Made in Arizona

Putting my businessman hat on … Rather than provide information on the hows and whys of herbal remedies in this article, I am doing a little promotion.  NeitherlandHerbals.com (the website) is a member of numerous web-rings. Web Rings are collections of like-minded, related websites. These are rather akin to chambers of commerce or associations.  Naturally, this website is a member of various herbal, alternative medicine, and healthy living type rings.  While searching the Web Ring directories, I discovered a missing ring – a ring for small manufacturers in Arizona.

It is not my sole intention here to promote the state of Arizona, although I could go on for pages, considering I have lived here on and off for more than half of my life. What I have done is created a Web Ring simply called, “Made in Arizona”, to showcase the websites of other crafters and small manufacturers in Arizona. As of this writing, Neitherland Herbals is the only member (since the ring was only just created today).  But, check back and discover other small Arizona businesses making quality products.

The Politics of Health

At an increasing rate, people – particularly Americans – are showing an interest in using herbs and herbal remedies for treating their injuries and aliments.  This may be due in part to several reasons: the sky rocketing costs of medical and prescription drugs (or “chemical remedies” as I call them);  the effects and side effects of chemicals and they way they interact with their bodies; and wanting more control in their own health care and less reliance on physicians. Many people are also rediscovering a back-to-the earth lifestyle, which involves using natural fibers in their clothing, eating healthier foods, recycling, and of course, practicing natural or alternative healing methods.

In North America, as well as other places, it is difficult to think about herbal medicine without thinking about politics and corporate greed.  In The Scientific Validation of Herbal Medicine, Daniel B. Mowrey writes, “Medical Science in America is a unique combination of economic and political factors, which fuse together almost religiously to promote synthesized, highly active chemical which have been around a whole 10 to 15 years.”  Effectiveness is a necessary condition for promotion of a certain remedy, but this is not enough. The chemical must be potentially profitable. He further states, “Medicines that cannot be patented are not economically acceptable … If users of a natural, unpatentable, product represent an attractive market share, competitive marketing practices demand that the natural product be discredited.”

Every major pharmaceutical company is looking at dozens of herbs that they can alter to the point of being patentable and therefore be profitably marketed and promoted (rather than being discredited).  Some pharmaceutical companies use plants that have been used for centuries, as the basis for new drugs, but substitute the scientific names for the common names to hide its identity. There are thousands of herbal remedies that could put the drug companies out of business if the people ever caught on.  And even when people do catch on, the drug companies are quick to discredit an herbal as being ineffective or dangerous.

Whether you have the skills and abilities to make your own, or you rely on small herbal apothecaries such as Neitherland Herbals, a remedy for relief of headaches from various plants and herbs can be used.  Pharmaceutical companies are quick to tell you that you can overdose on this natural aspirin. I suppose you could if you took a sufficiently too-large amount. The symptom of this overdose is called tinnitus – or more commonly referred to as ringing in the ear.  Compare this to the symptoms of a chemical aspirin overdose: blood clotting, bleeding ulcers, perforated intestines, and other stomach issues. An herbal remedy for chest congestion is to inhale the steam coming from a pot of boiling eucalyptus leaves. This remedy is often derided by doctors as “hillbilly” or “Witch doctor” medicine. They would rather charge you for an office visit, tell you buy a vaporizer, write you a prescription for a eucalyptus based medication or suggest some over-the-counter med containing eucalyptus. I could provide more examples (and probably will in a future blog), but for now you probably get the idea.

In parting some things to think about.  In the Nutrition Desk Reference , authors Robert Garrison, Jr. and Elizabeth Somer (both registered Pharmacists), state that “From 1960 to 1995, the cost of health care in the United States escalated from $27 billion to more than $600 billion”.  They go on to say, “This after-the-fact treatment approach to disease has not resulted in substantial improvement in the nation’s health”.  Through less dependence on the pharmaceutical industry and more dependence on ourselves, we can take back control of our own health without going broke trying to do so.

Herb of the Week: Echinacea

If you could choose only one herb to have in your medicine cabinet, Echinacea would be the one. It works against virtually every kind of germ you can imagine and it helps to keep your body’s natural immunity working for you. There are two species: the Narrow Leaf Coneflower (Echinacea angustifolia) and the Purple Coneflower (E. purpurea).  Both are native to North America, specifically the central and eastern portions. Native Americans used the root for many years to treat all kinds of problems from snakebite to sore throats. The Sioux used it to cure rabies, treat wounds and snakebite, and the Comanche used it to treat sore throats and toothaches.  Native Americans learned of E. angustifolia by observing elk seeking out the plants and consuming them when sick or wounded, and identified those plants as “Elk Root”.

Echinacea was the original “snake oil”. It was used in “Meyer’s Blood Purifier”, and was promoted as the “absolute cure” for rattlesnake bite, blood poising, and many other claims. These claims gave patent medicines of the day  the name “snake oil”. Over time the claims, with the exception of a snakebite cure, have been proven.

Today, it’s used primarily to treat infections including colds and flu and to improve the body’s immunity. It can be a treatment for abscesses and skin problems, and is used to treat chronic fatigue syndrome, urinary tract infections, and even helps to prevent aging.  It is available as a tincture from Neitherland Herbals, and is an important ingredient in the Herbal Healing Balm. Research shows that it is antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, and contains properties that actually help to build new white blood cells. In other words, it fights all kinds of germs and it improves your body’s natural immunity to foreign invaders.

Herb of the Week: Chamomile

Last week we talked about Calendula. This week we will look at another member of the Daisy family, Chamomile.  The name “Chamomile” comes from the Greek, chamaimēlon, or “earth-apple”.  There are two main species of Chamomile used medically, Roman or English (Anthemis nobilis), and German or Egyptian (Matricaria chamomilla). Although they are botanically unrelated, they both have virtually identical properties and applications. Neitherland Herbals uses Egyptian Chamomile in its tincture, teas and, balms.

Chamomile has been used back as far as the ancient Egyptians to treat fever, and was used by the Vikings in shampoos because it adds luster to blond hair. Germans, since the dawn of time, have used it for digestive upsets and as a menstruation aid.  Today Chamomile is one of the best-selling herbs. It is a favorite tea by itself or in herbal blends. Its apple-like aroma is the fragrance in many herbal skin-care products. It is used as an infusion (or “tea”) or as a tincture to take advantage of its many healing benefits, which have been scientifically tested and proven.

Several natural chemicals in Chamomile appear to have relaxing action on the smooth muscle lining of the digestive track – making it an antispasmodic.  Therefore it is used as a digestive aid and for the prevention and healing of ulcers.  Antispasmodics not only relax the digestive tract, but other smooth muscles, such as the uterus.  This would support its ancient use to soothe menstrual cramps. Chamomile also has a long history as a mild tranquilizer.  It is used as an infusion or a tincture when one is feeling anxious or jittery after a stressful day. This is why Neitherland Herbals uses Chamomile as the primary ingredient in our Calming Tea.

On Relieving Pain and Being Chemical Free

We were sitting around the other day trying to figure out the last time we took a chemical remedy for anything.  We calculated it has been 4 or 5 months since any of us had. That means 4 or 5 months of being chemical free.  I am lumping all prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) medicines into “chemical remedies” (vs. herbal remedies). When looking into things, we discovered that 40% of prescription drugs dispensed in the U.S. have active ingredients derived from plants, animals or microorganisms.  So why use the chemical substitute when you can use the real thing?

Take for instance you have a headache. The most common response most people take is to reach for an aspirin or other readily available OTC remedy.  Then sit back and wish it away. A better option might be to try to determine just why you have a headache – they don’t just happen spontaneously.  The most common reason for a headache is stress.  When you get stressed your muscles contract – especially in your shoulders and neck. Contraction of muscles in your neck is constricting the blood flow to your brain, causing an aching sensation. So wouldn’t a more logical first response be to get the muscles to relax, therefore permitting normal blood flow. So instead of reaching for that aspirin, try an herbal that will aid in this relaxation. Chamomile, taken as a tea or a tincture, has been traditionally used to help you relax.

If you have a headache caused by sinus pressure, look to relieve that first. If the sinus pressure is caused by air-born allergens (i.e. from “hay fever”) try some Nettles.  Neitherland Herbals has a special Allergy Relief Tea blend, containing Nettles and Meadowsweet. If you have a cold, causing a sinus headache, take Boneset, Hyssop, and/or Echinacea.

If that headache is the pounding variety, try Meadowsweet or White Willow Bark, as found in Neitherland Herbals’ Headache Relief Tea. After all they both contain salicin, a powerful natural pain relieving analgesic (among other attributes). Chemists, not being able to leave well enough alone, made a synthetic acetylsalicylic acid from an extract of Meadowsweet.  To name this new wonder drug, they took the “a” from acetyl (the chemical added to the extract), and “sprin” from Meadowsweet’s Latin name, Spinaera, and came up with “aspirin”.

The salicin in Meadowsweet and White Willow Bark also has anti-inflammatory properties. So in addition to relieving pain, it helps reduce inflammation causing the pain. Inflammation is defined as a reaction of the body that causes swelling, redness, pain, and loss of motion in an affected area. There are several other herbs with anti-inflammatory properties that are traditionally used, and have been scientifically studied.  In addition to Meadowsweet and White Willow Bark, these include Angelica, Boneset, Black Cohosh, and Ginger. All are possible remedies for chronic, arthritic, or general muscular or joint aches & pains.

So when you are experiencing pain or discomfort, reach for an herbal, and stay chemical free.

Just What is Jojoba Oil?

All of the balm, lip balm, lotion, and cream base made and used  by Neitherland Herbals contains Jojoba (pronounced ho-HO-bah) oil, produced here in Arizona. One deciding factor to choose this as our carrier oil, is that we strive to use locally produced materials as much as possible. This article will give a background into jojoba oil and other reasons we use it almost exclusively.

Over millions of years, wild jojoba (Simmondsia chinenis) trees have adapted to only one place in the world, the extremely hot and dry Sonora Desert of North America. They can grow up to 15 feet in height and have a very long lifespan of 100 - 200 years. Native Americans have used the rich material they pressed from jojoba seeds for hundreds of years, for its treatment of cuts, scrapes, sunburn and dried out skin. 

Jojoba oil is relatively shelf-stable when compared with other vegetable oils such as grape seed oil,  safflower oil, canola oil, and almond oil. What’s interesting about it is that it isn’t actually an oil, but rather a polyunsaturated liquid wax called a wax ester. In 1934, University of Arizona chemists discovered that jojoba was only one of two natural sources of liquid wax esters. It can be used as a substitute for the other natural source - sperm whale oil. It does not oxidize or become rancid and does not break down under high temperatures and pressures, therefore giving it an indefinite shelf life.

Of all of the compounds in nature, the jojoba wax ester is the most similar to human skin oil . It is theorized that because jojoba oil is so similar to human skin oil, applying it to the skin can “trick” the skin into thinking it is producing enough oil, thus balancing oil production. Jojoba is especially useful for applications that require moisture control, protection, and emolliency. Jojoba oil is liquid at room temperature because of its unsaturated fatty acids. The lubrication properties leave a rich velvety non-oily feel on the skin, while retarding water loss and enhancing the flexibility and suppleness of the skin.

Herb of the Week: Calendula

Neitherland Herbals uses 60 different herbs in 71 combinations or alone,  in our balms, teas, capsules, and tinctures.  Each week we will examine one herb and it’s uses. One of the herbs we commonly use is Pot Marigold (Calendula officinalis) . This is a member of the daisy family, along with chamomile and yarrow, and is native to the Mediterranean region. Pot Marigolds are considered by many gardening experts as one of the most versatile flowers to grow in a garden, because it is easy to grow. Calendula was named the “Herb of the Year” in 2008 by the International Herb Association. Neitherland Herbals uses the dried petals of Calendula infused in Jojoba oil as a major ingredient in our lip balms and in our healing and insect bite relief balms, and combined with other herbs in teas.

Calendula has astringent, antiseptic, anti-fungal, and anti-inflamatory actions. Traditionally it is used to heal wounds, for any problem involving inflammation or dry skin, and for burns including scalds and sunburn. For centuries it’s been used for healing. The Egyptians were some of the first to use Calendula thousands of years ago and it was used extensively during the Civil War in the United States to stop the blood flow of battle wounds. Studies have been done that show Calendula actually stimulates tissues to repair themselves and to regenerate. Because of its anti-inflamatory properties, it is used in an infusion (a “tea”) to provide bronchial relief, and as an aid for menopausal problems, period pain, and gastritis. Plant pharmacological studies have backed up these traditionally known uses.