The Complete Herbal Guide: A Natural Approach to Healing the Body - Heal Your Body Naturally and Maintain Optimal Health Using Alternative Medicine, Herbals, Vitamins, Fruits and Vegetables (11 page)

Fish oil capsules are sold in health food stores, drug stores, and online. Most brands should be stored in the fridge to prevent the oil from going rancid. When comparing brands, the key active components for depression are EPA and DHA.

Fish oil capsules may interact with blood-thinning drugs such as warfarin and aspirin. Side effects may include indigestion and bleeding. Fish oil should not be taken 2 weeks before or after surgery. Fish oil can also cause a fishy aftertaste. To prevent this, try taking the fish oil just before meals.

SAM-e

SAM-e, pronounced "sammy", is short for S-adenosyl-L-methionine. It is a chemical that's found naturally in the human body and is believed to increase levels of neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine.

Several studies have found SAM-e is more effective than placebo.

In North America, SAM-e is available as an over-the-counter supplement in health food stores, drug stores, and online. It should be enteric-coated for maximum absorption. Although it is one of the more expensive supplements, it remains popular as a remedy for depression and osteoarthritis.

Side effects can include nausea and constipation.

Folic Acid

Folic acid, also called folate, is a B vitamin that is often deficient in people who are depressed.

Folate is found in green leafy vegetables, other vegetables, fruit, beans, and fortified grains. It is one of the most common vitamin deficiencies because of poor diet but also because chronic conditions and various medications such as aspirin and birth control pills can also lead to deficiency.

Besides food, folic acid is also available as a supplement or as part of a B-complex vitamin.

Research:

Researchers at Harvard University have found that depressed people with low folate levels do not respond as well to antidepressants, and taking folic acid in supplement form can improve the effectiveness of antidepressants.

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Low folate and vitamin B12 linked to depression

5-HTP

5-HTp is short for 5-hydroxytryptophan. It's produced naturally in the body and is used to make the neurotransmitter serotonin. Although taking 5-HTP in supplement form may theoretically boost the body's serotonin levels, many experts feel there is not enough evidence to determine the safety of 5-HTP. It should not be combined with antidepressants.

Diet

• Reduce your intake of sweets:
    Sweets temporarily make you feel good as blood sugar levels soar, but may worsen mood later on when they plummet.
  
• Avoid caffeine and alcohol:
  Caffeine and alcohol both dampen mood. Alcohol temporarily relaxes us and caffeine boosts energy, but the effects of both are short-lived. Both can worsen mood swings, anxiety, depression, and insomnia.
  

Vitamin B6

Vitamin B6 is needed to produce the mood-enhancing neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine. Although deficiency of vitamin B6 is rare, a borderline deficiency may occur in people taking oral contraceptives, hormone replacement therapy, and drugs for tuberculosis.

Magnesium
most people do not get enough magnesium in their diets. Good sources of magnesium are legumes, nuts, whole grains and green vegetables. Like vitamin B6, magnesium is needed for serotonin production. Stress depletes magnesium.

Exercise

Regular exercise is one of the most effective and inexpensive ways to improve mood.
Exercise, particularly aerobic exercise, releases mood-elevating chemicals in the brain and can decrease stress hormones.

One of the best options to bust the blues is taking a brisk walk outside each morning for at least 30 minutes 5 days a week.

But what's important is that you choose something you enjoy and will stick with, whether it's going to the gym, signing up for dance classes, playing tennis, or gardening.

Light Therapy

Getting enough sunlight has been shown to be effective for seasonal mood changes that happen in the darker winter months.

Exposure to light in the morning helps the body's sleep/wake cycle work properly. Production of serotonin, a brain chemical that key in influencing our mood, is turned on in the morning upon exposure to light. During the winter when there is less sunlight, serotonin levels can drop, making us feel tired and prone to seasonal affective disorder (SAD).

One of the simplest ways to increase your exposure to light is to walk outdoors in the morning. Just be sure to use sunscreen to protect your skin from ultraviolet light.

Another option is to use special lights that simulate natural daylight. Studies have found they are effective.

These lights can be found online. There are different types available, from light boxes to visors, which are typically used for 20-30 minutes a day. Look for lights with a minimum of 3,000 lux. Many experts suggest 10,000 lux.

Although they are rather expensive ranging from $150 to $500, they may be covered by insurance.

Other remedies

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Flower remedies

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Yoga

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Acupuncture

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What is High Blood Pressure?

Also known as:
Hypertension

According to the American Heart Association, nearly one in three adults in the United States has high blood pressure.

However, nearly 1/3 of those people do not know they have high blood pressure, because it is a silent disease. People can have high blood pressure for years without experiencing symptoms or knowing that they have it.

The upper or first number in a blood pressure reading is the systolic pressure and the lower or second number is called the diastolic pressure. According to National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute guidelines:

• Normal blood pressure is below 120/80 mmHg.
  
• Prehypertension is systolic pressure that is between 120 to 139 or diastolic pressure between 80 and 89.
  
• Stage 1 hypertension is systolic pressure between 140 to 159 or diastolic pressure between 90 and 99.
  
• Stage 2 hypertension is systolic pressure higher than 160 or diastolic pressure of 100 or higher.
  

Symptoms

High blood pressure usually does not cause any symptoms in the early stages.
Symptoms associated with high blood pressure can include:

• Dizziness or dizzy spells
  
• Headache
  
• Nosebleeds
  

Causes

In most cases of high blood pressure, the American Heart Association says there is no one identifiable cause. This kind of high blood pressure is called primary hypertension or essential hypertension. It is usually a combination of factors, such as:

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Weight:
The greater your body mass, the more pressure there is on your artery walls. That is because more blood is produced to supply oxygen and nutrients to tissues in your body.

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Activity level:
Lack of physical activity tends to increase heart rate, which forces your heart to work harder with each contraction.

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Tobacco use:
Chemicals in cigarettes and tobacco can damage artery walls.

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Sodium intake:
Excessive sodium in the diet can result in fluid retention and high blood pressure, especially in people sensitive to sodium.

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Potassium intake:
Low potassium can result in elevated sodium in cells, because the two balance one another.

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Stress:
Stress can raise blood pressure.

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Alcohol consumption:
Excessive alcohol intake can over time, increase the risk of heart disease.

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Age:
The risk of high blood pressure increases, as you get older.

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Family history:
High blood pressure often runs in families.

High blood pressure can also be caused by an underlying condition, such as kidney disease, hormonal disorders, thyroid disease, adrenal gland disease, and the use of certain drugs, such as oral contraceptives, or herbs such as licorice. This type of high blood pressure is called secondary hypertension.

Treatments:

Lifestyle changes and natural remedies may help to control high blood pressure, but your doctor may also recommend medication to lower high blood pressure. It is important to work with your doctor, because untreated high blood pressure may damage organs in the body and increase the risk of heart attack, stroke, brain hemorrhage, kidney disease, and vision loss.

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10)

There is some evidence that the supplement CoQ10 may help to reduce high blood pressure.

Research History:

1. A bind, placebo-controlled trial of 83 people with systolic hypertension examined the effect of CoQ10 supplements (60 mg twice daily). After the 12 weeks, there was a mean reduction in systolic blood pressure of 17.8 mm Hg in the Coq10-treated group.
   

1. Another study conducted at the University of Western Australia looked at the effect of CoQ10 on blood pressure and glycemic control in 74 people with type 2 diabetes. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either 100mg CoQ10 twice daily, 200mg of the drug fenfibrate, both, or neither for 12 weeks.
   

CoQ10 significantly reduced systolic and diastolic blood pressure (mean reduction 6.1 mm Hg and 2.9 mm Hg respectively). There was also a reduction in HbA1C, a marker for long-term glycemic control.

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) Fact
s

Garlic
In a meta-analysis of seven randomized controlled trials of garlic supplements, three trials showed a significant reduction in systolic blood pressure and four in diastolic blood pressure. Researchers concluded that garlic powder supplement might be of clinical use in patients with mild hypertension.

A garlic supplement should only be used under the supervision of a qualified health practitioner. Garlic can thin the blood (reduce the ability of blood to clot) similar to aspirin. Garlic may interact with many drugs and supplements such as the prescription "blood-thinners" drugs such as Coumadin (warfarin) or Trental (pentoxifylline), aspirin, vitamin E, gingko. It is recommended people taking garlic should stop in the weeks before and after any type of surgery.

Hawthorn

Traditional herbal practitioners use the herb Hawthorn for high blood pressure.

History:

In a randomized controlled trial conducted by researchers in Reading, UK, 79 patients with type 2 diabetes were randomized to receive either 1200 mg of hawthorn extract a day or placebo for 16 weeks. Medication for high blood pressure was used by 71% of the patients.

At the end of the 16 weeks, patients taking the hawthorn supplement had a significant reduction in mean diastolic blood pressure (2.6 mm Hg). No herb-drug interactions were reported.

Fish oil

Preliminary studies suggest that fish oil may have a modest effect on high blood pressure. Although fish oil supplements often contain both DHA (docohexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoice acid), there is some evidence that DHA is the ingredient that lowers high blood pressure.

Folic acid

Folate is a B vitamin necessary for formation of red blood cells. It may help to lower high blood pressure in some people, possibly by reducing elevated homocysteine levels.

Study:

One small study of 24 cigarette smokers found that four weeks of folic acid supplementation significantly lowered blood pressure.

Diet

Changing your diet is an important part of lowering high blood pressure. The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet is promoted by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

The
DASH diet
includes fruits and vegetables, low-fat dairy foods, beans and nuts. Sodium is limited to 2,400 mg per day.

Studies have found that the DASH diet can reduce high blood pressure within two weeks.
These are the daily guidelines of the DASH diet:

• 7 to 8 servings of grains
  
• 4 to 5 servings of vegetables
  
• 4 to 5 servings of fruit
  
• 2 to 3 servings of low-fat or non-fat dairy
  
• 2 or less servings of meat, fish, or poultry
  
• 2 to 3 servings of fats and oils
  
• 4 to 5 servings per week of nuts, seeds, and dry beans
  
• Less than 5 servings a week of sweets