Lavender: 10 Natural Health Benefits and Healing Uses

The use of herbs is a time-honored approach to strengthening the body and treating disease. Lavender is considered a natural remedy for a range of ailments from insomnia and anxiety to depression and mood disturbances. Research has confirmed that lavender produces calming, soothing, and sedative effects. Mark's Daily Apple highlights the 10 natural health benefits and healing uses of lavender. Read more

An Introduction to Bach Flower Remedies and Other Essences

Bach Flower Remedies are flower essences introduced between 1931 and 1935 by Dr. Edward Bach. The remedies, or essences, are 38 in number and have proved themselves over the years all over the world. They are called Bach Flower Remedies in England and Bach Flower Essences in the U.S. Together with Herbal Supplements, Schussler Tissue Remedies and where necessary allopathic medication, they form an effective and safe healing system.

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8 Nutrients That Can Improve Your Skin

Top skin and nutrition experts were surveyed and asked which nutrients will help you put your best face forward. Find out the 8 foods or supplements you can take to improve the skin you're in. Read more

Herbalist and Author Susun Weed Interview

Part 1 of a 5-part video interview with herbalist and author Susun Weed. The interviewer is John Gallagher, founder of LearningHerbs.com.

Natural Remedy Tips: Ginger

Ginger can be used to alleviate nausea, migraines, and arthritis pain.

Ginger has long been used in many societies as a healing medicine. The Chinese use ginger to cure many ailments and the ancient Greeks were also known to make use of its healing powers, indeed Pythagorus was known as a great supporter and user.Today, we know that ginger has some extremely useful healing properties.

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Grapes Prevent Prostate Cancer Growth

Another proof that food is your best medicine: an extract of the skin of muscadine grapes prevents prostate cancer growth.

The muscadine grape (Vitis rotundifolia) is distinct from the more common red grapes used to produce red wines, a major source of resveratrol. The chemical constituents of muscadine grapes differ from most other grape varieties, as they are richer in chemicals called anthocyanins. Anthocyanins, which produce the red and purple colors of the grapes, have strong antioxidant activity and have shown several antitumor effects, including inhibition of DNA synthesis in breast cancer cells, of blood vessel growth in some tumors, and of enzymes involved in tumor spread. Muscadine grapes can be found growing wild from Delaware to the Gulf of Mexico and westward from Missouri to Texas.

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Even though MSKE had significant inhibitory effects on the prostate cancer cells studied, it did not alter the growth rate of the normal human prostate cells in the lab, which served as controls. Ongoing studies of MSKE in animals will help to determine the underlying mechanisms of MSKE's inhibitory effects in prostate cancer cells. The researchers hope that the lab effects of MSKE will be reproducible in testing on cancerous and normal prostate cells in animals. Should MSKE move on to trials in humans, Green says that since “muscadine grape products, including grape juice and grape wine, have been used in human studies without reported side effects, they may be relatively safe for use in clinical trials.” Read more

New Cervical Cancer Test: Vinegar Not Vaccine

A new, simple, cheap alternative to PAP smears has been discovered. How soon can they make the test available in a home remedy kit?

A new study published in The Lancet medical journal finds a simple and cheap cervical cancer test.

The test uses common household items: vinegar, cotton gauze and a halogen light. The simple test can be preformed by a nurse or a trained practitioner. And it can save millions of women, particularly in the poor countries where existing tests like PAP smears are to expensive for the vast majority of the population.

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The new test involves simple swabbing of the cervix with vinegar. The cervix is held open with a speculum and simply swabbed with cotton gauze soaked in vinegar. Pre-cancerous lesions begin to turn white after about a minute and can be seen with the naked eye, or under a bright halogen light (or any bright light source). Read more