16-03-2010, 11:33
Stinging Nettle (root)
December 12 2006 at 3:06 PM Helen (Login Helen_N)
EVE MEMBERS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Characteristics and properties:
As its name suggests, stinging nettle is best known for its ability to impart a considerable sting, which occurs when small hairs on its leaves and stem brush against skin, causing a burning sensation and a rash which can last up to 24 hours. However, despite the unpleasantness of its sting, the nettle has been highly regarded in Europe since at least antiquity as both a food and a medicine, with both the Greeks and the Romans using it for a wide variety of medicinal purposes.
In the first century, Greek physicians Dioscorides and Galen reported the leaf of the nettle had diuretic and laxative properties and was useful for asthma, pleurisy and spleen illnesses. By medieval times the stinging nettle was in common use throughout the continent, being used for treating rheumatism, arthritis, allergies and eczema, baldness, bladder infections, cough, bronchitis, bursitis, anemia, gingivitis, hives, laryngitis, gout, multiple sclerosis, tendonitis, premenstrual syndrome, prostate enlargement and sciatica. According to Nicolas Culpeper in the seventeenth century, the seeds of the nettle were thought to be beneficial in the treatment of bites from "mad dogs" or the stinging of "venomous creatures." Seeds were also used at that time as an antidote to poisonous herbs such as nightshade and henbane.
In early American medicine, bandages soaked in a leaf and stem infusion were used to stop the bleeding of wounds. An account of this use was recorded by Dr. Francis P. Procher, a physician in the Confederacy during the Civil War. Nettle leaves were also recommended as a nutritious food and as a weight loss aid by the famous American plant forager and naturalist, Euell Gibbons.
For some purposes the leaf of the nettle was recommended, for some purposes the stem, for some purposes the seed, and for others the root, and accordingly the whole of the plant was utilised in traditional medicine and revered for its healing properties. It was also popular as a food in many countries and we know today that nettle is highly nutritive, being rich in chlorophyll, beta carotene, vitamins A, C, E and K, several of the B vitamins, tannins, volatile oils, flavonoids, iron, calcium, potassium, phosphates, and various other minerals, especially silica. The stinging nettle is a remarkable nutritional treasure and has often been compared very favourably to spinach.
Stinging nettles have long been of considerable value as fodder for livestock, although when they are growing they won't be eaten by the animals because of their known stinging power. However, if harvested and left to wilt they lose their sting and are then relished by livestock, particularly cattle which respond to a nettle diet by giving more milk, and poultry which respond by laying more eggs.
***** Today nettle is recognised as having astringent, expectorant, galactagogue, tonic, anti-inflammatory, hemostatic, and diuretic properties, and is recommended for treating bone and joint conditions, inflammation and irritation of the urinary tract and for preventing urinary system gravel, whilst the diuretic action of the plant has been shown to significantly increase urine volume and can help to alleviate bladder infections. However, the most popular application of stinging nettle today is the use of the root for treating the symptoms of prostate enlargement or benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH). This condition is hormonal in nature, caused by testosterone and the conversion of testosterone to the extremely potent dihydrotestosterone, a conversion which increases as men age. An excess of dihydrotestosterone causes pathological prostate growth. Estrogens also play a part as they too increase as men age and also stimulate prostate growth. These hormones travel around the body in a free state, as well as bound to proteins. One such protein is called sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) and its role is to maintain a dynamic hormonal balance in the body. SHBG binds or attaches to hormones and carries them to different receptor sites on cell membranes throughout the body where they can be utilised in different ways. The effect it has depends on which hormone it binds to and which receptor site it is carried to. In the men estrogen and dihydrotestosterone bound to SHBG are usually carried to the receptor sites on the prostate gland, and once there in excessive amounts it stimulates prostate tissue cells to divide and grow rapidly - resulting in BPH.
***** Some of the more recent research on BPH and stinging nettle indicates that the nettle root can interfere with or block a number these hormone-related chemical processes in the body that are implicated in the development of BPH. In clinical research, nettle has demonstrated the ability to stop the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (by inhibiting aromatase, an enzyme required for the conversion), as well as to directly bind to SHBG itself - thereby preventing SHBG from binding to other hormones. Other research also reveals that nettles can prevent SHBG that has already bound to a hormone from attaching to the receptor sites on the prostate, as well as to decrease the production of estrogens (estradiol and estrone) by inhibiting an enzyme required for their production. In summary, most of the intercellular processes required to trigger the prostate to grow new cells and enlarge seems to be inhibited by nettle root. Human and animal clinical studies have confirmed these effects and also demonstrated that nettle root works as well as the drug finasteride which is prescribed for BPH and is also better tolerated than the drug.
***** The effect of nettle root on dihydrotestosterone (DHT) levels has also made it a treatment for hair loss, as male pattern balding has often been linked to an excess of DHT, as has hair loss in women too. In folklore it was always believed that nettles were an effective treatment for baldness and modern science appears to validate this belief. Nettle root is also valuable as a source of lignans, a type of phytoestrogens, which have become more and more valued in recent years, and which accounts for its galactogogue property. Nettle root also contains a number of chemical compounds which appear to significantly stimulate the immune system.
(source: http://www.vortexhealth.net)
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Helen
(Login Helen_N)
EVE MEMBERS OTHER NATURAL DHT BLOCKERS December 12 2006, 3:23 PM
Other natural (herbal) DHT (DiHydroTestosterone) Blockers
(i.e. effective anti-androgens) include:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Saw Palmetto:
(1) lowers levels of DHT in the body by blocking 5 alpha-reductase,
(2) blocks receptor sites on cell membranes required for cells to absorb DHT.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Pygeum:
The active constituents of Pygeum extract include phytosterols that inhibit the production of DHT. Pygeum basically reduces the levels of DHT in the blood and reduces the number of sites where the dht can attach.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Pumpkin Seed Oil:
Has been demonstrated to inhibit DHT formation through the inhibitory effect on 5-alpha-reductase activity. Pumpkin seed oil breaks down DHT via the liver.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Green Tea:
Green Tea is an extremely powerful anti-oxidant. It also reduces DHT and cholesterol. It contains flavonols and catechins, substances that have been found to have significant antioxidant, antitumor, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Emu Oil:
Research has shown that emu oil contains a high level of linolenic acid which further research has shown to be an efficient antiandrogen. Linolenic acid is a potent 5 alpha reductase inhibitor and may be usefull in the treatment of disorders related to the hormone Dihydrotestosterone. Linolenic Acid has been suggested to be of use in the disorders such as benign prostratic hyperplasma, acne androgenetic alopecia and hirsuitism.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Soy Isoflavones:
Soy Isoflavones are useful because they seem to regulate bad cholesterol. The reduction of overall cholesterol is important because cholesterol can produce the enzyme 5 alpha reductase which then turns testosterone into dht. Therefore, isoflavones have dht blocking properties.
Soy has been shown to provide many health benefits including bone maintenance, hormonal regulation in women (especially during menopause) and nutritional support for cardiovascular health and prostate health.
This is a particularly good dht blocker for women since it offers other advantages like reducing the risk of breast and uterine cancer. They also offer protection from osteoporosis. Finally, there is also evidence that soy may provide an easier transition into post-menopausal years for women.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Beta Sitosterols:
Contains a mixture of phytersterols. Phytersterols (sterols) have anti-androgenic properties. This is the substance that is able to block DHT. Beta Sitosterols acutally contains more sterols than saw palmeto. In addition, Beta Sitosterols also lower cholesterol levels which also inhibit the production of DHT. Therefore it is a very powerful DHT blocker and since it is a completely natural product, it does not have any adverse side effects.
In severals studies, Beta Sitosterols have been proven as effective as many drugs in treating prostate problems. Since these prostate problems are also caused by DHT, it is easy to see that Beta Sitosterols can be a powerful weapon in warding off hair loss.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* L-Lysine:
While L-Lysine is NOT a DHT blocker, it may make DHT blockers more effective. Researchers have found that adding a supplementation of L-Lysine can make drugs like Propecia more effective. Since propecia is a DHT inhibitor, as all the natural products mentioned here, the addition of a L-Lysine supplement can make these products also more effective. Studies has shown that L-Lysine combined with a DHT inhibitor can for example promote hair growth in people suffering from androgenetic alopecia.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
December 12 2006 at 3:06 PM Helen (Login Helen_N)
EVE MEMBERS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Characteristics and properties:
As its name suggests, stinging nettle is best known for its ability to impart a considerable sting, which occurs when small hairs on its leaves and stem brush against skin, causing a burning sensation and a rash which can last up to 24 hours. However, despite the unpleasantness of its sting, the nettle has been highly regarded in Europe since at least antiquity as both a food and a medicine, with both the Greeks and the Romans using it for a wide variety of medicinal purposes.
In the first century, Greek physicians Dioscorides and Galen reported the leaf of the nettle had diuretic and laxative properties and was useful for asthma, pleurisy and spleen illnesses. By medieval times the stinging nettle was in common use throughout the continent, being used for treating rheumatism, arthritis, allergies and eczema, baldness, bladder infections, cough, bronchitis, bursitis, anemia, gingivitis, hives, laryngitis, gout, multiple sclerosis, tendonitis, premenstrual syndrome, prostate enlargement and sciatica. According to Nicolas Culpeper in the seventeenth century, the seeds of the nettle were thought to be beneficial in the treatment of bites from "mad dogs" or the stinging of "venomous creatures." Seeds were also used at that time as an antidote to poisonous herbs such as nightshade and henbane.
In early American medicine, bandages soaked in a leaf and stem infusion were used to stop the bleeding of wounds. An account of this use was recorded by Dr. Francis P. Procher, a physician in the Confederacy during the Civil War. Nettle leaves were also recommended as a nutritious food and as a weight loss aid by the famous American plant forager and naturalist, Euell Gibbons.
For some purposes the leaf of the nettle was recommended, for some purposes the stem, for some purposes the seed, and for others the root, and accordingly the whole of the plant was utilised in traditional medicine and revered for its healing properties. It was also popular as a food in many countries and we know today that nettle is highly nutritive, being rich in chlorophyll, beta carotene, vitamins A, C, E and K, several of the B vitamins, tannins, volatile oils, flavonoids, iron, calcium, potassium, phosphates, and various other minerals, especially silica. The stinging nettle is a remarkable nutritional treasure and has often been compared very favourably to spinach.
Stinging nettles have long been of considerable value as fodder for livestock, although when they are growing they won't be eaten by the animals because of their known stinging power. However, if harvested and left to wilt they lose their sting and are then relished by livestock, particularly cattle which respond to a nettle diet by giving more milk, and poultry which respond by laying more eggs.
***** Today nettle is recognised as having astringent, expectorant, galactagogue, tonic, anti-inflammatory, hemostatic, and diuretic properties, and is recommended for treating bone and joint conditions, inflammation and irritation of the urinary tract and for preventing urinary system gravel, whilst the diuretic action of the plant has been shown to significantly increase urine volume and can help to alleviate bladder infections. However, the most popular application of stinging nettle today is the use of the root for treating the symptoms of prostate enlargement or benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH). This condition is hormonal in nature, caused by testosterone and the conversion of testosterone to the extremely potent dihydrotestosterone, a conversion which increases as men age. An excess of dihydrotestosterone causes pathological prostate growth. Estrogens also play a part as they too increase as men age and also stimulate prostate growth. These hormones travel around the body in a free state, as well as bound to proteins. One such protein is called sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) and its role is to maintain a dynamic hormonal balance in the body. SHBG binds or attaches to hormones and carries them to different receptor sites on cell membranes throughout the body where they can be utilised in different ways. The effect it has depends on which hormone it binds to and which receptor site it is carried to. In the men estrogen and dihydrotestosterone bound to SHBG are usually carried to the receptor sites on the prostate gland, and once there in excessive amounts it stimulates prostate tissue cells to divide and grow rapidly - resulting in BPH.
***** Some of the more recent research on BPH and stinging nettle indicates that the nettle root can interfere with or block a number these hormone-related chemical processes in the body that are implicated in the development of BPH. In clinical research, nettle has demonstrated the ability to stop the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (by inhibiting aromatase, an enzyme required for the conversion), as well as to directly bind to SHBG itself - thereby preventing SHBG from binding to other hormones. Other research also reveals that nettles can prevent SHBG that has already bound to a hormone from attaching to the receptor sites on the prostate, as well as to decrease the production of estrogens (estradiol and estrone) by inhibiting an enzyme required for their production. In summary, most of the intercellular processes required to trigger the prostate to grow new cells and enlarge seems to be inhibited by nettle root. Human and animal clinical studies have confirmed these effects and also demonstrated that nettle root works as well as the drug finasteride which is prescribed for BPH and is also better tolerated than the drug.
***** The effect of nettle root on dihydrotestosterone (DHT) levels has also made it a treatment for hair loss, as male pattern balding has often been linked to an excess of DHT, as has hair loss in women too. In folklore it was always believed that nettles were an effective treatment for baldness and modern science appears to validate this belief. Nettle root is also valuable as a source of lignans, a type of phytoestrogens, which have become more and more valued in recent years, and which accounts for its galactogogue property. Nettle root also contains a number of chemical compounds which appear to significantly stimulate the immune system.
(source: http://www.vortexhealth.net)
Edit Message Delete Message Lock Thread Respond to this message
Author Reply
Helen
(Login Helen_N)
EVE MEMBERS OTHER NATURAL DHT BLOCKERS December 12 2006, 3:23 PM
Other natural (herbal) DHT (DiHydroTestosterone) Blockers
(i.e. effective anti-androgens) include:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Saw Palmetto:
(1) lowers levels of DHT in the body by blocking 5 alpha-reductase,
(2) blocks receptor sites on cell membranes required for cells to absorb DHT.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Pygeum:
The active constituents of Pygeum extract include phytosterols that inhibit the production of DHT. Pygeum basically reduces the levels of DHT in the blood and reduces the number of sites where the dht can attach.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Pumpkin Seed Oil:
Has been demonstrated to inhibit DHT formation through the inhibitory effect on 5-alpha-reductase activity. Pumpkin seed oil breaks down DHT via the liver.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Green Tea:
Green Tea is an extremely powerful anti-oxidant. It also reduces DHT and cholesterol. It contains flavonols and catechins, substances that have been found to have significant antioxidant, antitumor, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Emu Oil:
Research has shown that emu oil contains a high level of linolenic acid which further research has shown to be an efficient antiandrogen. Linolenic acid is a potent 5 alpha reductase inhibitor and may be usefull in the treatment of disorders related to the hormone Dihydrotestosterone. Linolenic Acid has been suggested to be of use in the disorders such as benign prostratic hyperplasma, acne androgenetic alopecia and hirsuitism.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Soy Isoflavones:
Soy Isoflavones are useful because they seem to regulate bad cholesterol. The reduction of overall cholesterol is important because cholesterol can produce the enzyme 5 alpha reductase which then turns testosterone into dht. Therefore, isoflavones have dht blocking properties.
Soy has been shown to provide many health benefits including bone maintenance, hormonal regulation in women (especially during menopause) and nutritional support for cardiovascular health and prostate health.
This is a particularly good dht blocker for women since it offers other advantages like reducing the risk of breast and uterine cancer. They also offer protection from osteoporosis. Finally, there is also evidence that soy may provide an easier transition into post-menopausal years for women.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Beta Sitosterols:
Contains a mixture of phytersterols. Phytersterols (sterols) have anti-androgenic properties. This is the substance that is able to block DHT. Beta Sitosterols acutally contains more sterols than saw palmeto. In addition, Beta Sitosterols also lower cholesterol levels which also inhibit the production of DHT. Therefore it is a very powerful DHT blocker and since it is a completely natural product, it does not have any adverse side effects.
In severals studies, Beta Sitosterols have been proven as effective as many drugs in treating prostate problems. Since these prostate problems are also caused by DHT, it is easy to see that Beta Sitosterols can be a powerful weapon in warding off hair loss.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* L-Lysine:
While L-Lysine is NOT a DHT blocker, it may make DHT blockers more effective. Researchers have found that adding a supplementation of L-Lysine can make drugs like Propecia more effective. Since propecia is a DHT inhibitor, as all the natural products mentioned here, the addition of a L-Lysine supplement can make these products also more effective. Studies has shown that L-Lysine combined with a DHT inhibitor can for example promote hair growth in people suffering from androgenetic alopecia.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------