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 (77 page)

Treatment:

As an antibacterial, Red Clover is said to fight bacterial infections and is believed to be effective against tuberculosis and syphilis.

Red Clover is said to be beneficial in cases of wasting and chronic degenerative diseases and a weakened immune system, and current research is hopeful for its use in combating HIV and AIDS.

The flavonoids in Red Clover are said to be estrogenic, and this was discovered when livestock consumed large amounts of the plant. This is especially interesting for women's health in that it is said to increase fertility and reduce the unpleasant side effects of menopause, including hot flashes and dryness.

When taken internally, Red Clover has been used to relieve many skin complaints, especially eczema and psoriasis.

Precautions: None

Dosages:

Take two (2) capsules, two (2) to three (3) times each day with water at mealtimes.

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The Red Raspberry
is rich in minerals and vitamins that
promote the health of hair, skin, nails, bones and teeth
.  It has an old reputation as a woman's friend that helps to
tone the uterine muscles
(particularly valuable during labor and delivery and recovery after birth).  Moreover, Red Raspberry is said to provide
relief for heavy cramping and excessive bleeding
during menstruation.

Plant Descriptions:

The red raspberry is native to Europe, Asia and North America. Commercial cultivars are grown throughout the world for their berries.

Medical Uses:

For medicinal use, mainly the red raspberry leaves are used. They are astringent and stimulant. Tea from red raspberry leaves is used to treat throat infections and diarrhea. Raspberry leaves are often used by pregnant women because of their relaxing and astringent actions. Raspberry leaves were used to facilitate childbirth and to stimulate milk production. Red raspberry leaves are believed to strengthen the uterus muscles of the uterus and thereby hastening childbirth. Studies with animals and humans have indeed indicated that raspberries leaves have uteronic activity.

The red raspberry fruits (or simple raspberry) are very rich in anthocyanins and in particular ellagic acid. Because of the anti-tumor and anti-cancer activity of ellagic acid, consumption of red raspberries may decrease the risk for cancer. Studies have shown that ellagic inhibits tumor growth caused by carcinogens and that it protects DNA against damage from radiation therapy.

The anthocyanins in red raspberry act as antioxidants, protecting against heart disease and mental ageing problems.

History:

Red Raspberry is a deciduous bramble with perennial roots, native to many parts of Europe, but has wide distribution from the Polar Regions down through temperate North America, Europe and Asia, following higher elevations as it reaches the more southerly latitudes.  Red Raspberry is a shrub with erect, spiny, woody, thorny stems (called canes) that bear irregularly-toothed, pale green leaves and pretty white flowers, followed by deep red fruit, and it may grow to a height of six feet.  The berries are edible and highly nutritious, with a delicate, complex flavor.  The brambles may be found growing wild in dry or moist woods, thickets, untended fields and roadsides, but prefers moist, slightly-acid, well-drained loam, rich in humus, in full sun or partial shade.  Fossil evidence shows that Raspberries were part of the human diet from very early times, and their presence is noted as both a food and part of herbal medicine in the ancient writings of the Greeks, including Aeschylus (c.525-456 B.C.), and the physician, Hippocrates (460-357 B.C.).  The Romans used Red Raspberry to treat sore mouths and inflammation of the bowel, and it was mentioned in the works of Propertius (c.50-16 B.C.).  The leaves bark and fruits are employed herbal medicine.  It is said that early settlers brought Red Raspberry with them, but there was already a hardier variety growing in North America, where several Native Americans were using it as a food and in herbal remedies. 

Red Raspberry has been included for hundreds of years in folk medicine as an astringent and women's aid and was considered important enough to be listed in the
United States Pharmacopoeia
in 1882.  In the days when "natural" childbirth and midwives were the only way to have a baby, Red Raspberry was the herb of choice.  In the 1920s, British researchers isolated a substance called fragerine from the leaves, which was found to be a relaxant that reduces muscle spasms in the uterus. 

In both Chinese and European herbal medicine, Raspberry Leaf tea is a classic herbal preparation for pregnant women, which is administered to prepare them for childbirth.  Red Raspberry was once also used during pregnancy to ease nausea and morning sickness, prevent miscarriage and increase the production of breast milk, but it is not recommended in this manner now (particularly in the earlier months), because of the possibility of uterine contractions.  Some of the constituents in Red Raspberry include flavonoids, high concentrations of tannins,

alpha- and beta-carotene, alkaloids (fragarine), organic acids (caffeic acid, ellagic acid, ferulic acid, etc.), geraniol, lutein, calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, silicon, zinc, B-vitamins and vitamins C and E.

Medical Uses:

Red Raspberry is considered an excellent astringent, which makes it an effective treatment for a number of complaints. The high tannin content is said to help to control diarrhea by preventing the flow of fluids into the intestines, thereby helping to solidify the stool. The tannins are also thought to be most likely responsible for controlling nausea and vomiting as well.
  Once again, the tannins are said to cause proteins in healing skin to cross-link and form an impermeable barrier.

Red Raspberry has been used for centuries to strengthen the reproductive system in women, particularly during pregnancy. The herb is thought to tone and regulate the uterine muscles. If the smooth muscle is tight, the herb is said to relax it; likewise, if the muscle is relaxed Red Raspberry causes contractions, and when taken during the last two months of pregnancy, it is believed to strengthen and tone the uterine muscles and stimulate labor and delivery and possibly even help to shorten delivery and ease pain. After birth, Red Raspberry is taken for several weeks to help reduce swelling and bleeding and return the uterus to its normal tone. By toning the pelvic muscles, Red Raspberry has been used as a traditional remedy for bed-wetting.

To further support women's health, Red Raspberry is said to relieve heavy cramping during menstruation. The ferulic acid content in the herb is said to be a uterine relaxant, stimulating the muscles that support the uterus and allowing for easier menstrual flow.  It is thought to help relieve premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and also reduce excessive menstrual bleeding. There are reports that Red Raspberry may also help to alleviate hot flashes.

Red Raspberry is said to possess antiviral properties, and some studies have shown that it kills virus (including herpes) and fungi in cell cultures.
  It was said to be effective against herpes virus II, influenza virus, and polio virus I, among others.

The lutein content in Red Raspberry is believed to be beneficial to good eye health.
  It is a carotenoid that may be found in many fruits and vegetables, and researchers have claimed that this nutrient may significantly decrease the risk of developing macular degeneration of the eyes.  Even normal-sighted people taking this supplement have reported reduced glare and sharper vision, and it may also be helpful for anyone exposed to brilliant sunlight or computer screens on a daily basis.

The highly nutritious qualities of Red Raspberry have been effective in promoting healthy hair, nails, skin, bones and teeth. The silicon and magnesium content is said to be very helpful for improving the quality of hair. There are claims that silicon (which can be found in vegetables, fruits, horsetails and oats, etc.) will strengthen hair, and it also seems to cause thickening of hair and nails within weeks. There are also reports that it promotes faster growth.

Used as an antiseptic and astringent, Red Raspberry is said to stop burns from oozing and is thought to make an effective gargle for mouth and throat inflammation. Topical applications include treatments for chancre (canker) and other mouth sores, eye problems in soothing eyewash and in a douche for vaginal discharge.

Precautions:

Pregnant women should not use Raspberry until the last two months of pregnancy, and then, only under the supervision of a knowledgeable physician.

Dosages:

Take two (2) capsules, two (2) times each day with water at mealtimes.

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The Red-Root Sage
is a traditional Chinese herb that has become important in the West for supporting cardiovascular health and improving liver function. It helps to vitalize and detoxify the blood and is one of the most
highly
regarded
circulatory tonics
. Red-Root Sage has been shown to
inhibit bacterial growth, reduce fever, diminish inflammation, and ease skin problems and aid urinary excretion of toxins.

Medical Uses:

Red root gargles stop sniffling and salivation associated with colds, flu, bronchitis, and asthma. The herb is also used in teas to stop dribbling of urine caused by urinary tract infection.

The roots and root bark of New Jersey tea was used extensively by the North American Indians to treat fevers and problems of the mucous membranes such as catarrh and sore throats.

The roots concentrate on their astringent, expectorant and antispasmodic actions and they are employed in the treatment of complaints such as asthma, bronchitis and coughs.

Plant Description:

Red-Root Sage is a member of the multi-species Salvia genus, and despite the fact that any herb of this genus may be called sage; there are significant differences in medicinal components in the tops and roots that influence their uses.

History:

Salvia miltiorrheza
and
Salvia officinalis
(Garden Sage
)
are in no way similar to another member of the Sage genus,
Salvia divinorum
, which is a dangerous psychoactive plant and subject to regulation as a controlled substance under several states’ drug regulation statues. In an 1833 publication, Russian botanist, Alexander von Bunge (1803-1890), gave the plant its botanical genus,
Salvia,
which is translated from the Latin word,
salvere
, meaning "to be saved" or "to cure," as sage enjoyed the reputation of being able to cure a multitude of ills.

Red-Root Sage grows abundantly in Asia to a height of about thirty two inches, and because of its importance in herbal medicine, has been cultivated as a crop on farms in China, Japan and Korea.

It is a wild perennial that grows mostly in sunny areas, and can survive in poor soils. It produces small, fuzzy, grayish leaves in the spring; blue, red or purple flowers in summer; and brownish nut-like fruits in the fall. As a member of the sage family of plants, its aromatic leaves are often dried and used to season meats and stuffing, but it is in its distinctive, sundried, bright red roots that considerable medicinal benefits are stored.

Although other species of sage were mentioned in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) as early as 206 B.C., Red-Root Sage first appeared in the
Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing
in the first century A.D. and held a very high position for treating the heart, abdomen, gurgling in the intestines, breaking and eliminating stone and relieving fullness. In the late eighteenth century, Father d'Incarville, a French Jesuit, introduced seeds of the plant from Beijing to Paris, where it was cultivated as a rare botanical specimen, and collectors of Chinese medicinal plants in the United States still regard the plant as a specimen.

It was only during the twentieth century that Red-Root Sage became known for its blood vitalizing and circulatory properties, and it has also since become an important herb in modern Chinese clinical practice. Qin Bowei, an eminent physician born at the turn of the twentieth century, who was instrumental in the spread of TCM in modern China after the revolution in 1949, referred to Red-Root Sage as a bitter herb that "quickens the blood, moves the blood and regulates transportation of blood fluid." It is one of the most commonly used Chinese herbs as the key ingredient in numerous formulations or prescribed as a single herb remedy. Its elevation came in recognition of its vitalizing blood circulation qualities that promote heart health by increasing blood flow and relieving pain (angina pectoris), and for its efficacy in treating microcirculation disorders, leading to its use in treating liver fibrosis and cirrhosis.

A patent remedy with Red-Root Sage as the main ingredient was developed and is still widely used in China for treating angina. The main active constituents in Red-Root Sage include diterpene quinones (known as tanshinones I and II and cryptotanshinone), and it also includes caffeic acid, salvianolic acid and magnesium salvianolate.