The Prune: A Wonderful Natural Laxative

March 6th, 2010 -- Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

The physician who sees a patient with constipation may suggest a first-line treatment that has no medicines. This treatment is known as high fiber therapy, involving increased consumption of fiber rich supplements and foods. Psyllium and bran are two examples of excellent seed-sources of fiber.

A lot of people have heard of supplements such as metamucil that are fortified with loads of fiber. Metamucil is a product made by Procter and Gamble, marketed to people who suffer from constipation. But a little research will show that there are high fiber foods from entirely natural sources. Prunes, or dried plums, are one such example. The most interesting fact is that prunes contain another agent that is beneficial for treating constipation.

Plums, from which prunes are derived, belong to an ancient dietary tradition. Archaeologists have found prune pits in prehistoric waste deposits dating back thousands of years. As in ancient times, the process for making prunes remains similar. Plums are harvested and then laid out in a moderately cool oven (around 185 degrees Fahrenheit) for 18 hours. The prunes are then collected, after which further work converts them into other prune-like products.

The chemical composition of a prune is actually quite complicated which is what makes it an ideal food that acts as a natural laxative. Even though we can analyze its chemical composition, our understanding of how each chemical acts in relieving constipation is somewhat unclear.

What we do know is that prunes contain high dietary fiber, around 6% by weight. The processed juices tend to have little or no fiber because of filtering, but juices still have a natural laxative effect. This is possible due to its high sorbitol content. Sorbitol is a long polymeric sugar. The weight content of sorbitol is almost 15% on average.

On top of ingredients with laxative properties, prunes are a high energy source. The high energy is derived from its mix of both simple and complex sugars such as glucose and fructose. People who eat prunes get a quick energy boost as well as a sustained one from digestion of complex sugars.

There are many other compounds in prunes that we don’t fully understand but believe to be of benefit to health. For example, phenolic compounds might synergize with the natural laxative action. Potassium in prunes and prune juice are hypothesized to be good for heart health. Prunes seem certainly like a wonder food.

There is no special preparation needed for eating prunes; they may be eaten plain. However, some studies have shown that prunes can mixed with other ingredients to form highly effective home recipes for natural laxatives. An example of this is the famed Beverley-Travis recipe.

Discover the newest information and writings in regards to purchasing natural laxatives. This and related topics on stool softeners are accessible to everyone.

Useful Natural Remedies For Arthritis That Work

February 21st, 2010 -- Posted in herbal remedies | No Comments »

All kinds of medicines for life, pain and immobility constitutes the vicious circle that grips you with arthritis. But no longer do you need to fall prey to this thanks to good natural remedies for arthritis.

If one or more of the joints in your body suffers from pain and inflammation, then you might be afflicted with arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and gout are the most common and most prevalent types of arthritis. They can be caused by genetic reasons or overstrain and extra use of the joints which happens especially to senior citizens.

Simple steps based on natural therapies can aid you in eliminating habit forming prescription drugs from your life and improve the quality of your daily life via healthier methods.

Go green: Substitute those saturated fats with polyunsaturated ones, chew an abundant supply of fresh vegetables, and stop eating meat. Plus, you should also give up sugar and foods that contain gluten. Remove dairy items from your diet and don’t eat eggs. If you prepare your daily meals with these points in mind, you will improve your condition.

Consume some ginger: You can substitute something like Ibuprofen with ginger tea and other ginger supplements. Since a thousand years and more ago, ginger, particularly the dried root, has been used to heal and alleviate pain.

Fisherman, fisherman: Fish has been found to have a huge amount of Omega 3 fatty acids. Fish also has polyunsaturated fats instead of saturated fat. Adding a lot of fish to your diet on a daily basis will help you alleviate some of the inflammation of the joints and stay free of arthritic pain.

Apply Hot pepper salve: Get yourself an over-the-counter cream with extracts of Capsaicin and apply it at least 3 or 4 times each day on the affected areas. It will alleviate the pain in a dramatic way. You may discover that it might initially sting but it gets better really soon after some time. Eating Capsaicin or hot food does not assist you in anyway!

Shed it: With arthritis you just cannot be lugging around all those extra pounds. Extra weight only makes your joints do extra work and your arthritic pain can only get worse. Losing weight with a good weight loss program is going to help you in the long run while you are tackling arthritis.

Stay cool: Getting worried and making your body stiff will only worsen your arthritis. De-stress and remain stress-free as much as possible. A stiff body only makes the pain in the joints worse.

Put on your dancing shoes: Slow dancing and stretching is a very fascinating way to relieve your arthritis. It helps to relax you and allows you to be active and to move more which helps you steer clear of the stiffness of your joints which will increase your mobility.

Bring in the oil: A warm massage with castor oil will make you feel heavenly. Heat up some castor oil and keep using it regularly. It has therapeutic properties and using it for massage helps arthritis patients a lot.

Additional water: Drinking plenty of water aids you in being well hydrated and increases the lubrication in the joints. It also relieves you of constipation which could make a contribution in aggravating the symptoms.

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The Senna Herb: A Common Natural Laxative

February 16th, 2010 -- Posted in herbal remedies | No Comments »

In late 2002, the U.S. Federal Drug Administration decided to restrict the sale of aloe and cascara products which were being marketed for laxative purposes. After this, senna became the sole surviving class of herbal laxatives being sold on large scale in the U.S. The plant has its origins in the East African region and Middle East, but can also be found in more temperate locations.

Of interest to readers may be the fact that the word senna comes from Arabic and Hebrew words, a fact that is consistent with what’s known about senna’s geophysical origins. Cassia is another common name. The ingredient that is responsible for its anti-constipation properties is the anthraquinone compound. More broadly speaking, anthraquinones have been established to be an active agent in other laxatives.

As one might guess, the application of the senna herb as a constipation treatment goes back hundreds or even thousands of years. Senna was used in its raw, unprocessed form, without the benefit of modern methods in purification of the active compounds. Today it can be found in semi-processed form like tea leaves, or in more processed forms like capsules.

Despite its categorization as a natural laxative, all consumers must remain sensitive to the quality standards of the manufacturing company or producer. In the hands of an unscrupulous company, herbal treatments can become dangerous. Furthermore, even if companies take pains to maintain high quality, taking could have side effects and consequences because of its unregulated status. There’s no reason that a natural laxative can have dangers too. Although allergic responses have not been reported frequently, it’s still something to be aware of.

For additional safety, all buyers of senna should be well-informed of the warnings related to taking the senna herb. Medical and scientific studies have indicated that those who have a history of problems with heart disease, and those with hypertensive tendencies may react poorly to senna. The bottom line is that anyone who wants to try a new kind of laxative treatment, whether its natural or not, should ask for information from his personal physician.

The original method of consumption was in herb form. In modern times, there are many ways of taking senna. A tea form is available from many producers. Application is as simple as dropping a tea bag in hot water and having some tea. More sophisticated forms also exist. The tea formulation may have been the exact way senna was used in pre-modern times.

Specialty detail resources on natural laxatives are available. Additional topics and articles on psyllium seeds can be found at the site.

Home Yeast Infection Remedies - Do They Actually Work?

February 7th, 2010 -- Posted in natural remedies | No Comments »

Natural treatments and home yeast infection remedies may be favoured for many reasons. They are believed to be less harsh on the body, they are a good option as a preventative measure if you are concerned about developing a yeast infection and they can often be a less expensive option than visiting a physician and filling a prescription for pharmaceuticals. The question you may be asking is, just how well do they really work? In order to answer that question, a good place to start is by looking at exactly what home remedies are around and what it is that is said to make them effective.

What are home yeast infection remedies?

Most remedies that are not manufactured by the pharmaceutical industry will fall into the category of home remedies. In addition home remedies are usually natural and a lot of them are not new, but have been in use throughout the ages when no other types of medication were available. And together with their healing properties, if you are looking for preventative measures to control your yeast infections, then home remedies are usually a great alternative to conventional medicines. Furthermore if you don’t want to make the leap completely to home remedies, you can usually use both conventional and home remedies in conjunction with one another - but don’t forget to check compatibility with your doctor first.

Some of the most common natural home yeast infection remedies include the following:

Tea Tree Oil - Candida albicans, the organism responsible for yeast infections can be treated with this natural element because it contains useful anti-fungal properties. Furthermore, pregnant women will find it to be a safe alternative and it is very effective at preventing recurring infections.

Witches Hazel - Soaking a flannel in diluted Witches Hazel and placing on areas that are inflamed or stinging due to a yeast infection can help to relieve the symptoms of the infection. This is a home remedy that has been used for a number of years and is likely to be what women used before modern pharmaceuticals were available to treat this condition.

Yogurt - The eating of yogurt as well as the application of yogurt to an infected area is another of the home yeast infection remedies that is suitable for pregnant women, as well as adults and children alike who suffer a yeast infection. Eating yogurt is a good preventative measure, as it can easily be adopted as part of your daily routine and will help maintain a healthy balance that can reduce the chances of an infection developing.

Cider vinegar - This can be used to reduce alkalinity in the area where the infection exists. The Candida fungus grows more prolifically in an alkaline environment, which is why cider vinegar is a useful remedy. Applying this will create a more acidic pH and in such an environment the fungus causing the yeast infection will be less prolific, thereby reducing the possibility of an infection.

So back to the initial question - how well do these remedies work? Well the general consensus seems to be that they work quite well. Certainly a pregnant woman who is unable to take stronger pharmaceuticals will find that these home remedies offer relief from the symptoms of a yeast infection. They are useful for children who can be treated without needing to take harsher chemical treatments and because home yeast infection remedies are effective in a preventative capacity, they are great for those who have trouble with recurring infection.

Want to find out more about home yeast infection remedies, then visit Lisa Armstrong’s site for helpful hints on beating yeast infections.

How to Treat Periodontal Disease with Natural Ingredients

November 21st, 2009 -- Posted in natural remedies | No Comments »

If you need to know how to treat periodontal disease, then you at least need to know the options available to you. If you are like me, you probably do not like the idea of going to a dentist. However, lets face it, If gum disease goes untreated, then it could lead to far more serious conditions, some of which may be life-threatening. The appropriate periodontal disease treatment will depend on the stage of periodontal disease (gingivitis, early periodontitis, advanced periodontitis). A dentist would be able to give a well-informed thorough assessment. So what are some of your options?

Treatments for Periodontal Disease

When you go to your dentist, they will likely search for periodontal pockets, and for other problems with your teeth and gums. This procedure is called periodontal probing, whereby the pockets are measured from the gumline to the the the extent of the pocket. With pockets present the dentist or dental hygienist may perform scaling and planing, which is a action where hardened bacteria are scraped away from the base of the teeth. This is an uncomfortable process and could be avoided with faithful oral hygiene on a ongoing basis, including regular visits to the dentist.

Periodontal Gum Surgery

Periodontal surgery is when the dentist cuts and peels back the gums in order to expose the whole tooth and root so that it may be thoroughly cleaned. Gum grafts are also common. They take soft tissue from one spot in order to cover up the exposed areas. The tissue attaches to the remaining tissue in order to strengthen teeth and keep bacteria out. Scaling and root planing is part of the cleaning process in order to make sure that the bacteria are kept in check.

Periodontal Laser Treatment

Periodontal laser therapy uses a small fiber optic that enters into periodontal pockets where it can destroy and resolves infected tissue and abscesses. Laser treatment is effective in killing bacteria. Multiple treatments may be required, therefore a higher cost may be required. After-treatment discomfort is less than conventional surgery.

Natural Home Remedies for Periodontal Disease

Botanical home remedies for periodontal disease are usually affordable and can be used at home. With natural remedies for gum disease like peppermint, spearmint, or tea tree oil, you can effectively deal with gum disease. These natural ingredients for gum disease are effective because they are able to get into the crevices of the mouth, where the flesh-eating bacteria is hiding. These oils are enemies of bacteria and remain in those hard-to-reach places, unlike most periodontal disease products. They remain in constant contact with infected areas, therefore they are battling the root of the problem, bacteria. This type of remedy may be used along side of any of the above treatments or as a preventative measure. Talk to your dentist. So home care for periodontal disease can be is a possibility with the advice of your dentist and the right selection of natural remedies for gum disease. The key to success is to consistently deal with the core of the problem.

Find out how to treat periodontal disease…

Discover how to treat periodontal disease by learning the root cause. Settle only for the best solution that actually does the best job as a periodontal gum disease treatment.

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