May Day, Mother’s Day, Memorial Day and even Cinco de Mayo… lots to celebrate in May. We had lots to celebrate at sustainablog, also… especially a bevvy of new voices who joined us during the month.
Those new writers got us over our Spring fever slump, and took sustainablog in some very interesting new directions…
May 2008
By Levi Novey •
September 18, 2008
A team of researchers in Costa Rica’s Alberto Manuel Brenes Reserve have been searching for plants that might help cure the mosquito-transmitted disease known as malaria. While not a common disease in Costa Rica, the country’s tropical rainforests have a wide diversity of plants that sometimes cannot be found elsewhere in the world– and some of these species might contain medicinal properties to help stop malaria and other diseases. An estimated 1-3 million people die each year from malaria.
By Jennifer Lance •
June 16, 2008
My daughter has been complaining that her mouth hurts, and I thought nothing of it because she said she scratched her cheek with her fingernail. Yesterday, I finally looked in her mouth, and there was a huge canker sore, which is a small mouth ulcer. Canker sores can be caused by a minor injury to the mouth, such as my daughter’s fingernail, as well as bacteria, a faulty immune system, stress, certain foods (chocolate, coffee, strawberries, etc.) and/or a diet lacking B vitamins. I wondered if the flush of strawberries from the garden had been impacting my daughter’s canker sore, as well as her weekend full of ballet performances added stress to her little body. There is also some evidence that toothpastes containing SLS, like Tom’s of Maine, may contribute to canker sores.
Most canker sores heal on their own within two weeks, but due to my daughter’s pain, I decided to treat it naturally with herbs and homeopathy that we already had in our home. There are other recommended herbs not included in this list, but this list reflects our current regime without making a special trip to town.
- Calcarea Carbonica: This homeopathic remedy is often recommended for canker sores, but like all homeopathic remedies, the remedy needs to be selected based on the individual’s symptoms beyond the sore itself. Homeopathy takes a holistic approach when choosing the correct remedy. Borax is more often used for canker sores than calcarea carbonica, but since CC is also a remedy for cradle cap, we already had it.
Editor’s note: Part 3 of the “Human Interaction with Nature” series focuses on an endangered plant species: echinacea. This post, and the accompanying podcast, were created by Bobby Grace, and originally published on Friday, May 19th, 2008.
I spoke with KU professor, ethnobotanist, and Medicinal Wild Plants of the Prairie author Kelly Kindscher about the sustainability of Echinacea.
Echinacea is a species native to Kansas that is used as a general cure all and as protection against the common cold. In the United States, herbal medicine has gone by the wayside and today the main importer of Echinacea is Europe. The demand has leveled off, but there are still people harvesting the species.
By Lucille Chi •
May 20, 2008
Wellness Formula is a blend of healing ingredients,
The immune system is our guardian angel if you will, it heals us with unconditional love, responds quickly to outside influences, and protects the body in microscopic, unconsciously controlled ways. When illness attacks hit, there is a way to consciously address these problems to support your natural healing system. The answer is Wellness Formula. It works very well when allergies or colds strike, and when we encounter extreme conditions and need a boost.
A key benefit of the daily wellness vitamins are increased and sustained antioxidant defense.
The maker Source Naturals provides a nice overview on how to befriend your immune system with this formula and explains the benefits of the blend:
Editor’s note: Last week, we published a piece by our editorial intern Oscar Cardenas on the endangered status of many herbs used in alternative health practices. Today, we’re pleased to give you Oscar’s second piece on the subject, which focuses on the popular herb Echinacea.
Imagine an organism, native to the American prairie, whose value to people prompted wholesale hunting to fill the demands of a niche market. In the period of roughly a decade and a half, consumers managed to rediscover and exploit natural reserves of this species which had originally been utilized by Native Americans in the eastern United States. The organism, echinacea (not the American bison), consists of 9 species of plants, some of which are recognized as endangered by federal and state authorities.
What Is Echinacea and How Does it Work?
The blanket term echinacea usually refers to three species of this plant: Echinacea angustifolia, Echinacea purpurea, and Echinacea pallida. All three varieties are native to North America and are often packed into individual or homogenized mixtures that are marketed as immunity boosters and touted to either prevent colds or lessen their impact/duration. Echinacea can be used preventatively or post-exposure to shorten the duration of colds when the rhinovirus (the cause of the all-too-common cold) has invaded and incubated, causing symptoms (the sniffles). Doses are delivered orally and come in the form of tinctures, pills, or drinks with intake instructions specific to the product listed within the packaging.
Editor’s note: As part of his editorial internship with Green Options Media this Spring, I asked San Francisco State senior Oscar Cardenas to create a blog series that we could publish at the end of the semester. Oscar choose medicinal herbs and the environment for his broad topic — this post is the first of two on the subject. We’ve really enjoyed working with Oscar this Spring, and wish him well. The second post will be up next Monday.
If you’re a college student looking for an internship this Summer, we’re looking for web publishing and marketing interns.
A 2007 study of health practice trends cited in an issue of Alternative Therapies estimated that nearly 1 of 5 Americans reported using herbals for treatment of health conditions or for health promotion (Gardiner et al., “Factors Associated with Herbal Therapy Use by Adults in the United States,” 22-29). This translates to a multi-billion dollar industry that will probably only grow as public education and the cost of medicines continue to rise. This trend, which spells good news for herbal therapy retailers and users, does not come without its share of potentially negative environmental consequences.
By Jennifer Lance •
January 22, 2008
As I have mentioned before when discussing vaccinations, I am not a medical doctor or an herbalist, but when my children are sick, I reach for Herbs for Kids. Herbs for Kids are liquid tinctures that children readily take. Unlike tinctures made for adults that have a grain alcohol base, Herbs for Kids uses sweet glycerin to preserve the medicinal qualities of the plants.
Not only are Herbs for Kids alcohol-free, but they are specially formulated for children, including the appropriate dosage. Founded by herbalist Sunny Mavo, Herbs for Kids is “the first company dedicated to Earth-reviving herbal health care for children”. My husband and I love these tinctures so much, that we use them for ourselves as well. Our medicine chest is always stocked with the Echinacea and Astragalus, the Cherry Bark Blend, and the Elderberry Syrup. It is important to note that herbs preserved in glycerin have a shorter shelf life than those preserved in alcohol. Glycerin tinctures are good for approximately one year.
