With February deemed as the month of love, in this edition, we’ll cover the natural herbal aphrodisiac, Kava (or by its Latin name, Piper methysticum). In its most authentic form, Kava hails from the Pacific Islands and is used for medicine and as a sacred (or communal) drink. The term Kava (and its variant kawa) is used to describe both the plant…
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The Collision of Prescription Drugs, OTCs & Dietary Supplements Are You Aware of the Potential Dangers? 😱
With the rising costs of doctors’ visits and prescription drugs, especially among those with limited or no insurance coverage, many are randomly choosing vitamins and supplements found at their local grocery, department, or health food stores to heal their woes. However, many don’t realize that some over-the-counter (OTC) dietary and herbal supplements can result in serious harm when mixed with…
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Astragalus for Long-Term Immune Support (L.) A. propinquus / A. membranaceus / A. mongholicus / Phaca membranacea
PHYLOGENETIC INFORMATION: Phylum: Angiosperm Class: Eudicot Family: Fabaceae Genus: Astragalus L. Species: A. propinquus (syn. A. membranaceus), A. mongholicus (syn. Phaca membranacea) Common Names: Astragalus [root], Radix Astragali/Astragali Radix, milk vetch, membranous milk vetch, Chinese milk vetch, Mongolian milk vetch, Bok kay Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM): Huang qi Astragalus membranaceous is a flowering plant within the vastly popular category of…
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St. John’s Wort for Depression (L.) Hypericum perforatum
…Useful for people who are in the dark, living a shadow life. It opens the emotional windows and lets the sunlight in.” ~David Winston, Adaptogens (2nd ed.) In this herb spotlight, we will explore the popular herb, St. John’s Wort. Its herbal actions include but are not certainly limited to serving as a nervine, especially since it is trophorestorative to…