Almond oil, made from cold-pressing sweet almonds, is used extensively in natural cosmetic products for its emollient, or skin-softening, properties. The oil also provides many moisturizing benefits for your hair. Often used in hot oil hair...
Native to the Middle East, almond trees produce small, nut-shaped fruits called drupes. Once pressed, the innermost kernel of the drupe produces almond oil, a concentrated substance appropriate for use in multiple realms of daily life. Familiarize...
Wild cherry bark is derived from the dried inner bark and root bark of the black cherry tree Prunus serotina, which is native to North America. Wild cherry bark has been used in folk medicine for hundreds of years; it is sold as a supplement for a...
Vitamin B17--which is also commonly known as laetrile--is primarily found in foods containing seeds. The compound consists mainly of sugar, hydrogen cyanide and acetone. Some believe B17 to be an effective cancer-treatment alternative but...
The rose apple is used as food and as medicine. You'll find the rose apple plant, technically called Syzygium jambos, in tropical and subtropical areas where a mature tree will yield 5 lbs. fruit each season. The fruit on this plant does not...
Diarrhea and dysentery, a serious type of diarrhea caused by inflammation of the intestines, was a serious problem for Native Americans, a term used to refer to the hundreds of indigenous tribes of North America. Severe cases of diarrhea among...
Recalls of over the counter cold, flu and pain medicines and shortages of vaccines and prescription remedies have people scrambling to find relief of their cold and flu symptoms. Double-blind studies of black elderberry extract conducted between...
Bitter almonds have been known to cause poisoning. Although they can be processed and made safer for culinary uses, in their raw state, they contain a compound called amygdalin, which can break down into products that include cyanide or...
Fasting refers to the process of abstaining from solid foods in an attempt to purge your body of toxins during religious rites or as a method of weight loss. You are instructed to only take in liquids such as juices or water for the course of your...
When you are suffering from a cold, bronchitis or an allergy, phlegm is released from the mucous membranes lining your respiratory tract in an attempt to remove the offending virus, bacteria or irritant. When phlegm, or mucus, occurs deep in your...
While most humans prefer to take their dry, hot weather in small doses, that's not true of the almond tree. And your body and skin may be happier for it. They may have started growing around the Mediterranean Sea many years ago, they're grown...
You may have used camphor oil without realizing it. Although its name may not ring a bell, camphor oil's antiseptic, piercing aroma and cooling properties may remind you of some of the over-the-counter products that use camphor gum or camphor oil....
