The True and False of Alternative Health Treatments

In today's society there are numerous claims praising the health benefits of garlic and it is true that garlic certainly does have many health benefits; including lowering elevated blood pressure, protecting your arteries and veins and reducing the risk of blood clots, says Dr. Ronald Hoffman. However, it doesn't relieve ulcers or keep pests at bay, which is just a few of the myths floating around about the advantages of garlic. There is no recommended daily dosage, as far as garlic goes, but to maximize the health benefits, Dr Hoffman suggests eating a concentration of garlic extract equivalent to eating 2 cloves of garlic per day. To maximize the health benefits of fresh garlic, crush it at room temperature and let it sit for 15 minutes, this boosts the herbs healthy compounds.

Another myth floating around is that herbs and stockings can relieve the pain of varicose veins, and that is accurate. However, after numerous studies, compression stockings were found to work faster and be much more effective than herbs in the treatment of varicose veins. There is also an herb called Horse Chestnut that can bring you equal relief because it contains a compound call escin, which helps to seal leaking capillaries and improve elasticity of your veins. A common dosage of Horse Chestnut is 300mg twice daily. Biloba helps keep you mentally sharp by increasing blood flow to the brain and is excellent for minor depression. Also recommended is an herb called SAM-E which eases the symptoms of depression and acts as an anti-inflammatory to relieve numerous aches and pains. Doctors suggest that you start with 1600mg of SAM-E then cut back to the lowest effective dose. When using herbs always use loose or freeze dried extracts. Freeze drying is the best concentration of herbs to consider because it helps maintain the potency of medicinal plants. Another myth that's popular among chocolate lovers is that chocolate will calm a chronic cough. And it has been shown that Theobromine, a chemical in coca beans, was more effective in calming persistent coughs than codeine-without causing drowsiness. If you choose chocolate for the treatment of coughs remember to choose dark chocolate, which contains more Theobromine than milk chocolate. Abd to help prevent cavities eat lots of fresh cranberries, apples, aged cheese and grapefruit seed extract. These foods contain anti adhesive compounds that keep cavity causing bacteria from sticking to your sensitive gums.

To get information on these and other natural ways to prevent illness visit www.webmd.com or www.nutrition.com