Are Herbs Effective for Preventing Illness?

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Article Title:

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Are Herbs Effective for Preventing Illness?

Article Description:

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We're all on a quest to live longer and be healthier. In the

last generation, alternative therapies like herbal treatments

were often brushed off by doctors as having no effects.

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810 Words; formatted to 65 Characters per Line

Distribution Date and Time: 2006-12-19 11:36:00

Written By: Jon M. Stout

Copyright: 2006

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Are Herbs Effective for Preventing Illness?

Copyright © 2006 Jon M. Stout

Golden Moon Tea

http://www.GoldenMoonTea.com

We're all on a quest to live longer and be healthier. In the

last generation, alternative therapies like herbal treatments

were often brushed off by doctors as having no effects.

But, as we become more concerned about the side effects of drug

therapies, many people are re-examining the benefits of herbal

remedies as preventative measures or adjunct treatments to go

along with traditional medicine.

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reported on several of

the more popular herbal remedies and what research has shown

about their ability to actually protect health and prevent

disease. Here are their findings on some of the more common

herbal remedies.

Garlic

Allium is the family of plants from which we get garlic and

onions. Garlic has been used for many years to season food and

for medical remedies. Within garlic, there is a compound called

allicin, which inhibits many forms of bacteria, including, mold,

yeast and viruses.

In addition, research has suggested that garlic protects against

cardiovascular disease by helping to lower bad cholesterol and

triglycerides without lowering good cholesterol. Researchers

recommend that for health protection we should have one half to

one clove of garlic per day. The research also concluded that

garlic extract tablets were just as effective at lowering

cholesterol as pure garlic.

Garlic has also been shown to stimulate the immune system and

interfere with carcinogens, helping to prevent cancer. In fact,

mortality from stomach cancer in China is lowest in the northern

part of the country, where much garlic is grown, and where the

intake of garlic is very high. People in this region of China

have an up to 40% lower risk of stomach cancer than other

Chinese.

Onions seem to have similar effects. In central Georgia, where

Vidalia onions are grown extensively and, of course, eaten

extensively, the incidence of stomach cancer is about half that

of the rest of the US

Flavonoids

Flavonoids are plant pigments that are found in a wide variety of

plants. Flavonoids are potent anti-oxidants, which have been

found to prevent early aging, a wide range of diseases and have

the potential to lower cholesterol. In one study in the

Netherlands, research showed that elderly men with high intakes

of flavonoids had a 60% lower mortality rate from heart disease

and a 70% lower risk of stroke than men of the same age whose

flavonoids consumption was low. The best sources of flavonoids

are in fruits, vegetables and green tea.

Green tea seems to be a particularly healthy source of flavonoids

and other anti-oxidants. Several studies have suggested that

drinking tea can lower blood cholesterol and blood pressure, both

of which reduce the risk of heart disease.

Green tea is particularly effective because it contains EGCG

(epigallocatechin gallate), one of the most potent anti-oxidants

out there. Green tea also inhibits carcinogens in the same way as

garlic, so is believed to prevent cancer in multiple ways.

Echinacea

Echinacea has been used for years for a variety of medicinal

purposes. It has been used as an anti-microbial and

anti-inflammatory. It has the power to improve your immune

system's ability to fight germs, and can be effective in

reducing symptoms of the cold and flu, including sore throat.

Many people use Echinacea as a regular supplement to improve

immune system function. Others rely on Echinacea to help reduce

the length of a cold and improve symptoms. Echinacea doesn't

appear to have side effects, but does appear to lose some of its

effectiveness if overused. Follow directions closely, and be sure

that you doctor approves your use of it if you are currently

taking prescription medications.

Flaxseed

Flaxseed is an excellent source of lignans. These plant lignans

ferment in the colon where they have an effect similar to that of

estrogen. These estrogens can bind with a woman's estrogen

receptors and inhibit the growth of estrogen stimulated breast

cancer. Therefore, flaxseed is thought to be a breast cancer

preventative, at least for some forms of breast cancer.

Turmeric

Turmeric also contains phenols, which are anti-oxidants and which

have been found to have anti-mutagenic properties. Turmeric

suppresses the development of several types of cancer, including

stomach, breast and lung cancer. It has also been shown to be

effective at suppressing skin tumors.

Turmeric acts as an anti-inflammatory because of the anti-oxidant

curcumin that it contains. This is a potent anti-oxidant in its

own right, and is also found in ginger.

Herbs have been used since the beginning of time to help heal the

body – don't forget that they were the first medicines. And,

while medicine has come a long way in recent history, herbs still

have their place in preventing and sometimes treating diseases.

It's important to communicate with your doctor about any

alternative therapies, including herbs that you're using. But,

the right mix of herbs and traditional medicine can make a

powerful combination for health.

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Jon M. Stout is the Chairman of the Golden Moon Tea Company.

Golden Moon Tea carefully selects the finest rare and orthodox

teas, which are processed slowly and handcrafted with extreme

care. At their website, you can learn more about their current

tea offerings, including their exceptional green tea

(http://www.goldenmoontea.com/greentea), white tea, black

tea, oolong tea (also known as wu-long and wu long tea -

http://www.goldenmoontea.com/wu-long) and chai. Visit

http://www.goldenmoontea.com for all details concerning

the Golden Moon Tea Company's fine line of teas.