Diabetes and Alternative/Complementary Medicine, What You Should Know

It took me quite a time to make one blog. I apologize, has been busy with my 2 new locations and my teaching career.

Remember you can follow me on tweeter and read other articles that I post there. You can find me as arroyosacu

Insomnia: Through the Acupuncturist Lens

Here you will learn how we, acupuncturist, distinguish insomnia and treat it accordingly; have included a list of some well known western herbs that are used for insomnia but this time I mention what type of insomnia it treats according to chinese medicine

Breastfeeding Problems, a Holistic View

Correction: the stomach meridian is the one with the girl and the liver is the other one.

Herb of the Week: Anamu

This herb known in Puerto Rico as the weed that the goat does not want to chew has medicinal properties that have been lost in Puerto Rico.
Anamu known in English as garlic weed, gully root, congo root and pipi root with a botanical name of Petiveria Alliacea L was used in Puerto Rico as muscle relaxant, anti-inflammatory (bladder and joints), hysteria, and other nervous symptoms...It was used against asthma too. Has diuretic properties and diaphoretic as well.
The part used was the root but has been observed that the leaves have same properties.

This information was taken from the book Plantas Medicinales de Puerto Rico page 5, the book was written by Esteban Nunez PhD and published by Editorial de la Universidad de Puerto Rico. 1982.

I do apologize for the lack of information regarding research, dosages, etc. In Puerto Rico plants used to be decocted in combination with other herbs just like we do in Chinese Medicine.


Disclaimer: This information is for instructional purposes and does not replace proper medical attention. It is advice to seek professional help and advice.

Herb of the Week: Chanca Piedra

 What is Chanca Piedra


Chanca Piedra known in English as stone breaker is an herb from the amazons with 4 different varieties: Pyllanthum Niruri, Phyllanthus Amarus, Phyllanthus Sellowianus and Phyllanthus Urinaria.
P. Niruri is the one known in tropical places such as the amazon while P. Amarus and P. Sellowianus is the one that grows in dry tropical regions. The 4 plants are alike and exhibit similar medicinal activities but some of them have stronger effects on certain conditions.

Some Active Constituents


Some active constituents are lignans, flavonoids, alkaloids, ellagitannins and phenylpropanoids and others.. One of my favorite flavonoids is rutin and quercetin which are also present on this interesting plant.

Traditional Medicinal Uses and Preparation

Traditionally the plant has been used to treat kidney stones, gallstones, malaria, colic, jaundice, parasites, fever and pain.
The whole plant is used and is prepared as a decoction. Tincture is not recommended because the alcohol content destroy all the water soluble constituents rendering the plant ineffective.

Research and Chanca Piedra

Research has found that chanca piedra indeed is good for its traditional uses yet it has also found that it lowers blood cholesterol, triglycerides, lowers blood sugar and blood pressure. It has been found to act as an inhibitor of Aldose Reductase the culprit of macular degeneration and diabetic neuropathy. Its inhibition is not limited to Aldose Reductase but it acts as a reverse transcriptase inhibitor which makes it idoneous for HBV, leukemia, sarcoma and HIV.
Has been proven to slow and prevent cancer cell proliferation by inhibiting mutations and breaks on DNA; it also has shown to protect the cells and the liver against carcinogenic substances.
Has been found to be 7 times more effective than aspirin and acetaminophen as pain reliever.

Chanca Piedra and Modern Use
 Chanca Piedra has been widely used in Brazil and you can find it on pharmacies as pills or capsules...it has been used in China, and India also.

The Future and Chanca Piedra  
Because chanca piedra is effective by only using water it can not be developed as a drug and giving the circumstances that chanca piedra's medicinal properties relies on synergetic properties rather than on isolated compounds this makes the herb less "marketable, researchable, and profitable" for companies so expect this herb to be in a dark corner of the closet ...

Anemia

It is estimated there are 3.5 millions Americans (approximately 10%)suffering from anemia. Anemia simply put is a condition where the red blood cells (RBC) are not delivering enough oxygen to the body's organs or tissues which manifests as lethargy, fatigue and dizziness among the most common signs and symptoms. Due to the fact that there are more than 400 types of anemia the signs and symptoms will vary accordingly. Considering this we should be aware that anemia can be categorized in 3 major ways: 1) Anemia due to blood loss, 2) anemia caused by malfunction of the RBC or decreased production, and 3) anemia caused by the destruction of RBC. Under the first category we can include gastrointestinal disorders such as ulcers, gastritis, hemorrhoids and cancer and NSAIDS induced anemia; on the second category we can find anemia due to a deficiency of folic acid, vitamin B 12 (pernicious anemia), and iron; sickle cell anemia, bone marrow and stem cell problems and other health problems such as viral infections, and medications that in someway intervene with metabolic processes and absorption of nutrients from the intestines are included in the second category; we have to include here the removal (partial or complete) of the intestines and stomach surgeries too. Finally under the last category we can see hemolytic anemia, thalassemia,aplastic anemia, and Fanconi's Anemia ... all these are caused due to infections, drugs, snake or spider venom, or certain foods,toxins from advanced liver or kidney disease,inappropriate attack by the immune system (called hemolytic disease of the newborn when it occurs in the fetus of a pregnant woman),vascular grafts, prosthetic heart valves, tumors, severe burns, chemical exposure, severe hypertension, and clotting disorders,and in rare cases, an enlarged spleen that traps RBC and destroys them. Now from a holistic point of view the cause of Anemia is due to blood deficiency, Liver Yin Deficiency, Spleen Qi deficiency, Intestines Qi deficiency and damp-phlemg encumbrance which in modern medicine translates as poor nutrition and absorption of nutrients, exhaustion of the liver filtering processes, pancreas insufficiency and dysbiosis of the microflora of the intestines leading to poor immune function or peformance. What we can do? Are there any herbal remedies for these problems? Gladly, yes there it is. I always recommend to start with a thorough cleansing process using " Dieter's Cleanse, ALJ, and Lymph Gland Cleanse-HY" that you can buy at http://www.mynsp.com/arroyo. With these 3 products you will see that the damp-phlegm will disappear, the liver will be nourished and detoxified and the glands such as the pancreas, pituitary and thyroid will be nurtured enhancing the body's metabolism for proper absorption of food and herbal treatment that will follow. Some herbs that I have found that are being used for anemia are the following: carqueja, jurubeba, amargo, chanca piedra, camu camu, maca, erva tostão, vassourinha, fedegoso, acerola, artichoke, suma root, nettle herb, espinheira santa, simarouba, pau d'arco, quinine,flower pollen (bee pollen), spirulina, kelp, dulse, hijiki, wheatgrass, watercress, bladderwrack thallus, alfalfa herb, chicory root, and prepared rehmania root. Once again I would like to encourage the reader to consult a naturopathic doctor, or someone that works with herbal remedies. The information presented here is for educational purposes and nothing has been proven by the FDA. s4inkhp7ae