Taking herbs for acid reflux may be a beneficial way to avoid heartburn so you don’t ever have to worry about confusing heartburn symptoms with a heart attack. Herbs can help you stop heartburn before it starts which will help you limit the number of antacids or other medications you may take for heartburn relief.

There are various herbs used as health remedies, but only some are truly effective at preventing and relieving acid reflux. The following are 5 effective herbs for acid reflux.

1 – Black Pepper – This is an aromatic herb that enhances taste, improves gastric circulation, and stimulates digestion. Black pepper can be added to recipes or can be an additional feature to prepared meals. For best results, use a small (approximately a tsp.) amount of fresh black pepper whole and grind it over food.

2 – Indian long pepper – Indian long pepper is a powerful stimulant for digestion, and is one of the most recommended for enhancing digestion, assimilation, and metabolism for foods ingested. In addition, Indian long peppers are fantastic herbs for acid reflux disease, as studies have found it can provide considerable protection against the development of gastric ulcers.

Indian long pepper should be taken in small amounts (approximately a tsp.), and can be purchased dry and used in recipes, or added to meals for flavor. Simply crush the pepper to add it to food. Keep in mind that if you use too much, the flavor can become too intense, and you may find it too hot to eat.

3 - Ginger – Ginger has been used for thousands of years to aid in digestion and treat stomach distress such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Ginger is one of the most highly effective herbs for acid reflux, and it is likely the most pure. The effectiveness of ginger is due to its anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and analgesic properties.

Fresh ginger root can be added to recipes or added as an extra garnish to a finished meal. Ginger can also be taken in powder form and in tea.Ginger is considered to be one of the safest herbal remedies to take, and you can ingest moderate amounts of it daily (I.E. tsp. of powder ginger, or an inch of a ginger root). However, be advised that if taken excessively, it may lead to mild heartburn.

4 – Liquorice – Liquorice is a powerful herb and anti-inflammatory that studies have found are showing much promise as inhibiting the development of ulcers, wounds on the mucous membran, and gastritis. Liquorice also acts like an antacid.

Liquorice was also found to improve the secretion status of Brunner’s gland, which is located throughout the duodenum system. Brunner’s gland works to protect against the development of duodenal ulcers. Liquorice is available in powder form and can be taken in tea. A cup of tea or 3 tsp. of powder liquorice daily is considered safe to take. High doses of liquorice can lead to symptoms such as headache, water retention and high blood pressure.

5 – Indian gooseberry – Indian gooseberry is a fruit that has been used to treat peptic ulcers and ingestion that is non-ulcer related. Studies have found Indian gooseberry to have considerable antioxidant effects, and it significantly reduced gastric mucosal injury and acid secretion. Indian gooseberry is made up of cell-protective properties as well as antiulcer, and antisecretory properties.

You can eat an Indian gooseberry raw with a little salt, or you can take it in powder form and in the form of tea. This herb is not associated with side effects, but should still be ingested in moderation, as it can act as a laxative if eaten in copious amounts.

When considering herbs for acid reflux, keep in mind that you shouldn’t take herbs as a form of medicinal treatment without first consulting your doctor about your plans. This is because some herbs may interact with other herbs, with medications you may currently be taking, or other health conditions you may have.

About the author: By Kathryn Whittaker. Sign up for a free newsletter that has proven methods for tackling Acid Reflux, Heartburn and GERD and find out more about herbs for acid reflux and other natural heartburn treatments.

Find out what herbal capsules you can consume when you are down with a common cold. Recover twice as fast with them!

You are more likely to get a common cold when you are dehydrated, do not have sufficient sleep or have inadvertently caught a chill. Your immune system gets down and you experience symptoms that will keep you in bed. These include body aches, fevers, headaches coughing, a runny nose, and a general feeling of not well. To fight the common cold virus, you can pop some over the counter cold medications and wait for your system to recover. However, if you want to be out of bed twice as fast, then you may wish to consider consuming herbal health supplements.

Herbalists say that there are many herbal health remedies that can help increase your immune system; thereby speeding up your recovery. They can be taken in the form of supplements in the required dosages to help you fight your cold. Here are some examples:

1. Echinacea Herbal Health Supplements. Echinacea have been used over the centuries. They are used to cure the common cold and also other upper respiratory problems. Echinacea works by boosting the production of immune cells that help fight disease. For common colds, it is recommended that echinacea be taken in the form of a tincture or as a capsule or tablet. This is not an herb that you should take constantly though. Instead, take it at the first signs of illness. Continue this for 1 or 2 weeks afterwards before you stop taking it for a while. Not following this set of guidelines can be counteractive as this may cause your immune system to become depressed instead. When you do take this you should take appro

ximately 175 to 225 milligrams of Echinacea 2 or 3 times a day.

2. Goldenseal Herbal Health Supplements. Goldenseal is believed to strengthen the immune system, and can be used together with Echinacea whenever you first suspect that you may be coming down with a cold. Herbalists recommend taking 175 to 350 milligrams of goldenseal 3 or 4 times a day for 10 days after the first sign of a cold. Besides boosting the immune system, this is one of the herbal remedies that can also help to combat localized viruses.

3. Garlic Herbal Health Supplements. Traditional herbalists believe that garlic is one of the most potent cold-fighters. They recommend that you eat a clove of fresh garlic at the first indications of a cold and to boost up your garlic intake when a cold is already underway. If you cannot stand the pungent smell from garlic, then there are garlic capsules that are easily available in your local health store. These should contain between 300 to 500 milligrams of garlic and be taken daily for the first week of your cold. Consuming garlic can help keep the worst symptoms of the common cold at bay.

While the above are recommended dosages in general, you would need to check with your own herbalist or your doctor before you consume the said supplements. This is because you need to know if the herbs in these supplements will interact negatively with whatever medications that you are currently on. If they do, there are always other safe herbal health supplements to turn to with which can help you recover twice as fast!

Article Source: http://www.BestToRead.com/

Find out what herbal capsules you can consume when you are down with a common cold. Recover twice as fast with them!

You are more likely to get a common cold when you are dehydrated, do not have sufficient sleep or have inadvertently caught a chill. Your immune system gets down and you experience symptoms that will keep you in bed. These include body aches, fevers, headaches coughing, a runny nose, and a general feeling of not well. To fight the common cold virus, you can pop some over the counter cold medications and wait for your system to recover. However, if you want to be out of bed twice as fast, then you may wish to consider consuming herbal health supplements.

Herbalists say that there are many herbal health remedies that can help increase your immune system; thereby speeding up your recovery. They can be taken in the form of supplements in the required dosages to help you fight your cold. Here are some examples:

1. Echinacea Herbal Health Supplements. Echinacea have been used over the centuries. They are used to cure the common cold and also other upper respiratory problems. Echinacea works by boosting the production of immune cells that help fight disease. For common colds, it is recommended that echinacea be taken in the form of a tincture or as a capsule or tablet. This is not an herb that you should take constantly though. Instead, take it at the first signs of illness. Continue this for 1 or 2 weeks afterwards before you stop taking it for a while. Not following this set of guidelines can be counteractive as this may cause your immune system to become depressed instead. When you do take this you should take appro

ximately 175 to 225 milligrams of Echinacea 2 or 3 times a day.

2. Goldenseal Herbal Health Supplements. Goldenseal is believed to strengthen the immune system, and can be used together with Echinacea whenever you first suspect that you may be coming down with a cold. Herbalists recommend taking 175 to 350 milligrams of goldenseal 3 or 4 times a day for 10 days after the first sign of a cold. Besides boosting the immune system, this is one of the herbal remedies that can also help to combat localized viruses.

3. Garlic Herbal Health Supplements. Traditional herbalists believe that garlic is one of the most potent cold-fighters. They recommend that you eat a clove of fresh garlic at the first indications of a cold and to boost up your garlic intake when a cold is already underway. If you cannot stand the pungent smell from garlic, then there are garlic capsules that are easily available in your local health store. These should contain between 300 to 500 milligrams of garlic and be taken daily for the first week of your cold. Consuming garlic can help keep the worst symptoms of the common cold at bay.

While the above are recommended dosages in general, you would need to check with your own herbalist or your doctor before you consume the said supplements. This is because you need to know if the herbs in these supplements will interact negatively with whatever medications that you are currently on. If they do, there are always other safe herbal health supplements to turn to with which can help you recover twice as fast!

Article Source: http://www.BestToRead.com/

Acid reflux is a result of a lot of acid in the stomach. So anAcid reflux remedy should look for ways to reverse this situation.The acid is produced by the stomach lining to digest food. You mayfind that in the stomach there are bacteria that also add to theacidity of the system. I do not advice for one to take drugs firstbefore taking the home remedies. At first the problem mightnot be affecting yuo so much. But if the problem is affecting thequality of life a doctor’s opinion is necessary.The acidic nature of the stomach can be lowered by taking alkalinesubstances or water. Water is neutral in nature. It therefore lowersthe ph in the stomach. A recommended water intake of 8 glasses or 2liters is the best. If your urine is dark yellow in color it meansthat your water intake is less that the recommended amount. If youare suffering from acid reflux you should take more than therecommended amount of water to reverse the situation.Garlic is also a very powerful natural antibiotic. If takenregularly it kills the bacteria in your system. It should not beswallowed whole, but should rather be crushed or chewed. This makes itmore effective. It is also easily absorbed when in this form. Try to detoxify your body by taking a detoxifying diet for sometime. Magnesium is a very useful substance for bringing an alkalineatmosphere in the stomach. Our bodies cannot store magnesium so weshould look for ways to eat this useful substance. We can take itwith food supplements.Did you know that magnesium is more importantthan calcium, yet we give calcium a far larger priority thanit? I bet you didn’t know that.

Are your feet itching and burning? Maybe you have Athlete’s Foot. Athlete’s foot is an infection of the upper layers of the skin and is predominantly found on the foot. It is often seen as an dry, itching, burning, scaling redness of the feet especially in the webbing of the toes. When left unchecked, sufferers may notice that their skin peels frequently and in extreme cases there may be cracking, pain and bleeding of the skin.

While commonly associated with the foot, athlete’s foot can also give rise to skin disorders such as jock-itch. It is caused by the overgrowth of certain types of fungus, including trichophyton, the ringworm fungus or the tinea pedis fungus, each of which can be easily transmitted from one person to the other upon contact. This contagious condition thrives in warm, moist environments and without the proper growing conditions; it will not survive at all.

Athlete’s foot is often transmitted when we walk around barefoot at public pools or in public showers, in locker or changing rooms, in home bathrooms, especially in the shower. It can also thrive in individuals who’s feet sweat excessively, who wear the same shoes without allowing them to fully dry out or when the feet are not dried thoroughly before covering them. Interestingly, this disorder is seen more often in teenagers and adult males.

In health circles, it is generally believed that prevention is the best course of action to take. If however, you do end up with a case of athlete’s foot, there are a number of natural and alternative health remedies you can employ.

Recommendations For Wellness

Avoid all yeast containing foods: yeast breads, fermented beverages (beer, wine, brandy, scotch, etc.) moldy cheeses, fermented vinegars, salad dressing, peanuts, biscuits, canned citrus fruit juices, cake mix, ice cream, all dried fruit, oranges, pickles, tomato sauce, sugars, yeast powder, processed and smoked meats, malt products, barbecue sauce, olives, mayonnaise, and chili peppers.

Avoid sugar (especially hidden sugars such as those found in soft drinks, pastries, canned fruits and vegetables), artificial sweeteners, and all refined carbohydrates.

Supplementation with a probiotic such as acidophilus can help to restore the good bacteria in the body and help protect you from infection.

If you are at the gym or at a public pool, wear sandals in the locker room, in the shower and in the pool area.

Wear cotton socks and if your feet tend to sweat, change them often, making sure you dry your feet well before putting on a fresh pair.

Sprinkle baking soda on your feet before putting your socks on to help absorb moisture.

When the weather is hot and humid, go barefoot or in sandals whenever possible.

Be sure to air your shoes out at night to allow any moisture in them to evaporate. If possible don’t wear the same pair of shoes every day.

A tincture of black walnut can be applied directly to the affected areas of the feet and toes to help kill the fungus.

Lemon balm, rosemary or a mixture of lavender oil and tea tree oil can be used externally to help eradicate the infection.

Herbs such as goldenseal, pau d’ arco, olive leaf extract or garlic can be taken internally to help heal the infection. They can also be applied externally the affected areas or by soaking the feet in a herbal bath made from these substances.

Some experts recommend adding grapefruit seed extract to your wash, especially when you are cleaning your socks, gym clothes, bath mat or towels.

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