Herbal Medicine and Folk Medicine

Fact or fiction; nursery rhyme or just the plain truth;

Let’s look at some more scientific research that will continue to help us understand this subject better.

Five Apples A Week For Better Functioning Lungs

One British study of men showed that individuals who ate at least five apples per week felt a much better functioning of their lungs.

Nottingham University researchers have also done studies that reported a lower risk in respiratory disease in those who ate five apples per week.

Apples have also been singled out as the best fruit that can cut in half a smoker’s risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The antioxidants found in apples may ward off disease by counter active measures of the oxygens damaging effects on the body so researchers believe. Continue reading ›

Eggs have been criticized in the last few decades by health experts because they were said to be contributing to the cholesterol that people were being diagnosed from. Today, I am going to set the record straight about the good and the ugly about eggs. If you are like me, you love eating your eggs at least 3x a week, and you are hoping that there is better about eggs than all the bad stuff.

It turns out that eggs are a good source of high quality proteins, vitamins and minerals. This is very good news for vegetarians because they benefit from the vitamin b12 found in eggs as they don’t consume meat, so they lose out on the vitamin b12 from meat. Vitamin b12 is vital for the functioning of all cells, especially the bone marrow, nervous system and the gastrointestinal tract.

It is a known fact that egg yolk contains lecithin. Lecithin is basically a type of fat that provides the body with choline. Choline is an important component for all membranes in the body.

So what is the link with eggs and weight loss? Contrary to what we all thought about eggs and the fat contained in them, people who eat eggs are more likely to lose weight than those who do not eat them. Study shows that people who have egg as part of their breakfast feel fuller for longer, and as a result they will eat less for the rest of their day. Continue reading ›

I seldom had colds, or head and stomach aches as a child. It was an act of self-defence, because my father had a home remedy for any ailment. One of the most unpleasant and, consequently, effective, was his one-two-three punch for coughs, congestion or sniffles.

His first line of attack was Seneca root, chewed. I could have been the poster-boy for Buckleys cough syrup. It tasted awful, but it worked! For a deep-rooted cough, Doctor Dad prescribed a mustard poultice, mixed with dried plantain leaves applied to the chest. The mustard was the real thing, not some wimpy domestic mustard, with the seeds ground fine and boiled to a paste. It stung, and left a lasting red welt where the poultice was applied. But, it, too, seemed to work its magic in a day or so. His third offensive thrust against colds – more preventive than curative – was spruce bud tea.

The phrase, “spruce buds” sounds almost delicate and inviting. But how many of us have seen spruce flowers, so, in fact, spruce “buds” clearly is a misnomer. The spruce buds are those tips of the spruce branches that emerge in spring, a slightly bluish colour compared to the medium green of the older needles. In theory, those buds are at their most tender. Good thing, because in a matter of weeks after the last of the snow, the tough adult needles are sufficiently solid to stitch up a deep cut! Continue reading ›