posted
Hi Gary Great article. I like her explanations of the physiology involved, which I think is very helpful for people to know.
I respectfully differ with her regimens. The reasons are several:
Herbal laxatives can be bowel-habituating (cause dependency), so your own body doesn't properly do its own job of evacuating (*if*! the herbs are used ongoing or regularly. Not with occasional use, that's okay).
Instead of the herbs she recommends, I would recommend the Ayurvedic blend of three fruits called triphala.
This blend contains the amla fruit, the highest known source of vitamin C and bioflanvoids (as much as 725 mg in one fruit, writes Linda Rector Page ND !)
The action of triphala is to a) nourish and strengthen the intestines over time b) bioflavonoids help to build up digestive lining integrity c) they also help with parasitic kill-off though I wouldn't say they are the sole solution either. But they can also help. d) they strengthen capillaries e) offer anti-histamine action and other benefits.
Triphala will not habituate the bowels (will not cause dependence) and will aid their evacuation, aids digestive nutrient uptake and helps to build the digestive lining.
Magnesium, yes I would agree with her. A non-habit-forming way to evacuate the bowels where magnesium deficiency lies at the heart of the matter (many things can cause constipation. Diet is the first key).
Aloe vera contains wound-healing allantoins and is excellent for rebuilding the gut lining. As a mildly bitter herb, it helps rid the body of parasites (again additional herbs paired up with it would be needed. Black walnut is known for this, as would be artemesinin, grapefruit seed extract and other bitter herbs). Caution with aloe: It too can cause bowel habituation (dependence). Use one week only, then take a week or two off, start again. If you do this regularly then the pattern itself can become habituated too, so this is only for moderate-length use, ie a few months but no more.
About lymphatic cleansing:
I would recommend a combination of echinacea (a marvellous lymphatic cleanser) and red clover blossoms, poke root (Cautiously, in low dosages) and red root (also excellent). Myrrh can be very helpful too, low doses.
Infrared as far as I recall can, over time, contribute to cancer. But this is a vague recollection, feel free to double-check my statement here. I wanted to offer it anyway just for caution's sake. I could be wrong. It would be important to cross-refer with various sources because opinions do differ. If after researching at length the balance tips in the positive direction, go for it. If most sources are concerned, I would suggest to stay away or be moderate, not for frequent or long-term use.
The above information has not been evaluated by the FDA and does not diagnose, treat or cure any disease. This information is for your education only and does not substitute for a physician's personalized advice.
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Haley
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posted
Thanks for the excellent article. I am really trying to focus on detoxing right now.
Posts: 2232 | From USA | Registered: Aug 2009
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chiquita incognita
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posted
additional detox info/books:
Linda Rector Page, ND "Healthy Healing"
Christopher Hobbs, LAc "Foundations of Health" or "Natural Therapy for your Liver"
posted
This description fits with my experience. I would be interested if anyone here experienced the same thing.... From the article link above. "When the Lyme is being killed, it produces its own neurotoxin in defense." When I started on Doxycycline 2 months ago my 2nd day was the best symptom free day I had in 4 months. My third day was the worst. My brain was nearly non-functional. I felt like a ghost walking among the living. I wondered later if this was the effect of the contents of dying bacteria being released in my system. It had not occured to me that it was bacteria mounting a defense. That's too wierd.
Posts: 29 | From East Tennessee | Registered: Nov 2010
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chiquita incognita
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posted
Canefan, you are right. Anything that causes ---let's be clear here, peristalsis---can cause dependence.
Peristalsis is the contraction of bowel muscles, which pushes food and waste along the intestinal tract. The nervous system sets this mechanism up and keeps it going.
Anything that is ingested (except food) that causes peristalsis, by definition, creates dependence. Because the body no longer does it of its own accord, once the product is taken for long enough periods of time.
This is true of herbs (I have formal training in this area) and medications, each alike.
The Amla fruit won't cause peristalsis directly. Instead, its acidic nature sustains the probiotics involved in stool formation. It stimulates the production of enzymes which break down foods and nutrients. It works without directly creating peristalsis.
I am not clear about the exact mechanism of magnesium, but what I do know about it is that it relaxes muscles. Therefore it releases any tension in the digestive tract muscles. This renders the bowels more flexible. To the best of my knowledge it does not create actual peristalsis, but I could be wrong, please feel free to correct me if you know something more about this than I do.
Some things strengthen bowel tone. Fiber sweeps the colon clean, B vitamins strengthen bowel tone, vitamin C helps by supporting friendly bacteria involved with stool formation. Probiotics help too needless to say.
I have also found marshmallow root to be a non-habit-forming laxative. It softens the linings of the digestive tract (called the mucosa or mucous memberanes, not the same thing as mucus) and thereby renders the bowels more flexible. This enables greater nutrient uptake as well as more efficient peristalsis, therefore better bowel evacuation. Without stimulating peristalsis itself.
Again short-term peristaltic stimulation is okay. It's the more long-term action which could become a concern.
I hope this clarifies the question.
If you know something that I dont, by all means please post!
posted
Milk thistle---a really good quality product (very important!) mixed with herbs that promote bile and liver enzyme production for cleansing, are key.
Milk thistle studies:
An extract of milk thistle's constituent called silymarin, when injected into laboratory rats who thereafter are fed the poison amanita mushroom, show 100% protection from the deadly toxin. THis toxin ordinarily causes liver hemorrhage and death. Such is the writing of Elizabeth Williams, herbal pharmacist in her book called Potters Herbal Cyclopedia. HOwever this is common herbal knowledge and multiple studies to confirm this are posted on www.pubmed.gov, the government medical database.
Christopher Hobbs, LAc one of two world-top herbalists/scientists in this field, writes in his excellent book Natural Therapy for your Liver...of a study in Germany in which 100 people who had accidentally eaten the poison amanita mushroom, were injected with silymarin. Keep in mind that the single constituent is not the same as the whole herb, it's much more concentrated. So long as they received the injection of silymarin within 48 hours of amanita mushroom exposure, not even one life was lost, and liver enzyme production showed improvement, wrote Hobbs. (For humane and obvious reasons, the study had no controls).
It is believed that milk thistle constituents bind to receptor sites and block the entry of toxins.
Further it is used to normalize liver enzyme production in hepatitis and cirrhosis, both with success.
It's not the sole picture for detoxification. You also need herbs that stimulate other liver detox juices such as bile and detox enzymes.
Bitter and sour herbs/flavors stimulate bile. Fresh-squeezed lemon will help FYI but it must be sour, the store-bought stuff won't work (though it's probably okay to add a bit of sweetener to make it pleasant). Yellow dock, yarrow, barberry, artemesia, dandelion leaf and root, arugula, other bitter herbs will stimulate bile (which breaks down fats and cholesterols, and aids detoxification) and other detox matters from the liver.
I really like the product by GAIA Herbs called Milk Thistle Yellow Dock (in an alchohol base). It contains milk thistle, yellow dock, and oregon grape root. The latter is deeply liver "cooling", meaning that it settles down an agitated or over-worked liver. Even as it also aids detoxification. GAIA herbs are also very high quality, good growing conditions and batch tested for contaminants et al.
Paradise Herbs has superb! quality herbs free of alchohol, glycerin or excipients. THey sell mostly single herbs, ie milk thistle, but it's generally better to have a blend. Being an Ayurvedic company I am *Sure!* they must have triphala. If so I can vouch that this company has very high-quality herbs.
For lymphatic cleansing herbs, see my post above. THis would be indicated in lyme. Echinacea is more than anti-viral/anti-bacterial, it is also a marvellous lymph cleanser. Red root, ditto.
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