Categories
Herbs & Plants

Salsola Kali

Botanical Name: Salsola Kali
Family: Chenopodiaceae
Genus: Salsola
Species: S. kali
Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Caryophyllales

Common Names: Prickly Glasswort, Russian thistle, Prickly saltwort or Prickly Russian thistle,

Habitat: Salsola Kali is native to Russia and Siberia. It grows in Coastal Europe, including Britain, from Scandanavia south and east to N. Africa, Asia and N. AmericaIt is found in disturbed areas such as roadsides, trails, abandoned fields, along streams and lakes, and over-grazed ranges and pastures. (Non-saline sandy beaches, avoiding acid soils. It is usually found on dry soils)

Edible Uses:
Young leaves and stems – raw or cooked. An excellent food with a crunchy tender texture. The leaves can be used as a spinach substitute or added in small quantities to salads. Seed – cooked. It can be ground into a meal and used as a gruel, thickener in soups etc or added to cereal flours when making bread etc[85]. The seed is small and hard to collect any quantity.
Description:
The Prickly Glasswort (Salsola Kali, Linn.) has a thick, round, brittle stem, with few, rigid leaves of a bluish-green colour and small, yellow flowers.
Prevalence in the semi-desert range of western states is due to its drought tolerance and long-distance method of seed dispersal…….CLICK & SEE THE PICTURES
Mature plants grow 31-152 cm high and are bushy, dense annuals. Young plants have stems with red or purple stripes. The 1.3 – 6.4 cm long leaves are alternate, thread-like, cylindrical or awl-shaped with pointed tips. The flowers are solitary, small and greenish to white in color and lack petals. Papery spine-tipped bracts are present at the base of each flower. Russian thistle typically blooms from July to October. However, this plant is indeterminate and continues to flower and produce seed until temperatures drop below -3.9° C.

Medicinal Uses:
Cathartic; Diuretic; Emmenagogue; Stimulant; Vermifuge.

The juice of the fresh plant is an excellent diuretic. The seedpods can also be used. Salsolin, one of the constituents of the plant, has been used to regulate the blood pressure. It is said to resemble papaverine in its effect on vasoconstriction and hydrastine in its effect on the smooth muscles of the uterus. Reported to be cathartic, diuretic, emmenagogue, stimulant, and vermifuge, the plant is a folk remedy for dropsy and excrescences.

The juice of the fresh plant was said to be an excellent diuretic, the twisted seed-vessels having the same virtue and being given in infusion.

Other Uses:
Biomass; Cleanser; Potash.

The ashes of the burnt plant are used for making glass and soap. At one time large quantities of the ashes were imported into Britain for this purpose, but nowadays a chemical process using salt is employed. The ashes can also be used as a cleaner for fabrics. As a low-water-use plant, germinating quickly on minimally disturbed soils, and relatively free of diseases and parasites, this has been suggested as a fuel source for arid lands. Yields of around 3 tonnes per hectare of plant material have been achieved.
Known Hazards: The plant contains up to 5% oxalic acid, so it should only be used in moderation. Oxalic acid can lock up certain of the nutrients in food and, if eaten in excess, can lead to nutritional deficiencies. It is, however, perfectly safe in small amounts and its acid taste adds a nice flavour to salads. Cooking the plant will reduce the quantity of oxalic acid. People with a tendency to rheumatism, arthritis, gout, kidney stones and hyperacidity should take especial caution if including this plant in their diet since it can aggravate their condition
Resources:
http://wiki.bugwood.org/Salsola_kali
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salsola_kali
http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Salsola+kali

Categories
Ailmemts & Remedies

Thyroid Disorders

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The thyroid is a small endocrine gland inside the neck, located in front of the breathing airway (trachea) and below the Adam’s apple. It produces two thyroid hormones, tri-iodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4), which circulate in the bloodstream to all tissues of the body.

CLICK & SEE

Thyroid hormones act to control metabolism (the body’s ability to break down food and store it as energy, and the ability to break down food into waste products with a release of energy in the process).

How well the thyroid works is controlled by another gland called the pituitary. The pituitary gland is located at the base of the brain and produces thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). TSH circulates via the bloodstream to the thyroid gland where it activates the thyroid to produce more thyroid hormones.

Thyroid hormones influence virtually every other organ system in the body. They tell the organs how fast or slow the should work, and tell the body systems when to use energy (e.g., consume oxygen and produce heat).

Endocrinologists (physicians and scientists who study and care for patients with endocrine gland and hormone problems) have defined and studied several major disorders of the thyroid gland.


Hyperthyroidism(symptoms & treatments):
An overactive thyroid gland
Too much thyroid hormone speeds up the body’s metabolism. Women get this condition more often than men, and it occurs in about 1% of women. One of the most frequent forms of hyperthyroidism is known as Graves’ disease (named after Dr. Robert Graves). This condition can run in families although the exact nature of the genetic abnormality is unknown.

Because the thyroid is producing too much hormone with this condition, the body develops an increased metabolic state, with the functions of many body systems speeding up and producing too much body heat.

Hypothyroidism(symptoms & treatments): An underactive thyroid gland.

Several causes for this condition exist, most of which affect the thyroid gland directly, impairing its ability to make enough hormone. More rarely, there are conditions in the brain (for example, pituitary tumors) that cause the pituitary gland to fail to produce thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and stimulate the thyroid enough to make hormone.

Whether the problem is with the thyroid gland or the pituitary gland, the result is that the thyroid is not producing enough hormone, and most major body functions, both physical and mental processes, slow down. The body consumes less oxygen and produces less body heat.

Thyroid Nodules(symptoms & treatments): A condition that begins as a small localized swelling or lump in the thyroid gland.
Thyroid nodules may be single or multiple. They represent enlargement of a collection of thyroid cells caused by thyroid cell growth or because of a local fluid collection (“cyst”) in the thyroid gland. Thyroid nodules are quite common. Significant sized nodules, which are greater than a half inch across, occurs in about 5% of people. Almost half of the population will have tiny nodules but many are not aware of them until they become large.

Although most of these nodules are benign, they need medical attention because:

They may be cancer growths
They may produce too much thyroid hormone (hyperthyroidism)
They may become too large and press on your trachea (airway tube) or swallowing tube (esophagus)

Other thyroid problems include thyroiditis (inflammation of the thyroid gland), a goiter (enlargement of the thyroid gland, which can be visible); and thyroid cancer.

Lifestyle and Prevention :

Patient who have been treated for a thyroid conditions should understand:

  • When to take their thyroid hormone medication
  • Signs or symptoms of too much or not enough thyroid hormone
  • When to go to their doctor for blood tests to check thyroid hormone levels, or to check for nodules
  • That other drugs (and even other medical conditions) you are taking could affect your health or interact with your thyroid medication. Ask your doctor about possible interactions, side effects, or warning signs.

In general, there are things you can do to protect your health. Eating a balanced diet, getting enough sleep, exercising several times a week, and getting fresh air and relaxation are all activities that will help you feel your best. Healthy living is an important part of recovery from a thyroid condition. These suggestions may also help to prevent future problems.

Click &   Read    :   Take care of your thyroid

Click for useful links

Natural Thyroid Remedies – Herbal Alternative Thyroid Treatment

Symptoms and treatment of Thyroid disease Ayurveda and Yoga

Natural Thyroid Support

Thyroid and coconut diet

Alternative Therapies for Thyroid Disease

Homeopathic Thyroid Treatment & Medication

Disclaimer: This information is not meant to be a substitute for professional medical advise or help. It is always best to consult with a Physician about serious health concerns. This information is in no way intended to diagnose or prescribe remedies.

Resources:

http://www.hormone.org/public/thyroid/overview.cfm

Categories
Ailmemts & Remedies

Thyroid Disorders

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The thyroid is a small endocrine gland inside the neck, located in front of the breathing airway (trachea) and below the Adam’s apple. It produces two thyroid hormones, tri-iodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4), which circulate in the bloodstream to all tissues of the body.
The thyroid gland is located in the base of the neck on both sides of the lower part of the larynx (voice box) and upper part of the trachea (wind pipe). The gland produces thyroid hormone in response to stimulation by a hormone from the pituitary gland. Thyroid hormone acts throughout the body to regulate metabolism.

click to see the poctures

Thyroid hormones act to control metabolism (the body’s ability to break down food and store it as energy, and the ability to break down food into waste products with a release of energy in the process).

 

How well the thyroid works is controlled by another gland called the pituitary. The pituitary gland is located at the base of the brain and produces thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). TSH circulates via the bloodstream to the thyroid gland where it activates the thyroid to produce more thyroid hormones.

Thyroid hormones influence virtually every other organ system in the body. They tell the organs how fast or slow the should work, and tell the body systems when to use energy (e.g., consume oxygen and produce heat).

Thyroid diseases can be broadly divided into the following categories:

Overproduction of thyroid hormone (hyperthyroidism)
Underproduction of thyroid hormone (hypothyroidism)
Benign (noncancerous) thyroid disease
Thyroid cancer


Endocrinologists (physicians and scientists who study and care for patients with endocrine gland and hormone problems) have defined and studied several major disorders of the thyroid gland. Only a brief description is given here. You can link to any of the conditions that you may want to learn more about:

For information about a specific type of thyroid disease see one of the following:

Anaplastic carcinoma of the thyroid
Chronic thyroiditis (Hashimoto’s disease)

Colloid nodular goiter
Subacute thyroiditis

Hyperthyroidism: An overactive thyroid gland. (More on HYPERTHYROIDISM)

Too much thyroid hormone speeds up the body’s metabolism. Women get this condition more often than men, and it occurs in about 1% of women. One of the most frequent forms of hyperthyroidism is known as Graves’ disease (named after Dr. Robert Graves). This condition can run in families although the exact nature of the genetic abnormality is unknown.

click to see the pictures

Because the thyroid is producing too much hormone with this condition, the body develops an increased metabolic state, with the functions of many body systems speeding up and producing too much body heat.

 

Hypothyroidism: An underactive thyroid gland. (More on HYPOTHYROIDISM)

Several causes for this condition exist, most of which affect the thyroid gland directly, impairing its ability to make enough hormone. More rarely, there are conditions in the brain (for example, pituitary tumors) that cause the pituitary gland to fail to produce thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and stimulate the thyroid enough to make hormone.

Whether the problem is with the thyroid gland or the pituitary gland, the result is that the thyroid is not producing enough hormone, and most major body functions, both physical and mental processes, slow down. The body consumes less oxygen and produces less body heat.

 

Thyroid Nodules :A condition that begins as a small localized swelling or lump in the thyroid gland.

click to see the pictures

Thyroid nodules may be single or multiple. They represent enlargement of a collection of thyroid cells caused by thyroid cell growth or because of a local fluid collection (“cyst”) in the thyroid gland. Thyroid nodules are quite common. Significant sized nodules, which are greater than a half inch across, occurs in about 5% of people. Almost half of the population will have tiny nodules but many are not aware of them until they become large. (More on THYROID NODULES)

Although most of these nodules are benign, they need medical attention because:

They may be cancer growths
They may produce too much thyroid hormone (hyperthyroidism)
They may become too large and press on your trachea (airway tube) or swallowing tube (esophagus)

Other thyroid problems include thyroiditis (inflammation of the thyroid gland), a goiter (enlargement of the thyroid gland,

Life Style and Prevention:
Patient who have been treated for a thyroid conditions should understand:

1.When to take their thyroid hormone medication

2.Signs or symptoms of too much or not enough thyroid hormone

3.When to go to their doctor for blood tests to check thyroid hormone levels, or to check for nodules

4.That other drugs (and even other medical conditions) you are taking could affect your health or interact with your thyroid medication. Ask your doctor about possible interactions, side effects, or warning signs.

In general, there are things you can do to protect your health. Eating a balanced diet, getting enough sleep, exercising several times a week, and getting fresh air and relaxation are all activities that will help you feel your best. Healthy living is an important part of recovery from a thyroid condition. These suggestions may also help to prevent future problems.

Very Useful Links which may give more informations.

A Dedicated Website To Thyroid Treatment

Thyroid and Coconut Oil

Natural Remedy For Thyroid Disorders

Disclaimer: This information is not meant to be a substitute for professional medical advise or help. It is always best to consult with a Physician about serious health concerns. This information is in no way intended to diagnose or prescribe remedies.

Help taken from: www.hormone.org and www.healthline.com

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Categories
Ailmemts & Remedies

Goitre

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A goitre (or goiter) (Latin struma), also called a bronchocele, is a swelling in the neck (just below Adam’s apple or larynx) due to an enlarged thyroid gland.The swelling of the gland in the neck becomes visible and the gland at times becomes exceedingly large, thereby causing difficulty in respiration and swallowing of foods and drinks.

CLICK & SEE THE PICTURES

Classification
They are classified in different ways:

A “diffuse goitre is a goitre that has spread through all of the thyroid (and is contrasted with a “simple goitre”, “single thyroid nodule” and multinodular goitre“).

“Toxic goitre” refers to goitre with hyperthyroidism. These are derived from inflammation, neoplasm, and some kinds of activating autoimmune disease (Grave’s disease).

“Nontoxic goitre” (associated with normal or low thyroid levels) refers to all other types (such as that caused by lithium or certain other autoimmune diseases).

Causes

The most common cause for goitre in the world is iodine deficiency (E01); this condition is commonly called endemic goitre. It is curable by mass food-supplementation with iodine (in the form of iodide or iodate), and today remains a problem only in the least affluent countries which lack economic resources to fortify foods with iodine as part of public health programs.

Other causes are:
Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (E06.3)
Graves-Basedow disease (E05.0)
Juvenile goitre due to congenital hypothyroidism (E03.0)
Neoplasm of the thyroid
Thyroiditis (acute, chronic) (E06)
Side-effects of pharmacological therapy (E03.2)

Occurrence
Iodine is necessary for the synthesis of the thyroid hormones triiodothyronine and thyroxine (T3 and T4). In conditions producing endemic goitre, when iodine is not available, these hormones cannot be made. In response to low thyroid hormones, the pituitary gland releases thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH). Thyroid stimulating hormone acts to increase synthesis of T3 and T4, but in excess it also causes the thyroid gland to grow in size as a type of compensation.

Goitre is more common among women, but this includes the many types of goitre caused by autoimmune problems, and not only those caused by simple lack of iodine
.

Treatment
Treatment for goitre may not be necessary if the goitre is not caused by disease and is small. Removal of the goitre may be necessary if it causes difficulty with breathing or swallowing. There is now an alternative to surgery in large goiters. Radioiodine therapy with or without the pre-injection of a synthetic thyroid stimulating hormone, TSH, can relieve obstruction and reduce the size of the goiter by 30-65%. But removal of certain types of diffuse goitre mentioned above will result in removing the entire thyroid as well. The complete removal of the thyroid gland destroys the body’s ability to produce thyroid hormone. In this case, supplements of oral thyroid hormone are necessary to avoid harm from hypothyroidism.

In ayurveda this is called gladanda.According to ayurveda this is caused by the aggravation of Kapha and diminution of pitta.

Kanchanara is the drug of choice for the treatment of this condition. The bark of this tree is given to the patient in the form or a decoction. It is administered in a dose of 30ml,twice daily on an empty stomach. Kanchanara Guggulu, which contains this drug as an important ingredient, is popularly used for the treatment of this disease. It is given in a dose of four tablets three times a day followed by milk or warm water.

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Healing Options

Ayurvedic Suppliments: 1. Kanchanar Guggulu 2. Arogyavardhini Bati

Diet Old rice, barley, moong dal, patola, drumstick, cucumber, sugarcane, juice, milk and milk products are useful in this conditions. Sour and heavy articles of food are contra-indicted.

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Lifestyle: Exercise of the neck is useful in this condition

History and future
Goitre was previously common in many areas that were deficient in iodine in the soil. For example, in the English Midlands, the condition was known as Derbyshire Neck. In the United States, goiter was found in the Great Lakes, Midwest, and Intermountain regions. The condition now is practically absent in affluent nations, where table salt is supplemented with iodine. However, it is still prevalent in India, Central Asia and Central Africa.

Some health workers fear that a resurgence of goiter might occur because of the trend to use rock salt and/or sea salt, which has not been fortified with iodine.

New research indicates that there may in fact be a tendency to inherit an increased vulnerability to goitre.

Disclaimer: This information is not meant to be a substitute for professional medical advise or help. It is always best to consult with a Physician about serious health concerns. This information is in no way intended to diagnose or prescribe remedies.

Help taken from:/en.wikipedia.org and Allayurveda.com

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