Common Names—ginkgo, Ginkgo biloba, fossil tree, maidenhair tree, Japanese silver apricot, baiguo, bai guo ye, kew tree, yinhsing (yin-hsing)

Latin Name—Ginkgo biloba

What Ginkgo Biloba Is Used For

• Ginkgo leaf extract has been used to treat a variety of ailments and conditions, including asthma, bronchitis, fatigue, and tinnitus (ringing or roaring sounds in the ears).
• Today, people use ginkgo leaf extracts hoping to improve memory; to treat or help prevent Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia; to decrease intermittent claudication (leg pain caused by narrowing arteries); and to treat sexual dysfunction, multiple sclerosis, tinnitus, and other health conditions.

How Ginkgo Biloba Is Used

Extracts are usually taken from the ginkgo leaf and are used to make tablets, capsules, or teas. Occasionally, ginkgo extracts are used in skin products.

What the Science Says

• Numerous studies of ginkgo have been done for a variety of conditions. Some promising results have been seen for intermittent claudication, but larger, well-designed research studies are needed.
• An NCCAM-funded study of the well-characterized ginkgo product, EGb-761, found it ineffective in lowering the overall incidence of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease in the elderly. Further analysis of the same data also found ginkgo to be ineffective in slowing cognitive decline. In this clinical trial, known as the Ginkgo Evaluation of Memory study, researchers recruited more than 3,000 volunteers age 75 and over who took 240 mg of ginkgo daily. Participants were followed for an average of approximately 6 years.
• Some smaller studies for memory enhancement have had promising results, but a trial sponsored by the National Institute on Aging of more than 200 healthy adults over age 60 found that ginkgo taken for 6 weeks did not improve memory.
• Other NCCAM-funded research includes studies on ginkgo for asthma, symptoms of multiple sclerosis, vascular function (intermittent claudication), cognitive decline, sexual dysfunction due to antidepressants, and insulin resistance. NCCAM is also looking at potential interactions between ginkgo and prescription drugs.

Side Effects and Cautions

• Side effects of ginkgo may include headache, nausea, gastrointestinal upset, diarrhea, dizziness, or allergic skin reactions. More severe allergic reactions have occasionally been reported.
• There are some data to suggest that ginkgo can increase bleeding risk, so people who take anticoagulant drugs, have bleeding disorders, or have scheduled surgery or dental procedures should use caution and talk to a health care provider if using ginkgo.
• Uncooked ginkgo seeds contain a chemical known as ginkgotoxin, which can cause seizures. Consuming large quantities of seeds over time can cause death. Ginkgo leaf and ginkgo leaf extracts appear to contain little ginkgotoxin.
• Tell your health care providers about any complementary and alternative practices you use. Give them a full picture of what you do to manage your health. This will help ensure coordinated and safe care.

Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract is a post from: Medicinezine.com

Common Name—grape seed extract

Latin Name—Vitis vinifera

What Grape Seed Extract Is Used For

• Grape seed extract is used for conditions related to the heart and blood vessels, such as atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and poor circulation.
• Other reasons for the use of grape seed extract include complications related to diabetes, such as nerve and eye damage; vision problems, such as macular degeneration (which can cause blindness); and swelling after an injury or surgery.
• Grape seed extract is also used for cancer prevention and wound healing.

How Grape Seed Extract Is Used

Grape seed extract is prepared from the seed of grapes. It is available in capsule and tablet forms.

What the Science Says

• Laboratory studies have shown that grape seed contains antioxidants-substances that prevent cell damage caused by free radicals, which are highly reactive molecules that can damage cell function. However, it is still unclear how grape seed might affect human health.
• Grape seed extract has shown some beneficial antioxidant effects in preliminary clinical trials. However, few trials have looked at specific diseases or conditions, and little scientific evidence is available.
• A study funded by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) found that grape seed extract did not reduce the hardening of breast tissue that can occur after radiation therapy for breast cancer.
• NCI is also funding studies evaluating whether grape seed extract is effective in preventing breast and prostate cancers.
• NCCAM is studying whether the action of grape seed extract and its components may benefit the heart or have protective effects in the brain.

Side Effects and Cautions

• Grape seed extract is generally well tolerated when taken by mouth. It has been used safely for up to 8 weeks in clinical trials.
• Side effects that have been reported most often include headache; a dry, itchy scalp; dizziness; and nausea.
• The interactions between grape seed extract and medicines or other supplements have not been carefully studied.
• Tell your health care providers about any complementary and alternative practices you use. Give them a full picture of what you do to manage your health. This will help ensure coordinated and safe care.

Grape Seed Extract Intake Benefits is a post from: Medicinezine.com

Common Names—garlic

Latin Names—Allium sativum

What is garlic?

Garlic is a vegetable (Allium sativum) that belongs to the Allium class of bulb-shaped plants, which also includes onions, chives, leeks, and scallions. Garlic is used for flavoring in cooking and is unique because of its high sulfur content. In addition to sulfur, garlic also contains arginine, oligosaccharides, flavonoids, and selenium, all of which may be beneficial to health (1).

The characteristic odor and flavor of garlic comes from sulfur compounds formed from allicin, the major precursor of garlic’s bioactive compounds, which are formed when garlic bulbs are chopped, crushed, or damaged (2). Bioactive compounds are defined as substances in foods or dietary supplements, other than those needed to meet basic nutritional needs, that are responsible for changes in health status.

What are the types of garlic preparations?

Garlic supplements can be classified into four groups: Garlic essential oil, garlic oil macerate, garlic powder, and garlic extract.

• Garlic essential oil is obtained by passing steam through garlic. Commercially available garlic oil capsules generally contain vegetable oil, but only have a small amount of garlic essential oil because of its strong odor.

• Garlic oil macerate products are made from encapsulated mixtures of whole garlic cloves ground into vegetable oil.

• Garlic powder is produced by slicing or crushing garlic cloves, then drying and grinding them into powder. Garlic powder is used as a flavoring agent for condiments and food and is thought to retain the same ingredients as raw garlic.

• Garlic extract is made from whole or sliced garlic cloves that are soaked in an alcohol solution (an extracting solution) for varying amounts of time. Powdered forms of the extract also are available

What Is Garlic Used For?

• Garlic’s most common uses as a dietary supplement. A product that contains vitamins, minerals, herbs or other botanicals, amino acids, enzymes, and/or other ingredients intended to supplement the diet. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has special labeling requirements for dietary supplements that are for high cholesterol, heart disease, and high blood pressure.
• Garlic is also used to prevent certain types of cancer, including stomach and colon cancers.

How Is Garlic Used as a Dietary Supplement?

Garlic cloves can be eaten raw or cooked. They may also be dried or powdered and used in tablets and capsules. Raw garlic cloves can be used to make oils and liquid extracts.

What the Science Says

• Some evidence indicates that taking garlic can slightly lower blood cholesterol levels; studies have shown positive effects for short-term (1 to 3 months) use. However, an NCCAM-funded study on the safety and effectiveness of three garlic preparations (fresh garlic, dried powdered garlic tablets, and aged garlic extract tablets) for lowering blood cholesterol levels found no effect.
• Preliminary research suggests that taking garlic may slow the development of atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), a condition that can lead to heart disease or stroke.
• Evidence is mixed on whether taking garlic can slightly lower blood pressure.
• Some studies suggest consuming garlic as a regular part of the diet may lower the risk of certain cancers. However, no clinical trials have examined this. A clinical trial on the long-term use of garlic supplements to prevent stomach cancer found no effect.
• Recent NCCAM-funded research includes studies on how garlic interacts with certain drugs and how it can thin the blood.

Side Effects and Cautions

• Garlic appears to be safe for most adults.
• Side effects include breath and body odor, heartburn, upset stomach, and allergic reactions. These side effects are more common with raw garlic.
• Garlic can thin the blood (reduce the ability of blood to clot) in a manner similar to aspirin. This effect may be a problem during or after surgery. Use garlic with caution if you are planning to have surgery or dental work, or if you have a bleeding disorder. A cautious approach is to avoid garlic in your diet or as a supplement for at least 1 week before surgery.
• Garlic has been found to interfere with the effectiveness of saquinavir, a drug used to treat HIV infection. Its effect on other drugs has not been well studied.
• Tell your health care providers about any complementary and alternative practices you use. Give them a full picture of what you do to manage your health. This will help ensure coordinated and safe care.

Garlic as a Dietary supplement is a post from: Medicinezine.com

Basic information about aloe vera—common names, uses, potential side effects, and resources for more information. Aloe vera’s use can be traced back 6,000 years to early Egypt, where the plant was depicted on stone carvings. Known as the “plant of immortality,” aloe was presented as a burial gift to deceased pharaohs.

Common Names—aloe vera, aloe, burn plant, lily of the desert, elephant’s gall

Latin Names—Aloe vera, Aloe barbadensis

What Aloe Vera Is Used For

• Traditionally, aloe was used topically to heal wounds and for various skin conditions, and orally as a laxative.
• Today, in addition to traditional uses, people take aloe orally to treat a variety of conditions, including diabetes, asthma, epilepsy, and osteoarthritis. People use aloe topically for osteoarthritis, burns, and sunburns.
• Aloe vera gel can be found in hundreds of skin products, including lotions and sunblocks.
• The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved aloe vera as a natural food flavoring.

How Aloe Vera Is Used

• Aloe leaves contain a clear gel that is often used as a topical ointment.
• The green part of the leaf that surrounds the gel can be used to produce a juice or a dried substance (called latex) that is taken by mouth.

What the Science Says

• Aloe latex contains strong laxative compounds. Products made with various components of aloe (aloin, aloe-emodin, and barbaloin) were at one time regulated by the FDA as oral over-the-counter (OTC) laxatives. In 2002, the FDA required that all OTC aloe laxative products be removed from the U.S. market or reformulated because the companies that manufactured them did not provide the necessary safety data.
• Early studies show that topical aloe gel may help heal burns and abrasions. One study, however, showed that aloe gel inhibits healing of deep surgical wounds. Aloe gel does not prevent burns from radiation therapy.
• There is not enough scientific evidence to support aloe vera for any of its other uses.

Side Effects and Cautions

• Use of topical aloe vera is not associated with significant side effects.
• Abdominal cramps and diarrhea have been reported with oral use of aloe vera.
• Diarrhea, caused by the laxative effect of oral aloe vera, can decrease the absorption of many drugs.
• People with diabetes who use glucose-lowering medication should be cautious if also taking aloe by mouth because preliminary studies suggest aloe may lower blood glucose levels.
• Tell your health care providers about any complementary and alternative practices you use. Give them a full picture of what you do to manage your health. This will help ensure coordinated and safe care.

Aloe Vera as a Natural medicine is a post from: Medicinezine.com

What is Clean Detox? The Clean Detox Program is a 21 day detox program that is specifically designed for the person on the move. Unlike traditional cleanses, you need not stay at home while you detox on the Clean Detox Program. This cleanse is designed for those who want to live their life and still get Clean.

Why should we cleanse?

Some of the external toxins that we are exposed to come from:

- Car and industrial plant fumes, tobacco smoke.
- Tap water containing heavy metals, industrial/agricultural chemicals and chlorine (absorbed through drinking and the skin when taking a bath or shower).
- Pesticides, herbicides, preservatives, synthetic additives, antibiotics and growth hormones (in meat) in the processed non-organic food we eat.
- Household air fresheners and cleaners, skin creams, deodorants, shampoos, hairsprays, damp proof and furniture treatments and electromagnetic pollution from home electronic gadgets.

At the same time our bodies continually produce toxins from all the processes that are needed to keep us alive, such as breathing, digestion and immunity system defence. Sources of internal toxins include:

- Free radicals (unstable molecules) generated from normal body processes that can cause havoc in the body (e.g. they have been linked to ageing and cancer).
- The by-products of bacteria and yeasts that live in our intestines.
- Injuries and wounds.
- Excessive stress.
- Mercury or “silver” fillings.

Top 5 Reasons to Detox your Body and Lose Weight with the Doctor created Clean Detox Program

The Clean Detox Program is different from other detox programs. How?
The Clean Detox Program was designed by cardiologist, and cleanse specialist, Dr Alejandro Junger MD (the Director of Integrative Medicine at Lenox Hill Hospital and a practicing physician at the Eleven Eleven Wellness Center in New York City), to be easy to follow and safe to conduct. Do detox programs actually work? If they’re done correctly, they do! Follow the program that well-respected doctors like Mark Hyman MD (NY Times Best-Seller) and Frank Lipman MD (author of Spent) have endorsed.

Celebrity Endorsed
Gwyneth Paltrow’s Clean Review: “As I write this, I am finishing the amazing three-week-long “Clean” detox program.. Designed by New York cardiologist and detoxification specialist Dr. Alejandro Junger, this program allowed me to work and exercise regularly, something I cannot do if I am on a liquid-only detox. I followed it to the letter and I can report that it worked wonders. I feel pure and happy and much lighter (I dropped the extra pounds that I had gained during a majorly fun and delicious “relax and enjoy life phase” about a month ago). This thing is amazing.”

Community Supported
Upwards of 60% of customers who purchase cleansing products don’t actually finish their cleanse. At the Clean Detox Program we are committed to make sure you finish your cleanse and get the results you deserve! 91% of our customers finish their cleanse due to our extensive community support site and regular follow up calls from our Wellness Coaches.

Real & Lasting Results
Kristin Taliaferro (Age 39) from Dallas, TX started her Clean Detox Program on July 15th, 2009. It didn’t take long for Kristin to fall in love with the simplicity and supportive nature of the program and the online community.
“I love this program. Even though I completed the cleanse awhile ago, I’m still keeping up with many of the principles. I feel forever changed and can see lasting results. Most importantly, my hypoglycemia seems to be totally gone since I don’t have any symptoms at all. I’ve recruited lots of people to do the program. They all love the results. And, now, my sister is about to start! I’m really excited for her!”

In a post on our community site Kristin listed the top 10 Things she loved about the program: Here are a couple:

Number 5: “The ease of the program in general. The kit makes it super easy to do. I’ve been using the kit (supplements and shakes) plus mixing in some of the recipes from the book [Clean by Dr Alejandro Junger MD].”

Number 10: “The changes in my body and how vibrant I feel all day long. My eyes are brighter, my tummy feels flatter and my body is literally humming….”

Plan + Support = Results
According to surveys, only 8% of Americans successfully achieve their New Year’s resolutions. A whopping 45% fail by the end of January!

Why? The two main reasons are: 1) They don’t have a plan and 2) They don’t have support.

Clean Provides You With a Plan: It is not enough to “just want to lose weight” – you have to have a plan. The Clean Detox Program is proven to produce real results and we have countless testimonials to back it up.

Clean Provides You Support: Why are we crazy about support? Because Support = Success. In a recent survey 95.4% of our customers reported that the Clean Support System (our commnity site + our Wellness Coaches) made a “significant difference” in their ability to complete the program and achieve lasting results.

Save $10 On The Clean Program! Use Code CLEANDEC At Checkout! Click Here!

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Clean Detox – Gwyneth Paltrow’s favorite detox is a post from: Medicinezine.com