[Glinus.com] MEDICINAL PLANTS AND TRADTIONAL MEDICINE NEWS

 

mEDICINAL pLANTS AND tRADTIONAL mEDICINE NEWS

AWARENESS OF EXPORT POTENTIAL OF HERBS IS LOW IN INDIA: NPMB

Despite conducive environment, growing demand and a rich heritage, India's share in the global herbal market remains much below potential

 

According to a government report, the global herbal market is expected to grow steadily in the coming years with growing demand for herbal products worldwide. The Ministry of Science and Technology says in its report that the global herbal market is expected to be grow to around $5 trillion by 2050, but India's current share is estimated at below 2%.

The report adds that herbal remedies are important in countries like China and would become increasingly important in developing countries like India in the coming years. Standardisation is a bottleneck that has gained some attention among companies producing herbal products across the world. However, efforts are required to develop the cultivation of such plants in India.

 

https://www.thedollarbusiness.com/awareness-of-export-potential-of-herbs-is-low-in-india-npmb/

 

 

Chinese licorice fights diabetes and obesity

 

Licorice can be used to bring down diabetes and fat. A simple herb known for 4,000 years as a part of the 'Glycyrrhiza plants', or licorice, has gone under the name of 'natural sweeteners' or 'herbal medicines'. The Journal of Leukocyte Biology published a new study by researchers, who find that licorice could also reduce or stop metabolic disorders, according tonaturalnews.com.

 

http://www.newseveryday.com/articles/4770/20141224/http-www-naturalnews-com-048067-chinese-licorice-diabetes-traditional-medicine-html-ixzz3mderf7rq.htm

 

Date palm, bitter kola, zobo top local herbal 'cures' for Yuletide blues

 

Today is Christmas. The Yuletide is here again. The season is synonymous with over indulgence in alcohol, food and sex. Hangover, weight gain and sexually transmitted infections such as Human Immuno-deficiency Virus (HIV) become the order of the day. But scientists have validated bitter kola, date palm, zobo, grapefruit, among others as 'cures' for hangover and to prevent weight gain. They advise against unprotected sex and promiscuity, and recommend being faithful to one partner and the use of condom. CHUKWUMA MUANYA writes.

 

 

http://ngrguardiannews.com/sunday-magazine/living-wellbeing/191524-date-palm-bitter-kola-zobo-top-local-herbal-cures-for-yuletide-blues

 

Professor spreads words on her benefits from medicinal plants

 

When Anne Bower's doctor suggested she take a statin drug to lower her cholesterol, she had other ideas. Call it a lifestyle redo.

Beginning in July 2013, working with doctors and later a nutritionist, Bower began eating lots of beans, greens, and grains; a little fish; and almost no meat. She cut way down on sugar and saturated fat and began doing yoga. She hiked in the Wissahickon and took long walks with the dog.

"But the biggest change I made was to increase the number of medicinal plants I use," said Bower, associate biology professor at Philadelphia University in East Falls, who shared her knowledge of those plants with students this semester.

Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/entertainment/20141226_Professor_spreads_words_on_her_benefits_from_medicinal_plants.html#C5uIvjDgkBtupoyf.99

 

 

A new lease of life for medicinal plants

The Kerala State Biodiversity Board (KSBB) has launched a project 'resource conservation, augmentation, sustainable harvesting and value addition of medicinal plants resources' to conserve the critically endangered medicinal plants in the Western Ghats region.

The project implemented with financial assistance of the National Medicinal Plant Board also aims at ensuring sustainable income to the tribal people who earn their livelihood collecting minor forest produces.

The project will be executed in association with the biodiversity management committees functioning at the grama panchayat level and the Forest Department.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/a-new-lease-of-life-for-medicinal-plants/article6703612.ece

 

Grandma's Medicines Grow On Trees

 

For years, grandmothers had to fight to prove the efficacy of herbs and medicinal plants for a wide range of illnesses; but these plants have since become the main ingredients in a variety of herbal teas now on supermarket shelves across the island.

"Jamaicans traditionally have used herbs for hundreds of years, but it has been done very informally. In the country, you would pick it from your yard or the area around your yard. It was never cultivated as a crop for sale other than a few items such as ginger, for example, which used to be a very big crop in Jamaica and people consumed it as a hot beverage or a cold beverage," explained chief executive officer of Jamaican Teas Limited, John Mahfood.

Noting the demand for some of these herbs over the years, Mahfood's company decided to make them more accessible to those whose busy schedule would not allow them to go to the country and reap these plants. Currently, his company depends on farmers to bring the plants to them to be processed and packaged for consumption.

 

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20141130/lead/lead6.html

 

Market Research Reports, Inc. has announced the addition of "Antibiotics, Medicinal Plants, Superbugs And The Coming Antimicrobial Resistant Drugs Pandemic: global Markets, Competitors And Opportunities-2014-2019 Analysis And Forecasts" research report to their offering.

Lewes, DE -- (ReleaseWire) -- 11/28/2014 -- An Antibiotic is an agent that either kills or inhibits the growth of a microorganism. The world is now facing a grave situation: it is losing the battle against infectious diseases; bacteria are fighting back and are becoming resistant to modern medicine; in short, pharmaceutical drugs don't work. If resistance is allowed to increase, in a few decades people may start dying from the most commonplace of ailments that today can be treated easily. In fact, the ability of organisms to develop resistance to the effects of antimicrobial therapies developed to kill them is potentially the greatest challenge to healthcare in the 21st century.

Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/2365644#ixzz3N2jtZRvT

 

Discovery of the therapeutic value of herbal product

I have achieved a great medical breakthrough by discovering a herbal drug extracted from a plant for treating kidney failure with 100% success guarantee whereby I have opened a new avenue for medical science and I have spent nearly 20 years of research in this particular field and the herbal drug has been developed under the system of local health tradition based on a locally available endemic plant known as Inpensing in Liangmai dialect which can be identified in English, Botanical, Scientific and local name with full photograph of the plant to ensure real identification. With this traditional medicine, I have treated a good number of patients who have been suffering from renal ailments/kidney failure.

I have recorded 100% success rate which can be physically verified. There is a wide variety of species of this kind of plant and proper identification is prerequisite. There are five different varieties of this particular plant species out of which one smallest one has the potential of medicinal value and therefore careful identification is necessary.

http://www.thesangaiexpress.com/page/items/46703/discovery-of-the-therapeutic-value-of-herbal-product

 

 

Herbal garden provides remedy to ailing people

Had it been left unnoticed, the space under the overhead water tank at Meenakshipuram here would have been barren or misused by locals. But, the initiative of Deputy Mayor P. Jeganathan alias Ganesan to convert it into a herbal garden has not only added beauty to the area, but also has come in handy for the people during monsoon season.

A number of people visit the herbal garden every day during this rainy season. For, the medicinal plants being maintained by Mr. Ganesan provide much-needed relief for the seasonal ailments. The herbs come not only free of cost but also without any side-effects.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Madurai/herbal-garden-provides-remedy-to-ailing-people/article6651254.ece

 

Life-saving medicinal plants under threat from biodiversity erosion

As global efforts to prevent biodiversity depletion focus more on fauna than flora, experts call for guidelines to protect against the threatened loss of life-saving plants.

Uprooted, over-harvested, trampled or brashly ignored by the wider world, plants are the unsung heroes of modern medicine. Since time immemorial, species with healing properties have been called upon and indeed relied upon to treat the sick and injured.

And although our modern day brave new world of medical possibility bears little resemblance to the slower pace of ancient indigenous cures, it has not rendered our reliance on the vegetation that coats our earth, obsolete. On the contrary, medicinal plants continue to play an integral role in the protection of human health. Yet seemingly unmoved by this dynamic, humans largely fail to return that protective favor. "Medicinal plants don't have a voice," Manoj Kumar Sarkar, author of Management Strategies for Endemic and Threatened Medicinal Plants in India told Global Ideas. "All over the world the expenditure for the protection of fauna is far greater than for flora - including medicinal plants."

 

http://www.dw.de/life-saving-medicinal-plants-under-threat-from-biodiversity-erosion/a-18056035

 

Botanist from UK applauds research done by Patanjali Yogpeeth

 

http://www.thehealthsite.com/news/botanist-from-uk-applauds-research-done-by-patanjali-yogpeeth/

 

Israeli-Palestinian study finds regional flowers help combat viruses

Three-year study conducted by Israeli, Palestinian, Spanish and Greek researchers examined various flowers and plants in Israel and found potential for use in pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries.

 

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4602587,00.html

 

Promoting African medicinal plants through multi-stakeholder meeting-HerbFEST

 

IF you are reading this, then you either know or have parents who know what we are all missing in refusing to use our available locally grown (behind the house little garden) plants. For most, when they see or hear of "medicinal plants" they see native doctors or plants made for those who cannot afford the orthodox medicine. I often find this amusing especially coming from learned people who should understand that most medicines did not fall from the skies or are products of chemical analysis but rather are plant based. 

 

http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/features/natural-health/187164-promoting-african-medicinal-plants-through-multi-stakeholder-meeting-herbfest

 

 

An organic garden of plenty in Mali's arid soil

 

In a strikingly green corner of Mali, one man is leading an agricultural revolution, using organic farming methods to get the most out of the land -- and pass his techniques on to others in west Africa.

Oumar Diabate has established a reputation for raising chemical-free vegetables, fruit and medicinal plants at his small farm about 30 kilometres (19 miles) from the capital Bamako.

In a vast country where two-thirds of the terrain is desert, Diabate, 47, lovingly tends his two hectares (five acres), nudging tomatoes, courgettes, lettuce and beetroot from the ochre soil.

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/afp/article-2863167/An-organic-garden-plenty-Malis-arid-soil.html

 

 

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Promoting African medicinal plants through multi-stakeholder meeting-HerbFEST

IF you are reading this, then you either know or have parents who know what we are all missing in refusing to use our available locally grown (behind the house little garden) plants. For most, when they see or hear of “medicinal plants” they see native doctors or plants made for those who cannot afford the orthodox medicine. I often find this amusing especially coming from learned people who should understand that most medicines did not fall from the skies or are products of chemical analysis but rather are plant based. 

     Granted, there is a recent increase in the interest and use of natural products and herbal supplements/teas, but this is often just a faze which is ignited when a multi-level marketing international company storms the market with products, and which naturally losses momentum after a given number of users have tried it out. Another indication of the fact that Nigerians are ready to embrace the herbal trend is the increasing preference for green teas. Now, my question is this: Which country or continent is/has more green than us? Why do we then prefer imported “green” is what I don’t know. I for one, believe that nature has provided each country what they need to sustain their health and wellbeing and it just behooves on us to cash in on this divine benevolence!

      The indigenous flora of Africa has historically supported healthcare delivery, food security, as well as cosmetics and beauty products manufacturing. No matter how hard we try, we cannot be more “oyibo” than the “oyibo” (no offense meant). We need to come to realization that our medicinal plants (oh yes our “common” moringa, bitter kola, ginger, okro, bitter leaf etc) as well as our traditional health practices and formulations have a significant role to play in tackling our present health challenges as well as bridging health inequalities. We should not continue to struggle to have completely-accessible national healthcare delivery systems amidst very rich biodiversity ecosystems. Talk about fetching water with a spoon when there’s a bucket right in front of you!

       So you have heard that in Africa (Nigeria inclusive), more than 80% of the rural population use medicinal herbs or indigenous systems of medicine. You go like “really? Who uses local products and visits traditional practitioners?” Yes “really”! Even you reading this will most likely refer anyone who has bone fracture to a traditional bone-setter or refer a sick relative to India where most infusions and products are medicinal plants based and locally produced!  Attending the upcoming HerbFEST 2014 will not only improve our healthcare but will help us in achieving both our Health and Economic Millenium Development Goals. A comprehensive review of African Medicinal Plants (See, Iwu, M.M. 1993, 2014: Handbook of African Medicinal Plants) listed more than 2,000 plant species that are used in traditional medical practice in various parts of the continent. Notwithstanding this rich array of plant species, Nigeria, like most other African countries, play very insignificant roles in the estimated herbal medicine global trade worth over USD$100b.

       Tropical and subtropical Africa contains between 40- 45.000 species of plant with a potential for development and out of which 5.000 species are used medicinally. It must be emphasized also that the continent already contributes nearly 25 per cent of the world trade in biodiversity. Still there is a paradox: in spite of this huge potential and diversity, the African continent has only contributed 83 of the 1100 blockbuster drugs globally.

      There are a lot of stakeholders involved in the process of firmly implanting our medicinal plants and natural products into our healthcare system, and adopting it as a wealth creation strategy, away from the oil sector. Each of these stakeholders need to be strengthened and their capacity built, as is done during the HerbFEST. The farmers need to know how to plant organically to avoid chemicals which only deteriorate the efficacy of the plants or even contaminate them. They equally need to know how/when to harvest, store, transport etc. In all, Good Agricultural Practices have to be imbibed. 

       The research institutes and Academia need support to carry out extensive research work. They mustn’t wait for foreign grants or outbreaks such as the recent: Ebola Outbreak” to get support/finance to carry out research work! Entrepreneurs and natural products producers need funding and to know how to get the quality right in order to be widely accepted locally and internationally. Government Agencies need to come together to synchronize activities and move it forward to the next phase. 

      Plant-based Clinical research has made particularly rewarding progress in the important fields of antimalarial (example artemisinin), anticancer (example taxoids and camptothecins) and metabolic disorder (includes diabetes etc.) therapies, and these are the leading causes of death in West Africa. Natural products can make substantial contributions to health care delivery and general wellness. Their use in the former has however met with various challenges bothered on acceptability, failed perception, quality control and dosage.  HerbFEST aims to bridge these gaps, tackle such challenges and as well showcase our rich biodiversity and research results.

     As with all “made in Naija” goods, the small population of Nigerians who use natural products and dietary supplements would rather buy the same product but made in other countries. And the doctors? That is more like the proverbial “camel passing through the eye of a needle”. And can they be really blamed? Not exactly! Few plant species that provide medicinal herbs have been scientifically evaluated for their possible medical applications. Even if they recognise the efficacy of herbal remedies, both the general consumer and health care professionals need up to date, authoritative information on the safety and efficacy of medicinal plants. And Assurance of safety, quality and efficacy of medicinal plants and herbal products has now become a key issue in industrialized and developing countries. 

      With a view to help stimulate the natural products and bio-business industrial sub-sector and improve the health sector in Nigeria and the ECOWAS sub-region, Bioresources Development and Conservation Programme (BDCP), a non-governmental non-profit organization, in collaboration with the Nigeria Natural Medicine Development Agency (NNMDA), a parastatal of the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology, the Federal Institute of Industrial Research, Oshodi (FIIRO), also a parastatal of the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology, and the International Centre for Ethnomedicine and Drug Development (InterCEDD), a private research and development Centre, are organizing a natural products expo, HerbFEST 2014. HerbFEST 2014 which is taking place from the 25-27th of November 2014 at NNMDA premises Lagos, which promises to promote our herbs, health foods and natural products.

• Ngozi James wrote from Bioresources Development and Conservation Programme, Abuja

http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/features/natural-health/187164-promoting-african-medicinal-plants-through-multi-stakeholder-meeting-herbfest

Life-saving medicinal plants under threat from biodiversity erosion

As global efforts to prevent biodiversity depletion focus more on fauna than flora, experts call for guidelines to protect against the threatened loss of life-saving plants.

Uprooted, over-harvested, trampled or brashly ignored by the wider world, plants are the unsung heroes of modern medicine. Since time immemorial, species with healing properties have been called upon and indeed relied upon to treat the sick and injured.

And although our modern day brave new world of medical possibility bears little resemblance to the slower pace of ancient indigenous cures, it has not rendered our reliance on the vegetation that coats our earth, obsolete.

On the contrary, medicinal plants continue to play an integral role in the protection of human health. Yet seemingly unmoved by this dynamic, humans largely fail to return that protective favor.

"Medicinal plants don't have a voice," Manoj Kumar Sarkar, author of Management Strategies for Endemic and Threatened Medicinal Plants in India told Global Ideas. "All over the world the expenditure for the protection of fauna is far greater than for flora - including medicinal plants."

Taxus Baccata contains properties which are used in the treatment of different cancers

And that, he says, is a massive oversight. By means of a single example, he cites a species called Taxus Baccata or Taxus Wallichiana that grows in the Himalayas. It contains a property called Taxol, which is used in the treatment of uterine, breast and colon cancer.

"But because of biodiversity destruction, its habitat is being destroyed and that affects plant numbers," he said.

Blind to reality

The fate of Taxus Baccata is shared by thousands of plants on the endangered species list. And with World Health Organization statistics indicating that between 70 and 80 percent of the global population relies on traditional herbal-based medicines to meet their primary health care needs, the situation is precarious.

Danna J Leaman, who chairs the IUCN's Medicinal Plant Specialist Group, told GI that worldwide between 50,000 to 70,000 plants are deemed to have medicinal properties. But of those, only 1,000 are commercially grown.

Leaman says they tend to be species which are more "easily domesticated", and which are "sufficiently economically valuable", with markets stable enough to warrant the requisite investments in land and fertilizers.

In the absense of re-sowing programs, wild harvesting erodes biodiversity

The vast majority of medicinal plants, however, are collected in the wild by private people with few income alternatives. They sell to traders at a cheap rate, which as Sarkar explains, implies a direct threat of over-harvesting.

"In India, the trade is completely controlled by the informal sector," he said, adding that there is no species-specific recovery plan in place to ensure that plants continue to thrive.

The way ahead

Sarkar says the solution is clear, and that it is up to individual governments, particularly those in India and China – where 40 percent of the world's medicinal plants grow - to put serious guidelines and regulations in place.

Essential to the protection process is a structured political approach which ensures the promotion of indigenous knowledge of plants and their medical properties, and investment in teaching and research institutes. Without specific policies in place - be they national or global - many plant species will be lost to general biodiversity erosion and destructive harvesting practices.

FairWild for a sustainable future

Leaman says she has witnessed very little willingness from the commercial sector to engage in any meaningful dialogue on how best to contribute to preventing precious plant resources from being wiped off the face of the planet.

All too often, she says, companies are blind to the implications for their own survival. Against that backdrop, direct communication with the consumer becomes crucial. But that is not without it's own challenges.

Each jar contains dries plants with different medicinal properties

"Consumer attention and commitment is not easily won when there is so much competition for people's time and money," Leaman said. "But we are making some good progress on engaging some industry innovators and leaders in a new standard for sustainable wild collection of plants used in food, medicine and cosmetics.”

The FairWild Standard, as it is called, was developed by the IUCN Medicinal Plant Specialist Group and other conservation, industry and government organizations. It is the first comprehensive standard for sustainable wild collection that ensures a fair deal for everyone involved so far. Leaman says many companies are already participating.

http://www.fairwild.org/

"I can walk to my local supermarket in Ottawa and buy herbal teas with wild collected ingredients that carry the FairWild logo," she said. "It's a start."

http://www.dw.de/life-saving-medicinal-plants-under-threat-from-biodiversity-erosion/a-18056035

Date palm, bitter kola, zobo top local herbal ‘cures’ for Yuletide blues

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Today is Christmas. The Yuletide is here again. The season is synonymous with over indulgence in alcohol, food and sex. Hangover, weight gain and sexually transmitted infections such as Human Immuno-deficiency Virus (HIV) become the order of the day. But scientists have validated bitter kola, date palm, zobo, grapefruit, among others as ‘cures’ for hangover and to prevent weight gain. They advise against unprotected sex and promiscuity, and recommend being faithful to one partner and the use of condom. CHUKWUMA MUANYA writes.

THE temptation to drink and get intoxicated with alcohol is high especially during festive periods. The habit, however, comes with the resultant hangover.

     Hangover is the experience of various unpleasant physiological and psychological effects following consumption of alcoholic beverages, which can last for more than 24 hours. 

      According to Wikipedia, typical symptoms of a hangover may include headache, drowsiness, concentration problems, dry mouth, dizziness, fatigue, gastrointestinal distress, sweating, nausea, hyper-excitability and anxiety.

      Alcoholism is the most widely used term to describe patients with alcohol problems. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that two billion people worldwide consume alcoholic beverages and 76.3 million have diagnosable alcohol use disorders. 

      Long-term heavy alcohol use is the most prevalent single cause of illness and death from liver disease. The liver is the primary site of alcohol metabolism, as alcohol is broken down in the liver, a number of potentially dangerous by-products are generated, such as acetaldehyde and highly reactive molecules called free radicals.

     Several studies have shown that medications for alcoholism have many side effects including diarrhea, dyspepsia (indigestion), and headache, nausea, vomiting, rash, and itching.

       Currently no empirically proven mechanism for the prevention of alcohol induced hangover, or for making oneself sober is recommended, except moderating the amount of alcohol consumed or abstinence. 

       A four-page literature review in the British Medical Journal concludes: “No compelling evidence exists to suggest that any conventional or complementary intervention is effective for preventing or treating alcohol hangover. The most effective way to avoid the symptoms of alcohol induced hangover is to avoid drinking.”

        Most remedies do not significantly reduce overall hangover severity. Some compounds reduce specific symptoms such as vomiting and headache, but are not effective in reducing other common hangover symptoms such as drowsiness and fatigue

    Until now, the common herbs used worldwide for treatment of alcoholism are St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum, HPE), kudzu (Pueraria lobata) and ibogaine (Tabernanthe iboga) and Milk thistle.

     However, researchers have identified bitter kola (Garcinia kola), Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera), Zobo (Hibiscus sabdariffa) and grapefruit as ‘safe’ ‘cures’ for hangover. 

     A leading researcher on bitter kola and herbal medicine, Prof. Maurice Iwu, told The Guardian that bitter kola prevents the alcoholic induced hangover and in fact bursts the intoxication effect of alcohol. Iwu said his team has developed a formulation with bitter kola that neutralizes the effect of alcohol in minutes.

         Iwu said a supplement made from bitter kola, Garcinia-IHP also called “The Cold Cap”, has intriguing bioflavonoids capable of modulating almost any physiological anomaly. “The answer perhaps lies in the role of flavonoids in the evolutionary course of human beings. Humans, over many millennia, have adapted to a diet, which is favourable for their survival and the flavonoid-like structures were part of the physiological system,” he said.

    Indeed, researchers have identified Bitter kola as a potential antimicrobial and detoxifier. The antibacterial, antiviral, detoxifying and cleansing properties is responsible for being used widely in the treatment of various diseases and infections.

     Iwu said: “Garcinia kola is used extensively in West African traditional medicine for the treatment of laryngitis, general inflammation, bronchitis, viral infections and diabetes. It is also a rejuvenating agent, adptogen and general antidote. Kolaviron, the mixture of biflavonoids, benzophenones and chromanols, and related phenolic compounds in Garcinia kola possesses strong antioxidant activities.”

     Other major indication of bitter kola, according to Iwu, include: as cold remedy because it is very effective in managing symptoms of cold and sore throat, pains, cough, nasal congestion and helps coagulate phlegm; as antibacterial because it is used in many tropical countries to fight infectious diseases and has positive effect on pains, bacteria and viruses; for detoxification because of its cleansing effects on the liver, gall bladder and the entire body system and it reduces the absorption of toxins; and prevention and management of diabetic complications of the eye because of it activity on aldose reductase.

     Iwu also bitter kola has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, which makes the body resistant to infections; and reverses impotence by increasing blood supply to the core area in men who have hardening of the arteries.

      Meanwhile, Sudanese researchers have shown that Date palms or rather Dates are one of the most commonly fruits used for treatment of liver diseases including alcoholic liver diseases. 

           According to the study published last year in Sudanese Journal of Public Health, Date palm (Pheonix dactlylifera) fruit is an important component of the diet in most of the hot arid and semi arid regions of the world, it contain carbohydrates, fats, proteins, fibers, minerals and vitamins. 

               The study titled “Effect of aqueous fruit extract of Phoenix dactylifera,L. (date palm) on improvement of liver disorders induced by Traditional Sudanese liquor (Aragi).”

      The Sudanese researchers from the School of Pharmacy, Department Biochemistry and Genetics, and Centre for Science and Technology at Ahfad University for Women concluded: “This experimental study confirmed the effectiveness of aqueous fruit extract of Phoenix dactylifera,L. on reduction of the hepatic enzymes GOT, GPT and ALP, which were elevated due to excessive alcohol intake. 

    “A fifteen days administration of aqueous fruit extract of Phoenix dactylifera,L. reduced these enzymes to almost the same level before Aragi intake. Furthermore, the multinuclear cell infiltration, fibrosis, focal necrosis and fatty degeneration resulted due to excessive Aragi intake, were moderately improved after administration of aqueous fruit extract of Phoenix dactylifera for fifteen days.

     “Aqueous fruit extract of Phoenix dactylifera, which has been used traditionally as a remedy for treatment of alcoholism and other liver diseases which affect hepatic enzymes as well as hepatic cells, is confirmed scientifically through laboratory investigations to be a potent hepato-protective drug…”

Ibuprofen, hangover cure also extends life span by 12 years

      New research suggests that an over-the-counter painkiller taken by millions of Britons could hold back ageing. In laboratory tests, ibuprofen was found to extend the lives of worms and flies by the equivalent of about 12 years in human terms.

      The simple creatures not only lived longer, but seemed to maintain their fitness and health as they aged.

       Despite the big evolutionary gap between worms and people, scientists believe they have stumbled on a new aspect to ageing that could have major implications for humans.

        Ibuprofen, like aspirin, is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) used to treat pain and fever.

       Rehydration: Drinking water before going to bed or during hangover may relieve dehydration associated symptoms such as thirst, dizziness and dry mouth.

Yeast-based extracts

     The difference in the change for the symptoms discomfort, restlessness, and impatience were statistically significant but no significant differences on blood chemistry parameters, blood alcohol or acetaldehyde concentrations have been found, and it did not significantly improve general well being.

Zobo (Hibiscus sabdariffa)

      Researchers have also found that Hibiscus sabdariffa (Zobo) extract inhibits obesity and fat accumulation, and improves liver steatosis in humans.

     The study published recently in Food & Function concluded: “Consumption of Hibiscus sabdariffa extracts (HSE) reduced obesity, abdominal fat, serum free fatty acid (FFA) and improved liver steatosis. HSE could act as an adjuvant for preventing obesity and non-alcoholic fatty liver.”

    The researchers wrote: “Obesity is associated with a great diversity of diseases including non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Our previous report suggested that HSE had a metabolic-regulating and liver-protecting potential. 

    “In this study, we performed a clinical trial to further confirm the effect of HSE. Subjects with a BMI ≧ 27 and aged 18 to 65, were randomly divided into control (n = 17) and HSE-treated (n = 19) groups, respectively, for 12 weeks. 

    “Our data showed that consumption of HSE reduced body weight, BMI, body fat and the waist-to-hip ratio. FFA was lowered by HSE. Anatomic changes revealed that HSE improved the illness of liver steatosis. 

    “Ingestion of HSE was well tolerated and there was no adverse effect during the trial. No alteration was found for serum α-amylase and lipase. The clinical effect should mainly be attributed to the polyphenols of HSE, since composition analysis showed that branched chain-amino acids, which is associated with obesity, is not obviously high…” 

Grapefruit 

         Meanwhile, according to Canadian research that has identified a fat-burning molecule in the fruit, a glass of grapefruit juice every morning could help you lose weight. Also, scientists in Holland have discovered substances in red pepper and green tea that encourage cells to break down calories faster.

      “We identified plant molecules that speed up metabolism and reduce appetite,” explains Prof. Margriet Westerterp-Plantenga of Maastricht University.

     Naringenin, a flavonoid in grapefruit, balances out blood sugar levels and helps to prevent metabolic syndrome, a pre-diabetic condition associated with weight gain around the waist. Scientists at the University of Western Ontario found it worked by programming the liver to burn up excess fat, rather than store it.

      Asked to drink grapefruit juice before each meal, obese people lost 31/2-10 pounds over three months through this alone, according to a study at the University of California.

Green tea

      Green tea speeds up the rate your body burns cellular energy by up to 40 per cent, according to research reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

       The plant also increases the rate of fat burning. Researchers have found this effect is caused by the combination of caffeine and flavonoids found in the tea, whether it is drunk hot or cold.

Hot pepper     

      Capsaicin, the heat-producing molecule that gives chilli peppers their fiery edge, is thermogenic, meaning it speeds metabolism and heat production. Research has found that cells can burn up to 25 per cent more calories after a person has eaten chilli. Trials at Maastricht University found that chilli peppers also reduce appetite by suppressing hunger and prolonging the feeling of fullness.

      A Scandinavian study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that when volunteers were given rice pudding with three grams of cinnamon, they produced less insulin after the meal. Because insulin is the hormone that turns excess sugar into fat, this means less weight gain. Furthermore, cinnamon may slow down emptying of the stomach, meaning it can make you feel fuller for longer.

Coconut oil      

    According to Cherie Calbom, author of The Coconut Diet, when people replace their usual cooking oil with coconut oil they consistently lose weight. Coconut fat yields fewer calories per gram than other fats, producing only 6.8 calories per gram rather than nine calories like most fats. Unlike many others, calories in coconut oil act more like carbohydrates, being burned by the liver for immediate energy.     

     According to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the body digests coconut oil more easily than the fats in butter or spreads, rapidly converting it into a source of energy.

http://ngrguardiannews.com/sunday-magazine/living-wellbeing/191524-date-palm-bitter-kola-zobo-top-local-herbal-cures-for-yuletide-blues

Chinese licorice fights diabetes and obesity

By Revathi Siva Kumar(writer@newseveryday.com) - 24 Dec '14 09:41AM

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Licorice can be used to bring down diabetes and fat. A simple herb known for 4,000 years as a part of the 'Glycyrrhiza plants', or licorice, has gone under the name of 'natural sweeteners' or 'herbal medicines'. The Journal of Leukocyte Biology published a new study by researchers, who find that licorice could also reduce or stop metabolic disorders, according tonaturalnews.com.

Its compound, isoliquiritigenin (ILG), could prevent high-fat, diet-related obesity, fatty liver disease and type 2 diabetes by aborting a protein involved in them. In an experiment, some subjects were given a high-fat diet, while others consumed a normal one. Those who complained of "diet-related obesity, type 2 diabetes and hepatic steatosis" (fatty liver disease) have benefitted, as their disorders were reduced.

"Identification of small compounds that inhibit the NLRP3 inflammasome is required to design effective therapeutics," said Kiyoshi Takatsu, Ph.D., Department of Immunobiology and Pharmacological Genetics, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Science for Research at the University of Toyama in Toyama, Japan. He was involved in the team that conducted the research.

Even as far back as 2010, a laboratory study found that glycyrrhizic acid can bring down blood glucose by shooting insulin sensitivity, according todiabeticconnect.com.

Patients with metabolic disorders have been helped by such traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), which is becoming accepted in western cultures. Patients that have favoured and followed these medical healing cures have also been helped.

Many people around the world are trying to incorporate the modern medical techniques. Some experts say that more research is required for the "pharmacological effectiveness and overall quality of TCM", while most agree that it has a healing effect.

Professor Guo De-an, chief scientist at the Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica and a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, opines that many major western drug firms are exploring this alternative for industrial co-operation. TCM is popular in Singapore, Australia and southeast Asia, but still not much in United States and Europe.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are more than 29 million US patients of diabetes. The medical costs, money lost in reduced work and expenses related to diabetes run into hundreds of millions of dollars every year. Still, more than one-third of United States adults are obese.

Obesity and associated metabolic disorders are among the most important medical issues, currently, according to John Wherry, Ph.D., Deputy Editor of the Journal of Leukocyte Biology, in which the TCM study was published. New research shows that there is an important role for obesity-driven inflammation in many related conditions. It has identified a new class of many "inflammasome inhibitors", as well as how effective a preclinical model of obesity-induced disease would be.

http://www.newseveryday.com/articles/4770/20141224/http-www-naturalnews-com-048067-chinese-licorice-diabetes-traditional-medicine-html-ixzz3mderf7rq.htm