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Tag: Alternative

Clinical trial for medical device may prove worthy alternative to medication for opioid abstinence – School of Medicine News

Internet has been utilised clinically for lots of a long time in Europe and South Africa. The product provides alternating current through floor electrodes positioned trans-cranially on the mastoid processes

Wayne Condition College will host a scientific trial to rigorously exam for 1 yr the efficacy of a non-pharmacological medical device for Opioid Use Condition, or OUD, that could grow to be the initial therapy of its variety for the illness.

“NET System as a Non-Pharmacological Alternative to Treatment for Endorsing Opioid Abstinence,” is a U.S. Food & Drug Administration-qualifying scientific trial led by principal investigator Mark Greenwald, Ph.D., professor and Gertrude Levin Endowed Chair in Dependancy and Pain Biology in the WSU Section of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences.

The scientific trial is led by principal investigator Mark Greenwald, Ph.D., professor and Gertrude Levin Endowed Chair in Dependancy and Ache Biology.

The Net, or NeuroElectric Therapy, gadget delivers alternating present-day through area electrodes placed trans-cranially on the mastoid processes, positioned at the base of the cranium on every single aspect of the head. The electrodes are connected by a cable to a regulate box. The machine provides very low-amperage waveforms at proprietary controlled frequencies and pulse widths. The individual controls the intensity of stimulation by turning a knob on the regulate box.

Net has been utilised clinically for lots of many years in Europe and South Africa, and pilot study information in Scotland and the United States has instructed it can assistance patients with OUD, Dr. Greenwald reported.

Food and drug administration-authorized Opioid Use Condition medications are helpful for quite a few, but not all clients. There is a major unmet will need for non-pharmacological OUD cure possibilities for persons who want to be opioid-abstinent with no medicine, he explained.

“Presently, OUD procedure engagement degrees are unacceptably low – only about 15{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} of folks with OUD in the U.S. are in cure. Several men and women want helpful non-medicine cure choices – for instance, imagine of participants in 12-stage systems, which generally eschew medications – but these are presently constrained. This could guide many OUD patients to not seek out treatment method or to drop out of procedure. So, we will need to ‘meet people where they are’ to get them into remedy and remain in cure,” he included.

The Fda has said the great importance of expanding treatment method selections, especially non-opioid methods that have lessen abuse potential. Novel treatment options for OUD are not intended to replace present accepted treatment options, but as a substitute to supply safe and sound and effective possibilities to people and clinicians. The success will be introduced to the U.S. Food items and Drug Administration for a clearance final decision as quickly as they’re out there, hopefully Drop 2022, Dr. Greenwald mentioned.

“Our preliminary do the job released in early 2019 focused on analyzing the gains of Web for opioid detoxing. We identified that its efficacy for lessening opioid withdrawal and craving is comparable to Food and drug administration-approved medicines. Nonetheless, because opioid use ailment is a serious relapsing condition, we made a decision that concentrating on the brief-expression advantage of detoxing may possibly not be sufficient,” Dr. Greenwald reported. “We made a decision to deal with the far more challenging problem of looking at whether Net versus placebo stimulation in the course of the inpatient detoxing interval could have for a longer period-term efficacy on outpatient opioid abstinence. If which is the situation, that would make a large influence, and would guide to the first-of-its-sort treatment method in this condition area.”

Dr. Greenwald co-developed the medical trial with sponsor Net Restoration Corp. Main Govt Officer Joe Winston. Biostatistician and Associate Professor of Household Medicine and Public Health Sciences Samiran Ghosh, Ph.D., assisted acquire the statistical system, will randomize members to active Web as opposed to placebo, with 50 sufferers for every group (for 100 full), and will complete the statistical examination.

All info gathered for the demo – from Isaiah Household Therapy Middle, a medical therapy facility in Willisburg, Ky. – will be sent securely to an digital knowledge seize process at WSU.

Dr. Ghosh and an affiliate will be the only “unblinded” men and women. The relaxation of the investigation team will not know which patients are acquiring lively compared to placebo remedy.

“This is an unusually demanding quadruple-blinded review,” Dr. Greenwald mentioned. “We will not only measure outpatient abstinence from illicit opioid use, but will also examine irrespective of whether Web can develop these types of abstinence without having the need for Fda-permitted drugs. Secondarily, we are analyzing no matter if Web gadget use cuts down non-opioid drug use. Taken jointly, these review features hold the product to a higher standard. If effective, the machine could both be used on your own – and we would know its independent efficacy – or in mixture with other approved treatment options.”

October 14, 2021
The role of social media
Worldwide, statistics suggest mental health has declined since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Is social media partly to blame?

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What are the links between mental health status and social media use during the pandemic? We investigate. Image credit: Koukichi Takahashi/EyeEm/Getty Images

On a global scale, social media can be a way for people to gather information, share ideas, and reach out to others facing similar challenges. It can also be an effective platform to relay information quickly during a national or worldwide crisis, Real Estate.

This global reach is what has made social media a critical communication platform during the COVID-19 pandemic.

As government health organizations used it to relay recent findings on prevention and treatment, social media became more than a place to post the latest vacation photos — it became a hub of pandemic-related information.

Stay informed with live updates on the current COVID-19 outbreak and visit our coronavirus hub for more advice on prevention and treatment.

But has the use of social media during the pandemic negatively impacted mental health and well-being? Or has it had the opposite effect?

In this Special Feature, Medical News Today looks at what research says about social media use and the COVID-19 pandemic to reveal how it has affected mental health. We also spoke with two experts about this complex topic.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), mental health conditions are on the rise. Data show that around 20{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} of children and adolescents worldwide live with a mental health condition.

Moreover, suicide is the second leading cause of death in 15–29-year-olds.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, a report published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that of the adults surveyed in the United States:

Further research suggests that pandemic-related mental health challenges have impacted people differently, with some racial and ethnic groups disproportionately affected by pandemic stress.

In particular, Hispanic adults reported experiencing the highest level of psychosocial stress in relation to food shortages and insecure housing at the start of the pandemic.

A research report published in Frontiers in Psychology suggests that there is an association between pandemic threats and extensive anxiety and concern among the public.

Scientists explain that some anxiety about personal safety and health during a widespread disease outbreak can help promote healthy behavior, including hand-washing and social distancing.

However, in some people, anxiety can become overwhelming and cause harm.

Social media use has been on the rise since its debut in 1995. As it has grown, more people have started using it as a news source. According to a Pew Research Center survey conducted between August 31 and September 7, 2020, about 53{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} of adults in the U.S. get their news from social media.

Research indicates that social media can help effectively communicate health information to a global audience during a public health crisis. However, the information shared on these platforms can sometimes be inaccurate or misleading.

For example, one research review published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research looked at social media posts before March 2019 and found that Twitter contained the most health misinformation — mostly about smoking products and drugs.

This health misinformation may lead to an increase in fear, anxiety, and poor health choices.

According to one study, attempts to reduce the spread of misinformation by fact-checking and flagging posts with inaccuracies may help reduce the influence of false information for some people.

Still, there is ongoing debate on whether social media content regulation may increase mistrust and promote more social media posts reflecting inaccurate information.

Because the COVID-19 pandemic emerged recently, scientists are only beginning to understand the role of social media on users’ mental health.

For instance, using questionnaires, researchers in China interviewed 512 college students from March 24 to April 1, 2020, to determine whether social media harmed mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Results indicate a link between higher use of social media and an increased risk of depression. Furthermore, the authors suggest that exposure to negative reports and posts may contribute to the risk of depression in some people.

Additionally, according to a study that appears in the journal Globalization and Health, there is increasing evidence that endless news feeds reporting SARS-CoV-2 infection rates and COVID-19 death rates could influence the mental health of some individuals.

MNT spoke with Lee Chambers, M.Sc., M.B.Ps.S., founder of Essentialise, about the impact of social media on mental health during the pandemic.

Chambers said:

“While we are all impacted in differing ways by social media consumption, the continual flow of negative and misinformation during the past 18 months have spread fear; the highlighting of social and political issues has reduced optimism; and edited photos and toxically positive content leave no space to feel secure or express negative emotions healthily. Alongside the increased desire for metrics such as likes and comments in these challenging times, it’s likely that social media has exacerbated mental health challenges.”

He also explained that social media keeps people connected to friends and family, especially during social distancing with limited physical interactions. Yet, this increased use may have amplified social anxiety and challenges with perfectionism and comparison for some people.

Prof. Steven C. Hayes, Foundation Professor of Psychology at the University of Nevada, Reno, who developed the Relational Frame Theory and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, told MNT: “We know that there are toxic processes that produce particular challenges for people: exposure to physical and psychological pain; a comparison with others and judgment; entanglement with self-judgment.”

He further explained that “[t]hose predict pathological outcomes if you’re not able to step back to notice the process of feeling and thinking, to orient to what’s present and what is really important to you and line up your behavior behind that.”

“And social media,” he added, “because of its exposure to pain comparison and judgment, enormously challenges us all in ways that are orders of magnitude more severe than ever in the history of humanity. Those processes have been toxic from the beginning, but exposure to those processes as a daily diet is new. [However], there are features inside social media that have expanded human consciousness. And it gives us great opportunities.”

As Prof. Hayes mentioned, these opportunities may include a heightened awareness of mental health and reduced stigma surrounding mental health conditions.

Research published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research suggests that psychosocial expressions have significantly increased during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This means that more people are expressing their emotions, both positive and negative, and garnering support from others. As a result, the stigma surrounding mental health conditions may be decreasing.

Prof. Hayes noted that the COVID-19 pandemic exploded the idea that mental health conditions only affect certain individuals.

“Everybody realizes that mental strength and mental flexibility — that is, mental and behavioral health and social wellness — applies to all of us. It’s not a one-out-of-five issue; it’s a five-out-of-five issue, and that is the permanent result of this year and a half of [COVID-19].”

– Prof. Steven C. Hayes
With emerging research suggesting social media may impact the mental health of some users, some platforms have begun to initiate positive changes.

For example, on September 14, 2021, the social media platform TikTok announced new features for its users to help provide resources for suicide prevention.

But can they do more?

According to Chambers: “Social media platforms have a key role to play in how their products impact on the mental health and well-being of their users. There are many aspects where this can be achieved. However, the challenge is that [using] most of these will decrease addictiveness, engagement, and time spent. This often goes against the aims of the platform itself.”

He suggests that social media platforms could consider improvements to build in mental well-being protection, including:

limiting news feed length

changing the way notifications are triggered

labeling altered images

introducing stronger regulation and monitoring of content designed to harm

implementing suggestions that users take a break

signposting to evidence-based resources and support on posts that may be triggering

ensuring clearer guidelines and more ability for users to easily control sensitive content
According to Chambers, “when it comes to [using] social media, both moderation of time and content consumed and intentionality play a significant part in garnering the benefits and reducing the downsides.”

He suggests that having a “digital sunset” before retiring for the night can help ensure anxiety will not impact sleep. In addition, having a social media-free day can positively affect mental well-being.

“The ultimate intention is for us to become the masters of social media, rather than social media become the masters of us.”

– Lee Chambers

Prof. Hayes noted that although mental health impacts everyone to some degree, that does not mean all people should be in therapy.

Instead, he suggested that “[w]e all need to learn how to be responsible for our mental and behavioral strength and flexibility. And to seek out the resources, just as we do with strengthening our physical health and flexibility.”

“That will empower us to face a changing world that, yes, will include regular exposure to pain, comparison, and judgment,” he added.

He noted that this exposure will also include the overwhelming reality of worldwide events as they are happening.

“We need to step up to that. And I see very hopeful signs that by using social media and technology and accessing the best that behavioral mental science can bring to us, we can speed up the natural process that happens of acquiring wisdom. That will allow you to be more open to your thoughts and feelings, more centered consciously in the present moment and connected to others, and more focused on your deepest human values. [It will also allow you] to create habits around those instead of creating habits around fear and judgment and comparison.”

– Prof. Steven C. Hayes

For live updates on the latest developments regarding the novel coronavirus and COVID-19, click here.

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October 10, 2021
Matt Kahl, Veteran Rights and Alternative Medicine Advocate, Passes Away

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Matt Kahl’s medical marijuana activism manufactured him a normal presence at the State Capitol a ten years back.

Matt Kahl’s Facebook webpage

Matt Kahl, a Colorado-based activist for armed forces veterans as well as cannabis, psychedelic procedure and other sorts of option therapeutic, has handed away.

Kahl died on Monday, September 13 he was 44 several years aged. In accordance to his wife, Aimee St. Charles Kahl, her husband’s demise “was a tragic accident and was not purposeful.” She’s requested that her loved ones be permitted privacy to grieve, and points to a statement she posted on her individual Fb site.

“Matt was liked by so several and impacted people today on their soul degree,” it reads. “His eyes had been gateways to a further dimension and his passion for every thing he touched rippled far and large.”

A United States Military veteran, Kahl served in Afghanistan from 2007 to 2011 in advance of relocating to Colorado in 2013. He finally made his house in Divide with his spouse and their two sons.

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In From Shock to Awe, a 2018 documentary about the therapeutic added benefits of psychedelics. Kahl information how ayahuasca, an intoxicating South American brew made from Banisteriopsis caapi and Psychotria viridis plants, enhanced his PTSD and in general mental health. It made him “a new male,” he reported.

“I cannot even understand the person I was in the movie,” he explained to Westword in 2019. “That sensation of brokenness and reduction and hopelessness. I have goal.”

But those shut to Kahl would argue that he previously had loads of purpose before his daily life-changing encounter with ayahuasca. He’d founded Veterans for Pure Rights, a veteran advocacy and guidance group, in 2014, sooner or later developing the group’s Facebook site to around 31,000 associates. Kahl routinely used his social media presence to obtain veterans and buddies anything from a mattress to a new job, and he was usually keen to stir the pot in an engaging discussion, no matter the matter.

Kahl’s activism bordering clinical marijuana and veteran accessibility to substitute wellbeing solutions manufactured him a normal presence at the State Capitol in the mid- to late 2010s. He was integral in pushing lawmakers towards introducing publish-traumatic stress ailment to Colorado’s listing of satisfactory health-related marijuana disorders in 2017, and frequently lobbied for easing medical cannabis entry for veterans as perfectly as securing firearm rights for marijuana end users. Kahl was also a person of Colorado’s to start with registered hemp farmers immediately after the state legalized the exercise in 2014, and he served as an urban agriculture representative on the condition Section of Agriculture‘s Pesticide Advisory Committee.

“It was his enthusiasm and mission for everybody, including himself, to be much better than they were being the working day ahead of,” St. Charles Kahl claims in a message to Westword. “He strived for that, normally.”

October 9, 2021
Maine doctor administers post-Lyme disease alternative treatments

CDC officials advise chatting to your health care service provider before attempting these choice remedies

HAMPDEN, Maine — In accordance to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, a course of antibiotics is the most helpful way to eliminate off Lyme disease if caught early.

The CDC claims 300,000 people today are diagnosed with Lyme disease just about every year throughout the county. But in some conditions of publish or write-up-remedy Lyme, neurological and other symptoms can acquire.

Symptoms that can linger for a long time are driving far more sufferers to look for option therapies.

13 a long time ago, Amy Cray begun getting migraines that came out of nowhere. Then there had been a lot more complications so undesirable that they affected her skill to perform.

“I was obtaining blurry eyesight, begun to get the brain fog, joint discomfort in my knees,” Cray reported.

A 12 months and a fifty percent later, she was diagnosed with Lyme, Bartonella a tick-borne co-infection, and Bell’s Palsy, a issue that triggers facial muscle weak spot or paralysis, all inspite of under no circumstances getting a tick chunk. Programs of antibiotics assisted but anxiety introduced on new flare-ups and even much more signs and symptoms.

Linked: New review finds proof of Lyme microorganisms in brain tissue

“The far more time went on, the weaker I received. I bought down to 90 lbs,” Cray mentioned.

Following seeing a host of doctors, such as an infectious sickness professional and psychological health companies, Amy’s daughter arrived across the Lyme Laser Facilities which has an affiliate in Hampden. Since this previous winter, Amy has been on a 50 {fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} dozen protocols, such as natural dietary supplements, a detox plan like a sugar-no cost eating plan, chiropractic do the job, lymphatic and cold laser therapy treatments.

Contrary to a surgical laser which transmits heat and tears down tissue, the protocol uses a chilly laser, which has a crimson mild and is positioned on acupuncture factors, stimulating energy generation in the body’s cells. The protocol, which is not included by most coverage strategies, is administered by licensed chiropractor Dr. Debbie Baker. Baker claims the multi-phase protocol targets the biofilm which functions as a protect for Borrelia burgdorferi, the micro organism that results in Lyme, building the spirochete resistant to cure.

“It takes almost certainly about 9 months to split down the biofilm and that’s wherever the spirochetes cover,” Baker explained.

Betsie Gonzalez, a senior public affairs professional with the CDC tells News Middle “most circumstances of Lyme sickness can be treated with a two to four-7 days training course of antibiotics. Individuals who are taking into consideration option remedies for ongoing symptoms linked with a Lyme sickness an infection need to converse to their well being treatment provider about the doable challenges and efficiency of this sort of solutions. Pharmacists can also present useful facts if you have thoughts about a drug, medicine, supplement, or clinical system.”

Amy is practically concluded with the application and claims the vast majority of her debilitating indicators like fatigue and brain fog are absent or fading. At a recent bodily, her key care physician, who is conscious of the Lyme Laser Heart protocol, was surprised about how Amy is doing.

“She was like ‘this is great for you, it is the finest I have witnessed you in a good deal of many years,’” Cray stated.

For much more information on avoidance, prognosis, and therapy from the Maine CDC, click here. For genuine-time monitoring information and facts on claimed conditions of Lyme condition and other illnesses from the Maine CDC, click here.

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October 6, 2021
Alternative Therapies That Have Helped Me Manage Different MS Symptoms
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A number of sclerosis is normally called “the disorder of a thousand faces.” And that’s simply because the indications are variable and can be distinct for each and every particular person.

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Aside from the frequently encouraged physical treatment and occupational remedy, there’s also a selection of choice therapies that can enable manage your signs and symptoms as nicely.

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Here’s a listing of the therapies I have tried out throughout my MS journey to take care of the huge range of signs I have had during the yrs and that have offered me the most effective benefits:

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Aquatic therapy: Low-impact exercise routines performed in the water applied in actual physical rehabilitation to make improvements to health and muscle power. It delivers lots of therapeutic positive aspects.

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Acupuncture: Insertion of extremely thin needles by way of the skin at vital points of the human body. Normally utilised to deal with ache and strain management.

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Cognitive behavioral therapy: It focuses on switching the way you assume and behave. It is generally made use of to treat panic and melancholy.

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Mind games: Intellect-stimulating online games that help make a cognitive reserve and strengthen mental speed by speedily using in information and facts. They enable with processing speed, quick-term memory, difficulty-resolving, reasoning, obtaining terms, and other cognitive impairment concerns.

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Of all of them, aquatic treatment has to be my preferred. There is no limit to what I can do in the drinking water, like marching and lifting my leg. Points I could not do normally. The benefits are the exact as these of a common training but with out the struggle of preventing gravity.

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Not only does our overall body require maintenance, but so does our mind. Unfortunately, quite a few MSers working experience some variety of cognitive deficit because of to the condition. For people far more world-wide-web-savvy, there are alternatives like Lumosity, CogniFit, and Mind Metrix. There are also console games for Wii and Nintendo DS like Mind Age and Large Brain Academy.

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If you really don’t care for technological know-how, a simple puzzle can problem your visible perception. Crosswords and term obtaining games can boost your language. A sudoku puzzle will obstacle your rational imagining.

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No make a difference the place you are in your MS journey, there are numerous alternate options to manage your symptoms. I would advocate introducing an integrative medicine medical professional to your treatment crew who can guideline you and refer you to the distinctive therapies based mostly on your certain wants.

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Acquiring wellness is the final objective. Wellness is an person, active pursuit of an optimal point out of health and very well-staying. But when you’re living with MS, this can be a minimal little bit of a challenge. It needs perseverance and resilience. We have the opportunity to are living a much healthier and happier existence wherever as a substitute of surviving, we’re flourishing.

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To hook up with other persons residing with many sclerosis sign up for our &#13
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Photograph Credit history: Jupiterimages / Goodshoot / Getty Pictures Plus&#13}&#13

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October 5, 2021
5 houseplants that double as alternative medicine

Wouldn’t it be great if when you had a headache you could pick a Tylenol from a plant on your windowsill? Or even cancel your insomnia with the leaves of an unassuming shrub? Well, buck up: You can make your home a veritable forest of medicinal wonders, treating an array of life’s maladies.

No, big pharma won’t be shaking in their boots, and nothing here is a replacement for real medicine, but everything on this list has some real, verifiable science backing up its efficacy. Beyond that, the plants I’ve listed have been “researched” for thousands of years, initially through the Indian Ayurvedic belief that illness stems from an imbalance of a person’s consciousness.

And of course, before you sample any of the remedies, be sure to speak with your doctor.

Tulsi

Live plant basil plant tulsi

Live Plant – Holy Basil Plant Tulsi

Little Nest

amazon.com

$14.98

Also known as Holy Basil, the medical uses for this amazing plant date back some 3,000 years. It’s so revered in Hindu culture that it’s said to represent the earthly presence of the goddess Tulsi.

This “adaptogenic” herb (reduces stress while increasing energy), is most often consumed as a tea, which can be “spicy,” but with zero caffeine content. The remedies include anxiety, lowering of blood pressure, protecting internal organs from pollutants or heavy metals, hyperthyroidism, and even acne.

Overall, this good-to-have-around-the-house plant is thought to assist the body in maintaining its proper state of homeostasis. That is, it helps our natural systems stay in proper balance. You might have a look-see at the kind words for Tulsi from the National Library of Medicine:

“A total of 24 studies were identified that reported therapeutic effects on metabolic disorders, cardiovascular disease, immunity, and neurocognition. All studies reported favourable[sic] clinical outcomes with no studies reporting any significant adverse events.”

Jeez, NLIM, just marry them already. Learn to grow it here. Oh, and check out these interesting recipes.

Lemon Grass

Lemon Grass Seeds for Planting Outdoor

Lemon Grass Seeds for Planting Outdoor

Mountain Valley Seed Company

amazon.com

$4.98

The Cymbopogon citratus (lemongrass plant) is often found in Thai cooking, but there’s more to it than that. In fact, the list of health advantages to drinking lemongrass tea is a particularly long one.

First of all, it has some mean detoxification qualities, not to mention it fights bacteria, viruses, and fungus. More? It’s thought to lower cholesterol, ease joint pain, fight anxiety and depression.

Skeptical? Take a read from the Journal of Advanced Pharmaceutical Technology and Research based on the culmination of recent study data:

“Studies indicate that Cymbopogon citratus possesses various pharmacological activities such as anti-amoebic, antibacterial, antidiarrheal, antifilarial, antifungal and anti-inflammatory properties… These results are very encouraging and indicate that this herb should be studied more extensively to confirm these results and reveal other potential therapeutic effects.”

Learn how to grow your own.

Sage

Texas Sage Live Plant

AMERICAN PLANT EXCHANGE Texas Sage Live Plant, 3 Gallon, Lavender Purple Flowers

American Plant Exchange

amazon.com

$39.03

That’s right, like the stuff in a shaker you keep in your spice rack. It’s a member of the mint family, though you wouldn’t know it when it’s swimming in your Butternut Squash Ravioli.

Just the same, this spicy contender packs a real therapeutic wallop. First of all, sage is high in nutrients. Next, it’s a righteous antioxidant. In one study, drinking a single cup of sage tea twice daily significantly heightened antioxidant defenses. In addition, it lowered LDL cholesterol (the bad stuff) and raised the “good” HDL cholesterol.

But get a load of this: an article in Science Daily reports that British scientists conducting clinical trials with healthy, young adults confirm centuries-old beliefs that sage can improve memory function. Which means that all my difficulty remembering to pick it up at the supermarket is entirely my fault.

Anyway, you can grow your own sage. For some help with that, just click the little blue phrase right here. And while you’re at it, learn some cool sage recipes.

Marigold

Marigold flower starter kit

Window Garden – Marigold Flower Starter Kit

Window Garden

amazon.com

$10.99

I know what you’re thinking: the obscure Nirvana song that Dave Grohl wrote? No, we’re talking about the plant Calendula, also known as pot marigold. The common ornamental marigolds just won’t do this trick.

Steep the flowers in boiling water to make a tea and you’ve got yourself an outrageous antioxidant. That’s pretty tough to beat right there.

Bacopa

Bacopa Monnieri Moneywort Freshwater Live

The Sun Ave Bacopa Monnieri Moneywort Freshwater Live Aquarium Plants Stems with Roots (1 Pack)

Generic

amazon.com

$10.97

Here’s another oldie but goodie from the ancient world of Ayurvedic medicine. For thousands of years, the people of India have relied on Bacopa monnieri, an aquatic plant, as an answer for pain relief, epilepsy, attention deficit disorder, and even stress relief.

Let’s review that last mention – stress relief – and its impact on our health. Many health professionals estimate that up to 90{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} of visits to primary care physicians are for stress-related issues. While most of us do our best to keep from running (from our problems, or murdering our bosses when we feel they’ve been unfair). This keeps us out of prison cells, but there is a cost to our health. In fact, the Japanese, known for their relentless work ethic, have a term for this: “karoshi,” which translates loosely to “death by overwork.”

I don’t know about you, but I’m stressed from reading this. So how about a nice cup of bacopa tea? It’s simple, just pour some hot water over your fresh bacopa leaves (I’m sure you have some handy), and let it steep for 10 minutes. There’s no caffeine so you can have it anytime, but brace for the bitterness. Honey makes it better.

You can read about some other serious benefits (and side effects) associated with Bacopa monnieri – or you can just read the specifics of the study from the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine.

As always, there are caveats to imbibing the tea or sampling the many bacopa supplements available. Do some research, and consult your doctor.

Having said that, if you’d like to try your hand at growing bacopa, just click right here.

October 5, 2021