Herbal Remedies For Everyone

The combination of honey and cinnamon has been used for centuries in both traditional Chinese and Ayurveda, a system of healing founded 5000 years ago in India. The two ingredients with unique healing abilities have a long history as a home remedy. Cinnamon is one of the oldest spices known to mankind and honey's popularity has continued throughout history. Cinnamon's essential oils and honey's enzyme that produces hydrogen peroxide qualify the two "anti-microbial" foods with the ability to help stop the growth of bacteria as well as fungi. Both are used not just as a beverage flavoring and medicine, but also as an embalming agent and are used as alternatives to traditional food preservatives due to their effective antimicrobial properties.
Also, it is worth mentioning that in Ayurvedic medicine, honey is known as 'Yogavahi', which means "the carrier of the healing values of the herbs to the cells and tissues". It is believed that when combined with another substance (eg a herb or spice) in a formulation, the special quality of honey enhances the medicinal qualities of that formulation and helps them reach the deeper tissues in the body more effectively. And honey and cinnamon, which is one of the best-known mixtures, has been reported to be a natural cure for many diseases and a formula for many health benefits:

1) HEART DISEASES: Apply honey and cinnamon powder on bread instead of using jam or butter and eat it regularly for breakfast. It is believed that in the long run, this can help prevent blockages in blood vessels, heart attacks and hypercholesterolemia.

2) ARTHRITIS:Arthritis patients may take daily, morning and night, by mixing a cup of hot water with two tablespoons of honey and one teaspoon of cinnamon. When taken regularly, even chronic arthritis can be cured. In a research project conducted at Copenhagen University, it was found that when doctors treated their patients with a mixture of one tablespoon of honey and a half-teaspoon of cinnamon powder before breakfast, they found that within a week, 73 out of the 200 tested were totally relieved of pain. Within a month, most all of the people who had trouble walking or moving around because of their arthritis could walk without pain. Apply a paste made of the two ingredients on the affected part of the body and massage slowly. Drinking tea with honey and cinnamon daily can also help relieve pain and stiffness in the joints.

3) HAIR LOSS: Apply a paste of hot olive oil, a tablespoon of honey, a teaspoon of cinnamon powder before bath, leave it for 15 min and wash.

4) BLADDER INFECTIONS: Mix a teaspoon of cinnamon powder and half a teaspoon of honey in a glass of lukewarm water and drink. This can help destroy the bacteria in the urinary system.

5) TOOTHACHE: Apply a paste of cinnamon powder and honey and on the aching tooth.

6) CHOLESTEROL: Add honey to cinnamon powder mixed in boiled water or green tea and drink.

7) COLDS: Make a glass of lukewarm honey water mixed with a pinch of cinnamon powder to help boost your immune system during the cold season. It is also helpful in clearing the sinuses.
   
8) INDIGESTION: Cinnamon powder sprinkled on a spoonful of honey taken before food relieves acidity and prevents indigestion.

9) LONGEVITY: Regularly take tea made with honey and a little cinnamon powder to strengthen your immune system and protect your body from viral and bacterial attacks.

10) PIMPLES: Mix honey with cinnamon powder and apply paste on the pimples before sleeping and wash away the next morning.

11) OBESITY: To reduce weight, daily drink a mixture of a teaspoon of honey with half a teaspoon of cinnamon powder boiled in water with an empty stomach in the morning about half an hour before breakfast. Step-by-step instructions in: Cinnamon and Honey Recipe.

Cinnamon has an insulin boosting property (water soluble compounds called polyphenol type A polymers) which have the ability to boost insulin activity about 20 fold and can benefit people who have high sugar levels (obese people, pre-diabetics and diabetics). Also, read the honey hibernation diet theory to find out how honey contributes to the metabolizing of undesirable cholesterol and fatty acid, provides a fuelling mechanism for the body, keep blood sugar levels balanced, and let our recovery hormones get on with burning body fat stores.

12) BAD BREATH: Gargle with honey and cinnamon powder mixed in warm water so that breath stays fresh throughout the day.
Honey plus cinnamon together besides being a amazing potential cure for so many illnesses, their total fragrant, sweet and warm taste is also a perfect match for the palate. The combination adds a magic effect to the taste of cakes, breads, biscuits and rolls and is known to make many winning recipes in the world of delicious food, such as the famous, easy-to-make, kids' favourite classic - honey and cinnamon butter toast!
13) ITCHING/INSECT BITES: If you take one part honey to two parts of lukewarm water and add a small teaspoon of cinnamon powder, you can make a paste and massage it on the itching part of the body. Any pain should go away in about a minute or two.
14) HELPS MANAGE DIABETES:Cinnamon contains antioxidant flavonoids whose effect closely resembles that of insulin, meaning that it can help remove glucose from the bloodstream and put it into the cells as an energy source. Cinnamon’s effects, when combined with honey, show a steady use of glucose by the body, and an improvement in Type 2 diabetes management.
15)FIGHTS CANCER:Phytochemicals found in large amounts within honey have been linked to cancer prevention, while cinnamon offers anti-tumor properties that can also decrease the chances of metastasis or the spread of cancer through tumorous growth. Recent research in Japan and Australia has revealed that advanced cancer of the stomach and bones have been cured successfully. Patients suffering from these kinds of cancer should take one tablespoon of honey with one teaspoon of cinnamon 3X a day for one month.

There is something undeniably enchanting about honey; the product of flower nectar(containing about 600compounds) transformed by bees through swallowing and regurgitation.
Honey has always been a very popular culinary delicacy as well as an important medical remedy for many millennia. Across the globe, our ancestors seemed to be well aware of the many health benefits of honey. Its earliest known use as a medicinal prescription is found in Sumerian clay tablets that may be almost 4000 years old. Almost 30% of the Sumerians’ medical treatments included honey. In India, honey is an important part of Siddha and Ayurveda – the ancient, traditional systems of medicine. In ancient Egypt, it was used in managing skin and eye diseases, and also as a natural bandage applied on wounds and burns. Several other cultures have also used honey for various medical purposes. Today, honey is the focus of much scientific research by the medical community, which has been investigating and confirming the many uses of honey our forefathers thought up. Let’s take a look at a few of these.
1.Soothes coughs
A 2007 study from Penn State College of Medicine that involved 139 children, found that buckwheat honey outperformed the cough suppressant, dextromethorphan (DM), in calming nighttime coughs in children and improving their sleep. Another study published in Pediatrics included 270 children aged one to five with nighttime cough due to simple colds; in this study, the children who received two teaspoons of honey 30 minutes before bed, coughed less frequently, less severely and were less likely to lose sleep due to the cough when compared to those who didn't get honey.
2. Boosts memory
According to research reported by Reuters, 102 healthy women of menopausal age were assigned to consume 20 grams of honey a day, take hormone-replacement therapy containing estrogen and progesterone or do nothing. After four months, those who took honey or hormone pills recalled about one extra word out of 15 presented on a short-term memory test. That said, some critics of the study say that it wasn’t scientifically sound because it was small and didn’t last long. But still...
3. Treats wounds
In numerous studies, honey has been found effective in treating wounds. In a Norwegian study, a therapeutic honey called Medihoney (a New Zealand honey that undergoes a special purification process) and Norwegian Forest Honey were found to kill all strains of bacteria in wounds. In another study, 59 patients suffering from wounds and leg ulcers – of which 80 percent had failed to heal with conventional treatment – were treated with unprocessed honey. All but one of the cases showed remarkable improvement following topical application of honey. Wounds that were sterile at the outset, remained sterile until healed, while infected wounds and ulcers became sterile within one week of applying honey.
For the treatment of burns and wounds, WebMD notes: Honey is applied directly or in a dressing which is usually changed every 24 to 48 hours. When used directly, 15 mL to 30 mL of honey has been applied every 12 to 48 hours, and covered with sterile gauze and bandages or a polyurethane dressing.
4. Provides nutrients
According to the National Honey Board, honey contains “small amounts of a wide array of vitamins and minerals, including niacin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium and zinc.” Thus, using honey instead of sugar provides you with more nutrients for your calories.
5. Potentially prevents low white blood cell count
The Mayo Clinic notes that honey may be a promising and inexpensive way to prevent low white blood cell count caused by chemotherapy. In one small trial, 40 percent of cancer patients who were known to be at risk of neutropenia (very low blood count) had no further episodes of the condition after taking two teaspoons daily of therapeutic honey during chemotherapy. More research is needed, but the remedy could hold great potential.
6. May relieve seasonal allergies
Many people swear by honey’s ability to lessen symptoms of seasonal allergy. As honey has anti-inflammatory effects and is known to soothe coughs, it may not seem like much of a stretch; but honey’s efficacy for treating allergy hasn’t been proven in clinical studies. That said, some experts say that honey can contain traces of flower pollen, and exposure to small amounts of allergens works as good treatment to combat reactions. Whether it can be proven by science or not is one thing; but at its worst, it makes for a delicious placebo. (And don’t knock the healing power of placebos!)
7. Kills antibiotic-resistant bacteria
In clinical studies, medical grade honey has been shown to kill food-borne illness pathogens like E. coli and salmonella, as well as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, both of which are common in hospitals and doctors' offices.
8. May help metabolize alcohol

 Research reveals that honey taken orally might, "increase the body's ability to metabolize alcohol, thereby limiting intoxication and more rapidly reducing alcohol blood levels."
9. Makes great workout fuel
Many athletes rely on sugar-laden sports drinks and gels for carbohydrates to fuel their bodies before and during endurance events, and afterwards to help muscle recovery. At 17 grams of carbohydrates per tablespoon, honey makes an excellent source of all-natural energy that is superior to other conventional sources since it comes with added nutrients. The National Honey Board recommends adding honey to your bottle of water for an energy boost during workouts. Snacks with honey can be eaten before and after, and honey sticks can be used during endurance events.
10. Resolves scalp problems and dandruff
In a study involving patients with chronic seborrheic dermatitis and dandruff, the participants were asked to apply honey diluted with 10 percent warm water to their problem areas and leave it on for three hours before rinsing with warm water. In all of the patients, itching was relieved and scaling disappeared within one week. Skin lesions were completely healed within two weeks, and patients showed subjective improvement in hair loss as well. And when applied weekly thereafter for six months, patients showed no sign of relapse.
11. Honey cures anaemia
Honey influences the body in different ways depending on how you consume it. If honey is mixed in tepid water and drunk, it has a beneficial impact on the red blood cell (RBC) count in the blood. RBCs are mainly responsible for carrying oxygen in the blood to various parts of the body. The honey-tepid water mixture raises the bloods hemoglobin levels, which takes care of anemic conditions. Iron deficiency anemia is a condition that occurs when dietary intake or absorption of iron is insufficient, and the oxygen carrying capacity of the blood is compromised. The reduced oxygen carrying capacity leads to fatigue, breathlessness, and sometimes depression and other problems. Honey can negate these issues by building the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood.
12.Reduce ulcers and other gastrointestinal disorders.
Recent research shows that honey treatment may help disorders such as ulcers and bacterial gastroenteritis.
13.Honey is Probiotic with mysterious therapeutic properties
Some varieties of honey possess large amounts of friendly bacteria. This includes up to 6 species of lactobacilli and 4 species of bifidobacteria. This may explain many of the “mysterious therapeutic properties of honey.”
14. Prevents cancer and heart disease:
Honey contains flavonoids, antioxidants which help reduce the risk of some cancers and heart disease.
15.Improve allergies – If sourced locally, raw honey can help reduce seasonal allergies.

BITTER kola is a popular agricultural produce available in large quantity in West Africa and it is a tree that grows in the rain forests. Bitter Kola has been identified as a potent antibiotic which could be effective in the treatment of many deceases.

The fruit, seeds, nuts and bark of the plant have been used for centuries in folk medicine to treat ailments from coughs to fever. As with any other herb, you never consume Garcinia kola without first discussing its use and benefits with your physician, especially if you are currently being treated for other medical conditions or are on any medications.

However, Bitter Kola is considered as an effective agricultural produce in the treatment of cough, diarrhea, tuberculosis and other bacterial infections. “When food is suspected to be contaminated by bacteria, chew bitter kola immediately after eating, it will prevent the development of any infection or poisoning.

Bitter Kola was eaten mostly by the elderly people because of their belief that it could prolong life.” Actually, researches in modern science have revealed that bitter kola contains chemical compounds that will help the breakdown of glycogen in the liver and has other medicinal uses which account for its longevity property in man. “Bitter kola is anti-poison too, it has the ability to repel evil men and spirits, it could sound superstitious but it works.

The naturalist even said that the seed and the bark of bitter kola should be eaten together in cases where food poisoning is suspected, “it helps to detoxify the system”. Indeed, it really works!

Uses of Garcinia Kola

It improves the function of the lung
Garcinia kola has been used for centuries to treat chest colds in traditional medicine, but research has taken a look and found out why it is effective. A study in the 2008 issue of The Internet Journal of Pulmonary Medicine, performed on mice, reports that Garcinia kola improved respiratory function after 28 days of use of a Garcinia extract. Written by David A. Ofusori, MSc, from Igbinedion University in Nigeria, the study shows that Garcinia kola works by dilating the alveolar ducts and sacs in the lungs by improving the strength of the fibers in the lung tissue. Garcinia kola’s beneficial lung properties are attributed to its high antioxidant content.

It Reduces Eye Pressure
An increase in eye pressure can lead to glaucoma, according to a report from The New York Times Health Guide. Researchers at Lagos University Teaching Hospital in Nigeria tested the effectiveness of eye drops that contained 0.5 percent extract of Garcinia kola. The results of their study, published in the January 2010 issue of Middle East African Journal of Opthamology, showed that the opthamolic solution that contained the Garcinia significantly reduced eye pressure when used twice a day.

It Relieves Arthritis
Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis, characterized by pain, inflammation and limited movement in the joints, according to the National Institutes of Health. Causes of osteoarthritis can include joint injury, obesity and ageing. Since many arthritis sufferers prefer natural herbal medicines to other pain relievers and medications, researchers at Obafemi Awolowo University in Nigeria tested the effects of Garcinia kola against arthritis symptoms. The results of the study, written by Olayinka O. Adegbehingbe and published in the July 2008 issue of the Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Research, conclude that Garcinia kola significantly reduced inflammation and pain and increased joint movement in subjects that had osteoarthritis symptoms. It is believed that Garcinia kola works well as a result of its antioxidant properties.

The side effects reported from the Garcinia kola use in this study were “weight loss”, “increase in sex drive” and “extended sleep” which many considered helpful to meet their individual and marital demands. If you take Garcinia kola and experience diarrhea, hives, irregular heartbeat or other signs of allergic reaction, discontinue use immediately and seek medical attention.

Medicinal Significance
Garcinia kola is used in many tropical countries to fight infectious diseases such as Aids and the Ebola virus. It has shown to posses anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and antiviral properties.

Cold Remedy
Garcinia kola is often used to treat the symptoms of colds. It is suggested, in particular, for coughs and sneezing.

Knee Osteoarthritis
Garcinia kola has been successfully used to treat patients suffering from knee osteoarthritis, according to a study published in the Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery. It reduced pain and swelling and improved movement.

Immunity
Garcinia kola is known for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. It is used to prevent infections and viruses, especially of the immune system.

Hop Substitute
Garcinia kola is used as a substitute for hops in brewing lager beer. It is especially useful in preventing beer spoilage.

Weight Loss
Bitter Kola has been known to be a natural hunger suppressant and also increases the urge to drink more water.

Another importance of bitter kola is that its repels snakes. It can be used to chase snakes away. For snake prevention, spread it around the building.

Bitter Kola health benefit for malaria
Considerable experimental studies found the chemical constituents in bitter kola have anti-malaria properties. That aside, traditional healers have for many years prescribed bitter kola for the treatment of malaria infections.

Researchers who reported that bitter kola had anti-malaria effect in the 2010 issue of Journal of Medicinal Plants Research, from a survey of plants used by traditional healers in the Democratic Republic of Congo, attributed this to its quinones content.

The importance of bitter kola cannot be over floored, it is therefore left for everyone to utilize effectively all the benefits embedded in it.