Natural Head Lice Treatments To Kill Head Louse
August 15th, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed
Concerns about the safety and efficacy of currently available head lice treatments, and the suitability of the current system of regulation of these treatments, including the suitability of labelling guidelines, are the subjects of the Review.
Head lice treatment,
There is a paucity of good-quality evidence supporting the effectiveness of many head lice treatments. In particular, there is very little published evidence on the efficacy of herbal head lice treatments. The Review recommends that the TGA seek evidence of efficacy from sponsors of these products for evaluation. Evidence suggests that currently available head lice preparations result in few side effects when used as directed, and additional restrictions or safety warnings are not warranted.
There is little information in the literature regarding the effect of formulation on product efficacy. What evidence there is suggests that efficacy is formulation dependant, and therefore applications for new product registrations should be supported by clinical data on the formulation intended for marketing. In vitro data is not considered suitable in most
cases.
The Review considers that there are significant difficulties in translating the results of in vitro studies to conditions in the field.
Herbal head lice treatments,
There is evidence to suggest that resistance to the majority of active ingredients in head lice preparations either has or will develop in Australia as it has overseas. Further research into this issue is required, however, clinical studies undertaken overseas may not be applicable in Australia, as resistance patterns are likely to vary in different locations.
Current labelling guidelines, developed in the early 1990s, are in some areas out of step with evidence currently available in the literature. The Review recommends changes to the labelling guidelines, to restrict misleading or confusing claims, to enhance treatment effectiveness, and to provide additional evidence-based advice to consumers.
Chemical treatment is only one aspect of treating head lice infestation, and there is a clear need for good quality, authoritative information on all aspects of head lice infestation to be made available to the public.
In general, head lice products containing herbal ingredients such as melaleuca oil,lavender oil and eucalyptus oil are required to be listed on the ARTG. These products do not undergo evaluation for efficacy prior to listing, but product sponsors are required to possess evidence to support the claims made on the product label, and this evidence can be requested for assessment by the TGA. Listed products may only contain approved ingredients, which have been previously assessed for safety and quality.
Generally, listed head lice products are unscheduled, meaning they can be sold freely in retail outlets and advertised to the public. Since 19 April 2000 (the date of introduction of the new Therapeutic Goods Advertising Code) listed products may only make “general” or “medium” level claims
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Helpful Tips When Using Cooking Herbs
August 13th, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed
When preparing your next meal, rather then using the traditional seasonings of salt and pepper consider using the flavor of herbs for cooking that next food meal. When utilizing herbs for cooking not only will you enhance the meal and add to the flavor of that particular meal, but you will be eating better as well. Those health benefits include the antioxidants gained from using herbs for cooking that favorite meal of your family.
Imagine the flavor of your next roasted chicken as it is deliciously prepared with rosemary. Combined with lemon your chicken will take on a whole new flavor and will retain its moisture even when next used as leftovers. Or what would your Mexican dishes be without cilantro being added to provide that uniqueness to the meal.
Selecting herbs for cooking is dependent upon a number of considerations. Those considerations include which herbs to use that bring out the flavor of the food that you are preparing. The second consideration is the timing involved when selecting the herbs for cooking. When selecting the right herbs for cooking there are some standard herbs that the cook can use when preparing certain dishes. For example basil goes well with recipes that utilize tomatoes and are especially good when preparing meals that include the use of pasta. Also, rosemary is especially flavorful when cooking such meat products as chicken, fish, pork, or lamb.
It is good to experiment with herbs by trying a selection of herbs in different food dishes to see how the flavor is enhanced or changed. In addition, you can try a combination of herbs in different recipes to see if there is a nice blend of flavors. When selecting herbs for cooking it is important to make sure that your herbs are as fresh as possible. Therefore, if taking them from your garden, in preparation for the meal that day, pick them in the early morning. They should be selected in that timeframe following the evaporation of the morning dew and before they are subjected to the afternoon sun.
Washing Your Herbs
As with all food products, prior to preparation, herbs for cooking should be rinsed with freshwater. Following the Washing of the herbs make sure that you remove all excess water. This can be done by gently shaking the herbs and then patting the leaves dry by using a paper towel.
When preparing the herbs to be added to the food meal, it is important to cut the herbs into small pieces. This process can be accomplished by using cooking scissors or a sharpened knife. The use of a food processor is not recommended as a processor will, if the operator is not careful, mince the leaves of the herb too finely and form a mixture rather then keeping the herbs for cooking in small pieces.
Adding the Herbs to the meal
Timing is everything and this axiom holds true when utilizing herbs for cooking. When the herbs are added to the food meal is dependent upon the herb that is selected. For example, the more delicate the herb, the later this herb is added to the food cooking process. Examples of delicate herbs are basil, cilantro, parsley, mint, etc.
Hardier herbs, such as dill seeds, rosemary, thyme, tarragon, etc., withstand the cooking process easier. Therefore, these particular herbs for cooking can be added in during the last 20 minutes or so of the cooking process.
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Does Hgh Boost Metabolism ?
August 12th, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed
I am gaining more weight as I age while not eating more and getting the same amount of exercise. There are numerous news reports about what the hgh can do to help assist with losing weight. I have read that after 40 your metabolism diminishes leaving you with more fat to contend with. Human growth hormone supplementation is supposed to help but I am worried about the hgh side effects such as diabetes and cancer.
The idea of replenishing decreasing hormones makes sense. I just want to be clear about the real risks. Most media reports are light weight and provide little decent information.
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Fennel Seed Relaxes And Stimulates
August 1st, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed
Though fennel is native to Europe, especially the Mediterranean region, it is today cultivated in many other parts of the world, including Asia, China, and North America. Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) is a tall perennial herb. The leaves, bulb, and stalk of fennel look a lot like white celery and are edible. The fennel seed is used as both a spice in cooking and in making herbal medicines. Fennel has a sweet licorice taste, and is widely used in Mediterranean cuisine.
Fennel has been used throughout European history. It may be found growing wild in many parts of the world in dry soils near the sea-coast and upon river-banks, particularly on limestone soils. For medicinal use, it is cultivated in the south of France, Saxony, Galicia, and Russia, as well as in India and Persia. The odor of Fennel seed is fragrant, its taste warm, sweet and aromatic.
Fennel is a beautiful plant. It has a thick bright green root-stock, stout stems, and grows to be about four to five feet tall. The branched leaves produce bright golden flowers that blossom into thirteen to twenty rays in July and early August.
Some claim that eating the peeled stalks relaxes the body for sleep. The tender stems are enjoyed in soups, though are more frequently eaten raw as a salad.
Fennel has been used to treat digestive ailments since the time of the ancient Egyptians. The presence of terpenoid anethole in fennel is given credit for its ability to calm the gastrointestinal tract and relieve cramps. Often it is mixed with peppermint, caraway, and wormwood to treat indigestion, heartburn, and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).
Another one of the many fennel seed benefits is that it has traditionally been used to stimulate menstruation and milk production in nursing mothers, and to treat hormonal imbalance including PMS, menopause, and low libido. One study showed that fennel enhances the effects of estrogen in the system. It is used to relax the uterus, and to promote natural breast enhancement.
Some have used fennel as a decongestant to loosen phlegm in the bronchial passages. Fennel tea is also effective in some to reduce a persistent cough. To make this tea, crush 1 to 2 teaspoons of fennel seeds into a cup of hot water.
Fennel also has a reputation for being an appetite suppressant and thus it is used to promote weight-loss. Some studies have shown that fennel has some diuretic effect, and may help reduce water retention.
Fennel can be purchased as an oil, whole fennel seed, capsule, tincture, or liquid seed extract. You can also grow it yourself but keep it away from tomatoes or caraway as this will hinder their production. Use 2 to 12 drops of the oil, or 1 to 1.5 teaspoons of the seeds, or .5 teaspoons of the liquid daily.
Isolated cases of allergic and asthmatic reactions to fennel have been reported. It should not be used by small children or over a long period of time by anyone. Also pregnant or lactating women should avoid fennel.
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Anxiety Attacks
August 1st, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed
Anxiety is what we always feel when we are in a tense situation, like studying harder for a major exam, rendering a speech in front of many people, or going on a blind date where you don’t know what to expect; even a bride definitely feel anxious on her wedding day (maybe thinking, what if she’ll be stood up by her groom! What a terrifying thought!). If you feel anxious or fear for certain circumstances or things and with logical reasons to be, it is just a normal and rational response. But, if you feel unexpected surges of overwhelming dread that comes without warning and for no reason at all, it is no longer regular anxiety but anxiety attack.
Anxiety attacks are far more intense than having the feeling of being stressed or anxious that most people experience. It is described as a sudden attack of intense fear or feelings of impending fate or disaster that strike without warning and for no apparent reason. And this can be immediately followed by several symptoms. These are caused by a shift in the way the Amygdala, the small organ in the brain which regulates the anxiety response, behaves when confronted with an anxiety provoking thought, sensation or situation. Anxiety attacks occur when a level of anxiety is reached which causes the Adrenalin to produce severe symptoms which reach a peak in just a matter of minutes. The peak of an attack can range anywhere from 5 to 30minutes, but the symptoms may last a little longer. The symptoms of anxiety attacks are completely harmless, although they can be very frightening. Anxiety attacks belong to a group of anxiety disorder, like panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and agoraphobia.
Some of the symptoms of anxiety attack are intense heartbeat, difficulty of breathing, palpitation, nausea, excessive sweating and trembling, chest pains, fearful of going crazy or about to die, sudden chills, and the like. Some people may experience different or more anxiety attack symptoms but this does not mean that their condition is far worse or that you are suffering from different undiagnosed condition. And because we are all different, the symptoms during anxiety attacks can vastly vary. You might not find among the listed anxiety attack symptoms what you are experiencing and you’ll start to think there’s something very wrong with you. The list is just a guide only. Everyone reacts differently.
Anxiety attacks are always a sign of underlying anxiety disorder which itself can be treated successfully with or without having to go through medication or costly therapy. Linden Method offers a cure on panic and anxiety attacks. According to this method, anxiety attacks are not a sign of illness. The way to cure it is to eliminate the causes that trigger anxiety attacks.
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Uses And Side Effects Of Slippery Elm Bark
July 29th, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed
Elm trees are native to eastern North America from Canada to Georgia, from Texas to Minnesota, but especially in the Appalachian Mountain region. The slippery elm is less susceptible to the Dutch elm disease that ravaged so many of the other species. It is also called red elm, Indian elm, moose elm, and sweet elm.
The Slippery Elm grows to a height of 30 to 60 feet. The leaves are about 6 inches long, growing alternately on the branch, and have a rough texture and coarsely double-serrated edges. The flowers appear before the leaves in early spring in clusters of ten to twenty. The fruit is half an inch long containing a single central seed. Slippery Elm may be distinguished from American Elm by the hairiness of the buds and twigs and by the very short-stalked flowers.
Slippery Elm has been the object of poachers because of the $23 billion dollar bulk herbs industry in the United States. From mid June to early July the bark is slippery and easy to peel. The trees are stripped and left to die while the bark is sold for great profit.
One illegal and immoral use of the bark is as an abortafaciant. Longer pieces of the bark are moistened with water, then inserted into a pregnant woman’s uterus. Drugs from the bark are said to induce an abortion. This practice resulted in so called “Elm Stick Laws” in many states limiting the size of the bark sold. Because of this possible effect, pregnant or lactating women should avoid using slippery elm. There are no other documented hazards in taking the herb.
Elm was used by colonists to make pudding, to thicken jelly, to preserve grease, and as a survival food on long trips. It was used medicinally to treat toothaches, skin injuries, gout, arthritis, stomachaches, coughs, and intestinal worms.
The inner slippery elm bark was also used to waterproof canoes, baskets, and dwellings. It can be made into a gruel. In times of famine, early American settlers used it as a survival food; George Washington and his troops survived for several days on slippery elm gruel during their bitter winter at Valley Forge.
The fibrous inner bark is a strong and durable fiber, which can be spun into thread, twine or rope. It can be used for bowstrings, ropes, jewelry, clothing, snowshoe bindings, woven mats, and can even be used in some musical instruments. The wood was used for the hubs of wagon wheels, as it is very shock resistant because of the wood’s interlocking grain. Once cured, the wood is also excellent for making matchless fires with the bow drill method, for the wood grinds into a very fine, flammable powder under friction.
Taken internally, slippery elm bark is used to relieve gastrointestinal conditions, ulcers, and respiratory irritations. The bark also contains a substance that is used by some as a remedy for sore throats or as a cough medicine. External uses include treatment of skin conditions, vaginitis, and hemorrhoids. It will also make the skin smoother and softener.
The recommended dosage is three 500 mg capsules daily for adults. Tea can be made with one part slippery elm powder to eight parts water. It can also be added to oatmeal or juice. For a poultice, add coarse powdered bark to boiling water. Apply to the needed area when cool. For children, remember that herbal dosages are generally calculated for a 150 lb adult. If a child weighs 50 lb, the correct dose is 1/3 of the adult dosage.
Get more information about slippery elm bark uses now by browsing BulkHerbBenefits.com today!
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