HERBAL MEDICINE

Health Benefits of Herbal teas

1st July, 2017

Winter is the time we all snuggle up with a blanket around the heater with a warm cup of tea. However why do the majority of us drink tea around winter time?

Tea is one of the most appreciated and widely consumed drinks in the world. Being a pleasant, low-cost beverage that has no calories, tea has a unique set of natural chemicals that provide various health benefits.

Overall, tea is one of the most versatile beverages. It can be drunk hot, at room temperature or even as an iced tea. The variety of teas has grown, have you ever considered the health benefits of some of the most readily available teas?

Nausea is a common symptom we experience at some time; this may be due to motion sickness, morning sickness or the feeling of ill health. Ginger has been known to aid people experiencing nausea and may also help stimulate and soothe the digestive system.

Bloating and flatulence are a common symptom many people with digestive upsets may experience. Peppermint tea can aid in calming and soothing the digestive system. It is one of the most popular beverages consumed after dinner.

Current health issues or our diet can contribute to us not feeling at ease. Dandelion tea is a great herb for the liver. It may help the body eliminate toxins from the digestive system and support overall liver function.

Another popular tea is Lemon balm. Lemon balm tea aids in helping support mood, lifting your spirits and reducing digestive upsets.

Every now and then we may struggle to fall asleep, this may be from a variety of reasons. Chamomile enables your mind to relax which aids in you being able to fall asleep naturally. People who find it hard to go to sleep should drink a cup of Chamomile tea before going to bed.

Green tea plays a major role in many health concerns. Research conducted, has indicated that Green tea showed major antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities.

When it comes to choosing a herbal tea, it’s important to look for a well-sourced product made from high-quality ingredients.

To really get the full benefits from drinking herbal tea, make sure you steep your loose tea or tea bags long enough, this can be between 10-15 minutes, to enable you to get the best out of your beverage.

So next time you’re shopping add tea to your shopping list. Think of the great health benefits that one simple cup of tea can do for you and your loved ones.

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Historical Use Of TumericMost of us are familiar with turmeric as an ingredient in cooking, nestled amongst the other herbs and spices in the spice rack, it’s hard to ignore with its vibrant golden hue. There’s no denying the warming and comforting goodness that a good bowl of curry can deliver, however, the benefits of turmeric are not a discovery of modern times, its use can be traced back to over 4,500 years ago!Turmeric was not only used as a culinary spice and a revered traditional medicine, but it also played an important part in religious practices, wedding ceremonies and was even worn as an amulet to ward off evil spirits. Turmeric was often used to dye the cloth for the vibrant, golden robes worn by Buddhist and Hindu monks.As a native plant of Southeast Asia, India has long been the largest producer of turmeric since its early beginnings. Turmeric root comes from the plant Curcuma longa which belongs to the same botanical family as ginger. The underground stems are called rhizomes which are harvested, dried and ground into a yellow powder. Because of this bright colour, turmeric has also been known as ‘Indian Saffron’.Currently, turmeric is enjoying the limelight as one of the most popular herbs on the market for joint health and to relieve inflammation with good reason. Much research has been conducted on the medicinal uses of turmeric and you’ll find the internet and trendy cookbooks brimming with recipes for lattes, smoothies, dressings and of course, curries to help you incorporate turmeric into your diet.So, what is it that makes turmeric so beneficial for relieving inflammation and supporting joint health?The turmeric root naturally contains bioactive substances called curcuminoids, the most important of them being curcumin. Curcumin is the compound which is responsible for the medicinal actions of the plant. Although curcumin only takes up a small proportion of the total root, it possesses powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Curcumin can be hard for the body to absorb, so when adding it to recipes it’s important to ensure that there is a fat component in the dish, such as yoghurt, olive oil or nuts to help get the full health benefits from the root. Joint health is important in all stages of life, particularly as we age and as our joints are more vulnerable with wear and tear. Turmeric has been shown to be effective for relieving inflammation. Turmeric is not only helpful for relieving inflammation, but it can also help to protect our cells from free radical damage through its antioxidant action. Antioxidants help to keep our cells operating as they should, our body systems running smoothly. Oxidative or free radical damage has been linked to many health conditions, so antioxidants are important to keep our bodies healthy.The popularity and medicinal benefits of turmeric have stood the test of time. If you are looking for an anti-inflammatory herb that maintains joint health, with the added antioxidant benefits, why not give turmeric a try?

HERBAL MEDICINE FITNESS

Benefits of Turmeric For Joint Health

Traditional Ayurvedic and Chinese Medicine healers have been using turmeric as a natural remedy for centuries. Today, Turmeric is now one of the most researched herbs in the world and thousands of studies have demonstrated its therapeutic benefits for a wide range of health conditions. Is turmeric a herb or is it a spice? It’s both. Turmeric is a perennial herbaceous plant from the same family as ginger. The underground stems, called rhizomes, are harvested, dried and ground into a powder, which is the golden spice used for medicinal and culinary purposes. What gives turmeric its health benefits? There’s a lot of confusion out there about how turmeric works. Turmeric isn’t just a homogenous powder. Like many natural remedies, it’s made up of a number of biologically active substances. Of these, there is a group of three compounds, called curcuminoids, which make up about 2% -5% of turmeric. They are curcumin, demethoxycurcumin and bisdemethoxycurcumin. Curcumin is the star of the trio. It’s the curcuminoid primarily responsible for turmeric’s anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Curcumin is a natural anti-inflammatory Inflammation can be triggered as the body’s way of defending and healing. In the process of inflammation, the release of cytokines sets off a pro-inflammatory cascade which lead to the production of inflammatory molecules such as thromboxane and prostaglandis. Tissue damage, as in arthritis, causes the release of cytokines and sets off pro-inflammatory processes which lead to the production of inflammatory molecules such as thromboxane and prostaglandins. These inflammatory molecules are produced by enzymes such as phospholipase, lipoxygenase, 5-LOX and COX-2. Curcumin works by inhibiting some of these inflammatory processes and enzymes, and also by down-regulating the activity of some inflammatory molecules. Curcumin also helps to support joint health. Curcumin also helps to protect cells from damage by free radicals Free radicals are highly reactive molecules that roam around the body and can damage cells through a process called oxidative stress. Oxidative stress has been linked to many health conditions, including poor joint health and function, so antioxidants are important to keep our bodies healthy. Learn more about the benefits of Turmeric for joint health, here. Curcumin works by directly scavenging free radicals as well as by inhibiting some of the processes that generate free radicals, so it helps to reduce the damage they can cause to body cells. Can you just eat turmeric powder to get the benefits of curcumin? Not really. Firstly, like we mentioned earlier, curcumin and turmeric are not the same thing. Curcuminoids make up only around 2-5% of turmeric rhizome powder, and of that 2-5%, curcumin makes up about 75%. So that means an average teaspoon of turmeric powder may contain less than 1% of the all-important curcumin. And that’s not the only reason that turmeric powder alone can’t really deliver much in the way of health benefits. To have a therapeutic effect in your body curcumin needs to get into your blood plasma. Once there it can circulate around the body and exert its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. But turmeric, and the curcumin in it, is very poorly absorbed by your body. It is naturally insoluble in water (just check out that yellow gunk at the bottom of your turmeric latte or tea!) Very little remains intact after it gets into the highly acidic stomach environment What does remain isn’t absorbed very well by your digestive system And what is absorbed gets broken down and excreted by your liver really quickly. So consuming turmeric, or even straight curcumin powder, isn’t a very effective way of getting enough bioactive curcumin into your bloodstream. A better way to get the health benefits of curcumin The best way to get the health benefits of curcumin is by taking a high strength supplement which has been formulated for higher bioavailability.

HERBAL MEDICINE WELLNESS

Turmeric- The ancient healing herb that’s now a modern wellness sensation.

Traditional Ayurvedic and Chinese Medicine healers have been using turmeric as a natural remedy for centuries. T...

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Health Benefits of Herbal teas

1st July, 2017

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