Guest guest Posted January 29, 2003 Report Share Posted January 29, 2003 " JoAnn Guest <angelprincessjo " Thu Jan 9, 2003 10:14 am Herbal Help for Ulcers Back in 1991, I had an injury that caused the most excruciating pain I've ever had. My doctor prescribed large doses of NSAIDS (non- steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) which are powerful pain relievers. Unfortunately for me and for anyone who's ever taken NSAIDS, these drugs are also notorious for causing ulcers. Luckily for me, however, I knew about licorice, and I still sweeten some herb teas with it. Now I'd say that I may owe my freedom from ulcers to this habit. I never got an ulcer from taking all those NSAIDS. And even more amazing, I never developed one during the 30 years that I was employed by the federal government in the US Dept. of Agriculture. I don't think this proves that I have a stomach of steel. Rather, I think I owe my freedom from ulcers to the fact that sweet licorice root contains compounds that have remarkable anti-ulcer effects. And perhaps I also benefited from eating many of the ulcer-preventing herbs and foods discussed in this chapter. The Sore that Won't Heal Technically, any ulcer is a sore. But when people say that they have an ulcer, they almost always mean an internal sore in the lining of the stomach or duodenum, the gateway to the small intestine just downstream from the stomach. These kinds of ulcers are also called peptic ulcers because they occur in areas that are exposed to the digestive enzyme pepsin. An estimated 10 percent of Americans have an ulcer at some point in their life, with about one million new diagnoses a year. Men are four times more susceptible than women, and risk rises with age. Allergies somehow make people more ulcer-prone. In one study, 98 percent of people with peptic ulcers also had respiratory allergies. Not long ago, scientists thought that stress caused ulcers. It may well play a role, but now we know that the real culprit is often an infection caused by the bacteria Helicobacter pylori, sometimes known as Campylobacter pylori. Simply having H. pylori bacteria in your system doesn't mean that you will get an ulcer. However, more than 75 percent of people with ulcers show evidence of H. pylori infections, and that's straight from the pages of the Journal of the American Medical Association. Green Pharmacy for Ulcers These days, doctors generally treat ulcers caused by H. pylori with a combination of antibiotics plus bismuth (Pepto-Bismol) or similar drugs. In addition, you might try a number of herbal anti-ulcer approaches. Anti-Ulcer Cocktail Every one of the ingredients in this tasty, no-fat dessert contains significant amounts of stomach-soothing anti-ulcer compounds. You'll probably have a hard time thinking of this scrumptious treat as potent medicine, but that's exactly what it is! Bananas Pineapple Blueberries Ground cinnamon Ground cloves Ground ginger Honey (optional) Cut up the bananas and pineapple, the amount and proportions will vary depending on how many people you're serving and which fruits you like the best. Place them in a serving bowl and add the blueberries. Season to taste with the cinnamon, cloves and ginger (try to be generous) and sweeten with honey (if using). If you like, you can also make a between meal anti-ulcer drink by blending blueberry juice, pineapple juice, a banana and the spices listed above. Garnish each serving with a peppermint sprig. Ginger is well known for its anti-inflammatory activity, but its considerably less known as an herbal treatment for ulcers. In fact, ginger contains 11 compounds that have demonstrated anti- ulcer effects. These chemical compounds are a real mouthful, but I think that you might find it interesting to know just how much anti- ulcer chemistry can be concentrated in a single humble spice. Here they are in order, from most to least abundant: 6 shogaol, 6 gingerol, 8shogaol, 8 gingerol, 10 gingerol, ar-curcumene, beta- bisalene, 6-gingediol, betases quiphellan-drene, 6 gingerdione and 6 paradol. Eating honey-candied ginger is a pleasant tasting treatment for ulcers, according to Paul Schulick, New England herbalist and author of Ginger: Common Spice and wonder drugs. The combination of honey and ginger in particularly effective, he notes. In addition to the antibacterial compounds, that are available from ginger, honey has antibacterial action, and the two together seem to produce synergistic effects. Ginger is a key ingredient in my Anti-ulcer Cocktail. Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) – German physicians have always been more open to herbal medicine than doctors in the United Sates, and they have researched herbal alternative extensively. Commission E, the body of scientists that advises the German counterpart of the Food and Drug Administration, approves licorice as an ulcer treatment. This recommendation is based on the medical traditions of Asia, the middle east and Europe, plus literally dozens of scientific studies. Licorice contains several anti- ulcer compounds, including glycyrrhizin acid. Licorice and its extracts are safe for normal use in moderate amounts, up to about three cups of tea a day. However, long-term use- daily use for longer than six weeks –or ingesting of excessive amounts can produce symptoms such as headaches, lethargy sodium and water retention, excessive loss of potassium and high blood pressure. These side effects however can be largely eliminated by using a slightly processed form of the herb called deglycyrrhizated licorice (DGL). In one good study, DGL was at least as effective in speeding ulcer healing as the newest class of pharmaceutical drugs. Called histamine blocking agents. That were designed to do this. DGL also seems to protect the digestive lining from aspirins ulcer promoting effects. Commercial licorice preparations containing DGL are readily available in natural food stores that sell herbs. If you have an ulcer, this the preferred form of licorice to take, but clearly some of the power of the herbs is lost with the lost glycyrrhizin. If you'd like to take licorice from time to time, as an ulcer preventive you can do what I do. When you're brewing some other herbal tea, add a little licorice. Licorice by itself makes a sweet, pleasant tasting tea, and when added to other teas, it serves as a sweetener. Yellowroot-- If the late Alabama herbalist Tommie Basis experience with yellowroot can be believed—and I'm inclined to believe it –this herb is worth a try. Yellowroot is an antibiotic that should work by helping to control H. pylori bacteria. I personally would try a teaspoon of yellow root tincture in juice or tea once or twice a day before moving on to the antibiotics my doctor might prescribe for ulcers. If you've already taking antibiotics, however, do not make this switch without first discussing it with your doctor. Be warned, untreated H. pylori virus in linked to stomach cancer, so you must take these conditions seriously. Banana-- Bananas are an old folk remedy for many gastrointestinal problems because they sooth the digestive tract. And studies with experimental animals suggest that bananas do, in fact, have an anti-ulcer effect. One researcher noted that " bananas may b another useful addition to such well established anti-ulcer foods as raw cabbage, green tea, garlic and legumes. Raw Cabbage juice— is a hallowed folk remedy for ulcers. It turns out that cabbage and its juice contain considerable amounts of two compounds with anti- ulcer activity, glutamine and S-Methyl-methionine. Melvin Werbach, M.D. assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of California, Los Angeles, school of medicine and author to the excellent nutritional influences on illness, cites a study of people with ulcers who were given raw cabbage juice as a treatment. Ninety-two percent showed significant improvement within three weeks compared with 37 percent of those taking a placebo without cabbage juice. In studies of just the active compound glutamine, daily doses of 1,600 mgs proved more effective than conventional antacids in treating ulcers. The folk recommendations for treating ulcers is to drink one quart of raw cabbage juice a day., that may be hard to swallow so I offer a recipe that might help. Anti-ulcer cabbage soup. Calendula-- Calendula, sometimes known as pot marigold, has antibacterial, antivirus and immune stimulating properties. Calendula has been shown to alleviate symptoms of chronic stomach inflammation which doctors call hypersecretory gastritis, a condition that has been associated with ulcers. Clinical trials in Europe suggest that this herb may also be useful for treating ulcers. You can make a tea with the dried herb or take a tincture. I personally enjoy a cup or two of tea made with about five teaspoons of fresh calendula flowers. It's especially good with lemon balm It wise to go easy on alcohol if you have an ulcer. Finnish researchers have discovered that alcohol abuse increase the risk of H. pylori infection by 500 percent. If you have hay fever, however, you might want to avoid taking the herb, because people who are allergic to ragweed might react to calendula as well, if you take it and have a reaction –itching or any other discomfort—discontinue use. Chamomile— several herbalists I admire recommend chamomile tea for ulcers, notably Rudolf Fritz Wiess, M.D. the dean of German medical herbalists, ad author of Herbal Medicine. He writes that for stomach ulcers, `the remedy of choice is chamomile…there can be no other remedy more tailor-made, including all synthetic products. Widely used as a digestive aid in Europe, chamomile is uniquely suited to treating digestive ailments, including ulcers. This is because it combines anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, antispasmodic and stomach soothing properties. Pineapple-- Like cabbage, pineapple is fairly well endowed with glutamine, a compound with experimentally verified anti-ulcer effects. Pineapple also contains *bromelain*, a general digestive aid. Bilberry and blueberry-- Both of these fruits contain compounds known as anthocyanosides. In studies with experimental animals, these compounds have been shown to o\offer significant protection against ulcers. They help stimulate the production of mucus that protects the stomach lining from digestive acids. Meadowsweet-- Like willow bark, meadowsweet is a type of herbal aspiring. Aspirin in high doses causes ulcers, so it might seem strange to recommend it as an ulcer treatment. Many prominent herbalists do, however among them British herbalist David Hoffmann author of several good herbals including The Herbal Handbook. The active compounds in meadowsweet are salicylates. Aspirin, on the other hand, is nothing but salicylates, Hoffmann says that while pure salicylates do indeed cause ulcers, whole meadowsweet helps prevent and treat them despite its salicyate content. Other chemical compounds in whole meadowsweet, among them tannins, phenolid glycosides and the herbs essential oil, give it an antiulcer effect. Hoffmann unflinchingly maintains that meadowsweet is one of the best digestive herbs and recommends it for ulcers and heartburn. This makes sense to me. Several plants with proven anti-ulcer effects, including chamomile, also contain salicylates. Rhubarb-- In a Chinese study of 312 people with bleeding ulcers, rhubarb helped improve some 90 percent within a few days., I'd be careful when using this herb, as its also a powerful laxative,. If you experience diarrhea, cut back the amount you're taking or discontinue use altogether. Turmeric-- This culinary herbs used in Indian and Asian curry dishes, might be called the poor persons ulcer treatment. In a good study by physicians in Thailand, turmeric (250 mgs capsules taken three times a day) relieved ulcer pain only about half as well as pharmaceutical antacids after six weeks, However, the antacid was eight times more expensive than he turmeric. If you're low on dough, these herbs might be a good way to go. Red Pepper-- Many Americans believe that hot spices cause ulcers. The truth is, they don't. In fact, they may even protect the stomach and duodenal lignin against them. Capsaicin, he compound that gives red pepper the heart, has been shown to prevent ulcers in experimental animals that were given high, ulcer causing doses of aspirin,. Gentian— this is one of several bitter herbs traditionally used to aid digestion. Commission E reports that the bitter compounds in gentian stimulate the flow of saliva and stomach secretions. Garlic-- Garlic is a potent, broad spectrum antibiotic. Paul Bergner, editor of Medieval Herbalism suggests that those who are wary of pharmaceutical antibiotics for ulcer treatment might want to try a course of garlic therapy. This would involve eating nine raw garlic cloves a day. You can chop the garlic and mix it with any food that makes it palatable, such as carrot juice. Try blending two raw cloves of garlic with one carrot, for instance, I tried it and the combination tasted better than I thought it would. It's a painless way to take a couple of cloves of garlic. You can also try whipping up an antic ulcer gazpacho, heavy on the garlic and red pepper. Anti-Ulcer Cabbage soup Heres a basic cabbage soup thats chock full of antic ulcer compounds. You'll have to do a little experimenting to arrive at a flavor that pleases you. If you try the optional spices, use them sparingly, they are delicious in cabbage soup. The flavor is rather exotic. 3 cups water 2 cups shredded cabbage 1 cup chopped celery 1 cup diced potatoes ½ cup chopped okra ½ cup diced onions ½ cup chopped green pepper Ground red pepper Ground ginger Ground black pepper Ground cinnamon Ground clove Dried licorice root Place the water, cabbage, celery potatoes, okra, onions, and green pepper in a soup pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, Reduce the heat, cover and simmer until the vegetables are tender. Season to taste with the red pepper, ginger, black pepper, cinnamon cloves and licorice. Other Useful Supplements & Herbs: Fennel Alfalfa Aloe Vera Juice Celery Brown rice Black Walnut Kelp Peppermint oil Yarrow Acidophilus Organic Yogurt Organic Papaya Proteolytic Enzymes Ginger (Zingiber officinale) How about ginger as an herbal alternative to cimetidine (Tagamet), ranitidine (Zantac) and famotidine (Pepcid)? It would sure taste a lot better! Taken " The Green Pharmacy " by James A. Duke Ph. D. JoAnn Guest jgu- Friendsforhea- DietaryTi- http://www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest/Botanicals.html http://www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest/AIM.html *theaimcompanies* -Wisdom of the past,Food of the future- " Health is not a Medical Issue " Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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