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 Diet Supplements

Herbal supplements are a type of dietary supplement that contain herbs.  An herb is a plant or plant part used for its flavor, scent, and therapeutic properties.

Diet supplements that are made from herb usually contain more than one type of herb.  The purpose of an herbal diet supplement is to supply extra supplements of vitamins and minerals in addition to your normal diet.  Herbal diet supplements are rich in minerals, vitamins, etc.  With this product, it is not meant to cure or use as a treatment for any kind of disease or medical condition.  Instead, they are more effective as a preventative agents in helping the body to naturally ward off any infections.

Many herbal dietary supplements can provide help for different types of medical conditions.

Here are some herbal diet supplements:

Vitamin E - The body generate anti-oxidants to prevent uncontrolled oxidation that can result in long-term damage.  The skin is usually whats noticeable when oxidation happen.  By using herbal diet supplements rich in vitamin E will help keep the skin smooth and healthy.

Folate - Folate is required by nearly every part of the body including down to our DNA.  Folates are required for the production and maintenance of new cells, especially during pregnancy.  Without folates, DNA cannot replicate and this is why folates are very important.  Other parts of the body that folate affect are the production of new cells in bone marrow.  Without enough folates, new cells cannot be produced.  From this, any deficiency in folates can have a devastating result. Herbal supplements that contain folates as a major ingredients are good for you, even if you don’t have any problem right now.

Tea - Most herbal teas contain herbs of various type that have anti-oxidant properties in the prevention of cancer, heart disease, and high blood pressure.  Since these tea are all from natural substances and free of any chemicals, they are better from a health perspective than coffee or regular tea.

Most of the herbal diet supplements can be found at a local supermarket or at a specialty retailer such as GNC.  There are a large selection to choose from and it is wise to research on what you want first before going shopping for one.  Using herbal dietary supplements as part of your diet will help you stay healthy and live happier.

Natural Herbs

Herb have been around for many centuries and used widely by Chinese herbalists and Indians for natural cures and prevention.  Until now, with a solid finding found in the scientific world, people are finding that herb have many benefits for the body, which spark the popularity of herb usage.

Any plant that is grown for medicinal, culinary, and sometimes for spiritual value are called an herb.  From an herb plant, only the green and leafy parts are mostly used.  The medicinal usages will differ from the culinary uses.  In fact, the properties of medicinal and culinary herbs are entirely different to be found on the same plant.  For example, culinary herbs tend to be more leafy and soft plants, while medicinal herbs tend to be shrubs or woody plants.

Culinary herbs are different from other vegetables in the sense that they are not used for cooking or eating.  Instead, they are used to provide added flavors when used as spices.

In the medical world, herbs have been proved to be effective not only curing disease but also prevent certain types of diseases.  Further evidence shows that herbal medicines are highly effective due to the fact that many modern pharmaceutical drugs contain the use of plant extracts.

In many of these alternative medicines, precaution should be taken before consuming one, even if it claim that it’s plant based, 100% natural and completely safe. There are no product on the market that will advertise boldly that they might not be effective in some cases.  Those type of statement are usually found in the small print somewhere on the product.

Furthermore, in some countries, there are legal status that dictate what herbal ingredients used to make alternative medicines is legal and what is not.  For example, ayurveda, the alternative medicine from India believes that heavy metals are therapeutic.  The United States believes that high level of heavy metal are unsafe to consume.  So ayurveda medicines are unsafe and not FDA approved.

If you do intend to use herbal remedies, it is advised that you consult with your doctor first.  Keep in mind that herbal remedies can cause side effects just like conventional drugs.  The risk is even higher if you are taking a prescription or over the counter drugs in combination with herbal remedies.  It can result in you being hospitalized and in some cases, fatality.  This is why it is very important to consult with your doctor first even if are not taking any drugs.

Natural herbs are a perfect alternative medicines to use with their natural ingredients and the many benefits it offer.  Like any other medicines, understanding of the drug’s usage and side effect should be researched first before taking it.  If you follow the guidelines, herbal medicines will benefit you body in many ways.