cause cancer cells to eradicate itself in the process called apoptosis. It is verified that capsaicin in the cayenne pepper helps eliminate leukemic, pancreatic and prostate cancer cells in the body.

In conclusion, cayenne pepper powder can spice up not only our meals but also our body’s resistance, keeping it healthy and less prone to bad health. A dash of cayenne daily keeps us all healthy.

Cayenne Pepper Powder provides tremendous health boosting benefits to those who use it regularly. To find out more about this and other bulk herbs, visit More Than Alive – an online store and trusted resource for family health information.