The Complete Herbal Guide: A Natural Approach to Healing the Body - Heal Your Body Naturally and Maintain Optimal Health Using Alternative Medicine, Herbals, Vitamins, Fruits and Vegetables (59 page)

Plant Description:

Since the 1980s, Western medical interest in the plant has grown dramatically since its potent actions on the cardiovascular system were identified. Different parts of the plant have different properties with different medical applications. Some of Maiden Hair's constituents include amino acids, tannins, quercetin, beta-carotene, flavone glycosides, bioflavones, sitosterol, lactones, anthocyanin, calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, B-vitamins and vitamins A and C.  Maiden Hair is now among the leading prescription medicines in both Germany and France.

Medical Uses:

Maiden Hair improves blood and oxygen flow to the brain and has been most effective in treating senility, dementia, depression, anxiety, forgetfulness, inability to concentrate and ADD (attention deficit disorder) in adults. Maiden Hair's most exciting application may be in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease by helping to speed the blood flow to the brain and aiding the brain to utilize glucose efficiently. Improved blood flow to the brain also helps to prevent strokes, cerebral arteriosclerosis and other diseases of peripheral circulation.

Maiden Hair may reduce the risk of heart attack. In the same way improved blood flow helps other vital areas of the body, Maiden Hair appears to prevent the blood clots that cause them. It blocks the platelet activation factor (PAF) that triggers the internal blood clots, which lead to heart attacks. In addition, one of Maiden Hair's flavone glycosides (ginkgolide) has been used to treat severely irregular heartbeat.

Problems associated with poor circulation, such as varicose veins, Raynaud's disease and macular degeneration have been alleviated with the use of Maiden Hair. It is a circulatory stimulant that relaxes blood vessels. By increasing peripheral vascular circulation, the pain and cramping associated with obstruction and narrowing in the arteries (reducing blood flow) is relieved. Improved blood circulation may also help inner ear dysfunction, including tinnitus (ringing in the ears).

Maiden Hair helps promote good sexual health. Male impotence (erectile dysfunction) has been helped by the use of Maiden Hair. Studies showed that the herb improved blood flow to the penis in men who had narrowing of the arteries that supply blood to that area and were unable to achieve erections. Additionally, women who suffered sexual difficulties when taking antidepressants have benefited from the use of Maiden Hair, claiming that it enhanced orgasm and excitement.

Maiden Hair is said to fight melanoma by improving the delivery of oxygen to tissues throughout the body. Oxygenated blood creates a hostile environment for hormone-related malignancy, including bladder, breast, ovarian, etc.

As an astringent, antifungal and antibacterial, Maiden Hair helps to ward off kidney infections, diphtheria, dysentery, hemorrhoids and toxic shock, and has a beneficial effect on the urinary system, treating incontinence and excessive urination. It is also useful in treating vaginal infection.

Maiden Hair is a powerful antioxidant that helps to protect the brain from neurotoxicity. It is said to prevent free-radical damage and age-related declines in brain function.  It may also prevent free radical damage in the kidneys and liver.

Problems with the respiratory tract are thought to be improved with Maiden Hair. This herb treats bronchial constriction, asthma, chesty coughs (with thick phlegm) and tuberculosis.

Maiden Hair has been known to provide relief for the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome, including fluid retention and breast tenderness.

Dosages:
Take one (1) capsule, two (2) times each day with water at mealtimes.

Precautions:
Speak with your doctor before taking Maiden Hair if you are taking prescription MAO inhibitors (antidepressants) or blood thinners. Discuss its use before having surgery, if you are pregnant or if you take painkillers on a regular basis. It is not recommended for epileptics. Topical or internal use may cause skin irritations, mild headaches or mild upset stomach.

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Described as the
King of Mushrooms
 in Japan,
Maitake
is rapidly gaining a reputation as one of the finest immuno-stimulants known.  Used in Oriental medicine for over three thousand years, new scientific research in Japan and the United States has discovered some powerful compounds that have shown significant carcinogenesis prevention activity in tests.  Regarded as the most potent immune-enhancing of all the mushrooms, current studies are revealing some promising data that may provide hope for HIV patients.  Maitake Mushroom is easily absorbed and is as effective when taken as an oral supplement as it is when given intravenously.

Plant Description:

Maitake Mushroom is a very large mushroom that has been used for over three thousand years in traditional Chinese and Japanese cooking and herbology, in which mushrooms have been used to maintain health, preserve youth and increase longevity.
 

Among the several types of mushrooms used in traditional medicine, Maitake is said to contain the most potent healing qualities. It is described as a cluster of dark fronds with a firm and supple texture at the base, becoming slightly brittle and crumbly at the edges and exuding a distinctive aroma and rich, woodsy taste.

History:

In Japanese, Maitake means "dancing mushroom," because in ancient times, those who were fortunate enough to find them were said to dance with joy, since Maitakes could be exchanged for their weight in silver. The Maitake Mushroom grows wild in the deep mountainous regions of northeastern Japan and is difficult to cultivate because of its sensitivity to environmental conditions.  Members of this family all grow on rotting wood and tend to form very simple fruiting bodies. Until cultivation techniques were devised in 1979, they were collected in the wild, but are now successfully grown for ever-expanding food and medicinal markets in Japan, as well as export to the West.  Today, traditional Oriental herbal medicine functions side-by-side with modern medical techniques in Japan, as witnessed by the frequent use of Maitake Mushrooms to treat conditions that are routinely treated in the West with synthetic drugs. However, because of new scientific research, many promising benefits are emerging from the use of Maitake Mushroom in the area preventing carcinogenesis and HIV treatments, and many studies are now being conducted in the United States and Japan to substantiate these claims.  Maitake Mushroom is very nutritious and includes vitamins C, D and B-2, potassium, magnesium and a very powerful polysaccharide called beta-1, 6-glucan, which is thought to account for the mushroom's healing properties.

Medical Uses:

Maitake Mushroom is considered an adaptogen, an agent that increases resistance to stress and helps the body adapt to stressful conditions and normalize bodily functions when those functions have been altered.

Maitake is said to be the most powerful immuno-stimulant of all the mushrooms. The most important compound, the polysaccharide beta-1, 6-glucan, is said to stimulate immune function by enhancing the activity of key immune cells known as T-helper cells or CD4 cells. 

In addition to enhancing immune function, Maitake's potent polysaccharide compound has been shown to prevent carcinogenesis in laboratory tests, and further studies are investigating the potential use of Maitake for malignant colorectal and breast disease.
 

The U.S.F.D.A. has approved clinical studies of Maitake on participants with advanced prostate cancer, skipping the usual first-phase toxicity study, going directly to phase-two human study.
  There are also strong indications that Maitake may reduce pain, hair loss, nausea and other side effects usually associated with chemotherapy.

Penn State researchers found that all mushrooms are a rich source of the powerful antioxidant, ergothioneine, but the exotic mushrooms (such as Maitake) contain even more ergothioneine, which is a unique metabolite that is thought to provide cellular protection within the human body that can reduce the risk of developing chronic diseases.

Maitake Mushroom is also said to have an antiviral effect and has killed HIV virus in laboratory experiments.Reports that Maitake extracts may help AIDS patients fight Kaposi's sarcoma and other symptoms are still preliminary and require further studies.  Further antiviral qualities are thought to be useful for chronic fatigue syndrome and chronic hepatitis.

Traditionally, mushrooms have been believed to prevent hypertension, and there are reports that Maitake can lower blood pressure.

New research claims that Maitake Mushroom may be useful for treating diabetes in patients with non-insulin dependent diabetes.  Another potent polysaccharide in Maitake may increase the body's ability to recognize glucose levels and improve the insulin levels.

Dosages:
Take two (2) to three (3) capsules, three (3) times each day with water at mealtimes.

Precautions:

Some people may have allergic reactions to mushrooms.  People with MS should consult their physicians before taking Maitake.

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When bothered with the pain and inflammation of
asthma, laryngitis, bronchitis, sore throat or dry, hacking cough
, try
Malva Leaf
to help
rid the lungs and respiratory tract of excess fluid and mucus
, while at the same time, it helps to
soothe irritation and inflammation of the mucous membranes.

Plant Description:

Malva Leaf is an annual or perennial that is native to southern Europe and Asia and later introduced to North America. The plant may be cultivated or found wild in waste places, fields and along fences and roadsides in Europe and North America, growing to a height of four feet in well-drained to poor soil in sun or partial shade.

The whitish root puts up a round stem, bearing alternate, light green, downy leaves and produces pink or purple flowers, which bloom from May to October. Malva Leaf (like other mallows) is one of the oldest medicinal plants in the world.

History:

It was used in teas in China more than five thousand years ago and employed by Greek and Roman physicians to treat internal and external disorders, calling it
omnimorbium
, meaning "the remedy of all illnesses," It continued as an important "cure-all" treatment throughout the Middle Ages, and like all mallows, it is principally known for its soothing qualities. There are many species of mallow that are often used interchangeably with
Malva sylvestris (high mallow),
including
M. Moschata
(musk mallow),
M. neglecta
(dwarf or low mallow), and
M. rotundifolia
(roundleafed mallow); however, none are quite as potent as their close relative,
Althaea officinalis
(the marsh mallow). Some constituents in Malva Leaf include a high mucilage content (made up of complex carbohydrates), flavonoids, anthocyanidins, polysaccharides, volatile oil and tannin.

Medical Uses:

Malva Leaf, like all mallows, is a demulcent, and its particular excellence involves soothing irritated tissue and relieving various forms of inflammation. The leaves contain high amounts of mucilage, made up of complex carbohydrates, which give the herb most of its soothing activity, though flavonoids and anthocyanidins may also contribute. It is effective in countering irritation and inflammation of the mucous membranes, and because it contains polysaccharides that form a protective layer on the stomach lining, it is said to lower stomach acids and is useful in relieving gastrointestinal disorders, such as gastric catarrh, enteritis, indigestion, ulcers and colitis.

As an expectorant, Malva Leaf is said to help loosen and expel phlegm and congestion from the lungs. It aids the body in expelling excess fluid and mucus, and because of its soothing, demulcent qualities, it not only removes phlegm, it also acts to soothe and relieve inflammation of the larynx and tonsils, dry coughs, sore throat, hoarseness, lung catarrh, bronchitis, asthma, emphysema and irritation of respiratory passages. The German Commission E has approved Malva Leaf preparations for the relief of sore throats and dry coughs.

Malva Leaf is considered a mild laxative when used in larger doses.

Early research in test tube studies shows one carbohydrate in mallows has been shown to inhibit a component of the immune system known as the complement cascade. Excessive activation of the complement cascade has been implicated in chronic inflammation and autoimmune disorders, suggesting that further research into Mallow Leaf in these areas is warranted.

Malva Leaf is said to have diuretic properties that increase the flow of urine. It has been used to soothe the urinary tract and relieve cystitis and bladder infection.

Used externally, Malva Leaf is an emollient and demulcent that softens tissue and soothes damaged or inflamed surfaces, including dry hands, sunburn and diaper rash. In addition to its emollient qualities, it is also mildly astringent, and when included in poultices, it is helpful for sores, psoriasis, weeping eczema, boils, abscesses, insect bites and wounds.