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GARLIC
Allium sativum
Time of administration: midnight to early morning.
Use for digestion, congestion, fevers, infectious disease (plague), high blood pressure, internal parasites (worms), cancer, immunity to disease, ear problems (punctured eardrums, earaches), toothache, gangrene, toxic metal poisoning (cadmium, lead, mercury). Strong antiseptic and antibacterial properties. Stimulates digestive processes. Balances arterial cholesterol levels and normalizes blood pressure. Used for intestinal flu and infections. Key nutr. Thiamine, chromium, selenium, allicin. The complete virtues of garlic have been extolled scientincally in Section C-"Single Herbs-Their Use, Nutritive Value, and Best Time to Take." What we are concerned with here is its remarkable ability to reduce high blood pressure. Some work has been done in this direction in the Soviet Union. There doctors have found that a prolonged use of this herb will keep blood pressure levels fairly stable. The allacin and sulphur in the cloves are the main contributors for this happening. In this country the United States Department of Agriculture has discovered that garlic has large amounts of sulphur compounds-more than other members of its family including the leek, onions, and shallots. Soviet scientists have noticed that there is a virtual absence of low levels of this mineral in those suffering from acute or minor hypertension. In this country various clinical studies have been published in professional trade journals to show that patients and animals suffering from hypertension have abnormally high amounts of sodium in their arteries. When the problem is relieved these levels return to normal. The matter has been investigated only once in India, but what was found coincided well with Soviet discoveries-that those afflicted with high blood pressure have unusually low sulphur levels. However, when a particular sulphate drug was administered to them, they began to show improvement. Apparently sulphur is able to check the adverse actions which too much sodium can present. Sulphur is present in the tissues as amino acids-methionine, cysteine, taurine, etc. When any of them are missing, sulphur is lacking. By way of interest, the allacin in garlic is stable in the blood and gastric juices of the stomach, but is inactivated by pancreatic juices. What is remarkable about the findings just presented is that they are virtually duplicated in valerian root, which is also renowned for reducing hypertension, high blood pressure, and related aggravations. The only difference is that the mineml contents in each are slightly reversed. While valerian root does have some sulphate glucosides, yet it is incredibly rich in manganese, which can vary as much as 8-10% in different plants. Garlic also has manganese, though to what extent is not fully known. Therefore, it can be safely assumed that sulphur and manganese are two trace elements chiefly responsible for controlling hypertension. Perhaps further investigation in the future will determine what other minerals play a vital role in regulating the blood. Garlic clove is weak in vitamins A and C but does have a lot of vitamin B1. Garlic leaves, on the other hand, contain large amounts of vitamins A and C. Besides sulphur, garlic also has manganese, copper, iron, zinc, calcium, and the necessary trace elements, chlorine, germanium, aluminum, and selenium. Selenium combats toxic poisons in the body and is closely related to vitamin E for biological activity. The chemical behavior of garlic will be studied here very briefly. The fresh clove has active constituents consisting of alliin, allicin, volatile and fatty oils, mucilage, and albumin. Alliin is water-soluble. It has no antibacterial action at all, but when it splits by specific action caused by the enzyme alliinase, an odor begins to develop. The fission products that result show antibacterial action similar to allicin. The activity above can be favorably compared to atomic fission. When the nucleus of an atom is split apart by neutron bombardment enormous energy is released. Thus, whenever heavier elements like uranium and plutonium are shattered, an especially powerful action may be witnessed in the form of a nuclear bomb being exploded. On an infinitely smaller scale, then, something similar takes place when alliin is split in half by alliinase an odor results. Allicin is stable to acids but unstable to hot alkali (ashes from plants usually consisting of potassium and sodium and to a lesser extent, ammonia, magnesium, etc.). It has strong antimicrobial activity. In other words, the allicin in garlic would be rendered useless if it were exposed to heated ash of powdered herbs high in potassium, sodium, and the like, whereas if it were put into citrus or grape juice (both very acidic), it would not be affected. Therefore, the garlic put into various combinations is good so long as the entire mixture is not accidentally exposed to unnecessarily high degrees of heat during the blending process. The allicin in garlic is able to kill germs, disease bacteria, and harmful viruses. This is what is meant by its strong "antimicrobial activity." Thus, we can see that the effects of garlic and hawthorn berries on the heart are these: (a) garlic's constituents kill infection in and around that area, and (b) the previously mentioned items in hawthorn berries all work together to help prevent coronary thrombosis (bloodclot in an artery near the heart), cardiac arrest (heart attack), and palpitation (rapid heart beating) from occurring. The choline present in the berries is the main principle in lecithin. Lecithin helps to control cholesterol by breaking up fat into tiny particles which can then pass very easily into the tissues of the body. It has been noticed in the past by attending physicians that victims of coronary death often have high amounts of unprocessed fat in their blood and lack choline as well. Research elsewhere has demonstrated that the presence of choline/lecithin in the diet of rabbits kept the large arnounts of cholesterol that they were deliberately fed each day from collecting in the blood or its vessels and prevented the hardening of their arteries.
GAS PLANT
Dictamnus albus
GENTIAN ROOT
Gentiana lutea
Gentiana spp.
Blood and liver cleanser/tonic. Bitter digestive aid. Laxative properties. Used in fevers and colds, beneficial to the female organs. Used to strengthen the digestive organs. Key nutr. Niacin, thiamine, selenium, zinc. Gentian root acquires a much darker color after it is dried, loses some of its bitterness then, and takes on a nice, distinctive odor. Gentian is rich in natural plant sugars, including sucrose. When the root is allowed to ferment, there is a partial conversion into glucose and fructose. If fermentation goes too far, however, then these sugars are converted into alcohol instead. Nevertheless, these sugars help in the breakdown and proper assimilation of the food into the system. Their chief seat of activity is the liver, although part of the fructose-to-glucose conversion seems to take place in the intestinal mucosa and the kidney. If there is any health difficulties with the liver, the fructose will accumulate in the blood. Gentian root contains bitter glycosides, alkaloids, yellow coloring matters, considerable sugars, pectin and fixed oil. Because it is rich in natural sugars, it is of great use for strengthening the pancreas and the spleen, as well as the kidneys. It has been used clinically in Indian hospitals to treat chronic urinary infections. There is one other herb root in this country which could easily pass for gentian, so identical are its properties. That herb is American colombo or elkweed (Frasera colinensis). Both roots are high in natural sugars. American colombo root is sort of yellowish when dug, and gentian root is almost an internal white when harvested, but both turn a brownish color when left exposed to the air. Both roots have a sweet taste to them right at first but soon become very bitter once they have been excavated. Under a microscope, however, the difference can be detected-American colombo or elkweed lacks the customary sieve tubes in its xylem. To the reader this might not mean a thing, but to the trained botanist or pharmacognocist, it is one way of separating the genuine from the fake. Gentian root is never sold fresh but allowed to ferment on hillsides in piles, sometimes even covered with dirt. After a period of fermentation they are retrieved, washed, cut into suitable lengths, and then dried, first in the open air and later on in sheds built for such purposes.
GERANIUM
Geranium masculatum
Pelargonium
Time of Administration: afternoon.
Use for diarrhea, hemorrhaging, mouth, throat sores, thrush (mouth fungus in small children), low and high blood pressure, viruses. Recent studies made internationally with this herb, have shown its tremendous value in other areas of health as well. Canadian microbiologists have learned that the large amount of tannic acid present in geraniums, white oak bark, bayberry, witch hazel, yellow dock, and other natural sources such as these, represents an effective anti-viral agent against certain types of infectious diseases, like polio, herpes simples, bronchitis, and influenza. (Jack Konowalchuk and Joan I. Speirs, "Anti-viral Activity of Fruit Extracts", Journal of Food Science 41:1013-1017, 1976). And in the Soviet Union, a different type of research to equal this has been witnessed by myself and other medical personnel from the United States, during a recent trip abroad in the Spring and Summer of 1979. In the city of Baku, directly situated on a convenient corner of land by the Caspian Sea, the delegation I was with were permitted to view and participate in what is called "phyto-therapy" or "flower inhalation therapy" over there. At the Zone of Health in this oil-producing city, there are small but comfortable facilities housed in a modest building which allow patients to sniff from a number of potted medicinal herbs of various sorts. Each plant in the building is designed for a specific ailment. This unusual therapy was devised by Professor Gasonov (now deceased), who founded the entire Zone of Health concepts many years ago. Thus, plants like lavender cotton (Santolina chamaecyparissus) for cardiovascular diseases, rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) for asthma and related respiratory disorders, laurel or bay (Laurus nobilis) for emphysema and arteriosclerosis, and different species of geraniums (plain and scented kinds from South Africa) for low and high blood pressure, are widely utilized by thousands of people in an aromatic sense. An individual will sit a distance of 40-60 centimeters from the particular plant of choice, and slowly inhale the odor emitted for a period of 10 minutes every day. Average treatments generally run somewhere between 25-30 days at a time, with success being achieved by most of those who engage in this kind of unusual therapy. But even more interesting than this, is the treatment and care given the plants themselves. We were told that all plants used for inhalation purposes were judiciously administered certain biostimulants on a regular basis for optimum strength and growth. Every Monday and Thursday, the plants are "watered" or fed liquid aloe vera juice in slightly diluted form. On Tuesday and Friday of each week, liquid glucose is poured on them. And on the 1st and 15th of every single month, a strong mineral water consisting of nearly 2 dozen micro-elements is also applied. By means of these applications, a chemical reaction occurs within the plants themselves, permitting natural elimination of any toxic impurities present and a substantial increase in their overall medicinal strength. As a result, strong effervescent oils and healthy negative ions are released into the air and inhaled by patients sitting within close proximity of them.
GERMANDER
Teucrium chamaedrys
GINGER
Zingiber officinale
CAUTION, DO NOT USE WITH GOTU KOLA
Relieves motion sickness, increases nutrient absorbtion & detoxification normalizes digestive activity. Strong antiseptic for gastrointestinal flu. Stimulating to the circulatory system good for sore throat cleanses the kidneys and bowels key nutr. Enzymes, magnesium manganese potassium silica. Ginger is one of those few herbs like capsicum or cayenne pepper which helps to distribute other herbs throughout the system better. In this case, ginger acts as a special transport for any herbs destined for the abdominal area of the body. Ginger's active constituents helps to intensify the mucilaginous behavior of the other three herbs mentioned. This is effectively accomplished by the special oil in ginger. The Jamaica variety has about 1%, the African from 2-3%, and the Indian about 3.5%. An important ingredient in this oil is an oleo-resin called ginerol. This oily liquid "binds" or "holds together" the mucilaginous properties of the rest of the herbs and delivers them as a unit to the colon. It is a wonderful complement to capsicum. Because of its unique oleo-resin in the oil (called ginger-oil), it is able to "bind" and "hold together" all cardiac herbs destined for the heart. Ginger is sort of a "packager" of other herbs, while capsicum is the "deliverer" or "carrier" of them. Ginger naturally accompanies capsicum to the heart and back again into the rest of the body. Ginger, as just discussed before, "binds" and "holds together" other herbs with which it is put. If they are cardiac herbs, then most likely all or the majority of them will reach their ultimate destination in the heart. On the other hand if they are goldenseal and juniper berries meant for the pancreas, and are combined with ginger, their chances of reaching that important gland as a single unit are greatly increased over taking them alone without this spicy herb. As stated earlier the oleo-resin substance in ginger makes this possible. Besides serving as a "binding" agent for the other herbs listed, ginger also performs well in the respiratory system-fighting colds, removing congestion, relieving headaches, stopping lung hemorrhage, and clearing up a sore throat. It brings a naturally warm stimulation to the head, nose, throat, and lungs during flu spells and the like.
GINKGO
Ginkgo biloba
Increases blood flow to the brain preventing memory loss, ringing in the ears and age related memory cerebral disorders (alzheimers disease). Key nutr. C, bioflavnoids, bitter astringing agents.
GINSENG
Panax ginseng
Time of administration: evening.
CAUTION, DO NOT USE WITH BLACK FALSE-HELLBORE
Digestive, fevers, inflammations, menstruation, nervousness, glands, sexual,stimulant, hyperactivity, radiation protectant, fights depression, excellent to build resistance to stress both mental and physical, helps to slow the ageing process
GINSENG, AMERICAN
Panax quinquefolium
CAUTION, DO NOT USE WITH BLACK FALSE-HELLBORE
Ginseng is well recognized for its stimulating action on the system. But according to Segelman this can be bad if used over a long period of time. One thing which he has failed to recognize, however, is that hundreds of millions of Oriental people have been faithfully drinking the stuff for the last three or four thousand years without any noticeable side effects. Perhaps they have developed more of a tolerance for this herb, or else Dr. Segelman's information about ginseng is presented in such a manner as to be misleading.
GINSENG, BRAZILIAN
Pfaffia paniculata
CAUTION, DO NOT USE WITH BLACK FALSE-HELLBORE
Also called suma. An excellent cleanser and overall tonic. Used to aid menstruation. Key nutr. Calcium, germanium. Ginseng is well recognized for its stimulating action on the system. But according to Segelman this can be bad if used over a long period of time. One thing which he has failed to recognize, however, is that hundreds of millions of Oriental people have been faithfully drinking the stuff for the last three or four thousand years without any noticeable side effects. Perhaps they have developed more of a tolerance for this herb, or else Dr. Segelman's information about ginseng is presented in such a manner as to be misleading.
GINSENG, KOREAN or ASIATIC
Panax schin-seng
CAUTION, DO NOT USE WITH BLACK FALSE-HELLBORE
Builds physical endurance, mental alertness and overall well being. A general tonic that enhances cardio- circulatory and liver activity. Cleansing to the body and nutritionally enhances overall glandular integrity. Key nutr. B, B2, manganese, potassium. Ginseng is well recognized for its stimulating action on the system. But according to Segelman this can be bad if used over a long period of time. One thing which he has failed to recognize, however, is that hundreds of millions of Oriental people have been faithfully drinking the stuff for the last three or four thousand years without any noticeable side effects. Perhaps they have developed more of a tolerance for this herb, or else Dr. Segelman's information about ginseng is presented in such a manner as to be misleading.
GINSENG, SIBERIAN
CAUTION, DO NOT USE WITH BLACK FALSE-HELLBORE
Traditional male hormonal for sexual health and longevity. Constitutional strengthener. Key nutr. Thiamine, riboflavin, manganese. Siberian ginseng is a recognized aphrodisiac for men and women alike. In other words, it should guarantee what false unicorn might fail to deliver. Some have erroneously suggested that women might acquire certain masculine characteristics if they take too much ginseng. For the present there is no legitimate scientific research to support or justify such a statement. Siberian ginseng is the other herb in this formula which stabilizes blood pressure. It is used by the Soviets in their space and aviation medicine. Cosmonauts going into outer space are issued special rations of eleutherococcus or ginseng for rapid heart beating, high blood pressure, mental anxiety, and nervous disorders-all of which can be experienced at one time or another beyond the bounds of this earth. Lack of gravity and conditions of weightlessness exert unusual physiological stresses of this type on the body. For this reason the cosmonauts are given a supply of this herb to use while they are in space. Ginseng is well recognized for its stimulating action on the system. But according to Segelman this can be bad if used over a long period of time. One thing which he has failed to recognize, however, is that hundreds of millions of Oriental people have been faithfully drinking the stuff for the last three or four thousand years without any noticeable side effects. Perhaps they have developed more of a tolerance for this herb, or else Dr. Segelman's information about ginseng is presented in such a manner as to be misleading.
GLADIOLUS
CAUTION DO NOT GROW NEAR STRAWBERRY (15 METERS)
GOAT'S RUE
Galega officinalis
GOLDEN ROD
Solidago odora, virgauria
GOLDENSEAL HERB
Hydrastis canadensis
CAUTION, DO NOT USE WITH LICORICE
Use the dried herb only. Similar properties of root but much milder. Relieves nausea. Antiseptic mouth wash and vaginal douche. Key nutr. C, cobalt, silica, zinc. Goldenseal and myrrh gum are both strong antiseptic herbs for killing disease germs in general. Goldenseal especially works on those particular glands of the body which produce resistance and buildup natural immunity to further harmful microorganisms later on. Goldenseal is antiseptic and kills infection. Goldenseal has been regarded as "one of the best substitutes for quinine". This is due to its strong chemical constituents which are tremendous for fighting any kind of infection around (from conjuctivitis to gangrene to cancer). The root's antiviral, antibiotic properties yield amazing results in this respect. The alkaloid derivative, hydrastine, is what gives goldenseal root its power. Hydrastine has been used to treat malaria and for this reason, ranks second to quinine. Goldenseal root, as mentioned before, is powerfully antiseptic and kills infection better than most herbs in the plant kingdom can. Goldenseal has three principle alkaloids, namely, hydrastine, berberine, and canadine. Commercial root samples yield 1.5-4% of hydrastine and 0.5-6.0% berberine. A special hydrastine hydrochloride has been formulated with a base of 91.31% natural hydrastine. This compound has been used to stimulate the heart muscles and also to prevent infection from occurring therein. The hydrastine has also been employed medically to stop excessive hemorrhaging in the uterus during menstruation. Berberine, the second active principle, is clinically recognized for its internal use against malarial, typhoid, scarlet, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. It is pretty much unsurpassed in this area. Canadine is a chemical reduction of berberine to other sub-compound states. Extensive experiments have been conducted on animals using berberine, in order to determine its precise behavior on various organs of the body. Since berberine gives goldenseal its intense yellow bitterness, it would be worthy to explore this a little. The alkaloid is absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract into other parts of the body and later excreted through the kidneys. Quite a bit of it, however, is oxidized or changed into other things while in the system. Muscle tone is substantially increased by the presence of this alkaloid, not to mention the sharp fall in blood pressure if larger doses of it alone are administered subcutaneously (beneath the skin). Earlier berberine's action against fevers was cited. This is accomplished by the alkaloid increasing the volume of the spleen and its rhythmic contractions, so that more internal parasites and microorganisms may effectively be eliminated through this filter organ of the body.
GOLDENSEAL ROOT
Hydrastis canadensis
Time of administration: evening.
CAUTION, DO NOT USE WITH LICORICE
Antibiotic, antiseptic, worms, infection, cancer, rash, laxative. Contains strong antiseptic/bacteriostatic agents. Used for meningitis, tonsillitis, diphtheria and ulcers. Quinine substitute. Key nutr. C, cobalt, silica, zinc hydrastine (antiseptic).
GOOD-KING-HENERY
Chenopodium bonushenricus
GOOSBERRIES
Ribes species
Time of Administration: unknown.
Use for tonic, internal cleanser, antiseptic, blood purifier.
The Soviet trade union journal Trud was quoted as saying some time ago: "Moscow's Institute of Biological Physics has shown the acid in unripe gooseberries can prevent disintegration of body cells which causes illness and old age." (Calgary Herald, Monday, March 12, 1979, p. A-23).
GOTU KOLA
Centella asiatica
Hydrocotyle asiatica
Hydrocotylt centella
CAUTION, DO NOT USE WITH GINGER
Use for snakebite antidote, circulation, blood purifier, leprosy, narcotic for pain and nerves, kidneys, indigestion, cuts, tonic for the heart memory and brain. Known as the memory herb, because it stimulates circulation of the brain. Considered one of the best nerve tonics it's used to increase learning ability., Key nutr. A, chromium, iron, silica. Gotu kola (Centello Asiatico) is often confused with fo-ti-teng, which is actually an Oriental blend of 3 different herbs. But the gotu kola herb is a single plant and has been used successfully to treat leprosy throughout Southeast Asia. It has been used in hospitals and clinics in Calcutta, India for the treatment of syphilitic diseases both internally and externally. Gotu kola contains an oily substance, a resin, an organic acid, tannin and traces of an alkaloid in this plant. Another analysis reveals a substance called vallerine (0.8-1%), resin, fat (8.9%), tannin and sugar (24.5%), gum and salts (11.5%), albumoid matter (12.5%), and ash (2.4%). Vallerine has been described as an oil which can be thickened through evaporation. The oil is a pale yellowish color with a bitter pungent and persistent taste and marked odor to the plant. It has also been reported to be clinically effective in treating eye lesions and cataracts before the posterior chamber becomes involved. Many Indian people have ascribed mind-improving qualities to his herb and consequently take it to help their memories. This, of course, has not been verified scientifically yet, but is only a customary folk claim prevalent throughout herbal medicine today. In my travels, I have talked with a number of people who have used this herb in a single form, and have claimed mental success by it. One elderly Black lady in a Philadelphia lecture, stood and testified to this very thing, adding, however, that she had had to discontinue its use for about a week or so because of the headaches the herb began to give her. "Maybe I was getting too smart for my own good," she chuckled. When her aggravation cleared up, she returned to taking it, but in a much smaller amount. Since then she has had no apparent problems. Thus, benefits which gotu kola may give the memory are presently only based on folk claims and empirical use. Perhaps, in the future, science may verify or discredit this allegation once and for all. A question was once asked a behavioral scientist involved in the study of herbs: "Is gotu kola a caffeine-containing herb?" To which he responded: "Gotu kola does not contain any caffeine at all. Kola nut contains caffeine, gotu kola does not contain caffeine. An added word of caution, however. There is an awful lot of mislabeling of herbs taking place, especially of the Asian herbs like gotu kola and ginseng. Buy these herbs only from impeccable companies who specialize in the marketing of herbs and who take added precautions to obtain pure material. Avoid mail-order outfits and dealers who you suspect might not know that much about herbs, but are simply selling them for the buck. Kola nut, itself, is often pawned off as ginseng or gotu kola."
GRAPES
Vitaceae family
Vitis genera-cultivated
Time of administration: evening.
Use for blood purifier, antibacterial, antigermicidal. Two microbiologists from Ottawa, Canada have discovered that when certain diseases viruses were exposed to fresh and commercially prepared grape juice in the test tube, they were all killed within a matter of minutes. The viruses thus affected were: polio, herpes simplex, spinal meningitis, pneumonia, and tuberculosis. They also found that red wines were more effective than white wines in destroying viruses of this type. (Applied and Environmental Microbiology 32:757). It has also been noticed recently by other scientists that when wounds and sores are bathed with grape juice the infection will immediately stop from spreading further. (Montreal Gazette, Wed. November 22,1978, p. 75).
GRAVEL ROOT
Eupatorium purpureum
Excellent remedy for relieving gravel and stones in the bladder and kidneys
GUAR GUM
Dietary vegetable fiber that lowers serum and liver cholesterol and postprandial blood glucose. Used as a bulk forming laxative and dietary fiber that helps control appetite. Key nutr. Crude protein, crude fiber.
GUARANA
Paullinia cupana
GUM MYRRH
Treats rheumatoid arthritis
Best when used with alfalfa and yucca. Goldenseal and myrrh gum are both strong antiseptic herbs for killing disease germs in general. Goldenseal especially works on those particular glands of the body which produce resistance and buildup natural immunity to further harmful microorganisms later on.
GUMWEED
Grindelia spp.
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