Alternative herbs and their effects on body system support

Alterative ways a vague term a group herbs. Discuss alteratives beneficial, relation body systems support.

Alterative is a vague term assigned to an herb which acts as blood purifier, meaning that it gradually modifies the condition of the body in a positive manner. These plants have been use for centuries in dealing with toxicity of the blood, infections, or arthritis, skin eruptions, and even cancer. Moreover, this category of herbs also helps the body to assimilate nutrients and eliminate waste products of metabolism.

As in the case of administering any sort of medicine, the choice of alterative herb depends upon matching its system-specific properties with the condition which has to be treated. Therefore, red clover is known to effects on protein assimilation, and is thus employed in cancer, whereas Echinacea is used to fight against acid conditions in the bloodstream associated with a stagnation of lymphatic fluids. In addition, sarsaparilla may be used against infections or other situations where diuretic properties would be most welcome, and cascara sagrada is very useful in toxic conditions resulting from constipation, because it acts as laxative.

Leaves of Chaparral have a positive effect on kidneys, lungs and liver (Tierra, 1998). They contain a powerful antioxidant, nordihydroquaiaretic acid, which is partially responsible for its anti-tumor properties. Apart from that, it also has vasodepressant effects and will increase ascorbic acid in the adrenal glands. Its list of alterative properties includes blood purification, antibiotic, antiseptic, anti-parasitic, expectorant, and diuretic. The mentioned properties explain why it is used in cancer and tumors, but also in arthritis and rheumatic pains, in colds and flu, in diarrhea and even in urinary tract infections.

Furthermore, chaparral is one of the best herbal antibiotics, proving very useful against bacteria, viruses and parasites, both internally and externally. Its antibiotic and alterative properties are heightened when combined with other alterative herbs such as Echinacea, goldenseal, or garlic. It is, in fact, considered an effective anticancer herb taken either alone or in combination with other alteratives such as red clover blossoms, dandelion, Echinacea, poke root, sarsaparilla, barberry root, stillingia, burdock root and buckthorn bark.

Garlic, another alterative plant with antibiotic effects, contains high levels of phosphorus, potassium, sulfur, and zinc, together with moderate levels of selenium, vitamin A and C, and low levels of calcium, magnesium, sodium, iron, manganese, and B-complex vitamins. The Egyptian medical papyrus, Codex Ebers, which dates back to 1550 B.C., includes 800 therapeutic formulae of which 22 are for garlic in a variety of disorders, but mostly in heart disease, headaches, bites, intestinal parasites, and tumors (Agarwal, 1996).