This is my third post in the series about Herbal Antibiotics. I have decided to cover 15 antibiotic herbs in several posts. As mentioned in the first post, herbs are more complex than antibiotics and the bacteria has a harder to time to develop resistance to  herbs. In the second post I list the 15 top antibiotic herbs based on the book, Herbal Antibiotics by Stephen Harrod Buhner. Today I will focus on the herbs Acacia, aloe, and cryptolepsis.

According to Stephen Harrod Buhner:

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Acacia (Acacia spp.)
Acacia is part of the Mimosaceae family. All the parts of the plant can be used  and they can be picked at various times of the year. The pods can be gathered when they are green, the flowers when in bloom, and the roots can be chopped into small pieces before drying. The gum can be collected by cutting a line into the lower part of the bark.

Some of Acacia's therapeutic actions are:
Antimalarial, astringent, antibacterial, antimicrobial, anticatarrhal, anthelmintic, antifungal, anti-inflammatory and sedative.

Acacia is active against:
Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella spp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa, malaria, Shigella dysenteriae, Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae.

Buhner says Acacias are useful for excessive mucus, diarrhea, catarrh, hemorrhage, gum infections, dysentery and gastrointestinal ulceration. There are different species of Acacia and some species are used for parasitic infestation in some parts of the world.  Acacia is not used as much in the United States, but is widely used for its medicinal properties in other parts of the world. Acacia can found in the south and as far north as Kansas and all the way between California and Florida.

Acacia can be used as powder, tea, or wash. Pods, stems, and and leaves should be used powdered. Buhner recommends 3-12 cups a day for malaria, diarrhea, and dysentery. The leaves and flowers should be used as tea for gastrointestinal tract inflammation. The roots should be used to make mucilaginous tea that is antibacterial and anti-inflammatory. Tea of stems, pods, and leaves can be used to wash wounds according to Buhner.

Mesquite (Prosopis julifera) is a suitable alternative to Acacia if you can't find it. It may be used identically.

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Aloe ( Aloe vera and other species)
Aloe is part of the Liliaceae family. It is usually the fresh juice that is used but sometimes the dried plant is used internally. The fresh plant leaves can be used anytime. The leaves are cut open and the juice is applied to burns and wounds. 

Some of Aloe's therapeutic actions are:
External use: Antibacterial, antimicrobial, antiviral, wound healing, anti-ulcer, and inflammatory.
Internal use: Purgative, and it also stimulates smooth muscle contractions.

Aloe is active against:
Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Herpes simpex 1 and 2.

Buhner says that Aloe and honey can be applied externally to speed wound healing to prevent infection. Burn victims are extremely prone to Staphyloccus aureus infections. Since Aloe is a liquid it will keep the tissue moist and restore lost body fluid. It will also soothe the damaged tissues.

Slice open the leave of the fresh plant and apply liberally to a burn or wound. Aloe stimulates smooth muscle contraction when taken internally.

Honey can be used as an alternative to Aloe. Echinacea or St.John are less desirable choices to be used for wound healing.

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Cryptolepsis (Cryptolepsis sanguinolenta)
Cryptolepsis is part of the Asclepiadaceae family. The roots are used and they can be harvested anytime of the year. Cryptolepsis is a shrub found in several parts of Africa.


Some of Cryptolepsis' therapeutic actions are:
Antiparasitic, antimalarial, antibacterial, and antifungal.

Cryptolepsisis active against:
Staphylococcus aureus, malaria, Shigella dysenteriae, Escherichia coli, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Candida Albicans, Camphylobacter, both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria.

According to Buhner, Cryptolepsis has been used for centuries by African healers in treatments of fevers, bloody diarrhea, and malaria. Human clinical trials have shown that Cryptolepsis to be potent for malaria. 


Cryptolepsis can be used as powder, capsules, tincture, or tea. Crushed powder can be used externally for fungal or bacterial infections.

For malaria, Buhner recommends to use Artemisia annua or A. absinthium, Brucea javanita, Uvaria spp., or the bark of Cinchona spp as alternatives to Cryptolepsis.


The book, Herbal Antibiotics by Stephen Harrod Buhner gives you detail information about each herb on how to prepare them, what parts to use, and how much of each herbs to use for various ailments.

Stay tuned! I will cover the next three herbs on the list  in more  detail next time. You'll find out how  to use them and for what conditions they are traditionally used for.


Source: Herbal Antibiotics by Stephen Harrod Buhner.

This post is linked to:
Sunday School
Fat Tuesday 
Healthy 2Day Wednesday 
Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways 
Wildcrafting Wednesday 
Simple Lives Thursday

This is my second post in the series about Herbal Antibiotics. I will cover the top 15 antibiotic herbs over several posts. You may be familiar with several of the them already. As mentioned in the previous post, herbs are more complex than antibiotics and the bacteria has a harder to time to develop resistance to  herbs.

The book Herbal Antibiotics, by Stephen Harrod Buhner shares a lot of good information about antibiotic resistance and how we can use natural alternatives to treat drug resistant bacteria. Each herb has a detailed description on history, usage and dosage and what they are mostly used for.

Buhner put together a list of 15 herbs that he considers the most powerful based on his research, but there are many other herbs that could have been mentioned too. Let me know if you miss an herb from the list.

The Top 15 Antibiotic Herbs are:

Acacia
Aloe
Cryptolepsis
Echinacea
Eucalyptus
Garlic
Ginger
Golden Seal
Grapefruit Seed Extract
Honey
Juniper
Licorice
Sage
Usnea
Wormwood


Golden seal and echinacea are both listed on the above list and it is important to know that they are the most over used herbs in the world today.  I will discuss them and their therapeutic uses,  unfortunately they are often used for conditions that they will not help. This has lead to echinacea in the wild is endangered. It is not easy to grow Echinacea angustifolia even though a couple of farms do, unfortunately it is not enough to meet the demand. Buhner's experience is that  angustifolia root is the only herb to use for abnormal pap smear. Echinacea purpurea blossoms can be used for all other conditions where echinacea is indicated. Fortunately, Echinacea purpurea blossoms naturally renew themselves each year.

Golden seal is very expensive and when possible, use alternatives instead since it is so overused. If you need to use it, make sure you use organically grown roots and don't pick from the wild. The only time to pick from the wild is if you are a caretaker of a large population and know for sure that you can harvest golden seal without endangering the wild population.


There's no need to worry if you always grab for echinacea and golden seal when you're sick, I will share some alternatives to use instead. Stay tuned! I will cover the first three herbs on the list  more in detail next time. You'll find out how  to use them and for what conditions they are traditionally used for.


Source: Herbal Antibiotics by Stephen Harrod Buhner.


This post is linked to:
Fat Tuesday, Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways ,Healthy 2day Wednesday ,Wildcrafting Wednesday ,Simple Lives Thursday, Fight Back Friday
Sunday School
Monday Mania

This post is linked to:
Fight Back Friday, Fat Tuesday
Monday Mania

 We all know that fruit and vegetables are nutritious and contain many nutrients. They play an important role in cancer prevention. 

The 600 identified pigmented compounds responsible for hundreds or red, orange, and yellow leaves in the autumn, were until recently not considered very important to us. Six of these carotenoids have been identified as major players to our health and are considered along with vitamin E as our main fat-soluble antioxidants. These are beta-carotene, lutein, lycopene, alpha-carotene, cryptoxhantin, and zeaxanthin.

Animal and human research shows that carotenoids enhance the immune response as well as protect the skin from UV Radiation damage. 

Lower cancer risk with a diet high in carotenoids

According to Dr.Colgan in his book, You Can Prevent Cancer, resent research shows that carotenoids have an important anti-cancer function. By increasing the flow of regulatory signals, carotenoids can enhance the communication between cells. Normal cells can use this enhanced communication to talk to cells damaged by carcinogens, this will prevent the damaged cells from turning malignant. This communication also inhibits proliferation of already malignant cells. Our bodies produce malignant cells daily that can proliferate into cancer. According to Colgan's book, carotenoids provide strong protective mechanism to keep these cell under control.

 Studies

Cancer research confirms the power of carotenoids. According to 60 recent studies, cancer patients have very low level of carotenoids. It is interesting to note that the lowest risk for numerous types of cancer are the people with the highest blood levels of carotenoids due to high intake of carotenoid-rich vegetables and fruit. For example, the breast cancer risk in women with a family history of breast cancer was dramatically reduced by high levels of beta-carotene and/or lutein and zeaxanthin. High serum levels of total carotenoids in women shows that cervical cancer risk is reduced. Patients with stomach and digestive tract cancers have low beta-carotene levels. 

Where to find the carotenoids

Colgan writes that a diet that includes carrots, tomato juice, water melon, pink grapefruit and broccoli provides about 11,000 IU per day of beta-carotene and over 20,000 mcg of other carotenoids. You would only consume 1,000 IU if beta-carotene and 50 mcg of alpha-carotene per day if you eat ice berg lettuce, cabbage, white potato, a pear, and an apple instead. This would not be enough for protection.

Orange juice is not a good choice, but raw fresh oranges are great. Red bell peppers are a lot better than yellow. Pears, plums, and raspberries are low in carotenoids but tomatoes are loaded. Carrots are a good choice while cabbage is not. Romaine lettuce is a good choice while ice berg lettuce is not.

Fruits high in total carotenoids. (mcg/100 grams)

Apricot - 6,665
Grapefruit, Pink - 2,129
Papaya - 1110
Tomato Juice - 9,688
Tomato, cooked - 4,850
Tomato - 3,660
Watermelon - 5,315
Orange - 375

Vegetables high in total carotenoids. (mcg/100 grams)

Broccoli, steamed - 3,265
Spinach - 12,600
Spinach, cooked, - 12,250
Squash, butternut - 5,700
Squash, Zucchini - 2,535
Carrot - 13,500
Kale, steamed - 22,000
Lettuce, Romaine - 3,925
Peppers, red - 2,660
Pumpkin, baked, 7,400
Sweet Potato, baked - 9,500

Colgan says in order to inhibit cancer, research shows that you need higher intake of carotenoids than what can be consumed in a diet. He recommends to include plenty of carotenoids from fruit and vegetables in your diet, and supplement with 20,00-30,000 mcg of mixed carotenoids.

Source: You Can Prevent Cancer, Michael Colgan, PhD

This post is linked to:
Simple Lives Thursday
Fight Back Friday
Fat Tuesday

Real Food Wednesday
Monday Mania 

Traditional Tuesdays 

Naturally, we cannot prevent cancer by exposing ourselves to toxins, eating junk food and live a sedentary life. As you can see, there are some positive news that we can minimize our chances of developing cancer by working on prevention. Stay tuned for my next post when I share some more information from Dr.Colgan's book, You Can Prevent Cancer.

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Johanna is an aromatherapist and she is passionate about educating people about health, essential oils, real food, natural remedies, and nutrition so they make healthier choices in their lives.  
Follow Johanna on twitter and facebook for more health tips and information.

This post is linked to:
Fat Tuesday

My mother always had a lot of indoor plants and she especially liked to place them in the windows. She also had plants such as Spider Plants displayed in various places around the  house. Everyone had plants in their homes when I grew up and the windows were the most common place to put them. Most Swedes still have plenty of plants in their houses today. I was told when I was a child that plants added oxygen to the air, but I never thought much about the other benefits of having indoor plants when I grew up. Like everyone else, I decorated with several plants in my own apartment but at that time I focused more on making my  area  look pretty. 
Best plants

Photo credit: Allt i Hemmet

• Alkaline minerals are essential when acidic, alfalfa has a high amount of minerals and may alkalize the body. We use green powders that are alkalizing, and we add the powder to protein shakes or freshly squeezed juices. We take alfalfa and Spirulina supplements instead of multivitamins.
• Freshly squeezed juices is a great way to obtain nutrients that are alkalizing. Juicing makes it easy for the body to absorb the nutrients. It is also a great way to hide not so tasty things from the children. I like to add Swiss chard or kale to my juice.  Carrots, beets, celery, and barley grass are other things I like to add. I also add supplements like spirulina and alfalfa. To make it simple, we often make a great alkalizing juice of celery, beets and carrots. Dr.Jensen's Juicing Therapy is a great book that I highly recommend.
• Whey protein isolate is alkalizing. We add berries, flax seed oil and banana to increase the alkalizing effect. We add green super food supplements as well.
• A lot of enzymes are destroyed in fresh foods due to cold storage, so we supplement with digestive enzymes during times when it is hard to get local and fresh food.
• We perform a liver and kidney cleanse twice a year. 
• We often add colloidal minerals to our drinking water.
• Anything green is alkaline, so we aim to include lots of things like dark leafy greens in our salads.
• We use a very absorbable herbal calcium/magnesium supplement to buffer pH.
• We add fresh lemon juice, or lemon essential oils (therapeutic grade only) to warm water, and we drink this first thing in the morning. I often add raw apple cider vinegar. We add maple syrup sometimes.

• stimulates the pores to eliminate toxic products
• redistributes fatty deposits
• breaks up areas of cellulite
• stimulates the circulation, especially of the small capillaries under the skin
• tones the muscles

How to do it

It is more important than ever to be a smart shopper and buy food that provides as many nutrients as possible.  There are plenty of superfoods that provide a wide array of nourishing nutrients.

Most of us think of exotic Mangosteen, goji or Acai berries when we hear the word superfoods. Fortunately, there are many less expensive superfoods available in most grocery stores.