Science shows these herbal power-healers can help ease pain, prevent Alzheimer's, and ward off cancer and heart disease
Your
arsenal of home remedies is about to get a lot spicier with these best
healing herbs. Though herbs have been used for hundreds of years to
heal, scientists are finally starting to substantiate these plants'
abilities to alleviate arthritis pain,
reduce high blood sugar and cholesterol, and help with many other
conditions. They're even discovering amazing new powers in the best
healing herbs, such as the ability to kill cancer cells and help problem drinkers curb their alcohol intake.
"Herbs
and other natural remedies can be as effective as traditional
treatments, often without the same negative side effects," says Roberta
Lee, MD, medical director of the Continuum Center for Health and Healing
at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City.
Here
are 10 superhealers you'll want to add to the all-natural section of
your medicine cabinet—and even to your favorite recipes. Folding one or
two of them into your cooking every day can yield big benefits.
Turmeric: Ease arthritisA heaping helping of curry could relieve your pain.
That's because turmeric, a spice used in curry, contains curcumin, a
powerful anti-inflammatory that works similarly to Cox-2 inhibitors,
drugs that reduce the Cox-2 enzyme that causes the pain and swelling of arthritis, says Lee.
It might also: Prevent colon cancer and Alzheimer's disease.
According to a small clinical trial conducted by the Johns Hopkins
University School of Medicine, curcumin can help shrink precancerous
lesions known as colon polyps, when taken with a small amount of
quercetin, a powerful antioxidant found in onions, apples, and cabbage.
The average number of polyps dropped more than 60% and those that
remained shrank by more than 50%. In a 2006 study published in the
Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, researchers at UCLA also found that curcumin helps clear the brain of the plaques that are characteristic of the disease.
Maximize the benefits:
For general health, Lee recommends adding the spice to your cooking
whenever possible. For a therapeutic dose, James A. Duke, PhD, author of
The Green Pharmacy, suggests 400 mg of curcumin extract three
times daily, right in line with what subjects in the colon polyp study
took (480 mg of curcumin and 20 mg of quercetin, three times a day).
Cinnamon: Lower blood sugarIn a recent German study of type 2 diabetics, taking cinnamon extract daily successfully reduced blood sugar by about 10%.
It might also: Lower cholesterol.
Cinnamon packs a one-two punch for people with type 2 diabetes by
reducing related heart risks. In another study of diabetics, it slashed
cholesterol by 13% and triglycerides by 23%.
Maximize the benefits:
To tame blood sugar, study subjects took 1 g capsules of standardized
cinnamon extract daily, while those in the cholesterol study took 1 to 6
g. But keep in mind that a large amount of the actual spice can be
dangerous, so stick with a water-soluble extract. Terry Graedon, PhD,
coauthor with her husband, Joe, of
Best Choices from the People's Pharmacy, recommends the brand
Cinnulin PF.
Rosemary: Avoid carcinogensFrying,
broiling, or grilling meats at high temperatures creates HCAs
(heterocyclic amines), potent carcinogens implicated in several cancers.
But HCA levels are significantly reduced when rosemary extract (a
common powder) is mixed into beef before cooking, say Kansas State
University researchers. "Rosemary contains carnosol and rosemarinic
acid, two powerful antioxidants that destroy the HCAs," explains lead
researcher J. Scott Smith, PhD.
It might also: Stop tumors. Rosemary
extract helps prevent carcinogens that enter the body from binding with
DNA, the first step in tumor formation, according to several animal
studies. When researchers at the University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign fed rosemary extract to rats exposed to
dimethylbenzanthracene, a carcinogen that causes
breast cancer,
both DNA damage and tumors decreased. "Human research needs to be
done," says study author Keith W. Singletary, PhD. "But rosemary has
shown a lot of cancer-protective potential."
Maximize the benefits: To
reduce HCAs, Smith recommends marinating foods in any supermarket spice
mix that contains rosemary as well as one or more of the spices thyme,
oregano, basil, garlic, onion, or parsley.
Ginger: Avert nauseaGinger can prevent stomach upset from many sources, including pregnancy, motion sickness, and
chemotherapy.
"This is one of Mom's remedies that really works," says Suzanna M.
Zick, ND, MPH, a research investigator at the University of Michigan. A
powerful antioxidant, ginger works by blocking the effects of serotonin,
a chemical produced by both the brain and stomach when you're
nauseated, and by stopping the production of free radicals, another
cause of upset in your stomach. In one study of cruise ship passengers
traveling on rough seas, 500 mg of ginger every 4 hours was as effective
as Dramamine, the commonly used OTC motion-sickness medication. In
another study, where subjects took 940 mg, it was even more effective
than the drug.
MORE: The Smoothie Cure For Gas And Bloating
It might also: Decrease your blood pressure, arthritis pain, and cancer risk. Ginger helps regulate blood flow, which may
lower blood pressure,
says Zick, and its anti-inflammatory properties might help ease
arthritis. Ginger extract had a significant effect on reducing pain in all 124 patients with
osteoarthritis
of the knee, in a study conducted at the Miami Veterans Affairs Medical
Center and the University of Miami. Those same anti-inflammatory powers
help powdered ginger kill
ovarian cancer cells as well as—or better than—traditional
chemotherapy, at least in the test tube, found a study by the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer
Center. Although further testing is needed, Zick and the study's authors
are excited about its prospects: "Our preliminary results indicate that
ginger may have significant therapeutic benefit for
ovarian cancer patients."
Maximize the benefits: For
nausea,
ginger is best taken before symptoms start, at least 30 minutes before
departure, say the Graedons. They recommend capsules containing 500 to
1,000 mg of dried ginger every four hours, up to a maximum of 4g daily.
Holy Basil: Combat stressSeveral
animal studies back holy basil, a special variety of the plant you use
in your pesto sauce, as effective at reducing stress by increasing
adrenaline and noradrenaline and decreasing serotonin. This is no
surprise to Pratima Nangia-Makker, PhD, a researcher at the Barbara Ann
Karmanos Cancer Institute in Detroit, whose mother and grandmother
relied on a tea made from the leaves of holy basil to relieve
indigestion and headaches.
It might also: Inhibit breast cancer. First
in test tubes and then in mice, a tea made of holy basil shrunk tumors,
reduced their blood supply, and stopped their spread, found
Nangia-Makker, who plans to study the effects in humans.
Maximize the benefits:
For stress relief, try holy basil extract from New Chapter or Om
Organics, widely available in health food stores. To aid in breast cancer
treatment, Nangia-Makker advises drinking this tea daily: Pour 2 cups
boiling water over 10 to 15 fresh holy basil leaves (other varieties of
basil won't work) and steep 5 minutes. Remove the leaves before
consuming. If you are being treated for breast cancer, be sure to check
with your doctor. You're unlikely to find the plants at your local
nursery, but you can order them and organic holy basil seeds from
Horizon Herbs.
St. John's Wort: Soothe your worriesYou
probably know that research has confirmed this herb's power to relieve
mild to moderate depression and anxiety as effectively as many
drugs—without a lot of the side effects.
It might also: Help you snooze more soundly.
St. John's wort not only contains melatonin, the hormone that regulates
our sleep-wake cycles, but it also increases the body's own melatonin,
improving sleep, says a report from the Surgeon General. (These
20 ways to sleep better every night can also help.)
Maximize the benefits:
For both mood and sleep problems, author Duke recommends a supplement
containing at least 0.3% hypericin (the active phytochemical) per
capsule or 300 mg of the extract to be taken three times daily. Warning:
St. John's wort has been shown to interact with several prescription
medications, so be sure to check with your doctor before taking it.
Garlic: Lower cancer riskHigh consumption of garlic lowered rates of ovarian, colorectal, and other cancers, says a research review in the
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
A Japanese clinical trial also found that after a year of taking aged
garlic extract supplements, people with a history of colon polyps saw a
reduction in the size and number of the precancerous growths detected by
their doctors.
It might also: Provide cardiovascular benefits. Garlic contains more than 70 active phytochemicals, including allicin, which many studies have shown decreases
high blood pressure
by as much as 30 points. Garlic may help prevent strokes as well by
slowing arterial blockages, according to a yearlong clinical study at
UCLA. In addition, patients' levels of homocysteine, a chemical that
leads to plaque buildup, dropped by 12%.
Maximize the benefits: Crushed
fresh garlic offers the best cardiovascular and cancer-fighting
benefits, says Duke. But you'll need to down up to five cloves each day.
Try Kyolic aged garlic extract capsules (1,000 mg), the product used in
many of the studies.
3 More Superhealers You Should Know About1. Andrographis: Shorten Summer Colds
Andrographis does a great job of relieving upper-respiratory
infections, such as colds or sinusitis, says new research. A study in
the journal
Phytomedicine reported that the herb eased symptoms such as fatigue, sleeplessness, sore throat, and runny nose up to 90%.
Maximize the benefits: Lee and the Graedons recommend Kan Jang (available at
ProActive BioProducts), an herbal extract produced by the Swedish Herbal Institute and used in several of the trials.
2. Sea Buckthorn: Reverse vaginal dryness
Sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides) is very effective for hydrating
mucous membranes and alleviating vaginal dryness. It contains
palmitoleic acid, a fatty acid found in human skin that helps moisturize
and heal it.
Maximize the benefits: Lee suggests up
to four capsules a day of Supercritical Omega 7, a sea buckthorn
supplement by New Chapter. It's available at health food stores.
3. Kudzu: Curb problem drinking
A group of moderately heavy drinkers in their 20s voluntarily cut their
beer consumption in half after taking capsules containing the Chinese
herb (also called
Pueraria lobata) for a week, according to a study published in
Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research. Researchers say the kudzu more quickly allows alcohol to get to the part of the brain that tells you that you've had enough.
Maximize the benefits: Participants took capsules with 500 mg of kudzu extract three times daily.
3 Rules For The Safest Self-HealingNatural substances often work like drugs in the body, say Joe and Terry Graedon. They suggest following these precautions.
Rule: Don't assume it's safe.
Herbs are not regulated by the FDA for safety or efficacy. So search
the label for a seal of approval from the USP (United States
Pharmacopeia) or CL (Consumer-Lab.com), which indicates it has been
approved by certified academic laboratories. For a fee, you can research
particular products at
ConsumerLab.com.
Rule: Talk with your doctor. It's best to tell him if you're considering supplements. Some herbs can interact with certain meds, including those for
high blood pressure, diabetes, and depression, as well as blood thinners and even OTC drugs.
Rule: Don't overdo it. More isn't necessarily better—and could be dangerous. Always follow dosing instructions.
After 14 days, not only had all my doubts and skepticism absolutely vanished - SO DID MY WRINKLES!
