Herbals remedies are used across the entire span of the globe and have been for thousands of years. Long before modern medicine conveniently bottled medications for the everyday user with everyday ailments, natural plants were being used, and through a process of trial and error the best of the crop emerged and are still being used today.

One such herb with great health benefits and natural medicinal qualities is thyme. Well known for its floral, aromatic flavors is provides when using in cooking, thyme also packs a healthy punch that can help individuals with a wide range of ailments.

The ancient Greeks used to burn thyme for its pleasant aroma, while the Romans would add it to their alcoholic beverages and cheeses. It was also the Romans who found that thyme had some great affects on the body, including a cure for a condition we commonly refer to as melancholy – being down in the dumps.

Natural Remedies using Thyme

Throat/Mouth Sores

The main oil found in thyme is known as thymol and it is a very powerful antiseptic and antibacterial element, as well as a strong antioxidant. For people with cold sores or canker sores in or around their mouth, crushing some thyme in some warm water and using it as a mouthwash can help to clean the infection and relieve the pain.

In fact, thyme does so well with this type of job that most cough drop-makers actually use thyme as one of their main active ingredients.

Respiratory Infections

Thymol inside of thyme packs a big punch of expectorant and bronchial antispasmodic properties, meaning that it is a great treatment for bronchitis, the whooping cough, and infections and/or inflammation of the respiratory tract. Thyme is able to directly act on the bronchial mucosa and the terpenoids and flavonoids chip in to help out in effecting the bronchioles.

Cancer Prevention

Thyme is a member of the large and popular mint family, along with peppermint, spearmint and other plants. All members of this large family possess crucial compounds known as terpenoids, which are able to help prevent cancer. Thyme’s ursolic and rosmarinic acids are well documented for their cancer-preventing properties.

Making tea out of thyme is a great way to introduce these acids into your body. Simply crush a few leaves and stems slightly in the bottom of a glass or in a pitcher, and then add boiling water and let the mixture steep for at least 10 minutes but anywhere up to an hour or two. To add some flavor, you can use other plants from the mint family and really spruce up the beverage to give it a light and refreshing flavor. Drink at least 3 glasses of this tea daily for the best results for a sore throat, inflammation or if you are seeking cancer protection.

Some of us have the luxury of living in big cities with their own version of Chinatown or little ethnic markets on the corner. This integration of culture is a great thing and one of the big reasons that many people flock to bustling cities. If you want some traditional Chinese food, not that General Tso’s imitation stuff, you can swoop into the city and get some real food.

The same holds true for traditional Chinese herbs and herbs from other exotic locations. If you want to try alternative medicine for its safety and efficiency, various herbs have proven effects and are certainly affordable alternatives to mainstream medicine. However, it can be quite difficult to find them at times.

Substances like hyoscyamus, real ginkgo biloba, and other herbs might be familiar concepts to that mega-mart you’re faithfully shopping at. So in this article, not only will we clue you in on where to find the best herbs and herb supplements, but we will also give you a few shopping tips to avoid being ripped off.

Health Stores

That strange little shop you see beside the shoe store doesn’t only sell organic foods and specialty oils. You will also be able to find plenty of herbs in there, either in natural form or in supplement form.

Most people pass by these shops and assume that they only carry the grocery store’s healthier counterparts, i.e. whole wheat foods and dehydrated fruit and the like. Since many herbs aid in weight-loss, colon cleansing and all-around health, however, those little underrated and rarely explored shops are great locations to find herbs. And the best part: the prices usually aren’t set in stone; you can barter your way to a deal.

The Internet

This is a no-brainer, obviously, but you should always be weary when shopping online. If you need a thermos for a 1967 Incredible Hulk lunchbox, the Internet has it. It is the best place to shop for the rarest of things, especially herbs.

You can get a direct line to the Orient, where you will find many of the herbs you need. But be aware of what you’re purchasing. Read up on the place you’re buying herbs from and ensure that what you’re picking up is all-natural.

Farmers’ Stands

While most usually picture strawberries and cantaloupe, a farmer’s stand will actually have some great herbs from time to time, like aloe vera and other more common herbs. Now, of course, this isn’t the hard-to-find, rare stuff here, but while you’re shopping healthy you can grab a great deal on some herbs.

No matter where you shop, make sure you’re purchasing all-natural herbs and/or herbal supplements. Herbs are safe to take and can be extremely effective, but you need the real stuff.

It goes without saying that people spend a fortune trying to re-grow their hair. From pills they pop to topical ointments and everything in between, there are no lengths bald individuals will not go to in order to get back that full head of hair.

Instead of spending a lot of money on dangerous chemicals and the like, maybe it’s time bald/balding people tried herbal remedies to replace what nature has so cruelly taken away. Let’s go over five all-natural hair loss treatments you can use at home.

Green Tea

The antioxidants in green tea—catechins—are found to inhibit the powerful 5-alpha-reductase enzyme which converts testosterone into DHT. In individuals who drink green tea, this can help to prevent further baldness and will even assist other natural remedies you are using to re-grow your hair.

Nettle Root

It may be difficult to find nettle root, but in extract form it is fairly common. This plant is very helpful in the fight against hair loss, as it contains plenty of lipids and other minerals that your hair follicles absolutely love. Strong follicles mean a stronger, fuller head of hair.

Dong Quai

If you are not familiar with Dong Quai, then perhaps you know it by its other name – Angelica. This age-old herb can be found in practically any Chinese drugstore. It contains phytoestrogens, helping to control the production of DHT, and when taken in conjunction with another remedy like nettle root, ol’ Angelica becomes one of the most potent remedies out there.

Red Pepper

You must be wondering how a red pepper can help with hair regrowth. Well, by applying a freshly sliced pepper to the scalp, you will actually irritate the scalp and the follicles beneath. When they get irritated, histamine is released, which is a protein. This will stimulate the scalp’s cells and draw blood and nutrients to the area, promoting hair growth.

Aloe Vera

This is probably the most common remedy for hair loss and a lot of other ailments. For hair in particular, aloe contains an enzyme known as superoxide dismutane. This enzyme triggers the formation of nitric oxide and will stimulate hair growth in most individuals experiencing baldness.

These five remedies are not guaranteed to work, but many people experience great success with them. They’re less expensive than any drugs you can take, and they are completely harmless.

If you go to any doctor today and tell them that you have been struggling to lose weight, there is every chance that you will be prescribed some kind of diet pill that will help you to lose weight, but at a cost to your health. Sometimes these pills contain amphetamines or other harmful drugs that play havoc with your moods and your metabolism, and can create a dependency.

Fortunately, there are some natural alternatives. Herbal weight loss and diets that emphasise healthy eating are becoming more popular, and this is because of the variety of herbal weight loss supplements that are available on the market. Most are available over the counter with no prescription, and are a great way to lose weight and maintain your health, without taking dangerous supplements. Here are a few of the different herbal weight loss products available.

Hoodia

Taking Hoodia, or going on the Hoodia diet, has been a popular alternative to mainstream weight loss treatments for many years. This natural herbal remedy helps your body to burn calories and speed up its metabolism, without having any harmful side effects. It has been investigated as an appetite suppressant, and although it is no longer in as widespread production as it once was, it is still available as a herbal weight loss product.

Acai Berry

One of the hottest and most popular products used for herbal weight loss and diets, acai berry enjoys some celebrity spotlight as the herbal weight loss cure of the moment. However, there have been limited scientific findings about the efficacy of acai berries as a weight loss product. Many celebrities, like Oprah Winfrey, have promoted its properties, but this may be as a result of the marketing efforts of multi-level marketing firm MonaVie, who stood to profit greatly from the sales of their acai tonic.

The Candida Diet

The Candida diet is actually a diet combined with some herbal remedies that aims to target all forms of Candida yeast infections such as thrush and athlete’s foot. It is not a diet that will necessarily help you to lose weight, though it is relatively low in fat, and very good for your heart and digestive system. If you suffer from thrush or any other kind of persistent yeast infection, this diet might be worth a try.

Herbalife Diet

This is a popular diet that has been doing the rounds lately, but unfortunately the only thing ‘herbal’ about the Herbalife diet is some green tea and a name. In reality it is simply a tea and low-carb diet that may help you to lose weight quickly in the beginning, but will likely have little long term weight loss or health benefits. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!

By now we’ve all heard of the miraculous little blue pill that boosts erectile performance and sexual stamina in both men and women. The truth is that Viagra is only safe if used according to a doctor’s instructions, and has little to no effect on women.

That doesn’t mean that there isn’t a herbal Viagra alternative for men & women that is both safe to use and available without prescription. There are loads of different products on the market, some of which are reputable and some of which are not, that can be ordered online and used safely without a doctor’s supervision. However, you’ll need to be on the lookout for scam websites and ‘snake oil’ salesmen, and not be taken in by fancy offers.

Here are a few things to look for in a herbal Viagra alternative for men & women.

Money Back Guarantee – without making any jokes about scam artists, there is a huge industry that preys on sexual insecurity and erectile problems, and profits from people buying unknown products without a prescription. If you’re buying anything online, make sure the merchant offers a money back guarantee, and that there are reports of people online who have returned the product and received their money back. The last thing you want is to spend money on something that doesn’t work, and then not be able to get your money back.

Effects on Heart Medication – You’ve heard stories about people dropping down dead in the middle of the act. Those stories are, unfortunately, often related to mixing Viagra or other pills that conflict with heart medication containing nitrates. Medicines like Viagra work by increasing blood flow to the sexual organs. Some compounds which do this react unfavourably with some heart medication, so if you are on any medication for a heart condition, check with your doctor before taking anything for better performance in the bedroom.

Using a herbal vaporizer for aromatherapy is a great way to keep your home smelling fantastic, and to keep your favourite scents or aromatherapy infusions present in your home. From expensive premium models to lightweight portable purse vaporisers, there are dozens of companies producing hundreds of different types of herbal vaporizers that are great for use in your home, car or office.

Aromatherapy Vaporizers versus Diffusers

If you’re looking for an efficient way to infuse the air in your home with aromatherapy, you have several choices. Apart from simply burning the aromatherapy oil in a classic burner, you can choose to use a herbal vaporizer for aromatherapy, or a diffuser.

A vaporizer is probably the most cost-effective solution, as you can normally use any aromatherapy oils you might have lying around your home. Vaporizers expose the oils to heat slowly over time, causing them to release their scents into the air without burning the oils. This is a completely healthy, natural way to infuse your home with aromatherapy, and is a cost-effective alternative to traditional burners because they use much less oil, and are much less of a fire hazard.

Diffusers, on the other hand, often use metered cartridges that you have to buy specifically for that unit, and can become a little more expensive. They often run on a timer, releasing a small puff of aromatic scent into the air at pre-set intervals. Because they use bespoke cartridges they can be less expensive, but only if you choose a model that is efficient in its use of product.

How much should I pay for a vaporizer?

A quick search on Amazon will bring up dozens of aromatherapy vaporizers, with prices anywhere from $5 up to over $100. So why shouldn’t you simply buy the cheapest you can find?

Aromatherapy vaporizers are not all created equal, and you need to pay attention to the way they handle the product. Remember that most aromatherapy products are oil-based, and this can leave a residue in any piece of equipment that processes them. If there are a lot of small pipes and seals that the scent needs to pass through, it is likely that these will become clogged, rendering your diffuser or vaporizer useless after only a few weeks.

A better quality herbal vaporizer will keep working for years, and will be easy to clean or replace filters and other parts that become blocked or wear down with use. If your vaporizer is going to see daily use in your home or office, it’s well worth investing at least $50 in one that will last you a long time, and won’t become clogged up or break down after a few weeks.

Herbal supplements for ADD have been around for generations, but only recently has these supplements’ effectiveness in dealing with ADD been discovered. That is why you will see many products that claim to be a safe, natural alternative to drugs like Ritalin. Many of them work on similar active ingredients and principles. It is true that you can use natural remedies for your child’s ADD, but you should know exactly what you are giving your child before you invest in a herbal supplement.

Attention Deficit Disorder (or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder as it is now more commonly known) is a disorder affecting both children and adults that impedes their ability to focus on a single task or idea for a time span that has been determined to be ‘average’. This can result from many different causes, but it is now known that a deficiency in nor-epinephrine, a messenger chemical in the brain, is one of the prime culprits.

Herbal supplements for ADD seek to boost the body’s own production of this hormone. There are a number of different supplements on the market that claim to be able to do this, or to produce effects that heighten concentration, mental acuity or memory. Here’s a rundown of the most commonly known products.

Ginkgo Biloba

Ginkgo biloba (also known as the Maidenhead tree) is a fascinating plant in its own rights, having no known close relation to any living tree on earth biologically. It has been used in food and traditional medicine for thousands of years. Recent clinical trials have shown that regular doses of ginkgo biloba to be highly effective in preventing the onset of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. In fact it remains one of the only substances on earth known to be able to do this.

In the short term it has (reported) positive effects on memory and retention, and general concentration and cognitive capacity.

Hyoscyamus

Hyoscyamus is one of a family of naturally-occurring supplements for ADD that has been proven in recent clinical trials to alleviate restlessness and over-excited behavior in children. It has enjoyed great success in the years since this trial’s results were published, as more and more families in America look for an alternative to Ritalin to control hyperactive or attention-deficit children. Unlike Ritalin, it has few of the mood-altering effects that have made this drug so notorious.

One or both of the above ingredients should be included in any supplements for ADD. There are, of course, many other herbs and plants available that are reputed to have attention-increasing properties, but the above two are the most widely proven. All ingredients which include these will include many other ingredients known for their ability to combat conditions like ADD, but as a safe bet it is probably most worthwhile to go for a supplement containing one or more of these compounds.

Prescription sleeping pills do not have to be something that you rely on to get a good night’s sleep. There are dozens of products available that offer you a healthy, natural alternative and do not create a dependency. If you are prepared to try out a few different products and brands, it’s only a matter of time before you find one that works for you, and has no side effects that you aren’t happy to live with.

In fact, an herbal sleeping pill & aid will seldom have any negative side effects at all. It depends entirely of course on which product you choose, but most do not have side effects aside from drowsiness, which is generally intended. There are two broad classes of herbal sleeping pill & aid products you can choose from – anxiety remedies and herbal sleeping pills.

Anxiety Remedies (Rescue Remedy)

Most commonly known and marketed as ‘Rescue Remedy’, essential oils containing avena sativa composition have been used for decades as a natural calmative and sleep aid. They are usually available as a liquid in a dropper, or as little white pills that dissolve under the tongue. These products work by lowering blood pressure and reducing the levels of ‘stress hormones’ in the bloodstream, helping your body to achieve a calm state, and your brain to settle into sleep mode.

These products should generally be used if you feel you cannot sleep because you have too much on your mind, or because you are worried and nervous, or if your natural sleep pattern has been interrupted and you do not feel ready for sleep. However, they are also great before important presentations at work or college, or before interviews as they help to calm you down if taken in smaller doses.

Herbal Sleeping Pills

Herbal sleeping are non-prescription pills which tend to mimic the effects of pharmaceutical prescription sleeping pills in that they will knock you out about an hour after you take them. Common side effects can include vivid dreams and a feeling of drowsiness or a heavy head in the morning, but these are generally far less than with prescription sleeping pills.

While herbal sleeping pills are usually not as bluntly effective as prescription ones, they will generally provide you with a good night’s sleep if you are having serious trouble sleeping. They can also be used to sleep through long trips if you are travelling, and you won’t wake up feeling like you slept next to an open barrel of gasoline.

In general a herbal sleeping pill & remedy should be your first port of call if you are having trouble sleeping. There is every chance that your problem can be solved without resorting to powerful prescription drugs which can cause dependencies – and the last thing you want is to be dependent on a drug to get to sleep.

Herbal medicine & remedies are available just about everywhere you look, and they often offer a much cheaper and healthier alternative to modern medicine – provided that they are administered professionally. Here are a few things you need to remember when looking into herbal remedies.

1. Always buy from a trusted source – homeopathy and herbal medicine has enough of a bad reputation, so make sure you don’t propagate it by buying ‘magic cures’ from disreputable websites or stores. You can check if a practitioner has a registered traditional medicine license to be sure that you’re only buying genuine products. If you’re not sure, check up on the store you’re looking at online and see if they have a registered practitioner in their employ.
2. Know your ingredients – buying something with Jojoba oil in it for stomach cramps isn’t going to help, but a lot of unscrupulous merchants will sell you cheaper herbal medicine & remedies that might have some medicinal benefit, but just not for your condition! Making sure you get proper herbal remedies means you will need to know a great deal about what goes into them yourself, or finding a trusted practitioner who can recommend specific products.
3. Buy a well-known brand – this is not to say that new start-ups are not to be trusted, but it is your health at stake, so rather leave the experimenting to someone else. Go to a herbal medical practitioner and ask them which brands they recommend. Even if you’re not entirely familiar with the herb or product you’re taking, you’ll know that if a trusted brand recommends it for your ailment you’re probably on the right track.
4. Keep regular cures around the house – there are some herbal medicines & remedies that you should simply never be without. Echinacea, rose hip, arnica oil and a general rescue remedy are some of the herbal helpers you should keep around the house in case of emergencies, or simply to bolster your immune system from day to day.
5. Learn as much as you can – with so much misinformation out there, it’s easy to get duped into buying something that isn’t necessarily going to help you. If you spend some time reading up on your condition, and the various different medicines & remedies that can be used to treat it, you’ll be in a much better position to make an informed decision about herbal medicine.

Remember to always consult a professional herbal medicine practitioner before trying any new products, and don’t self-medicate. This means rather seek professional help before buying herbal remedies, because you may be treating for the wrong condition, or using a product that is not necessarily suited to the task. It’s your health – take care of it.

If you’re not completely happy with what Mother Nature gave you, but you’re not unhappy enough to look at drastic options like surgery, then there may be some herbal and natural remedies available to you that could improve your bust. Some women claim that certain products have worked wonders, while others have returned them disgusted after months of no results. Whether or not they will work for you has a lot to do with your body type, your age, and your hormone balance.

Note: You should not use herbal breast growth and enhancements bought over the counter if you are still in puberty or you have reason to believe that your breasts are still growing. Your hormones will take care of breast growth naturally.

Herbal Breast Growth Creams

There are a lot of creams on the market that supposedly promote breast growth and help to improve your breasts’ overall appearance and firmness. The way these work is similar to many other firming creams, and the effects are sadly seldom permanent. They generally firm and tighten the skin around and on your breasts to raise them up and make them appear less saggy and perkier.

However, you will find that a lot of the time after you stop using the cream the effects wear off, and you need to keep using the product if you want the results to persist. In general, herbal breast growth cream should be used in conjunction with other pill-based therapy. Beware that cheaper products might have a negative long-term impact on the health of your skin, so always only use trusted products on your skin and your breasts.

Herbal Breast Growth Pills

Herbal pills for breast growth are far more popular, and more commonly used, than creams. Often manufacturers will produce pills and cream to be used together, but pill-based products generally have many more favourable reviews than their topical counterparts. These pills generally use a common combination of homeopathic substances and herbs that are known to promote mammary tissue growth by promoting a hormone imbalance that does this.

When you are pregnant or on your period your breasts can often increase in size. Some breast enhancement pills attempt to mimic these effects in a natural way. Bear in mind, however, that any substance, which affects your hormone balance, might also affect your weight and your mood. Your breasts might very well grow, but you might not like the side effects.

Most herbal breast growth & enhancements promise around half a cup size to two full cup sizes within three months or so. Make sure you choose a product that offers a money back guarantee, though, because you might find that one particular product does not work very well for your body, skin or tissue type.