Submitted by:
Rugani Chiropractic



The concept of using herbs not just as seasonings on your food, but also to help
promote health and prevent disease, has become more popular in recent years.
Health food stores carry a variety of herbs as supplements, and so customers
commonly enter a store looking for an herbal remedy for a given problem. It is
important to understand the mindset of this behavior: People are looking for an
herbal supplement to function like medication. And thus, the use of the term
herbal medicine.

However, we often make a critically wrong assumption when
using either pharmaceuticals or herbs that are pitched as drug
replacements: It goes something like this: "If I take this drug or herb, it will
negate the poor dietary habits that almost certainly caused my health condition
in the first place." No medication or herb can do that, particularly if you
don't change your dietary habits.

While expression of various diseases is not completely
understood, we do know chronic inflammation functions as the fuel that lights
the fire to disease development and progression. Numerous inflammatory signaling
molecules play a role in promoting disease activity, one of which is called
nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-kB). Many conditions are known to be promoted by NF-kB,
including arthritis, allergies, multiple sclerosis, obesity, atherosclerosis,
heart attacks, cancer, Crohn's disease, psoriasis, Alzheimer's and diabetes.

Herbs such as ginger, garlic and turmeric are known to reduce
the activity of NF-kB, which suggests they are useful in preventing and treating
multiple diseases. Research supports this use of herbs. In other words, if you
suffer from one of the above-mentioned conditions, you should embrace the
addition of herbs to a healthy, anti-inflammatory diet. (Note: If you are
taking medications, it is very important to make sure there are no potential
herb-drug interactions. You doctor can make this determination for you.)
Additionally, herbs can be taken as supplements on a regular basis. Ginger,
turmeric, boswellia, and garlic are some of the most commonly supplemented
herbs, and a strong body of research evidence demonstrates their
anti-inflammatory abilities. They can be taken every day.

The overall goal should be to create a solid
anti-inflammatory foundation with proper diet and herbal support. It is very
important to embrace this foundation as the approach to disease prevention and
health improvement. Talk to your doctor for more information.

Published 10/9/2009