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.

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 - Turmeric

Turmeric is a shrub related to ginger and used primarily in Indian cuisine.  It is bright yellow, offering natural coloring for mustard and cheeses.  Until recently, Ingrid and I had three or four year old Turmeric in our cupboard from our few dalliances into Indian cooking.  Turmeric is widely by alternative medical practitioners and has peaked interest by the western medical community in recent years.  Most of the fuss has revolved around on particular component of turmeric, curcumin, which is a known antioxidant with very promising research to support its use for a variety of ailments including cancer and neurological disease.  Turmeric is a Group A herb for certain uses including an upset stomach and loss of appetite and a Group B herb for a wide variety of other.  For more on group classifications see the On Herbs post by clicking here. 

The Science

The science is in - Turmeric has been documented as helpful with digestive conditions such as upset stomach and loss of appetite according to Germany's Commission E (Germany's equivalent to the US Food & Drug Administration).

Additional Potential Uses

Turmeric is widely used in Indian and Chinese medicine for millenia for a variety of ailments; and there is a lot of buzz about Turmeric (actually curcumin, the active ingredient in Turmeric) these days in the western medical sphere as a powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant with promise for use in preventing and/or treating cancer, neurological disease, bacteria and viral infections, heart disease, chronic and autoimmune ailments and, quite honestly a host of other ailments including but not limited to diarrhea, fever, bronchitis, colds, parasitic worms, leprosy, bladder and kidney inflammations, bruises, leech bites, festering eye infections, mouth inflammations, skin conditions, and infected wounds, chronic coughs, and colds. Many studies in animals a the laboratory have identified these potential uses - and trials on humans are currently under way (as of 2014).  It will be a few years until the results of these studies are known and published, but I think it likely that the health benefits of Turmeric will be validated for a number of these uses.

My Personal Experience

I started to dabble in turmeric tea a short time ago during a bout of nausea.  I drank turmeric tea once or twice a day for a week and the nausea completely subsided.  In every instance since where I feel nauseated, bloated, or otherwise off a few doses of turmeric tea help.  I am ready to move on to daily turmeric pills to see if I can't reap long-term preventative benefits. 

Preparations

Turmeric Capsules
Turmeric Tea

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

Additional Resources

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

The American Cancer Society discusses the science and current studies on turmeric.  Click here to read what the American Cancer Society has to say on the subject.

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

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.