On Herbs - Ginger

Ginger or Ginger Root is a rhizome best known in America in its use in soft drinks and Christmas cookies and cakes.  Fresh ginger is used in many Asian cuisines, offering a spicy and intricate flavoring to many dishes - the most prominent of which is curry.  I grew up eating a variety of ginger-themed products, mostly the cookies, cakes, and sodas and was routinely advised to drink ginger ale if my stomach was upset.  Ginger is advocated by many alternative traditions, including Chinese medicine and Ayurveda, and has gained authentication as a valid therapy in western medicine. Ginger is a Group A herb for certain uses including an upset stomach and and a Group B herb for a wide variety of other uses.  For more on group classifications see the On Herbs post by clicking here. 

The Science

The science is in - Ginger has been documented as helpful with nausea according to the NCCAM and has also been approved for treatment for motion sickness by Germany's Commission E (Germany's equivalent to the US Food & Drug Administration).  This gives credence to the long-held tradition to drink ginger ales for an upset stomach.  However, I will note that virtually all commercially available ginger ales now contain no ginger (or ginger in such small quantities) that they are unlikely to be more than placebo. 

Additional Potential Uses

Ginger is also believed to aid in digestion, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and joint and muscle pain.

My Personal Experience

I've been using ginger for a long time to ease nausea and reduce inflammation.  Ginger teas have helped immensely with nausea in the past. 

Preparations

Ginger Tea
Orange Ginger Smoothie

Click here for the alternative road recipe page, which will include recipes for all preparations listed.

Additional Resources

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has a Natural Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) that talks about the science on Ginger.  Click here to read what the NIH NCCAM has to say on the subject.

The University of Maryland discusses the science and current studies on Ginger.  Click here to read what the University of Maryland has to say on the subject.

If You Are Suffering From... Chronic Headaches

Chronic headaches...what a nightmare.  Headaches can range from low grade (buzzing in one's head) to severe (migraines) - each with different but ultimately negative impacts to daily life.

FIRST THINGS FIRST, GO SEE YOUR DOCTOR

Some very serious conditions can cause chronic headaches.  Click here to read what the Mayo Clinic has to say on chronic headaches (including some alternative medicine recommendations).  If your doctor rules out the known serious conditions that can cause chronic headaches, alternative medicine can likely help.

"UNKNOWN" CAUSES OF CHRONIC HEADACHES

The theory that I find most plausible for the causes of "unknown" chronic headaches is chronic inflammation (that either leads to or accentuates a physical imbalance - e.g. muscle tension- or chemical imbalance) due to one or more of the following: (1) dietary sources of inflammation, (2) nutrient deficiency, (3) chemical exposure.  Diet and nutrient deficiency are fairly easy to test.  Chemical exposure, however, is a much more tricky subject.  Chemical exposure can come from a variety of sources, including hygiene products, food (primarily preservatives, herbicides, and pesticides), water (municipal water is fairly well regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency- unless a company spills chemicals into your water supply as happened recently in Charleston, WV - so I would be more suspicious of well water, especially if you live near any form of industry and possibly agriculture), the environment (including materials used in your home such as lead based solder or drywall with formaldehyde), and the air (such as carbon monoxide infiltrating your home from a garage or faulty furnace, radon in your basement, and air pollution from industry). 

RECOMMENDED ALTERNATIVE THERAPIES

The following alternative therapies can likely help with chronic headaches.  My belief is that health is not sustainable without dietary change.

1. Trigger Point Therapy - Several known trigger points cause or accentuate headaches.  Trigger Point Therapy can help eliminate any muscle tension that is causing or accentuating the headaches. 
2. Elimination Diet - Performing an elimination diet, as prescribed herein, performs two functions including eliminating all common food allergens/irritants from your diet and increasing your nutrient intake (if done properly).  These two functions help address both dietary sources of inflammation and nutrient deficiency.  Click here to find guidance on performing an elimination diet. 
3. Herbs - Herbs, specifically butterbur has been scientifically proven to be beneficial in migraines.  Click here to find additional information and guidance on the use of butterbur.
4. Vitamins, Minerals, & Other Supplements - If you have muscle tension or increased inflammation due to vitamin, mineral, or other deficiencies, identifying these deficiencies and correcting them through supplements can augment efforts to eliminate chronic headaches.
5. Acupuncture -  Acupuncture promotes blood flow, which can help reduce inflammation and may help with chronic headaches.
6. Product Elimination Trial - Modern hygiene products are full of chemicals that may promote inflammation in your body.  By identifying sources of inflammation from these products, you can reduce their contribution to any headaches.

On Herbs - Butterbur

Butterbur, also known as purple butterbur or sweet coltsfoot, is a perennial shrub in the daisy family, typically grown in swampy or marshy areas.  It has a thick rhizome and large stems and leaves that look similar to Rhubarb.  Butterbur in raw form contains harmful chemicals called pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs), which can cause liver damage and can result in serious illness. Only butterbur products that have been processed to remove PAs and are labeled or certified as PA-free should be considered for use in alternative medicine.  Butterbur is a Group A herb.  For more on group classifications see the On Herbs post by clicking here. 

The Science

The science is in - butterbur has been documented as "just as effective as a commonly used oral antihistamine[s]" with allergy symptoms such as itch eyes according to the National Institutes of Health.  Additionally, butterbur is scientifically recognized as being helpful with migraine headaches by both the National Institutes of Health and by Commission E (Germany's equivalent to the FDA).  Germany's Commission E also recognizes butterbur as an antispasmodic, helpful with urinary tract spasms, particularly due to kidney stones.

Additional Potential Uses

The National Institutes of Health lists the following as traditional uses of butterbur (though not scientifically validated):  pain, headache, cough, fever, and gastrointestinal and urinary tract conditions, allergic skin reactions, and asthma.

My Personal Experience

My headaches disappeared when I eliminated all irritants from my diet and I do not typically have allergies, so I have not had the need to try butterbur.  However, as the science appears validated by several institutions, I do not hesitate to recommend butterbur for the prescribed ailments. 

Preparations

Butterbur in its raw state contains chemicals called pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs). PAs can cause liver damage and can result in serious illness. Only butterbur products that have been processed to remove PAs and are labeled or certified as PA-free should be used.

Additional Resources

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has a Natural Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) that talks about the science on butterbur.  Click here to read what the NIH NCCAM has to say on the subject.

The American Botanical Council, which has translated Germany's Commission E reports on herbs, has a few articles on the science of butterbur.  Click here to read an article on butterbur as it relates to migraines.  

On Herbs - Mint

Spearmint in Our Backyard

Peppermint and Spearmint are the two herbs in the mint family.  Both have similar compounds, though spearmint is considered to be more mild.  Both are an easy-to-grow herb that I remember as running rampantly wild in my backyard as a kid.  Peppermint oil is most popular as a flavoring in peppermint candies (no kidding) and in candy canes and less familiar as an accoutrement to lamb.  Both are used for chewing gum.  We grow spearmint in the garden in our backyard where we have a steady supply of the fragrant and tasty herb year-round.  Mint (both spearmint and peppermint) is a Group A herb.  For more on group classifications see the On Herbs post by clicking here. 

The Science

The science is in - peppermint oil has been documented as helpful with digestive conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in several studies according to the National Institutes of Health.

Additional Potential Uses

 A 1996 paper by Koren Holland, Phd., at Gettysburg College in Gettysburg, PA documented plants utilized by the migrant (primarily Mexican) community for various ailments.  This study documented that the migrant community used peppermint to aid with indigestion, colds, and relief for insomnia.  Menthol is also known to increase the flow of bile to the stomach, which promotes digestion.  Externally, the migrant community indicated that peppermint oil or menthol is used in pain relieving balms, massage oils, and lineaments and that inhalation of the herb or oil are effective against excessive respiratory mucus.

My Personal Experience

I started to dabble in spearmint tea a short time ago during a flare up of IBS.  Although used in conjunction with other therapies, my IBS flare up disappeared shortly after starting a daily consumption of spearmint tea. 

Preparations

Mint Tea

Click here for the alternative road recipe page, which will include recipes for all preparations listed.

Additional Resources

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has a Natural Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) that talks about the science on peppermint oil.  Click here to read what the NIH NCCAM has to say on the subject.

On Herbs

Herbal remedies have been used for millennia for treating a variety of ailments.  But what are herbs?  I was most familiar with them in a cooking context - plants like thyme, mint, rosemary, and sage used to add flavor to foods.  It turns out that the term "herb" is given a far more generous definition as any plant and any part of the plant valued for medicinal, aromatic, or savory qualities.  From a medicinal standpoint, herbs can be an invaluable addition to the alternative road.  And there is emerging science to back up some of common wisdom.  Accordingly, a new series in the blog titled On Herbs will discuss the medicinal applications of herbs.

Information on herbs posted in this blog will attempt to classify the usefulness of each herb in a tiered structure, modeled after the Austrailan Institute of Sports hierarchy, as described further below. 

Group A:  Herbs included in this group are those for which good scientific evidence exists for defined benefits.  The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has a division called the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) and discusses a number of scientifically validated uses for herbs.  These herbs are virtually guaranteed to provide the defined benefit.

Group B:  Herbs included in this group are those for which some scientific evidence shows promise of benefit but the scientific evidence may not be conclusive.  I will also include herbs in this group that have multiple alternative traditions recommending them for the same ailment or benefit.  Herbs in this group are likely to provide the defined benefit but results cannot be guaranteed. 

Group C:  Herbs included in this group are those that have no scientific evidence of meaningful effects or that are recommended by only one alternative tradition for a particular ailment or benefit.  Herbs in this group may but are less likely to provide any benefit.

Group D:  Herbs in this group have been shown to be harmful or their benefits are offset by disadvantages.

Needles, Fishbowls, and Herbs

Let's pretend that you are the sick one for a moment. You've been sick for years with a lot of difficult symptoms. You have been to multiple western doctors and had umpteen loads (a very precise number) of tests. All of your normal doctors tell you you are a normal and healthy human being. You know you are not. And I know that you are not. Fortunately for you, I have a friend who thinks they can help. This person practices acupuncture. Because I think you deserve to know what you're getting into, I decide to tell you how your journey will begin.

First, my friend is going to make you undress and get into a paper nightgown. Then she will take your pulses. This is not western medicine, where you and I are familiar with one pulse. This is acupuncture where you have multiple pulses, all taken at about the same location on your arm. Then, my friend is going to evaluate your tongue. It may look swollen or a slightly wrong shade of red, but don't worry that is treatable. But here's where your journey gets really interesting. After the evaluation my friend is going to stick needles in you. Not just one or two, but maybe two dozen. The needles don't hurt, but you are very aware that they are in your shins and hands and feet and arms. My friend leaves you; you begin to feel a little drugged and eventually nod off to sleep until my friend comes back over an hour later. You turn over onto your stomach. In go more needles. They are up and down either parts of your spine, in your neck, in the backs of your legs. After another hour you are done. My friend tells you that you may be ill after the first treatment. And you are. That evening you can barely lift your head. You are nauseated. You ache. Your muscles feel heavy and tired. Your digestive system is upset. You feel feverish. It will last an entire week, but don't worry, you have another acupuncture appointment the following week, after which you will be ill again. Again, don't worry. Soon my friend will also give you herbs (all legal, of course) and then heat very tiny fishbowls and put them on your back to such out all of the toxins.

If you grew up with traditional western medicine, then by now you probably think I'm crazy. But here's the thing - acupuncture has been around for thousands of years; and it is a central method of health care for hundreds of millions of people. It also happens to be covered by your health insurance. So why not give it a try?