| .. |
HERBAL MEDICINE
A brief example of an
old art that has experienced a rebirth in the last decade and into the
new century. Many have long been preoccupied with the search for
therapeutic magic relief, floundering in botanical gardens for that cure
or fast medical find. Endless supplies of echinacea, goldenseal, ginkgo,
milk thistle, ginseng, and garlic - all herbs mentioned by Franklin and
Jefferson in their writings and now found in modern journals, popular
magazines or on the shelves of your local health food store.
One problem has been some of the information is misleading and can
possibility cause an imbalance if not carefully used. A good example is
the use of echinacea, for a short term immune stimulant does little to
shore up our internal resistance over long term. "Many wait until
they are sick to use echinacea, instead they should have been building
their immune resistance by eating healthy, exercising regularly, using
immune tonic agents that include astraglus, schizandra, and reishi
mushrooms", according to a Civil War Doctor's journal.
Some edibles that we all have heard of or have used and didn't realize
their real value in helping with our physical health and well being.
BEANS
GARBANZOS, KIDNEYS, and LENTILS, black beans, adzuki, and soy: dried
beans are excellent sources for fiber, protein and minerals. It has been
a known fact since the early 1800's that legumes contain far more folic
acid than nutritionists previously thought, with resent tests their
theories have been proven. Like an "old wives tale" the theory
was folic acid lowers the risk of birth defects and now after several
centuries researchers now have proved the idea at Washington State
University.
IODINE
IODINE has always been used in the healing and treatment of wounds,
along with its use added in several products used for centuries
worldwide. Iodine deficiency can cause thyroid problems and mental
retardation according to history with early medical studies in Europe
and confirmed again in the New World as early as 1810. Fortunately it is
one of the most preventable conditions with the advent of table salt,
its iodized. Ben Franklin and Thomas Jefferson suggested to increase
your intake of iodine other than salt, eat more vegetables and seafood,
which modern research have found to be true.
DRIED FRUIT
DRIED FRUIT once a day in the amount of one-half cup was believed to cut
the risks of prostate cancer as early as 1850. Today we use it as a
snack food or for an added energy source, as well as vitamins and
minerals. Just recently modern medicine has found, one-quarter cup of
dried fruit will cut the risks of prostate cancer by 48%. |
|
NUTS
NUTS were always thought to have great benefits when included in one's
diet, Thomas Jefferson had a variety of nuts throughout his home and
office. Any social event from Boston to Philadelphia would always have
nuts available to its guests as a snack and filler, until the dinner was
served according to the August 10, 1792 issue of the PENNSYLVANIA
GAZETTE. The Harvard School of Public Health in Boston had done research
in the late 1800's and found women who ate five or six handfuls of nuts
weekly had a lower risk for heart attack than those that did not eat the
natural fruit.
CAYENNE
CAYENNE was used as a seasoning and found use in the early 1800's to
reduce pain as aspirin is used today.
HAWTHORN
HAWTHORN herb is rich in flavonoids; dilates blood vessels, reduces
blood pressure and boosting blood flow to coronary arties according to
early studies, now found effective in angina and arrhythmias.
MAGNESIUM
MAGNESIUM was found to help with normal heart functions and believed by
Jefferson to reduce heart and blood problems. Recently found to reduce
heart arrhythmias and high blood pressure, only a 175 years after Thomas
Jefferson's conclusions.
PSYLLIUM
PSYLLIUM was discovered to reduce cholesterol in the late 1800's, they
just weren't sure what the human body really needed it for ! Today
doctors prescribe PSYLLIUM for reducing cholesterol and LDL cholesterol;
add gradually and drink lots of water.
The few herbs and fruits shown above are a small sample of what was and
is available from nature, known by the Medicine Men from around the
world, practiced from tribal settings to early hospitals covering
recorded time. Now centuries later "herbal healing" has been
found to have some benefit again, small world.
Some of our customers wondered why we would take the space and time to
record such a "wondering" as this, what's it have to do with
early North American History ? But if one would look deeper into the
herbal medicine world, they will find that a large percentage of cures
and treatments using these items and others come from the Chinese,
Native Americans and others who are from some of the oldest cultures
still around, they recorded the benefit of herbs centuries before the
colonies formed in the New World, and found their way as peoples moved
from one land to another.
|
.. |
