The Top Natural Health Remedies

Here’s a look at some of the most popular Natural Health Remedies.

According to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, the 10 most commonly used natural products in 2007 were fish oil, glucosamine, Echinacea, flaxseed oil, ginseng, combination herb pills, ginkgo biloba, chondroitin, garlic and coenzyme Q10.

Here’s a brief overview of each of those.

Fish oil provides omega-3 fatty acids that are often missing from the average person’s diet. The omega-3s in fish oil are different than those found in flaxseed oil. Fish oil contains DHA and EPA. Flaxseed contains only ALA. Hempseed oil offers a good amount of EFA's, so one could look for a high quality nut and oil combination.

The health benefits associated with increased intake of DHA and EPA are numerous. There are benefits to the brain, heart and joints.

Glucosamine and chondroitin are usually taken together for improved joint function. The nutrients have preventative, as well as healing properties.

Echinacea is one of the native remedies of North America. Native American tribes of the plains used it to treat coughs, sore throats and headaches. It was also used as a general pain reliever. Today, Echinacea is primarily used to boost the immune system. Several studies have shown it to be beneficial for preventing the common cold and shortening the duration of cold symptoms.

The juice and dried juice of the fresh flowering aerial parts are approved for the treatment and prevention of the common cold by the European Medicines Agency. Not all of the supplements on the market fit that description.

Some may contain any part of the plant including ground roots and stems. Research has shown that the health benefits vary depending on the quality of the supplement.

Ginseng is one of the native remedies of North America and Asia. It was used traditionally as a stimulant and an aphrodisiac. Herbalists refer to it as an adaptogen, an herb that increases the body’s resistance to stress, anxiety, trauma and fatigue.

Combination herb pills could provide any number of health benefits. It all depends on what they contain. The only caution is for people who are currently taking some kind of medication on a regular basis. Herbs can interact with drugs to either increase or decrease their effects.

Gingko biloba is one of the natural health remedies extensively investigated by modern researchers. The results of studies have often been conflicting. The evidence currently available indicates that the supplements have three primary effects on the human body.

They improve blood circulation in large and small capillaries throughout the body. They prevent free radical damage, a cause of cellular aging. They reduce the risk of blood clotting.

Those three effects support recommending the supplement for heart and cardiovascular health, as well as brain function. The supplements may also be beneficial in tinnitus and for reducing fatigue.

Garlic is one of the native remedies from around the world. The plants have long been valued for flavoring dishes of all kinds.

Herbalists typically recommend garlic for coughs or hoarseness. It was used by traditional healers to treat infections of all kinds.

Garlic’s antibacterial activity was first observed by Louis Pasteur in 1858. During WWI and WWII, it was used as an antiseptic to prevent gangrene.

Today, it is recommended for reducing cholesterol, regulating blood sugar levels, preventing the common cold and treating fungal infections. The results of scientific studies concerning these benefits have been contradictory or inconclusive.

Although coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is classified as one of the natural health remedies, there is no ancient basis for this recommendation. The antioxidant was not discovered until 1957.

CoQ10 is found in practically every cell of the human body. It is also present in fish, reptiles, mammals and other living organisms.

It is an essential component for the production of energy within the cells. In humans and other animals, the concentration is highest in the liver, heart and kidneys, because those cells have the highest energy requirements.

One of the major benefits of CoQ10 is to people taking statin drugs to lower their cholesterol levels. Statins inhibit the body’s ability to produce CoQ10, which can cause symptoms ranging from muscle fatigue and pain to muscle death.

Most anti-aging supplements contain CoQ10, because the amount present in the heart and other organs is known to decrease with age. It is primarily valued for the antioxidant activity.

Antioxidants prevent free radical damage. Some of them have the ability to reverse damage that has already occurred. CoQ10 is an antioxidant that can prevent and repair damage done to cells and DNA strands by free radicals. Because of that ability, it is currently being investigated as a treatment for cancers related to DNA mutations and for the relief of side effects caused by today’s cancer treatments.

There are many other native remedies and natural health remedies from around the world. For nearly every condition, nature has provided a remedy.

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