Choosing an Echinacea Preparation Part 1

A common question that arises with herbs in general is, ''What is the best type of preparation to use; powder, capsules, teas, tablets or tinctures?" Traditionally Native Americans used echinacea's dried and fresh root juice both internally and externally. Fresh echinacea is likely to be more potent. Unfortunately, very few of us have access to the fresh echinacea roots growing on the plains and must look for other preparations. Each kind of echinacea preparation has advantages and disadvantages and each can be used with a relatively high degree of effectiveness as long as you start with fresh, undamaged plant material and prepare and store it properly.   

 
Teas: Infusions and Decoctions     
Echinacea teas are perhaps the oldest form of medicinal herb preparation in existence. While the Western world drinks tea predominantly for its flavour and for the ritual of it, peoples of many nations consciously drink various herbal mixtures as healthy beverages. By varying the tea mixture depending upon how they feel at any given time the benefits increase. Teas are among the most beneficial echinacea preparations you can use, and certainly the most inexpensive. The water extractions have a high degree of bioavailability so it is easy for the body to absorb and assimilate their medicinal properties allowing them to work very quickly.

Bulk herbs are a fraction of the cost of ready-made products and with teas you have the flexibility of mixing whatever herbs you like together. They also have the added benefit of involving you in your own healing process as you have to take the time to make the brew and then ideally sit down and relax while you drink it. This reaffirms in a very real way your commitment to your healing process in a manner not elicited with other echinacea preparations.

The primary disadvantage of teas is that many medicinal herbs taste unpleasant, and while many can be enjoyed once a taste is acquired for them, others would gag a starving raccoon. There are many commercial medicinal tea bags on the market. Some of these are good while others are not. Some contain so little herb per tea bag, and may even contain added caffeine, that they actually deliver little benefit other than the aesthetic pleasure and relaxation derived from sipping a cup of flavourful tea. Two teas that contain high quality echinacea are Echinacea Plus by Traditional Medicinals and Immuni-Tea by Uni-Tea. Of course, you can always make your own creative blend.     
        

Cerebral Malaria Treatment With Nitric Oxide

Malaria is a Parasitic Disease

Malaria symptoms include high fevers, chills, flu-like symptoms, and anemia. It is caused by a parasite that is transmitted from one human to another by the bite of an infected mosquito. These parasites multiply in our body's red blood cells which rupture within 48 to 72 hours, infecting even more red blood cells. The first symptoms usually appear 10 days to 4 weeks after infection, although in some cases they can take as long as a year after infection to manifest.

Cerebral Malaria occurs when blood cells filled with parasites block the small blood vessels to your brain. This can create swelling of your brain or brain damage. Symptoms of cerebral malaria include convulsions or, in some cases, a coma. About 20% of those who suffer from this disease die, while another 20% suffer from permanent brain injuries.

Malaria Statistics

In 2008, the disease caused nearly one million deaths, mostly among African children. In the country, the disease accounts for 20% of all childhood deaths. It is most predominant in sub-Saharan Africa, but it is also a problem in Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, and parts of Europe.

Malaria can cause a significant economic burden on countries with high prevalence of the disease. For these countries, gross domestic product (GDP) can decrease as much as 1.3%. It disproportionately affects poor people who cannot afford treatment or have limited access to health care.

Nitric Oxide Treatment

The big problem with cerebral malaria is determining the 2% of people who are susceptible to the disease and figuring out how to treat it. A study led by Dr. Kevin Kain may hold the answer to both problems. Those with cerebral malaria tend to have lower-than-normal levels of nitric oxide (NO).

In a study done by Dr. Kain and his fellow researchers, mice afflicted with cerebral malaria were split into two groups - one group was given the standard drugs to treat the malaria while the other was given both the drug and nitric oxide. The mice that had the nitric oxide treatment showed improved survival rate.

Dr. Kain believes that increasing NO levels can prevent the release of angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2), a blood protein that encourages the breakdown of blood vessels and puts the patient at risk for severe and fatal malaria. This would protect the blood vessels in the brain, decreasing the effects of malaria. Ang-2 also presents a possible key for screening people with cerebral malaria. A simple blood test will reveal elevated Ang-2 levels in the body, and then aggressive treatment involving nitric oxide can take place.

The Study

Although this is not the first time NO's role in malaria treatment has been investigated, Kain's study may be the closest nitric oxide has gotten to practical application. His current study will provide 180 children between the ages of one and 10 with antimalarial drugs to treat the infection. 90 of those children will also be administered inhaled nitric oxide. The hope is that nitric oxide will provide humans the same survivability that it provided to mice. If his study is successful, nitric oxide may become available as a cost-effective malaria treatment!

About adhd inattentive type - one of three sub-categories of this disorder

Regardless of what people may think adhd inattentive type is a legitimate disorder and one that can play havoc with a person's life. This can begin in during the school career with teachers deciding that a child simply does not apply themselves properly to the work at hand, or that the child does not listen and concentrate properly. Very often there is the implication that the child, although smart, simply does not live up to their potential. Unfortunately this can cause problems for the child because it implies that there is somehow a level of conscious choice involved and that the child can do better if they would simply be willing to try. The problem is that the child has no control whatsoever and is unable to do anything about it. If left untreated children with this type of ADHD invariably struggle throughout their schooling careers and very often will drop out of school. They will struggle to find employment and when they do it is very often of a standard and level that they are not suited to. They are literally forced to settle for less than what they are actually capable of because they eventually come to believe what they have always heard said about them. It is not uncommon to hear children with adhd inattentive type say things like: "I'm just stupid!" or "I never learn!"

Can this type of ADHD be successfully treated?

The answer is yes! It is possible to treat this type of ADHD with medication, therapy, and even alternative therapies and remedies. Certain foods are known to make the brain function at its optimum level and therefore these should be part of the diet. Other foods are known to have the opposite effect and can even make the brain lazy. These should naturally be excluded from the diet of a child or adult with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, inattentive type.