Various herbs are catalogued by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine and are used as a form of alternative medicine for treating and preventing a range of illnesses and injuries. These are all "supposed" to be good for your health. Studies aren't conclusive, but cranberries seem to be able to prevent urinary tract infection. It's unknown if, like the old wives' tale says, they can treat urinary tract infection. Aloe vera contains strong laxative compounds, so strong that the FDA took it off the counter because the companies manufacturing aloe laxatives didn't provide sufficient safety information. Early studies show that aloe can help heal burns and abrasions, but it may inhibit the healing of deep cuts, & won't prevent radiation burns. No other medicinal uses have been scientifically proven. Noni has not been studied heavily for any medical condition, but it exhibits antioxidant, immune-stimulating, and tumor-fighting properties, so it holds promise. There don't seem to be many side effects, but they also haven't been studied. Don't take noni if you have liver disease. Ginkgo doesn't prevent Alzheimer's or dementia in the elderly, but small studies have shown promise of memory enhancement. It may increase bleeding risk, though, so don't take it if you're on anticoagulants, going to have surgical or dental work done, or have bleeding disorders. Don't eat lots of the uncooked seed, because it contains ginkgotoxin, which can cause seizures &, in large doses, death. Feverfew doesn't reduce rheumatoid arthritis symptoms. Its usefulness in preventing migraine headaches has been studied with mixed results. No other uses have been tested, though it has been used for centuries for fevers, headaches, stomach aches, toothaches, insect bites, infertility, and problems with menstruation and with labor during childbirth. There are no serious side effects, so it may be worth a shot.
To put you in the Christmas spirit, I'll finish with mistletoe, which is used in Europe as an anticancer drug. Every study of this has had at least one major weakness, but mistletoe does seem to kill cancer cells and stimulate the immune system. DO NOT EAT RAW, UNPROCESSED MISTLETOE. It's poisonous. American mistletoe is unsafe in any form. The processed form of European mistletoe injected in Germany and other countries with commercial injections has been deemed safe (a major study by the NCCAM is testing this more), as long as it is used according to product directions and under the supervision of a health care provider.
For more information, visit http://nccam.nih.gov/health/herbsataglance.htm. Article by Alex Heimbigner
