What you can tell from your nails problems

• Pale, brittle nails, spoon-shaped or with ridges down the length may be due to nutritional deficiencies, such as calcium, zinc and iron and with too much selenium.

• Slow nail growth can result from general malnourishment.

• Brittle nails from a deficiency of biotin.

• Thick, distorted or flakey fingernails may be due to a fungal overgrowth on the nail.

• White spots on your nails are often due to a vitamin or mineral deficiency, particularly zinc.

• Nails that are brittle and separate easily from your nail beds, along with dry skin, always feeling cold and hair that is brittle and falling out could indicate that you have a problem with your thyroid gland.

• Whitish hue at base of fingernails suggests that you may have liver trouble.

• Bluish nails indicates that you aren’t getting enough oxygen.

What you can do about nail problems

Your nails are a reflection of your general health so it is important to work on improving your health. The fist place to start is to remove as many toxins from your body as you can. The build up of toxins in your system will lead to many diseases including those of the circulatory, immune, digestive and liver and hormones. These will all contribute to poor nails.

Vitamin and mineral supplements

• Vitamin A is necessary for nail growth and to assist in the repair of the nail bed.

• Vitamin B2 promotes healthy nails and is needed for the nails to be formed.

• Vitamin C boosts overall health and is involved making the protein component of nails. Deficiencies of vitamin C are associated with deformed nails.

• Biotin strengthens keratin (the protein from which nails are formed).

• Calcium helps to make nails strong.

• Iodine improves nail condition.

• Iron deficiencies can cause nail to be brittle, pale and have ridges.

• Magnesium is necessary for repair and maintenance of the nail bed and therefore nail health. It also helps calcium do its job.

• Zinc is necessary for healing and is crucial for nail growth.

Other nutrients and herbs

• Omega 3 oils contain essential fatty acids that are vital for nail health.

• Omega 6 oils strengthen nails.

• Acidophilus will assist in fighting fungal infections that effect nails, as will tea tree oil applied externally to the affected nail. If you have a fungus affected nails you can also soak your fingers in a mixture of warm pacu d’arco and goldenseal tea for 15 minutes a day.

• Garlic will help to improve the blood flow to the nail bed and this will improve the growth or nails. It will also assist in the fight against any infections, including fungal infections.

• Ginkgo Biloba improves the circulation which will increase the nutrients that are available for nail health.

• Milk thistle (silybum marianum) will assist to detoxify your liver and bloodstream.

• Aloe vera will help to cleanse and heal the digestive tract.

Eating certain foods will assist in improving your general health as well as the health of your nails. These foods include:

• salmon, mackerel and sardines

• nuts and seeds

• green leafy vegetables and fresh fruit

• chicken and eggs

• seaweed

You need to avoid the following:

• animal fats which stimulate the production of free radicals which deplete your general health and this is reflected in your nails sugar or refined carbohydrates because fungi thrive on then

• processed foods, and fried greasy foods

• whenever possible, avoid drugs, alcohol, caffeine and oral contraceptives as they all place a strain on the liver

• If you smoke you need to quit. Smoking contributes to poorer overall health, including poor quality nails.

Your nails are a reflection of your general health – the healthier your are the better your nails will be. By taking care of your health – eating well, having vitamin and minerals supplements and detoxifying your body – you will be taking care of your nails.

Dr Jenny Tylee is an experienced health professional who is passionate about health and wellbeing. She believes that health is not just absence of disease and seeks to actively promote vitality and wellness through empowering others. She encourages people to improve their health by quit smoking, cleansing their body, taking essential vitamin and mineral supplement and many other methods, including herbal remedies.

Alchornea species
Iporoni
Iporuru
Macochihua
Niando

Iporuru is a shrub native to the Amazon and parts of Africa. It grows on low-lying plains that become swamps during the rainy season. It is harvested only during the dry season, when its medically active constituents are present. The bark is used in herbal medicine. Iporuru remedies and products are sold in local markets and herbal pharmacies in Peru.

USES

Iporuru helps to relieve the pain and inflammation of arthritis and other joint problems, and is gaining recognition among athletes and health-care practitioners for its ability to support muscle and joint structure. One study in Argentina found that an extract of iporuru had antibacterial effects and was effective against penicillin-G-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Aspergillus niger.

Iporuru bark steeped in aguardiente (rum) is a traditional South American remedy for arthritis, colds, and muscle pains after a long day of fishing or hunting. In Peru, health-care practitioners prescribe iporuru to treat rheumatism and impotence, and to reduce blood sugar in people with diabetes. Indigenous peoples of Peru use it to relieve symptoms of osteoarthritis.

Benefits of iporuru for specific health conditions include the following:

* Gout. Iporuru alleviates acute inflammation. This action is attributable to high concentrations of flavonoids that stop inflammatory reactions at the cellular level. The flavonoids also relax skeletal muscles.
* Impotence and infertility. Iporuru is a unique traditional treatment for infertility in men in that it is taken by the woman rather than by the man. A plausible explanation for this effect is that the herb increases the receptivity of the cervix to sperm cells. French scientists have proposed that men taking iporuru would have stronger erections, greater penetration, and more viable sperm through the action of yohimbine, a compound found in both iporuru and yohimbe.

CONSIDERATIONS

Iporuru is available as a tincture. Some commercial formulas combine iporuru with smilax as an aphrodisiac or with cat’s claw to relieve inflammation. Overdoses can occur if iporuru is used excessively. Follow dosage directions carefully.

Source: Herbs2000

Alchemilla vulgaris
Bear’s Foot
Lady’s Mantle
Lion’s Foot
Nine Hooks
Stellaria

Lady’s-mantle owes its scientific name and a certain pseudoscientific reputation to the fact that its leaves are efficient collectors of dew. The alchemists, to whom the name Alchemilla refers, believed that the dewdrops that gather on the leaves had magical powers to help them in their search for the philosopher’s stone, with which they expected to turn base metals to gold. The name lady’s-mantle refers to the plant’s shapely, pleated leaves, which resemble a medieval lady’s cloak-one suitable for the Virgin Mary, hence the plant’s original common name, Our-Lady’s-mantle.

Generations of folk healers have prized the plant for its astringent properties. They have used it externally and internally to stop bleeding (including excessive menstruation), to heal wounds, to relieve vomiting, and in a host of other cures. Early herbalists believed that the plant had such strong contractile powers that it could “restore″ lost virginity and give new firmness to flabby breasts. Lady’s-mantle is still used in herbal medicine, but its chief function is as a garden plant. The leaves usually have nine lobes, which account for the name nine hooks.

Lady’s mantle is said to have an affinity for the female reproductive tract. Its astringent tannins help to reduce heavy periods, particularly useful around the menopause, while as a uterine stimulant and emmenagogue it stimulates menstrual flow and can be used to stimulate contractions during childbirth. Lady′ mantle can be used to relieve period pains and to regulate periods, and was a traditional remedy for inducing sleep. The astringent properties useful for treating diarrhea and gastroenteritis, while the salicylic acid reduces inflammation in the digestive and reproductive systems.

Lady’s mantle can be used externally as a douche or lotion (mixed with rose water if you wish) for vaginal discharge, irritatiqn and infection. It also makes good skin lotion for rashes such as eczema, cuts and wounds, sores and insect bites. As a mouthwash or gargle it can be used for bleeding gums, mouth ulcers and sore throats.

PARTS USED

Aerial parts, root.

USES

Lady’s mantle has always been prized as a wound healer. Its astringency ensures that blood flow is staunched and the first stage of healing soon gets under way. As the name implies, it is a valuable herb for women, taken principally to reduce heavy menstrual bleeding, to relieve menstrual cramps, and to improve regularity of the cycle. It is prescribed for conditions such as fibroids and endometriosis. It is also used as a douche for excess vaginal discharge. Lady’s mantle has been used to facilitate childbirth, and is thought to act as a liver decongestant. Its astringency makes it a useful herb for treating diarrhea and gastroenteritis.

Other medical uses – Wrinkles.

HABITAT AND CULTIVATION

Lady’s rnantle is native to Britain and continental Europe. Lady′ mantle is gathered in summer.

CONSTITUENTS

Lady’s mantle contains tannins, a glycoside, and salicylic acid.

HOW MUCH TO TAKE

Use the leaves as an infusion, 200 ml (8 fl oz), three times a day to help regularize the menstrual cycle and relieve heavy bleeding. In stomach upsets where there is diarrhea, take the tincture 2 ml (40 drops), three times a day.

HOW IT WORKS IN THE BODY

The tannins act as an astringent, helping to reduce bleeding, particularly in the reproductive system, thus making it a valuable treatment for excessive menstrual bleeding and in the menopause. It is an excellent tonic for the uterus. The herb’s properties enable it to act as a hormonal balancer, which also means that it has the effect of normalizing an irregular cycle. The salicylic acid acts as a mild painkiller, which helps ease painful periods. The protective layer the tannins form on the tissues mean that this herb is also helpful in the digestive system where there is diarrhea.

APPLICATIONS

AERIAL PARTS:
INFUSION – Use for gastroenteritis or diarrhea: take up to five times daily for acute symptoms.
TINCTURE – Use for menstrual pain and irregularities or for menopausal problems.
OINTMENT – To relieve vaginal itching, combine 50 g ointment base with around 20 ml rosewater and 15 ml of the infusion or tincture, and use night and morning.
WASH – Apply the infusion externally for weeping eczema or sores.
MOUTHWASH / GARGLE – Use the infusion for sore throats, laryngitis, and mouth ulcers.
DOUCHE – Use the infusion for vaginal discharges and itching.
SUPPOSITORIES – Use for vaginal discharges and itching. Combine 20 drops tincture with 20 g cocoa butter to make 12-16 suppositories, depending on mold size.

Source Herbs2000

Also Known As:

Achillea millefolium
Gandana
I-chi-kao
Milfoil
Millefoil
Noble Yarrow
Nosebleed
Old Man’s Pepper
Soldier’s Woundwort
Stanchgrass
Thousand-leaf
Thousand-seal
Yarrow

Yarrow is a perennial herb found the world over in waste places, fields, pastures, meadows and along railroad embankments and highways where it should never be picked on account of the chemical spraying that’s routinely done to keep the weeds down. The simple stem bears aromatic bipinnately parted and dissected leaves, giving a lacy appearance. Yarrow can grow up to a yard high, yielding pretty flower heads with white rays and yellow (turning to brown) disks in them. The light brown, creeping rootstock produces a round, smooth, pithy stem that branches near the top.

Yarrow is a highly versatile remedy, with anti-inflammatory and antiseptic volatile oils, and astringent tannins. The resins are also astringent and antiseptic, while silica promotes tissue repair. These properties promote healing of cuts and wounds, burns and ulcers, and inflammatory skin conditions. In the digestive system, yarrow stimulates the appetite, enhances digestion and absorption its astringent properties curb diarrhea and dysentery, and stem bleeding from the lining of the gut. The antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties treat infections and inflamed conditions such as gastritis and enteritis, the bitters stimulate liver function, while its antispasmodics relax tensioning cramp, wind, colic or nervous dyspepsia.

Taken hot, yarrow is excellent for helping to throw off fevers and infections such as colds, flu, coughs, and sore throats. Yarrow clears heat and toxins from the system by causing sweating. As a tonic to the circulatory system, yarrow helps improve varicose veins, hemorrhoids, phlebitis and thrombosis, and reduces blood pressure. Yarrow’s diuretic action aids the elimination of fluid and toxins from the system via the urine. Yarrow also relieves cystitis, irritable bladder, stones, and gravel. Yarrow helps relieve painful joints and clear the skin. Yarrow contains sterols which have a hormone-like action and help to regulate the menstrual cycle. Yarrow reduces heavy bleeding and uteric congestion, and relieve heavy periods. Yarrow is also a tonic to the nervous system.

PARTS USED

Aerial parts.

USES

Healing wounds - Achilles reputedly used yarrow to heal wounds, hence its botanical name. Yarrow has been used for this purpose for centuries, and in Scotland a traditional wound ointment was made from yarrow.
Therapeutic properties – Chamazulene, present in some volatile oils, is markedly anti-inflammatory and antiallergenic. Sesquiterpene lactones are bitter and tonic, and achilleine helps arrest internal and external bleeding. The flavonoids are probably responsible for yarrow’s antispasmodic effect.
Gynecological herb – Yarrow helps regulate the menstrual cycle, reduces heavy bleeding, and eases menstrual pain.
Other medical uses - Abscess. Combined with other herbs, yarrow helps colds and flu. Its bitter tonic properties make it useful for weak digestion and colic. Yarrow also helps hay fever, lowers high blood pressure, improves venous circulation, and tones varicose veins. Make good herbal cleansers for skin wrinkles.

HABITAT AND CULTIVATION

Native to Europe and western Asia, yarrow can be found growing wild in temperate regions throughout the world, in meadows and along roadsides. Yarrow spreads via its roots, and the aerial parts are picked in summer when in flower.

RESEARCH

Despite its many uses, yarrow has been poorly researched.

CONSTITUENTS

- Volatile oil with variable content (linalool, camphor, sabinene, chamazulene)
- Sesquiterpene lactones
- Flavonoids
- Alkaloids (achilleine)
- Polyacetylenes
- Triterpenes
- Salicylic acid
- Coumarins
- Tannins

HOW MUCH TO TAKE

As a tea, yarrow can be taken with other herbs 200 ml (8 fl oz) three times daily. As a tincture, take 1 ml (20 drops) three times a day.

HOW IT WORKS IN THE BODY

The apigenin has been shown to have anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic properties, and the azulenes and salicylic acids are also both antispasmodic. The alkaloids have a hemostatic action, which confirms its usage as a remedy to stop bleeding. Chamazulene (as in chamomile) is anti-allergenic. This herb has an action in many different systems of the body. Primarily, it is probably best known for its action in the respiratory system, its diaphoretic (increases sweating) properties being used for colds and fevers. It can also be used for allergy for example, in hay fever. Its combined properties make it useful following flu or illness where there is little appetite as a tonic to promote digestion. In the cardiovascular system its antispasmodic and slightly diuretic action has made it valuable for lowering high blood pressure, and improving the venous circulation. In the reproductive system it is known as a menstrual regulator, which also helps to reduce heavy bleeding. Conversely, it can also bring on a period.

APPLICATIONS

FLOWERS:
INFUSION – Drink for upper respiratory phlegm or use externally as a wash for eczema.
INHALATION – For hay fever and mild asthma, use fresh in boiling water.
ESSENTIAL OIL:
MASSAGE OIL – For inflamed joints, dilute 5 – 10 drops yarrow oil in 25 ml infused St.John’s wort oil.
CHEST RUB – For chesty colds and influenza, combine with eucalyptus, peppermint, hyssop, or thyme oils, diluting a total of 20 drops oil in 25 ml almond or sunflower oil.
LEAVES:
FRESH – To stop a nosebleed, insert a leaf into the nostril.
POULTICE - Wrap washed, fresh leaves on cuts and grazes.
AERIAL PARTS:
INFUSION – Use to reduce fevers and as a digestive tonic.
TINCTURE – Use for urinary disorders or menstrual problems. Prescribed for cardiovascular complaints.
COMPRESS – Soak a pad in the infusion or dilute tincture to soothe varicose veins.

A STOMACH – FRIENDLY WINE

* 2 cups (120 g) yarrow flowers
* 6 cups (1 1/2 liters) dry white wine

Crush the flowers in a mortar or an electric blender. Let stand for 1 month in a glass jar away from light, then strain.
Bitter yet healthy for digestion, fighting stomach cramps and flatulence. As an aperitif or a digestive, take 1T(15 ml).