Bitter melon, also called bitter apple, bitter gourd or bitter cucumber, is a vine-grown vegetable that can range in color from dark green to white and can grow between three to twelve inches tall. Diabetes Health reports that several compounds in...
Your liver is your primary organ of waste elimination. By creating bile, your liver works to push waste material to your gallbladder and small intestine. If your liver and gallbladder are not functioning properly, this part of the digestion and...
A juice fast involves stopping consumption of all solid foods and living solely on water and freshly juiced fruit and vegetable juices. The purpose of a juice fast is to give the body's digestive organs a rest from digesting solid food while...
Good health is a product of healthy nutrition, physical exercise and spiritual balance. Learning the correlation between diet and good health may allow the consumer to think about fad diets, weight-loss gimmicks and supplements in an intellectual...
Diarrhea is typically a symptom of some other problem. It is usually not serious unless it is prolonged or blood can be seen in the stools. Diarrhea tends to remedy itself over time. Herbal cures should not be attempted without discussing them...
Many people take herbs to treat colds and allergies and to boost their immune system. Many plants have antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral compounds. It is helpful to understand the cause of your symptoms and potential for healing before...
Shilajit is a pale-brown to black material consisting of decomposed plant and animal material that has been compressed between layers of rock. It can be found in the Himalayan mountains and has been used in traditional medicine for centuries,...
Many people lose weight to improve their appearance but are disappointed when they lose their hair too. Normal hair loss is 50 to 100 hairs a day according to the New York Times. But when hair loss accelerates, or new growth fails to counteract...
Valued for its healing qualities since ancient times, herbalists and holistic health practitioners frequently prescribe licorice root for cold symptoms, indigestion, stomach ulcers and canker sores. Deglycyrrhizinated licorice is more often...
Kava, whose scientific name is Piper methysticum, is also known as kawa, ava root, awa and yagona. It is native to the South Pacific. It has been used for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children, insomnia, muscle...
Spirulina, a type of blue-green algae, contains a rich store of nutrients and was consumed as a food as early as Aztec times. In current times, these particular algae -- along with other forms -- have been touted to address every ailment under the...
Horehound is a flowering plant native to Europe but now found throughout North and South America as well, often as a weed. The plant has saw-toothed, downy leaves and clusters of small white flowers. Its taste is bitter. Also known as white...
Black walnut and wormwood complex is an herbal remedy used to ease gastrointestinal complaints and expel intestinal parasites. Like most herbal supplements, black walnut and wormwood complex has not been evaluated for human safety by the FDA....
Aldosterone is a steroid hormone released by the adrenal gland. It is responsible for increasing the absorption of water and sodium in the kidneys, which scientists have determined also increases blood volume and blood pressure. Preliminary...
Although information about nutrition and health can be contradictory, the United States Department of Agriculture's Food Guide Pyramid is often used as a reliable source of dietary recommendations. The USDA food guide was developed by W.O....
Alfalfa is a legume traditionally used in the countries of China and India for its potential health benefits. It can be consumed raw, as a juice, or via capsules as alfalfa powder. The leaves and seeds of the alfalfa plant are believed to aid in...
Chaste tree, or vitex agnus-castus L., is an herbal supplement that has a variety of uses. It's also called vitex, chaste berry, Monk's pepper and agnus castus. It's most often used to aid hormonal imbalances and the conditions caused by hormonal...
Tea tree oil, also known as melaleuca oil, comes from the leaves of the Melaleuca alternifolia. The leaves are processed to extract their natural oils, which are then used in hundreds of products ranging from shampoos and conditioners to...
Magnesium, one of the four top minerals in the body, is found in blood, bones and the cells of organs and tissue, according to the National Institutes of Health. The body uses magnesium for muscle control, protein synthesis, blood pressure...
It's not the most glamorous of nutrients, but fiber is a warrior when it comes to battling some of the United State's most devastating health problems. The amount of fiber you should consume daily depends on a number of factors, such as your age,...
Protein is a macronutrient that is present in every cell in your body. It contributes to the structure of skin, muscles, glands and organs, and helps form enzymes that enable chemical reactions that allow cellular functions to proceed. Amino acids...
Vitamin A is essential for many bodily functions, including healthy hair growth. However, because this vitamin is fat-soluble, your body stores the excess you take in, which can lead to toxicity, and the symptoms of this include hair loss. Along...
Body mass index is derived from the calculation weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared. BMI evaluates your weight in relation to your height but does not measure your fat directly. Instead this measure has been validated by...
Manufacturers of Hoodia 90 claim that their product is made with the natural African Hoodia Gordonii plant. The hoodia gordonii used to make diet pills is a cactus bush that has been used by San Bushmen for generations to control their appetites...
If you are suffering from the effects of imbalanced hormones--acne, oily hair, PMS, hot flashes, irregular periods, mood swings or other symptoms--some natural remedies can help. The most commonly used ones include evening primrose oil, black...
Many different infections are caused by pathogenic bacteria. Bacterial cells have a different life cycle than human cells. Drugs such as ciprofloxacin target these physiological differences to kill or slow the growth of bacteria. As a result,...
Small bust size is a cosmetic issue; the desire for larger breasts can lead women to purchase questionable "miracle" pills and creams pitched by marketers. However, there are several devices women can turn to which, in fact, have been proven...
Derived from the Lepidium meyenii walp plant, maca is an herbal supplement that has gained recent popularity as a way to enhance sexual libido. Maca, which is related to turnips and radishes, may also serve as a stress-reducer and may improve...
The fiber in your diet comes from the portions of plant cells that your body can't absorb or digest. Instead of traveling through your intestinal wall and into your bloodstream like other nutrients do, fiber remains inside your intestines to...
