Natural Remedies
We help you navigate the confusing world of herbs, vitamins and supplements. Remedies include healing modalities such as homeopathy, Ayurveda and Traditional Medicine to address a wide-range of health concerns.
Spotlight on Taurine
Taurine (a key ingredient in Red Bull) is a sulfur-containing amino acid that is naturally produced in the human body and found in certain foods such as meat, fish and dairy products. It has been marketed as a supplement for a variety of health benefits, including improving athletic performance as it may improve endurance and reduce muscle damage and fatigue, especially in older adults.
Discover the Glory of Glycerine
Glycerine is a natural and fascinating substance which is used in the pharmaceutical, food and cosmetic industries, amongst others.
Tea for two or tea for you?
Through the years I have found certain herbs to be remarkable in their ability to give effective, quick, and often astonishing, relief of many a common ailment. Making an infusion of the fresh, organically grown plant, and sipping it quietly and slowly often does more to ease the condition than a lot of serious medications, and I have proved this over and over again.
Castor Oil and It’s Role in Detox
Castor-Cise is Professor Ali’s integrated programme of liver and bowel detox with topical castor oil application, oral detox with vigorous sesame oil rinses, and limbic (meditative) exercise. Patients commonly report marked benefits from the programme and often ask how castor oil works.
Moringa – Miracle Tree of Hope
Moringa – Miracle Tree of Hope has been used for its health benefits for centuries and contains so many medicinal compounds and nutrients that it has been dubbed by many as ‘the miracle tree of hope’
Saffron for Emotional Health
Delicious with seafood, rice, tomatoes and plays well with plenty of garlic, saffron hails from the traditional medicine found in Persian cultures. It has served mankind for millennia as both a culinary herb and powerful medicine. Saffron is known for its vibrant colour and flavour, and also for being the world’s most expensive spice.
Traditional African Medicine
The Cinderella of herbal cultures is at last making a splash at the party! While much traditional African herbal lore has been lost, we have some powerful and exciting remedies for a wide range of conditions, some of which are more popular overseas than they are locally. Dr Frank Müller lists his top ten.
Rose-scented Geranium
Rose-scented Geranium – Pelargonium graveolens – is one plant no garden should be without. Just a small bunch of fresh leaves under your pillow will calm and soothe you so comfortingly you’ll become enchanted with it!
Vitamin C – sensible and essential supplementation
We all dread falling victim to the effects of a poor immune system with the change of season and cold and flu viruses doing their rounds. Taking vitamin C may be at the top of your ‘to do list’ to banish those bugs, but will it really help?
Mushrooms as Medicine
Medicinal Mushrooms activate various components of the immune and nervous systems, support brain and cognitive function, the regulation of blood sugar levels and increase energy levels and stamina. And that’s not all!
Cannabis as Medicine
I started researching cannabis oil in December 2014 when my fiancé was diagnosed with a very large malignant brain tumour. I needed to see if there is enough evidence for its medicinal use, especially in cancer patients. I interviewed researchers, doctors, users and growers, both locally and abroad, and asked them tough questions.
Herbal Medicine – a doorway into a sacred world
I am passionate about herbs, the various extraction methods and their medicinal properties. How wonderful it must be to go to work and walk around in nature, identifying and collecting herbs! Herbalism for some people – the herb itself or the cup of tea – becomes a doorway into a sacred world, a path to healing.
The Therapeutic Properties of Aloe Ferox
Aloes are succulent plants of the Lilliaceae family and are mostly indigenous to sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar. About 360 species have been identified in these regions. The medicinal use of aloes dates back to antiquity. Ancient rock art of the San people depicts the harvesting of aloes resembling Aloe ferox.
Some Facts about Milk Thistle
Milk thistle has been used for over 2 000 years as an herbal remedy for a variety of ailments. The herbal medicine comes from the plant’s seeds. It is available in capsules, as an alcohol tincture, or as a glycerite (concentrated in glycerine).
Tips on Discerning Dietary Supplement Use
Strolling down the supplement aisles at health stores and pharmacies to choose the best multivitamin can be confusing. With so many different brands and varieties to choose from, it’s hard to know where to begin. Given the abundance and conflicting nature of information available about dietary supplements, you may need help to sort the reliable information from the questionable.
Spotlight on Vitamin E
What do we really know about vitamin E’s effects in the body? Vitamin E is the collective name for a group of fat-soluble compounds that exists in different forms, each different from the other depending on their source. Vitamin E has many benefits essential for healthy living. Yet, its antioxidant function is the dominant benefit.
Natural Remedies for Winter Ailments
When you or your family are hit with the almost inevitable colds and flu, you don’t need to reach for that paracetamol straight away. Mother Nature’s medicine cabinet holds a host of different options to remedy your seasonal complaints. Herbs, spices, homeopathics and good nutrition are your first line of defence.
Spotlight on Devil’s Claw
The herb devil’s claw is a perennial plant, native to southern Africa particularly the Kalahari Desert, Namibia and Madagascar. The name devil’s claw comes from the hooks that cover its fruits and the root is collected when the rainy season ends. The traditional use of devil’s claw by tribes in Africa involved the root being chopped and dried in the sun for three days to make medicinal preparations.
What Does Progesterone Do?
Progesterone helps prevent osteoporosis in a manner that complements oestrogen/ testosterone. While oestrogen prevents bone breakdown, progesterone actually promotes bone rebuilding by stimulating the osteoblasts (the cells that create the bone fabric itself). Progesterone is the only known natural biological chemical that stimulates the osteoblast activity in both men and women.
The importance of Minerals and Trace Elements
The role of nutritional supplements in the treatment of disease has been underrated by conventional medical training. This is surprising considering the fact that health is dependent on the supply of nutrition to all the cells of the body. Magnesium, for example, plays a role in over 300 enzyme reactions in the body and zinc is required in over 200 enzyme processes.