Categories
Advice against Health Hazards

A spoon test can help to diagnose health concerns

Despite knowing the fact that regular checkups are important for our health, we often act as our own doctor. We tend to ignore signs that our body indicates and don’t realize that these symptoms can turn into major health problems. Here we bring to you a simple spoon test that you can do at your home. This test reveals hidden conditions you could be suffering from.

Health  can be checked  in one  minute :-
This test should be done empty stomach, the first thing in the morning. Avoid drinking water before you perform this spoon test.
Take a spoon and rub its base over the entire surface of your tongue.
Make it wet with your saliva.

Put the spoon in a plastic bag and keep it under the sun or any bright light.
After a minute, take the spoon out of the bag.

Avoid touching the base.
Indication of perfect health:
If you find no stains or no unpleasant odour in the spoon, then your internal organs are in perfect health.

In case of odour…
Unpleasant odour can be an indication of lung problem. This smell is much worse than your bad breath. This could be a sign of an infection in your lungs.

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If your spoon smells like ammonia (a strong, pungent odour) it’s an indication of some kidney ailment.

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If there is a fruity odour, then you might be suffering from diabetes. This happens due to the presence of ketones that make odour sweet and fruity.

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What if there are stains on the spoon?
White stain indicates a respiratory infection. This white build-up is caused by several infections and viruses present in the body.

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Purple stain is a sign of poor blood circulation, bronchitis or high cholesterol levels. Bronchitis reduces airwaves that bring oxygen to the blood stream, which can cause a purple stain.

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Yellow stains on the spoon are a sign of dysfunction of thyroid gland. These stains will have a thick coating. The conversion of beta-carotene to Vitamin A depends on the thyroid hormone. A deficiency can manifest a yellowish build-up of carotene.

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Orange stain means that you are suffering from a kidney disease. Chronic kidney disease can cause mouth tissues turn pale due to anemia, or orange due to carotene-like deposits.

 

Resources: The times Of India

Categories
Herbs & Plants

Rubus canadensis

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Botanical Name : Rubus canadensis
Family: Rosaceae
Genus: Rubus
Species:R. canadensis
Kingdom:Plantae
Order: Rosales

Synonyms:
*Rubus amnicola Blanch.
*Rubus argutus var. randii (L.H.Bailey) L.H.Bailey
*Rubus besseyi L.H.Bailey
*Rubus canadensis var. imus L.H.Bailey
*Rubus canadensis var. millspaughii (Britton) Blanch.
*Rubus forestalis L.H.Bailey
*Rubus illustris L.H.Bailey
*Rubus irregularis L.H.Bailey
*Rubus laetabilis L.H.Bailey
*Rubus millspaughii Britton
*Rubus orariu] Blanch.
*Rubus pergratus Blanch.
*Rubus pergratus Edees & A.Newton
*Rubus pergratus var. terrae-novae Fernald
*Rubus randii (L.H.Bailey) Rydb.
*Rubus suberectus Hook.
*Rubus villosus var. randii L.H.Bailey
*Selnorition canadensis (L.) Raf. ex B.D.Jacks.
*Rubus invisus (L.H.Bailey) L.H.Bailey
*Rubus jactus L.H.Bailey
*Rubus macdanielsii L.H.Bailey
*Rubus masseyi L.H.Bailey
*Rubus redundans L.H.Bailey
*Rubus sanfordii L.H.Bailey
*Rubus terraltanus L.H.Bailey
Common Names:American Dewberry, Smooth blackberry, Canadian blackberry, Thornless blackberry and Smooth highbush blackberr

Habitat : Rubus canadensis is native to central and eastern Canada (from Newfoundland to Ontario) and the eastern United States (New England, the Great Lakes region, and the Appalachian Mountains.It grows on thickets, woods and clearings.

Description:
Rubus canadensis is a deciduous rhizomatous shrub forms thickets up to 2 to 3 meters (7-10 feet) tall. The leaves are alternately arranged, each measuring 10 to 20 centimeters (4-8 inches) long. The inflorescence is a cluster of up to 25 flowers. The fruit is an aggregate of many small drupes, each of which contains a tiny nutlet. The plant reproduces by seed, by sprouting up from the rhizome, and by layering. The stems can grow one meter (40 inches) in height in under two months.
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It is in flower in July. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Apomictic.Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.
Cultivation:
Easily grown in a good well-drained loamy soil in sun or semi-shade. This species is a blackberry with biennial stems, it produces a number of new stems each year from the perennial rootstock, these stems fruit in their second year and then die. The stems are free from prickles. The plant produces apomictic flowers, these produce fruit and viable seed without fertilization, each seedling is a genetic copy of the parent. Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus.
Propagation:
Seed – requires stratification and is best sown in early autumn in a cold frame. Stored seed requires one month stratification at about 3°c and is best sown as early as possible in the year. Prick out the seedlings when they are large enough to handle and grow on in a cold frame. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring of the following year. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame. Tip layering in July. Plant out in autumn. Division in early spring or just before leaf-fall in the autumn.

Edible Uses:
Fruit – raw or cooked in pies, jams etc. Sweet, juicy and richly flavoured, it is generally preferred to most other species of blackberries. The fruit can be pressed into cakes and then dried for later use. The fruit can be up to 25mm long.
Medicinal Uses:
Astringent.
The stems and the fruit have been used in the treatment of dysentery. A decoction of the root has been used in the treatment of dysentery.

Other Uses:…Dye…..A purple to dull blue dye is obtained from the fruit.

Disclaimer : The information presented herein is intended for educational purposes only. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplement, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider.

Resources:
http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Rubus+canadensis
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubus_canadensis

Categories
Herbs & Plants

Cochlearia officinalis

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Botanical Name : Cochlearia officinalis
Family: Brassicaceae
Genus:     Cochlearia
Species: C. officinalis
Kingdom: Plantae
Order:     Brassicales

Synonym: Spoonwort.

Common Name :Common Scurvygrass

Habitat: Cochlearia officinalis is native to  western, northern and central Europe, including Britain. It grows  abundant on the shores in Scotland, growing inland along some of its rivers and Highland mountains and not uncommon in stony, muddy and sandy soils in England and Ireland, also in the Arctic Circle, sea-coasts of Northern and Western Europe and to high elevations in the great European mountain chains.

Description:
Cochlearia officinalis is a Biennial/Perennial growing to 0.3 m (1 ft). It is not frost tender. It is in flower from May to August, and the seeds ripen from July to September. The flowers are hermaphrodite and are pollinated by Bees, flies, and beetles. The plant is self-fertile. It is also noted for attracting wildlife.The upper leaves are sessile – lower ones stalked, deltoid orbicular or reniform entire or toothed angularly. Flowers all summer in white short racemes – pods nearly globular – prominent valves of the mid-rib when dry. It has an unpleasant smell and a bitter, warm, acrid taste, very pungent when fresh.
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The plant acquired its common name from the observation that it cured scurvy, and it was taken on board ships in dried bundles or distilled extracts. Its very bitter taste was usually disguised with herbs and spices; however, this didn’t prevent scurvygrass drinks and sandwiches becoming a popular fad in the UK until the middle of the nineteenth century, when citrus fruits became more readily available.

Medicinal Uses:
Constituents: Leaves abound in a pungent oil containing sulphur, of the butylic series.

Formerly the fresh herb was greatly used on sea-voyages as a preventative of scurvey. It is stimulating, aperient, diuretic, antiscorbutic. The essential oil is of benefit in paralytic and rheumatic cases; scurvy-grass ale was a popular tonic drink.

Disclaimer:
The information presented herein is intended for educational purposes only. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplements, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider.

Resources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cochlearia_officinalis
http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/s/scurvy35.html

Categories
Herbs & Plants

Prunus padus

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Botanical Name:Prunus padus
Family: Rosaceae
Subfamily: Prunoideae
Genus: Prunus
Subgenus: Padus
Species: P. padus
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Rosales

Synonyms : Padus racemosa – Lam.

Common Names; Bird Cherry or Hackberry

Habitat :Prunus padus is native to northern Europe including Britain, from Scandanavia south and east to Spain, Siberia and the Himalayas. It also  grows north of the Arctic Circle in Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia. It is found by streams and in moist open woods, usually on alkaline soils but also found on acid soils in upland areas

Description:
Prunus padus is a deciduous small tree or large shrub, 20 to 40 feet tall  and Spread: 20 to 40 feet . It is the type species of the subgenus Padus, which have flowers in racemes.

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It is hardy to zone 3. It is in white  flower in May.   And the seeds ripen from July to August. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Flies, bees. It is noted for attracting wildlife.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist soil.

Cultivation :
Succeeds in any soil, preferring a well-drained moisture-retentive loamy soil. Prefers some lime in the soil but is likely to become chlorotic if too much lime is present. Succeeds in sun or partial shade though it fruits better in a sunny position. Very hardy but it does not like exposure to strong winds. A very hardy tree, tolerating temperatures down to about -30°c. A very ornamental species, there are some named varieties. The sub-species P. padus borealis is found in Scandinavia and the mountains of C. Europe. It is a shrub growing only to about 3 metres high. Most members of this genus are shallow-rooted and will produce suckers if the roots are damaged. Trees usually produce lots of suckers and will soon regenerate by this method if the main trunk is cut down. This tree is a host for cereal virus vector[98]. Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus. Trees only cast a light shade and do not themselves thrive in heavy shade. The fruits are relished by birds and the flowers and leaves attract many insects.

Propagation:
Seed – requires 2 – 3 months cold stratification and is best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe. Sow stored seed in a cold frame as early in the year as possible. Protect the seed from mice etc. The seed can be rather slow, sometimes taking 18 months to germinate. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle. Grow them on in a greenhouse or cold frame for their first winter and plant them out in late spring or early summer of the following year. Cuttings of half-ripe wood with a heel, July/August in a frame. Softwood cuttings from strongly growing plants in spring to early summer in a frame. Cuttings of mature wood, October/November in a frame. Suckers removed in late winter. Layering in spring.

Edible Uses:
Edible Parts: Flowers; Fruit; Leaves; Seed.

Edible Uses: Tea.

Fruit – raw or cooked. The fruit usually has a bitter taste and is used mainly for making jam and preserves. The fruit is about the size of a pea and contains one large seed. Flowers – chewed. Young leaves – cooked. Used as a boiled vegetable in Korea. Seed – raw or cooked. Do not eat the seed if it is too bitter – see the notes  below on toxicity. A tea is made from the bark.

Medicinal Uses:
Anodyne; Diuretic; Febrifuge; Sedative.

The bark from young twigs is the medicinally active part.The bark is mildly anodyne, diuretic, febrifuge and sedative. An infusion is used in the treatment of colds, feverish conditions,rheumatic and arthritic pain etc. The bark is harvested when the tree is in flower and can be dried for later use. Although no specific mention has been seen for this species, all members of the genus contain amygdalin and prunasin, substances which break down in water to form hydrocyanic acid (cyanide or prussic acid). In small amounts this exceedingly poisonous compound stimulates respiration, improves digestion and gives a sense of well-being.
It is also used in homeopathy

Other Uses
Dye; Wood.

A green dye can be obtained from the leaves. A dark grey to green dye can be obtained from the fruit. Wood – hard, heavy, durable, easy to work, polishes well. It is much valued by cabinet makers.

Known Hazards : The seed and leaves contain hydrogen cyanide, a poison that gives almonds their characteristic flavour. This toxin is readily detected by its bitter taste. Usually present in too small a quantity to do any harm, any very bitter seed or fruit should not be eaten. In small quantities, hydrogen cyanide has been shown to stimulate respiration and improve digestion, it is also claimed to be of benefit in the treatment of cancer. In excess, however, it can cause respiratory failure and even death.

Disclaimer : The information presented herein is intended for educational purposes only. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplements, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider.

Resources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prunus_padus
http://digedibles.com/database/plants.php?Prunus+padus
http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/gardens-gardening/your-garden/plant-finder/plant-details/kc/g980/prunus-padus.aspx
http://www.herbnet.com/Herb%20Uses_AB.htm

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