Ayurvedic Diet Tips

According to the American Medical Association Journal, over 100,000 Americans die in hospitals every year due to side effects from regularly prescribed medications. Throughout America, a huge amount of medication is prescribed on a daily basis. The medical community openly acknowledges that fact that it does not have any cure for several common diseases that affect people.
Most allopathic medicines have side effects that can range from mild to severe. The reason for this is that most of these chemicals have certain toxic properties. This is why there have been so many prescription drugs that got pulled from the market after enjoying several years of FDA approval.
The sad thing is that very few doctors nowadays bother to inform patients about possible side effects due to close and cozy relationships with the pharmaceutical industries.
Half of the truth is that pharmaceutical companies will only tell doctors as much as they want to and not reveal the complete picture. Therefore, the doctors are not completely to blame because they cannot warn patients against side effects of chemicals they are not aware of.
The trouble is that the business is so profitable is that these medicine manufacturers are more concerned with profits and FDA approval rather than the overall effect on the patients

This is one reason why several doctors are now beginning to recommend complementary alternative treatments, like herbal therapies and medicines.
Here are some interesting facts:
• The totally amount of annual profits made by pharmaceutical companies through sale of drugs in the United States alone is over $100 billion
• More than 25% of all prescription drugs available contain plant derivatives
• More than 80,000 types of plants are used all over the world for medicinal purposes
• Over 75% of the global population depends on herbal remedies for regular treatment

There are several choices available for people who are looking for alternative remedies, including Acupuncture, Yoga, Qigong, Tai chi, Ayurveda, hydrotherapy, massage therapy, homeopathy, energy medicines, holistic approaches, and aromatherapy. In fact, the number of herbal remedies available for different ailments equals (if not exceeds) the number of regular drug treatments provided by pharmaceutical companies.
The point is that prevention always was and always will be better than any cure, mainstream or alternative. The advantage of herbal remedies is that they move an individual towards a lifestyle more
geared toward prevention and cure in the early stages of any affliction.
Pharmaceutical drugs work only after the problem has development, they do not try to prevent problems because then the manufacturing companies would go into a loss.

This is where herbal remedies leave the mainstream drugs behind. This is also the reason why so many people are daily turning to herbal therapies.
Herbal remedies treat the cause of the disease and not the symptoms (like conventional drugs). Herbal remedies also have almost no side effects.

Herbal supplements are a type of dietary supplement that contain herbs. An herb (also known as a botanical) is a plant or plant part used for its scent, flavor, and therapeutic properties.
Diet supplements derived from herbs usually contain more than one type of herb. The purpose of an herbal diet supplement is to increase the benefits that you get from your normal diet and to ward off the negative effects. Herbal diet supplements are rich in vitamins, minerals, amino acids, etc. Obviously, dietary supplements are not meant to be used as treatments or cures of any disease or medical condition. They are more effective as preventative agents that help strengthen the body and the immune system to naturally ward off any infections or internal malfunctions. For people who do not manage a balanced diet herbal diet supplements also supply necessary nutrients missing from regular diet.

Many herbal dietary supplements can provide substantial aid for different types of medical conditions.
Some herbal diet supplements are:
• Ephedra. This supplement increases the body resistance towards common cold, helps in the treatment of asthma and upper respiratory problems. For people who work out regularly, ephedra is an important ingredient in most fat loss supplements.
• Magnesium. Minerals and salts are the biggest deficiencies in an unbalanced diet. Magnesium is essential in preventing kidney, thyroid, and heart disease. There are many herbal diet supplements rich in magnesium.

• St. John’s wort. Also known as hypericum, Klamath weed, and goat weed, this supplement has been used for centuries in the treatment of mental disorders, nerve pain. In older times it was also used as a sedative and malaria cure. Nowadays, the common uses are treatment of depression, anxiety, and sleep disorders. It is typically consumed as a tea or in pill form.

• Vitamin E. Uncontrolled oxidation in our body can result in long-term damage. That is why our bodies generate anti-oxidants. However, if the production of anti-oxidants falls below safe levels then external supplements are required.
• One very potent anti-oxidant is vitamin E. Herbal diet supplements rich in vitamin E make good anti-oxidants.
• Copper. While metals and minerals are essential to the normal functioning of our body, sometimes they can fail to get absorbed properly. Zinc is essential for our body and there is nothing better than a copper rich herbal diet supplement. These supplements increase the absorption of zinc. The result is better protection against heart disease, and healthier skin and hair color.

• Folate. From a certain viewpoint, folates are required more than anything else because they can affect us down to our DNA. Folates are required for the production and maintenance of new cells (especially during pregnancy and infancy). DNA replication cannot take place without folates. Folates also prevent cancer causing DNA changes. Folate deficiency affects the bone marrow where most new cells are produced. Folates are needed to make new red blood cells and prevent anemia. As you can see, any deficiency in folates can be devastating in the end. One of the earliest indications of folate deficiency is anemia. Herbal diet supplements that have folates as major ingredients are always good for you, even if you do not have any problem currently.

• Iron. In the human body, the metal iron is more pervasive than any other. It plays an important part in several vital functions. Iron carries oxygen to the lungs and muscles in the form of hemoglobin. It acts as a means of transport for electrons between cells. It is a catalyst for enzyme reactions in tissues. Iron deficiency most commonly occurs in children and pre-menopausal women. It can easily prove to be fatal if left unchecked. Herbal diet supplements rich in iron can help to prevent such a situation.

• Vitamin B6 and B12. Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) deficiency can lead to anemia, depression, dermatitis, and high blood pressure. Vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin) deficiency can lead to anemia, memory loss, and cognitive decline. It is most likely to occur among elderly people. In extreme cases it can even cause paralysis can result. It is widely used in the treatment of alcoholism, depression, diabetes, hair loss, and stress. Vegans are especially at risk of B12 deficiency because vitamin B12 naturally occurs only in meats. So if you are a vegan than an herbal dietary supplement with vitamins B6 and B12 is an absolute must for you.

• Tea. Most herbal teas (and especially Medicinal Strength Teas) involve the use of herbs that have anti-oxidant properties useful in prevention of cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure. Since these teas usually do not involve caffeine and other associated chemicals they are better from a health perspective than regular tea or coffee.
• Vitamin D. The human body (especially skin) develops its own vitamin D. It is necessary to maintain normal levels of calcium and phosphorous. A direct result of vitamin D deficiency is a weaker skeleton, a condition known as osteoporosis where the bones become porous and hence break easily. Vitamin D herbal supplements can help prevent osteoporosis.

• Selenium. This is a chemical so volatile that it does not occur in its free state in nature. Toxic in large amounts, trace amounts of it form the center of some enzymes that are vital to the normal working of all cells in nearly all living organisms. In the human body it behaves as an anti-oxidant and is also important for the normal working of the thyroid gland. Cereals, meat, fish, and eggs are good sources of selenium. Since the majority of sources are animal based, vegans and vegetarians should seriously herbal dietary supplements containing selenium.

• Vitamin A. This vitamin is responsible for maintaining good eye sight and promoting bone growth. It is also an anti-oxidant. Most skin and eye problems are related to vitamin A deficiency so if you have any such conditions, consider a herbal diet supplement rich in vitamin A.

One of the oldest cultures that carried out a thorough study of herbs and other plant life related to human health was ancient China. Chinese Herbal Medicine, also referred to as CHM, went through many evolutions, as the knowledge grew more and more refined. Remember that the nature of illnesses that afflict humanity change over time. Over the thousands of years that CHM was, so to speak, in development, the nature of these afflictions changed and CHM had to change its mode of thinking and conduct more research to combat new invasions of the human body. Chinese hospitals use all the advantages offered by modern medicinal research and techniques while at the same time they rely on their ages old CHM to treat many diseases and disorders.
Chinese Herbal Medicine claims that it can cure any kind of disease. This claim is good when you consider that CHM takes the preventative approach rather than the curative one. CHM first tries to make sure that no disease can affect the body and in case it does, early detection makes preventative cures possible. However, even Chinese Herbal Medicine can do little against a problem like third-stage cancer.
After pharmaceutical drugs, a majority of the world population uses Chinese Herbal Medicine as a first alternative. CHM also produces fewer side effects when compared to mainstream pharmaceutical drugs.
The duration of treatment using CHM depends on the type of disease and its severity. Therefore, there is no predefined period of treatment. It is customized to be shorter or longer as needed.
Some common ailments that can be treated with the help of CHM are allergies, digestion problems, problems resulting from respiratory tract complications, immune system disorders, many types of pains (internal and external), psychological disorders and fallout problems, most diseases that afflict children and infants, an assortment of gynecological complications.
There is no particular age limit applicable to the use of Chinese Herbal Medicine. Nor is there any restriction based on personal constitutions. However, like any form of treatment, it is best to know of existing symptoms and previous medical history (especially relating to medicinal conflicts and reactions, or allergies) that need due consideration before even a dose of CHM is prescribed. Other than that, there is no problem in prescribing Chinese Herbal Medicine to pregnant women or women who are breast-feeding. Of course, a lot depends on what is being prescribed.
Chinese Herbal Medicines are available in different forms and there is the choice between traditional CHM and the modernized versions. Some people find it difficult to adjust to the peculiar taste of CHM but just keep at it and it will soon become acceptable.
There is no standard pricing scheme for CHM and so you might have to fish a bit to find the right price. Also, note that recently insurance companies have started covering herbal treatment. So if you are into herbal medicines have yet to take out an insurance policy you might want to investigate this possibility with your insurance provider.
One way Chinese Herbal Medicine does its magic is by removing excess toxins from the body. This is done in many ways. One method is the colonic dialysis therapy. This therapy is especially effective with people who are trying to overcome addictions. While the human body gathers toxins from all sorts of sources on a daily basis, addictions result in rapid toxin build up in a very short time. What is worse, depending on the type of addiction, natural toxin excretion from the body is inhibited. Colonic dialysis therapy overcomes these inhibitions and provides a quick exit route for the accumulated toxins. For people who are blessed enough to escape addictions the natural toxin release mechanism is given a boost by colonic dialysis therapy.
Currently the PLA Institute of Drug Dependence Treatment and Rehabilitation is busy doing earnest research to study how colonic dialysis therapy can help people who have been long-term addicts of heroin. The primary focus of this research is to determine whether colonic dialysis therapy helps these people to abstain from heroin and whether it can reduce craving and the resulting withdrawal symptoms.
The doctors of the Royal Free Hospital, London, carried out another scientific study of Chinese Herbal Medicine. In this study, Chinese remedies were evaluated for the help they might offer to dermatitis patients. About ten different types of herbs were mixed together to create the “cure” that was being tested. This mixture was then given to forty adult patients who had a long medical history of coping with atopic dermatitis (commonly known as eczema). The evaluation period lasted for five months. During an eight-week period in this study, patients were randomly given either the mixture that was being tested or a placebo that tasted and looked just the same. This is normally done so that patient responses can be monitored under blind circumstances. Out of the forty patients, thirty-one stayed through the entire course of the study and they all displayed continuous and rapid improvement in erythema (redness of skin caused by eczema). Obviously, the study concluded that Chinese Herbal Medicine was an effective remedy for adult atopic dermatitis.