Guarana – the Overlooked Energy Herb

Guarana is a woody vine native to the Amazon Basin.  A cup of beverage made from the Guarana vine has 3x the caffeine contained in a cup of coffee.  South Americans who live in the region where Guarana grows, crush the seeds with a mortar and pestle, and then add a small amount of water form a paste.  The dried paste is used to brew a hot beverage similar to coffee.

In the 1970s, the dried paste was sold in tablet form under the name “Zoom”.  One tablet containing the whopping equivalent of four to five tablets of No-Doze!

Guarana, being rich in caffeine has shown positive effects on cognition.  In rats, it increased memory retention and physical endurance when compared with a placebo.  In a human study in 2007, alertness, mood, and memory were increased with used of Guarana.

Some other interesting studies are being conducted in the areas of Heart Attack Prevention, Antioxidant and Antibacterial effects and in Fat Cell Reduction from intake of Guarana.   One study has shown positive effects on weight loss, while one was inconclusive, so a final determination is not available.  However, there are some promising diet products available that contain Guarana plus a mixture of other herbs.  One such product is Diet Turbo Tea – this product has promising reviews from customers.  The best price for the tea can be found here.

As with any caffeine containing products, it is best used in moderation, especially at first when determining how your body will react.  You wouldn’t want to have the jitters all day!

Simple Herbal Remedy for Elimination of Cold Sores

In Western Europe, legitimate herbal practitioners widely use lemon balm for its therapeutic properties.  Various small scale studies in Germany have demonstrated that lemon balm leaves contain compounds with sedative, digestive, and antispasmodic effects.  Research has also shown that lemon balm has antiviral properties which battle herpes simplex – the virus that causes cold sores.  Highly concentrated lemon balm cream compounds, available in Europe, but not the United States, have been shown to speed the healing of herpes lesions AND lengthen the time between outbreaks.  That is fantastic news for anyone who suffers from the pain (and humiliation) of cold sores.

To kill the herpes virus, you need to apply the lemon balm extract or concentrate externally.  Drinking a lemon balm tea will not do the trick.  Lemon balm teas, or homemade brews from the leaves will not be strong enough to be effective.  A good choice would be to go with a concentrated extract—you can find such an extract here for an excellent price.  (The price may seem high, but keep in mind, extracts are highly concentrated from many pounds of leaves).

Here is a very easy recipe for making a cold sore prevention and healing lip balm.

COLD SORE Be-Gone Lipbalm

Ingredients

• 2 tsp organic beeswax
• 4 tsp organic coconut oil
• 1 vitamin E capsule (optional)
• 2-3 drops lemon balm extract

Directions:  Melt Beeswax and Coconut Oil together (I usually just do this in a glass dish in microwave, then let cool for a bit and add vitamin E and lemon balm extract.  Pour into lip balm tubes or a small lip balm pot.

Note: The softness or hardness of the lip balm can be adjusted by adding more or less beeswax. Also, the best way to clean out the dishes and utensils used in preparation is to wipe thoroughly with paper towels prior to get all the oil and wax off prior to washing.
Enjoy your cold sore free future!

Herbal Energy enhancer and weight loss supplement – Gaspari Nutrition Cytolean

After the recent recall of Hydroxycut, you may be looking for a safe alternative to weight loss.  Afterall, who wants to risk liver damage, kidney failure, or other serious, life threatening side effects?  Being thinner is an excellent goal for most people, but skinny and dead is pointless.   Such supplements are based off of thousands of years of herbal healing arts and are all derived from plants or plant products.  No crazy chemicals derived in a laboratory.  A great herbal product to help control your appetite while providing maximum energy you may want to try is Gaspari Nutrition Cytolean.  Okay, so it is a mouthful and the ingredient list can seem like even more of a mouthful.  We break it all down below for you…

GAspari Nutrition Cytolean–What is in it and what do all those ingredients really do?

Glucuronolactone Green Tea Extract

• Glucuronolactone is a naturally occurring chemical produced by the metabolism of glucose in the human liver. It is an important structural component of nearly all connective tissues.[1] Glucuronolactone is also found in many plant gums.  Blucuronolactone is presnt in many enegy drinks and it is also used as a detoxicant.

• Green Tea - Green tea is a type of tea made solely with the leaves of Camellia sinensis, that has undergone minimal oxidation during processing. Green tea originates from China and has become associated with many cultures in Asia from Japan to the Middle East. Recently, it has become more widespread in the West, where black tea is traditionally consumed. Many varieties of green tea have been created in countries where it is grown. These varieties can differ substantially due to variable growing conditions, processing and harvesting time.

• Over the last few decades green tea has been subjected to many scientific and medical studies to determine the extent of its long-purported health benefits, with some evidence suggesting regular green tea drinkers may have lower chances of heart disease and developing certain types of cancer.  Green tea has also been claimed useful for weight loss management.

• Gingko Biloba Extract - Extracts of Ginkgo leaves contain flavonoid glycosides and terpenoids (ginkgolides, bilobalides) and have been used pharmaceutically. Ginkgo supplements are usually taken in the range of 40–200 mg per day.  Out of the many conflicting research results, Ginkgo extract may have three effects on the human body: improvement in blood flow (including microcirculation in small capillaries) to most tissues and organs; protection against oxidative cell damage from free radicals; and blockage of many of the effects of platelet-activating factor (platelet aggregation, blood clotting) that have been related to the development of a number of cardiovascular, renal, respiratory and central nervous system disorders. Ginkgo can be used for intermittent claudication.

• Some studies suggest a link between ginkgo and the easing of the symptoms of tinnitus.

• A study conducted in 2003 by the Department of Dermatology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research in Chandigarh, India concluded that Ginkgo is an effective treatment for arresting the development of vitiligo

• Phenylalanine is an essential ?-amino acid with which is found naturally in the breast milk of mammals and manufactured for food and drink products and are also sold as nutritional supplements for their reputed analgesic and antidepressant effects. Phenylalanine is structurally closely related to dopamine, epinephrine (adrenaline) and tyrosine.

• Tyrosine (abbreviated as Tyr or Y) or 4-hydroxyphenylalanine, is one of the 20 amino acids that are used by cells to synthesize proteins. This is a non-essential amino acid and it is found in casein. Tyrosine has a polar side group. The word “tyrosine” is from the Greek tyros, meaning cheese, as it was first discovered in 1846 by German chemist Justus von Liebig in the protein casein from cheese.  Tyrosine, which can be synthesized in the body from phenylalanine, is also found in many high protein food products such as soy products, chicken, turkey, fish, peanuts, almonds, avocados, bananas, milk, cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese, lima beans, pumpkin seeds, and sesame seeds. Tyrosine can also be obtained through supplementation.

• Beta Phenethylamine, Phenethylamine is a natural compound biosynthesized from the amino acid phenylalanine by enzymatic decarboxylation. It is also found in many foods such as chocolate, especially after microbial fermentation.

• Evodia Rutaecarpa - is a chemical which is extracted from the Evodia spp family of plants which has been shown to reduce fat uptake in mouse studies. Its method is believed to be similar to capsaicin, but retains none of the “hot” taste.

• Hordenine - is a alkaloid with antibacterial and antibiotic properties. It stimulates the release of norepinephrine ( a neurotransmitter that affects parts of the brain where attention and responding actions are controlled).  It is produced in nature by several varieties of plants in the family Cactaceae and by some in Acacia. For example, barley seeds contain hordenine as the main alkaloid in their roots.

Solve Troublesome Acne with Herbal Salicylic Acne Products

Troublesome acne can be caused by a number of different types of bacteria.  Washing with a product that has antimicrobial properties can help in solving acne problems.  Salicylic acid is an organic acid derived from plants.  Salicylic acid is a key ingredient in many skin-care products for the treatment of acne, psoriasis, caluuses, corns, keratosis pilaris, and warts.  It works as a keratolytic (i.e., an agent that assists in the loosening or shedding of the outer layer of the epidermis) by causing the cells of the epidermis more readily preventing pores from clogging up, and allowing for new cell growth.  Also, because of its effect on skin cells, salicylic acid is used in several shampoos used to treat dandruff.

You can help banish your acne blemishes with a cleanser that contains salicylic acid.  You should choose one that has non-drying properties that will exfoliate gently without stripping your complexion.   Other great ingredients are aloe vera and green tea which will help sooth and heal your skin.    You can find an excellent product at a fantastic price at DHC – Salicylic Acne Wash.

Below is a money saving coupon for DHC.  (DHC is  sells cosmetics and skincare products from one of Japan’s top beauty companies).