Weak bladder disease often suffered by women over the age of 30 years. The situation is caused by several factors. One of them is caused by the pressure of the body such as sneezing, laughing, and coughing. And other factors is a strong desire to urinate immediately, though not much drinking water, or a regular doctor called urge incontinence.

Excerpted from the website poise.com, a strong desire to urinate can be caused by urinary tract infections such as cystitis. Symptoms are often seen one of them is a strong desire to urinate.

Another thing that can be a symptom sinsitis, namely the existence of bladder irritation caused by certain foods, such as too much consumption of beverages containing caffeine, alcohol, and lack of fiber intake.

Sinsitis disease is silenced in a long time will result in adverse effects, including weakening of the pelvic floor muscles even lead to prolapse of pregnancy and childbirth, drying and thinning of the skin in the vagina or urethra, especially after menopause, resulting in constipation, overweight, infection urinary tract, vascular disease, to diabetes, Alzheimer's and multiple sclerosis.

Here are tips to avoid a weak urinary kendung, quoted in Poise.com:

1. Avoid excessive caffeine consumption.

2. Keep away from drinks that contain alcohol

3. Best to maintain regular bowel movements

4. Be sure to eat at least 30 grams of fiber per day.

5. Stay away from cigarettes.

Tags: symptoms, antibiotic, diabetes, doctor, medication, Bladder Infection, urinary infection, UTI, kidney

ONION known as a kind of spice that is often used for various types of cuisine. But not a few people who get rid of the ingredients that have a Latin name Allium cepa L is because it can lead to body odor.

Onions

Quercitin, one of the flavonoids contained in them was known to be beneficial for digestive health, and even colon cancer.

A study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, which is also quoted in ehow.com found that the chromium content contained red onion and vitamin B6 are useful to help improve heart health by lowering blood pressure and cholesterol.

Other compounds produced onion is allicin, which can improve heart health, prevent and treat cancer, and reduce high blood pressure, although this type of chopped herbs, and even mashed though.

While quoted from Healwithfood.com obtained information that the onions are rich in chromium, a mineral that can help control glucose levels. Lack of chromium-rich foods, such as onion, may lead to insulin resistance and impaired blood sugar control. Not only that the risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes in plain sight.

It's one of nature's cruelest jokes: Some women can scarf down any mega calorie food that they want and not gain a single gram, while the rest of us only have to look at a cheeseburger to feel our jeans tighten.

Yeah, it's hard not to envy those eat what-they-want chicks, especially when it comes to their bodies metabolism: The biochemical process that converts food into calories and then burns them off as energy. They seem to be blessed with one that's fast and efficient, something we've been told we can't control. But you can, as research shows. Though you won't go from someone with a slow-as-a-sloth metabolism to being an instant calorie incinerator, there are ways you can optimise the metabolism you were born with. How? With little tricks that help your body burn calories faster while you're at play and at rest, explains Madelyn H. Fernstrom, Ph.D., professor and director of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Weight Management Center, US and author of The Runner's Diet. And nope, none of them involve weird diets, insane workouts, bizarre supplements, or going hungry.

Whether you're trying to lose a few pounds or you want to maintain your current weight yet be able to eat more, check out these research-backed tips. You can decide to adopt a few or all nine either way, you'll see results. Have a Cool Drink Being dehydrated slows all your body functions, including metabolism, says Leslie J. Bonci, M.P.H., R.D., director of sports-medicine nutrition at the University of Pitts burgh Medical Center. So drink at least eight glasses of water each day. And make them icy: Drinking cold water may further up your ability to burn calories.

Chili pepper and mustard seed-two spices often found in Thai, Mexican, Chinese, and Indian cuisines-can help your body burn extra calories, thanks to a com pound in each called capsaicin, says Fernstrom. One study found that when people consumed nearly one tea spoon of mustard and almost one teaspoon of chili sauce, their metabolism surged an average of 25 percent. Order spicy Thai chicken or a vindaloo curry, which contain these spices. Adding that spicy taste and sensation to your meal may help keep you from overeating, says Bonci.

Research suggests that EGCG, an antioxidant in some hot or iced teas, can kick-start your body's engine. One study showed that when women consumed 300 grams-about the size of a mug-of oolong or green tea, their metabolism increased by 10 percent and 4 percent, respectively, for two hours. Tea also contains caffeine, which gives your metabolism a slight nudge. Other caffeine-rich options are coffee, energy drinks, and some sodas.

Between 60 and 70 percent of the calories needed for your resting metabolic rate go toward sustaining your heartbeat, breathing, and major organs like the brain and kidneys. The other 30 to 40 percent help maintain body tissues and muscle mass.

Another muscle-mass booster (and thus calorie burner) is resistance training: Working with free weights or weight machines. After 10 weeks of basic strength-training two or three times a week, your resting metabolic rate could go up by six percent, so you'd burn an extra 75 to 100 calories per day, says Westcott. To build muscle, do at least one set (i.e., 12 to 15 reps) of exercises per 30-minute workout targeting your thighs, back, abs, shoulders, arms, and calves. Try to work up to two to three sets per session .

"After eight or so hours of not eating, your metabolism is stalled," explains Molly Kimball, R.D., CSSD, sports dietitian at Ochsners' Elmwood Fitness Center in New Orleans, US. "Breakfast is the fuel that will stoke your metabolism again ." A smart morning meal should have a 50-30-20 ratio: 50 percent complex carbohydrates, 30 percent protein, and 20 percent fat. No time? C'mon, even the busiest chick can whip up something. Think peanut butter on whole-wheat toast or cottage cheese and fruit . If you're super crunched, make a smoothie or parfait with low-fat yogurt, protein powder, fruit, and nuts.

"B vitamins are the oil that greases the wheels of your metabolic engine," says Mark Hyman, M.D., of the Institute for Functional Medicine, and author of Ultra metabolism . " If you can't get these five from your diet, take a multivitamin."

Protein is a powerful calorie torcher. First, digesting protein takes more energy than digesting carbs or fat does, says Kimball. Also, consuming protein helps you build and maintain muscle mass, and the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn, even at rest. In addition, eating protein makes you absorb sugar more slowly, so your blood sugar doesn't soar- and then plunge-after a sugary snack . So try to get 30 percent of your daily calories from protein-rich foods: Think lean fish, beef, and poultry; skim milk; nonfat yogurt; eggs; beans; and nuts.

Just Smaller You would think that drastically cutting back on your daily calorie intake would be the secret to melting away pounds. After all, the less you ingest, the fewer calories your body has to torch, right? But it doesn't work that way. Scaling down your caloric count too severely tricks your system into thinking that food is scarce, prompting your metabolism to freeze…and your body to hang on to its fat preserves. On the other hand, if you eat more often rather than less, your metabolism gets fired up and stays elevated all day long, burning calories. "The very act of eating gets your metabolism going because your body has to break down the food during digestion, and that requires energy," says Bonci. By consuming five or so smaller, 300-to-500-calorie healthy meals about every four hours, your metabolism will chug along strong all day long without stalling, explains Dr Hyman.Read More

If you are marriage couple, than sex is the best way to increase and maintain your marriage relation. Making love is a special moment for every couple to show their love and solve many problems between you and your couple. However, by the time the passion of sex will decrease because of the increasing of career activity, age, and many more. Therefore, many couple try to increase their sexual ability by consuming medicine or following some medical treatment. Whereas, there is a natural and easy way to increase and keep your sexual passion safely. Researchers from the University of Guelph, Canada found that sexual disorders, including erectile dysfunction, can be overcome with natural ingredients. Quoted from Genius Beauty, the effects of natural ingredients are not as strong as drugs, but it is more save and there are no negative effects.

The natural materials in question the researchers are turmeric and ginseng. Mentioned, these two ingredients are the natural aphrodisiac (a natural food plant to generate the sexual passion). According to the experts, ginseng and turmeric has a stronger effect of chocolate in terms of increasing sexual arousal. Chocolate is just stimulating hormone serotonin in the body (hormones that can make one’s mood better), so that sexual arousal could arise. While ginseng and turmeric does contain a substance, that makes sexual arousal and pleasure levels rise. You could consume both of this food through many ways. Asian people add ginseng into their beverage such as tea or coffee. Some of them make a special food with ginseng or turmeric as the main ingredient. If you are too busy to prepare your own ginseng and turmeric menu, you could buy it as a ready to eat product in the market. There are many product made by ginseng as their main ingredient, such as candy, bread, cookies, and many more. However, if you expect for the best result, you can buy ginseng tablet which is available in the market. Read More

Honey is one of the natural product, produced by honeybee, which contain a lot of profitable nutrition. For a long time, people use honey as a traditional medicine to cure several illness. By the time, people use it as a main material for many beauty products, such us shampoo, soap, conditioner, mask, and many more. 

However, chemical substance, which include in the product, sometime destroy the nature of the product usually cause an irritation on your face or skin. Hence, we have to be careful for choosing our beauty product. To avoid any dangerous effect, we can make our own beauty mask from many natural material, including natural honey mask. Honey is natural product, which important to maintain our skin, tighten, and solve your acne problem. This material contains a natural healer character, which consist of enzyme, antioxidant, and anti-bacterial that useful to clean up and take care of your skin. Besides that, honey also contain a high quality natural moisturizer to moisture our skin. It is also a good material to decrease the excess oil, which cause acne at your face. Because of it benefit, honey mask is a good choice for you, who has sensitive skin.

There are several steps that you have to attention to make your honey mask, such us:

To remove the mask, please use a small towel with warm water. Make sure that you clean up the entire residue. Read More

Dr. Donald Williamson, state health officer, will sign an emergency order making the possession or sale of chemical compounds typically found in synthetic marijuana substances unlawful. The substances will be placed under Schedule I of the Alabama Controlled Substances List effective on Oct. 24.

The Alabama Department of Public Health heard testimony at a public hearing on Sept. 19 on concerns about synthetic marijuana products known by the common street names of “Spice,” “K2” and others. These psychoactive herbal and chemical substances have been sold in a variety of stores and marketed online as herbal incense or potpourri.

Persons commenting at the hearing expressed concern that there is a misconception by those who purchase the substances that they are safe because of the way they are packaged and sold at a variety of retail outlets.

“These substances have been wrongly presented as a safe and legal alternative to marijuana,” Dr. Williamson said. “By supporting regulations outlawing their possession and sale, we want the public to be aware of the toxic effects and other dangers associated with synthetic marijuana use.” Read More

TEN-CHI CHA is a mild taste Japanese herbal tea containing 12 different herbs with different medicinal properties. One of the health benefits by having this caffeine free tea is body cleansing. One of 12 herbs called Dokudami removes free radicals. Eco Vita now proudly offers TEN-CHI CHA. Read More

As men age, the prostate gland often gets larger. The prostate surrounds the urethra, which carries urine from the bladder to the penis. An enlarged prostate can impede the flow of urine, causing a variety of symptoms.

There are prescription drugs which can ease symptoms, but many men prefer the "natural" alternative: an extract from the saw palmetto tree, native to the American Southeast. Read More

Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) is an edible, perrenial herb which resembles dill. It was discovered in the Mediterranean region and south-east Asia (from east of Morroco and Portugal all the way to Pakistan). The biggest growers of fennel today are: the United States, France, India and Rusia. Fennel was brought to North America by the Spanish missionaires to be grown in their own medicinal gardens. 

In California it is known under the name of "star anise". The fact that this herb was used in the ancient times is shown by the traditions presented in mythology. In Greek myths this plant was associated with Dionysus (the god of feasts and wine). It is also said that intelligence came from the gods and reached the humans through a fennel stem. Fennel was considered to have magical characteristics. In the Middle Ages during the summer solstice this herb was placed by the door in order to fend off the evil spirits. What is more, the plant seeds were used to block the keyhole to keep the ghosts from entering the homes. Read More

1. Proper Rest/Sleep: Minimum 7 hours per night for adults and 10-12 hours for children. Getting to bed before midnight is more restful and rejuvenating. Sleep in a completely dark room to fully activate the pineal gland, an area of the brain that regulates our body's natural cycles. Exercise daily, but not in the evening as the activity can cause you to revive! Remove electronics from the bedroom and cease your computer usage at least an hour before wanting to retire. Some herbs to help relax and calm are chamomile, skullcap, valerian, and passiflora. Homeopathic remedies include camomila, coffea cruda, and nux vomica. 5—HTP is a metabolized form of tryptophan that is the precursor of serotonin – the neurotransmitter responsible for making us feel sleepy. Chiropractic can help the balance between the sympathetic nervous system (the part that makes you go) and the parasympathetic nervous system (the part that slows you down.) Besides repair, rejuvenation, and immune building, sleep can also keep you slim by keeping cortisol (your stress hormone) levels down.

2. Hydration: Take your body weight and halve it – that is how much water you should be drinking per day in ounces. Pure water—preferably filtered of pollutants, chemicals, and heavy metals. So if you weigh 140 lbs, then you should drink 70 ounces of water minimum; this is almost 9 eight oz glasses of water per day. If you have anything dehydrating, such as tea, coffee or alcohol, then add one glass per drink. Your body is primarily composed of water and the metabolic processes need it to function and flush out waste.

3. Exercise: Everyday, at least 30 minutes. Dancing around the house counts. Running around the house after kids counts, but you probably could also do with some focused exercise for stress release! Moderate exercise stimulates the immune system, but sustained hard core exercise can cause your body to become stressed and rundown. Include cardio, strength, including core, and flexibility aspects into your workouts. Once you get past the initial 2 weeks and the soreness goes away you will find you have more energy, stamina, you sleep better, and your self esteem will get a boost, too. For all you parents out there, your children will also get a firsthand look at what it means to take care of themselves. Heck, take them along on the walk or bike ride and get out there and kick the soccer ball around! For more information on Exercise and Pregnancy, go to www.kidchiropractic.com .

4. Manage Stress: Most likely than not there will always be stress in your life. We actually need a little bit otherwise we wouldn't get out of bed in the morning. But what will run our systems down is the chronic unrelenting stress that never ends and continually releases cortisol, which will cause our bodies to shut down and collapse! Deadline after deadline, one thing after another, and never having enough time in the day – these are the things that wreak havoc. Schedules help. Limiting time wasters such as TV, computers, email, and social networking is another. Pursue a hobby. Practice yoga or meditate. Take a bath. Exercise. Only you will know what it is that helps you to release stress and then whatever it is, do it on a regular basis.

5. Eat foods that are nourishing, and eliminate foods that are depleting: Whole, unprocessed plant-based foods are the way to ensure that you have the fuel to build your body up and keep it functioning. By consuming processed foods, such as soda, energy drinks, coffee, cakes, cookies, candy, chips, fast food, and fried foods we use up our precious resources and weaken our defenses. The immune system is shut down for 5 hours after consuming sugar! Milk, fruit juices and alcohol are all hidden sources of sugar. Green juices are a great way to start the day and will give you an energy boost you won't believe and won't cause you to crash later on. Nuts and seeds provide sustainable energy and fruits and vegetables provide antioxidants which help protect your body from breaking down. Once you start consuming whole foods, processed ones will lose their appeal and as your body is nourished you will naturally consume less food, so you may even lose weight with no diet and no hunger!! For more information on Nutrition and Recipes, go to www.kidchiropractic.com.

6. Spinal Hygiene: Hygiene is a funny word, no? (BTW—laughter is next…) Hygiene means the science dealing with the preservation of health. And the best way to preserve the health of the spine is with regular chiropractic check ups. Chiropractic is based on the philosophy that the nervous system controls and coordinates ALL the functions in the body – including the immune system. So, if you have physical, emotional or toxic stress from accidents, day to day stress, or eating a less than perfect diet, then subluxations (spinal misalignments) can cause nerve signals to be altered so your body can not get the proper signals to function optimally. Gentle chiropractic adjustments can help the whole family survive and even thrive during cold and flu season! For more information on Spinal Health, go to www.losangeles-chiropractor.com and www.kidchiropractic.com .

7. Laughter-Meaningful relationships-Life Purpose: Laughter releases endorphins—our natural morphine and reduces stress. Love and caring causes secretory IgA to be released, which is our first line of defense in the immune system. Conversely, anger causes secretory IgA to drop. Knowing that you are making a difference to someone or something causes cortisol to lower—so volunteer or get a pet if you don't feel that your life has purpose at this point in time. High levels of cortisol over a long period of time deplete our immune system. Read More

The park, with about 120 medicinal and herbal plants and trees, recently got a new lease of life from the Karnataka High Court. A division bench of former Chief Justice J S Khehar and Justice Ashok B Hinchigeri last month upheld a decision taken by the Karnataka Biodiversity Board to declare the park as a biodiversity heritage site and directed the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to maintain status quo (as it is) on the park.

The court's directives came on a petition filed by Subraya K and two others, alleging that BBMP wanted to develop the park into a conventional high-tech park. The petitioners also urged the court to direct the Karnataka government and its forest department to declare the park a biodiversity heritage site.

The eco-park has been maintained by Sri Lakshmikanthaswamy Temple Complex Trust for about 30 years, and houses about 500 trees and 120 types of herbs. The petition was filed last year after BBMP allegedly proposed to convert it into a conventional park.

BBMP, on the other hand, told the HC that no decision had been taken by it at any stage whatsoever to convert the existing park into a conventional high-tech park. "In fact, the stance adopted by BBMP was that the park should be maintained as it is. BBMP has decided to raise chain-link fencing around the boundary of the park, to prevent encroachment," the Palike's counsel told HC. Read More

“Most Egyptians are very familiar with many medicinal herbs and are aware of their usefulness in treating various diseases,” says Dr Ibrahim

Yehia, an expert at the National Research Centre.

He adds that most doctors and researchers do their best to learn everything they can about these herbs to ensure their patients aren't adversely affected by these herbs.

“Using herbs means returning to nature; they contain many complex substances for healing stubborn complaints. Medicinal plants and medicinal herbs are modern medicines.

“The substances derived from many plants are used today for the treatment of heart disease, high blood pressure, pain, asthma and other problems,” he explains, adding that herbs can also be used to treat external conditions such as skin diseases, acne and blackheads.

“Plant medicines are the most widely used medicines in the world today. Over 40 per cent of medicines now contain chemicals derived from plants,” says Mohamed Reda, a professor of botany at the Faculty of Science, Helwan University.

He added that all parts of the plant are used: leaves, flowers, fruits, seeds, pods, peels, stems, essences and roots.

“Herbs are available in most stores and in several forms such as teas, oils, ointments, liquid extracts, tinctures and dry extracts [pills or capsules].

“Plants contain minerals, vitamins, volatile oils, and other substances that are very useful in healing diseases,” he adds.

About 80 per cent of the world's population use herbs and plants as modern medicines, according to recent statistics.

“There are many kinds of medicinal herbs such as ginseng, used to help boost energy and reduce stress, and garlic, to strengthen the body,” Prof. Reda concludes.

Dr Ahmed el-Darwi, a professor of skin diseases at Al-Azhar University, says: “Not all herbs are safe, so you should not take any herbal remedies without consulting your doctor or pharmacist first.

“Also be careful when taking more than one herb or a combination of two. Herbal medicines can have side-effects,” he warns.

“More and more organic herb farms should be established, with careful management. They can provide good quality herbs for the consumer.”

Dr el-Darwi adds that some plants may be exposed to chemicals and pesticides, so “herbalists should take all this into consideration”.

Nora Mohamed, a student in the Faculty of Pharmacology, Cairo University, says: “Herbal medicine is being taught more and more in medical schools and pharmacological schools.”

“There are now two companies in Egypt that specialise in producing herbal drugs and herbal drug-based medicaments.”

She added that faculties of medicine should teach students about the benefits and the dangers of these natural medicines.

“Medicinal plants are very useful for treating various diseases, because they are 100 per cent natural,” says Mohamed Nagi of the Faculty of Agriculture, Al-Azhar University. “They are used commercially; without them, most medicines we take wouldn't exist. Read More

Medicinal Herb Plants (Crimson Sage Nursery) specializes in growing Live Medicinal Herb Plants. We are a small family operated nursery located in the Klamath Valley in the small town of Orleans, California. There is magic in the Healing Herbs in your garden. This magic consists not only of the properties of these Herbs, but in the strong sense of connection and interdependence that comes from growing, collecting, and using the Medicinal Herbs that you have grown. 

Our Herbal Plants Nursery grows many rare and unusual herbs. We provide many educational institutions with our rare herbs. We also have culinary herbs, Chinese herbs, Ayurvedic herbs, and Native American medicinal herbs, herbs for your pets, women's herbs.  Do you take Golden Seal, Maca, Astragalus or Echinacea? Do you drink Green Tea, Yerba Mate', Fennel, Sage, Gotu Kola or Greek Mountain Tea? Would you like to make your own custom blends and learn to grow, harvest, dry, and store your Medicinal Herbs, the right way? 

Did you know that most Medicinal Herb Plants Nurseries do not grow their herbal plants organically? Do you care about what you put into your body? Our Medicinal Herb Plants are free of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. We can help you to know positively, that you are chemical free. Grow and enjoy your own healing medicinal herbs garden. Our Medicinal Herb Plants are well rooted in 3-inch pots, and are grown in a soil-less mix which enables us to ship them throughout the United States. Our Medicinal Herb Plants are guaranteed to be healthy, free of disease, and properly labeled. We have chosen to list the common name of our Herb Plants first, to make it easier to find a particular plant, followed by the herb plants botanical name. In some cases, we have included the Chinese herbs name.

We specialize in Medicinal Herb Plants that have historical uses as healing plants. However, you don't have to be an herbalist or a health practitioner to have relief from every day minor ills or injuries from Medicinal Herbs. One of the main attractions of Medicinal Herbs is that they are natural products derived from living plants, and not synthetic chemicals. We do not include live herb plants in the catalog that we do not have in abundance. Please note that the availability of our live herb plants vary constantly due to the different propagation times and growing rates of each variety. Our Medicinal Herb Plants listed in our catalog are not always available at the same time. Read More

herbal medicine schools ~ The Natural Alternative to Radioactive Iodine & Surgery for Graves’ Disease, Hyperthyroidism, and Thyroid Storm : If you have been diagnosed with hyperthyroidism due to Graves Disease, and are seeking a safe alternative to surgery or treatment with radioactive iodine-131, you might be surprised to know that targeted nutritional therapy can reverse your condition.

L-carnitine (an amino acid commonly used in small doses to enhance mental clarity, proper fat metabolism, and athletic performance) inhibits both T3 and T4 entry into the cell nuclei. A clinical observation proved the usefulness of L-carnitine in the most serious form of hyperthyroidism: thyroid storm. Between 2 and 4 grams per day of oral L-carnitine are capable of reversing hyperthyroid symptoms, as well as the appearance of hyperthyroid symptoms. High doses can induce hypothyroidism in euthyroid individuals). read more...

herbal medicine schools ~ 140 herbs for treating pile Survey shows : Many indigenous plants have been used since time immemorial for curing various ailments and thus lessening human suffering without the actual knowledge of the active ingredient which caused relief. The potentialities of some of these plants have been established.

About 80 per cent of Western pharmaceuticals have their origin in plants and even now, screening of plants for chemicals to find new pharmaceuticals is rapidly on the increase. Many nations have set up ethnobotanical facilities to study traditional medicine or specific projects to study the plants used in traditional medicine for various health problems such as haemorrhoids.

Many people across the globe experience the discomfort and pain associated with hemorrhoids. Although they can be embarrassing to talk about, anyone can get hemorrhoids, even healthy young people in good shape.

Hemorrhoids, also called “piles”, are swollen tissues that contain veins. They differ depending on their location and the amount of pain, discomfort, or aggravation they cause. When they are located in the wall of the rectum and anus, they may cause minor bleeding, itching in the anus area, or protrusion during bowel movements.

Hemorrhoids are unique to humans - no other animal develops them. Although they can occur at any age, they are more common as people get older. Among younger people, they are most common in women who are pregnant.

Often described as “varicose veins of the anus and rectum,” hemorrhoids are enlarged, bulging blood vessels in and about the anus and lower rectum.

The exact cause of hemorrhoids is unknown. However, the upright posture of humans alone forces a great deal of pressure on the blood vessels that takes away blood from the rectum, which sometimes causes them to bulge.

Other contributing factors include chronic constipation or diarrhea, straining during toileting, faulty bowel function due to overuse of laxatives or enemas, heredity and spending long periods of time (e.g., reading) on the toilet.

Researchers in a survey of indigenous plants used in the treatment of haemorrhoids in South-Western Nigeria found that a total of 143 plants were used for its treatment. It involved major towns and cities such as Ibadan, Abeokuta, Ijebu-Ode, Ijebu-Igbo, Ago-Iwoye and Lagos.

The survey entitled, “Ethnobotanical Survey of Plants Used in the Treatment of Haemorrhoids in South-Western, Nigeria” was documented by the 2011 edition of the Journal of Advances in Developmental Research. It was carried out by Mike O. Soladoye from the Department of Plant Science and Applied Zoology, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State in collaboration with Michael O. Adetayo; Emmanuel C. Chukwuma and Amusa N. Adetunji.

The most prominent among these plants were Senna Alata (Asunwon oyinbo in Yoruba), Gongronena latifolium (Madunmaro in Yoruba), Axonopus compressus (Idi in Yoruba), Anogeiessus leiocarpus (Ayin in Yoruba), Pteleiopsis suberosa (Okuku in Yoruba), Tetrapleura tetraptera (Aidan in Yoruba), Khaya spp (Oganwo in Yoruba) and garlic.

From the opinion of the 25 people interviewed, if internal haemorrhoids is not treated, it can lead to external haemorrhoids and, as such the special diet that was recommended, apart from herbal recipes, is vegetable which should be slightly cooked. They include green spinach, Amaranthus viridis (Tete in Yoruba), Celosia (Sokoyokoto in Yoruba) and water leaf (Gbure in Yoruba) as well as Occimum gratissimum (scent leaf, Efinrin ajase in Yoruba and Nchuanwu in Igbo).

Of the group sampled, 52 per cent suggested that herbal tea is the most effective option in treating haemorrhoids, 16 per cent said herb powder (Yoruba -Agunmu), and eight per cent confirmed rubbing concoction while 12 per cent confirmed that herbal paste / lotion are more effective. Only eight per cent suggested herbal juice and the remaining four per cent herbal gins.

Interestingly, the survey indicated that the acceptance of herbal medicines and herbal practitioners by the educated class, the problem of finance and the maintenance of medicinal plants are still of much concern, though some measures of progress have been made in the past.

One of the six recipes that the survey documented involved carefully washing bark of Anthocleista djalonensis (Sapo in Yoruba) that were cut into pieces, and soaking it with water or alcoholic beverage with other plant materials for three to four days. The other plant materials include Aframomum melegueta (Atare in Yoruba), stem back of Rauvolfia vomitoria (Orira in Yoruba), Allium ascolanicum (Alubosa elewe in Yoruba), Eugenia aromatic(Kanafuru in Yoruba),Acacia nilotica (Booni in Yoruba), root of Dalbergieuna welwitshii (Paran in Yoruba) as well as fruits of Mondora myristica (Sasangbaku in Yoruba)

Another recipe included washing and cutting into smaller sizes the bark of Khaya grandifoliola (Oganwo in Yoruba), Garlic, Eugenia aromatic (Kanafuru in Yoruba), bark of Alstonia boonei (Awun in Yoruba), leaves of Cajanus cajan (Otili in Yoruba), bark of Terminalia catappa (Furutu in Yoruba), leaves of cassava, leaves of Carpolobia lutea (Osusun in Yoruba), alligator pepper and leaves of Cymbopogon citrates (Kooko-oba in Yoruba) in water. Two wine glassful of the filtrate is taken daily till the ailment disappears.

They wrote: “A close communication among medicinal plants researchers, traditional medicine practitioners and industrialists should be encouraged. The protection of our rich flora including medicinal plants should be a matter of great concern. Forest reserves should exist to protect forest species, farms/ medicinal gardens should be set up at various local government areas to protect medicinal plants especially those facing extinction.”

herbal medicine schools ~ effective skin-whitening creams from ancient Chinese herbal medicine : Scientists today reported discovery of the active ingredients in an herb used in traditional Chinese medicine for skin whitening, changing skin color to a lighter shade. The ingredients are poised for clinical trials as a safer, more effective alternative to skin whitening creams and lotions that millions of women and some men use in Asia and elsewhere, they said. The report was among more than 9,500 presentations this week at the 241st National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS).

The finding, which caps an intense search for these natural skin lightening substances, could be a boon to women in Asian countries, said study leader Hui-Min Wang, Ph.D. He explained that skin whitening products are all the rage there, but too-often accompanied by itching, redness, inflammation, and other side effects.

"Toxic skin whitening creams are a growing threat to women's health, especially in Asia," Wang said. "We hope that our product will improve lives and provide a safer, more natural way to lighten skin. A cream based on these herbal ingredients could be available on store shelves in as little as a year."

Skin-whitening is big business in countries like China, Japan, Korea, and India, where many women view whiter skin as a symbol of beauty, good health, and high social status. One study estimates that half the women in Asian countries use skin lightening creams, spending the equivalent of several billion dollars annually. People also use such products to fade unsightly age spots, freckles, and scars that have collected pigment.

Dozens of skin whitening creams, lotions, and other products are on sale throughout Asia. Some products contain toxic mercury, hydroquinone, and other potentially toxic substances that can cause redness, itching, inflammation and other skin problems. Some whitening ingredients could increase the risk of skin cancer when used frequently and at high doses, Wang said, citing the need for safer, more effective alternatives.

Wang and colleagues say that they have found a promising alternative in the form of an herbal "cure-all" used in traditional Chinese medicine in the form of soup or tea. The evergreen bush, Cinnamomum subavenium, is a close relative of the trees whose inner bark is the source of cinnamon. The scientists isolated two chemicals from the plant that have the ability to block tyrosinase, an enzyme that controls the synthesis of melanin, a dark pigment responsible for coloring skin, hair, and eyes. Inhibiting tyrosinase is one of the major strategies for skin-whitening, Wang said.

They tested these so-called "melanogenesis inhibitors" on the embryos of zebrafish, which are widely used as stand-ins for people and other animals in biomedical research. The embryos contain a highly visible band of black pigment. Exposure to low levels of the two chemicals reduced melanin production in the fish embryos by almost 50 percent within just four days, turning the embryos snowy white, the scientists said.

"When we saw the results, we were amazed," said Wang, who is with Kaohsiung Medical University in Taiwan. "My first thought was, well, 'If these herbal whiteners can transform zebrafish embryos from black to white, maybe they can also lighten women's skin.'"

He estimated that the chemicals are 100 times more effective in reducing melanin pigmentation than the common skin whitening agents kojic acid and arbutin, which have been used in cosmetics for more than 30 years. The substances did not appear to be toxic when tested in low doses on both cultured human skin cells and zebrafish embryos, Wang noted.

Wang is looking forward to clinical trials of a new beauty product based on the ingredients. Just a one percent solution of the chemicals could achieve dramatic skin whitening, Wang said, adding that several cosmetic companies are working with his group. Wang and his colleagues have applied for patents in the U.S., Japan, and Taiwan.

herbal medicine schools - Chinese herbal medicine could provide natural skin whitening alternative : A scientific study being carried out in Taiwan will investigate whether an extract from a close relative of the cinnamon plant can be used in skin whitening formulations.

According to lead scientist Hui-Min Wang, Ph.D., from the Ksojdoing Medical University in Taiwan, experiments using two chemicals identified in the evergreen bush Cinnamomum suabvenium have been found to reduce melanin levels in fish embryos by almost 50 percent within four days.

Indeed, it was even observed that once treated with the extract, under certain conditions, a visible band of black in the fish eggs turned to ‘snowy white’, the researchers reported.

Wang’s research found that the two chemicals in the extract, which is used in tea and medicinal soups as part of traditional Chinese medicine, have the ability to block tyrosinase, an enzyme that is known to control the synthesis on melanin.

Melanin syntheseis in Asian skin is linked to reduce age spots, freckles and darkened skin – characteristics that are associated with unwanted skin ageing amongst many Asian women and some Asian men.

The study aims to find natural skin lightening substances to commonly used products sold in Asia that contain harsh ingredients such mercury and hydroquinone, substanced proved to be toxic and that can leave users with redness, inflammation and other related skin problems.

Some studies have even linked frequent and high dosage use of certain skin lightening products to the rise of skin cancer, a key reason cited by Wang for the study into a natural and effective alternative.

The research team is about to start trials of a new beauty product based on the natural formulation which is free from traditional whitening agents such as kojic acid or arbutin, but is still estimated to be 100 times more effective in reducing melanin than traditional formulations.

Wang believes that this research could lead to a herbal cream formulation based on just one percent active ingredients that could be available in retail outlets in as little as a year.