Before you decide to take any substances or try any cure, do some research. You can ask trusted sources, such as a naturopath or other person who knows a lot about natural treatments. Even massage or physical therapists sometimes have a body of knowledge about natural treatments. Here are just some of the types of people who can help you understand your options:

• Acupuncturists
• Chiropractors
• Herbologists
• Homeopathy Practitioners
• Oriental Medicine Doctor (OMD)
• Massage Therapists
• MDs
• Naturopaths
• Nutritionists
• Pharmacists
• Physical Therapists

You can also look online, although use caution when doing so. There are so many different people out there sharing information — some of it true and some of it not. Some of it is also tainted by self-interest, so don’t believe everything you read. If, for example, you need a natural cure for dandruff, you want to treat depression without medication or you need to find natural arthritis treatments, try to find resources online and then discuss it with a reputable source. Don’t trust a random Web site — even this one — as your sole source of information.

If you find a natural treatment that you think might be worthwhile, you should definitely check first with your primary physician before trying it. This is particularly important  if you are on any medications or have conditions that might be affected by the treatment. With any luck, your doctor will be open to natural remedies. (If they aren’t, maybe it’s time to find another doctor!) You can also ask your pharmacist about any medications you currently take and whether they will interact with the natural remedy you have chosen. Also, if you’re a senior it’s a good idea to check whether Medicare will cover the treatment before you book the appointment. If it doesn’t and you’re really committed to going the natural route, you might want to check whether one of the many optional Medicare supplements will pay for at least some of the cost.

Natural cures don’t always work for each person the same way. So don’t expect that every treatment you try will work the same for you as it did for someone on the Internet. Natural remedies can have side effects, too, so be aware of that and don’t try anything without thoroughly looking into it. A natural treatment can be life-changing and wonderful, but always do plenty of research before trying anything out.

You might also be interested in our Herbal Encyclopedia, which provides information on specific natural remedies.

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Researchers got a clue as to saw palmetto’s benefits for hair restoration when the drug Finasteride was being tested to see if it would effectively treat enlarged prostate glands in men. During the Finasteride clinical trials it was discovered that most of the men with male pattern baldness regrew hair while taking the medication. This led to several studies that found the culprit behind male urinary problems may be the same one that causes hair loss in both men and women: an above average level of DHT, which is a metabolite of the male hormone testosterone. Although the relationship between DHT and baldness is not fully understood, it is believed that DHT causes follicular miniaturization, or the dwindling of hair shaft width until the point that the hair resembles what some people call peach fuzz, or it disappears entirely. Since saw palmetto is used to treat prostate problems and affects DHT levels in a manner similar to Finesteride, it has became a popular baldness treatment for those who want to take a natural approach.

Saw palmetto is generally taken as an extract today. In early times, however, Native Americans ingested it as food, and also used it as an antiseptic and an expectorant. They were well aware of the plant’s benefits for hundreds of years, but its popularity didn’t skyrocket in mainstream society until the connection to mens hair restoration was discovered. It’s reputation has since been enhanced by the fact that it provides a hair restoration price point that most people can afford.

If you’re searching for natural remedies for hair loss and don’t want the side effects experienced with synthetic drugs, you owe it to yourself to learn more about this supplement. But remember, all substances — whether natural or man-made — have the potential for some kind of side effects, depending on your body’s response to it. Be sure to pay attention to how your body reacts when taking any supplement, so you can make sure it’s right for you.

You might also be interested in our article that discusses five other natural remedies for hair loss.

Illustration (c) copyright 2010 Carla Chadwick

This health article describes how you can gain weight the healthy way!

Nowadays it seems like everyone is looking for a solution to weight loss. But if you’re reading this health article, you might actually be looking for a solution to the opposite problem: You want to know how to gain weight and build muscle in a healthy manner without having to resort to harmful drugs or expensive weight gain supplements that don’t work.

In a nutshell, weight gain can be achieved with the combination of good nutrition and a consistent weight training program. When it comes to nutrition, it’s essential to have a combination of protein, carbohydrates, and good fats if you want to add weight. Proteins are necessary, because they repair and rebuild muscles after a workout. The average person should take in 1/2 gram of protein per pound of body weight to be healthy. But if you want to gain weight, you should consume about 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight. Red meat, eggs, fish, poultry are great sources of protein that also provide important amino acids that aid in healthy weight gain.

And don’t leave out the carbohydrates, which the body stores in the muscle tissues and liver in the form of glucose. When your body needs energy, it turns to these stored carbs for fuel. If you don’t have enough carbohydrates, your body will convert protein into carbohydrates to get energy, thereby robbing your body of the proteins it needs to help you gain weight.

Carbohydrates are comprised of three types: simple, complex and dietary fiber. Simple carbohydrates can be obtained from sources like fruit juices; complex carbohydrates come from potatoes, oats, brown rice, whole grains and pasta; and dietary fiber comes from vegetables such as sweet corn, black beans and broccoli, among many others. The best approach is to get your calories from eating raw foods, but this is not always possible for people who have trouble gaining weight. For them, meal replacements can be important tools.

To implement a weight gain program, it’s imperative that you eat several smaller meals a day rather than three larger meals. Why is this important? Because as the frequency of meals increases, so will nutrient absorption rates. More frequent nutrient delivery also means your body will be in a better position to regulate insulin levels, which factor into weight gain. The problem is that if you’re like most people, you probably don’t have time to prepare six meals a day. Meal replacements, which are commonly referred to as as MRPs (meal replacement powders), can provide a solution.

As the name suggests, MRPs are supplements that replicate the effect of having eaten a meal. MRPs don’t do anything more than a good, healthy meal; they just make eating more convenient and portable. You might think MRPs would be a grim and tasteless option. But the good news is that as more people have used and become knowledgeable about them, they have forced nutrition companies to come up with palatable products that really work. Quality MRP brands like Prolab, EAS, Met-Rx and Optimum Nutrition not only taste good; they contain an assortment of vital proteins and vitamins. (That’s not always the case with MRPs you find in the grocery store, so buyer beware.) You don’t need a kitchen to prepare an MRP; all you need is water or juice and a shaker. It’s almost like having a personal chef who provides nutritional meals at your command, any time of the day.

There are a few things to consider before you head out to the store and buy your first can of MRP. By far the most important criteria is the taste. No matter how nutritious it is, if you don’t like how it tastes, it isn’t going to help you. Next are the upgrades. Beware of companies that add extra whey protein or glutamine because these are rip-offs.

Photo by Laura Nubuck

I hope you enjoyed this health article! Please see the sidebars for health articles, healthy recipes and our herbal supplement encyclopedia.

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If you’re looking for a healthy, non-junk-food happy meal, you might want to incorporate the goji berry into your diet. This bright red berry commonly found in China and Mongolia is used as a health food and as part of many Asian medicinal practices. It also has a reputation for making people feel more content, which is why it got the name goji berry. In Chinese, that roughly translates to “the happy berry.”

Also known as the wolfberry or gougi berry, the goji berry was mentioned in the earliest known medical text. In fact, documented use of the berry extends as far back as 1,900 years ago when prominent traveling healers used it as part of a regimen for their patients, believing it had the ability to keep the body nourished and healthy. These early healers would roam the country diagnosing health problems and attempting to keep their patients properly nourished. Unlike health care providers today, the healers would only be paid as long as their patients were healthy. If a person became ill, they would cease to pay the healer until he had brought them back to wellness.

And undocumented use of the goji berry extends back even longer than the 1,900 years of recorded medical history. Chinese legends tell of the first emperor of China who was reputed to have eaten the fruit daily because he believed it kept him well and free from sickness.

The goji berry has become central to many cultures throughout Asia, especially in China, and has a reputation as a healthy food with powerful natural abilities in the human body. Asians believe it can purge the body of illness, and doctors attest that they have seen regular consumption of the berry improve the health of their patients and cure various forms of sickness. As a result, the Chinese have even adopted the goji berry into many of their social events, including a special celebration meant to honor the fruit. And the goji berry has become popular in western cultures, too, where it is used as a health food. Likened to green tea, the goji berry has especially been favored by Hollywood celebrities, many of whom believe it may help them look younger longer.

Scientific Studies

Until recently the berry’s benefits were untested. Chinese medical authorities regularly used the berry and claimed to have scientific proof of its effects on the human body, but none of them were deemed accurate enough by western medical authorities.

Early in 2008, however, new studies were conducted using an approved scientific format to document the effect of a goji product in the body. The product was GoChi Juice, a health drink made from the goji berry. Clinical trials were conducted on people of all ages using a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled format. Subjects were studied and their progress measured at 14 and 30 days of using the product after consuming 4 oz. of the product daily. After 14 days of use, those who drank the juice experienced:

• Sharper mental acuity
• Better quality sleep
• Easier ability to wake up
• Feeling healthier and more content
• Improved regularity
• Improved athletic performance
• Increased energy
• Reduced stress
• Increased ability to focus

After 30 days, those who drank the goji juice were also shown to have improved immune system functioning and natural antioxidant production. The placebo group showed no significant improvements in either function. These results were so ground-breaking, after being peer reviewed, the study was featured in the Journal of Alternative and Complimentary Medicine.

Currently, China is the only country that farms the berry commercially. Though it’s is sold in many forms, the berry is most commonly marketed as a juice. Dried berries are also available. While the berries are much less expensive, they don’t contain all the nutrients found in the juice.

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This FAQ covers all the basic concepts you need to know as you read our health articles.

What are herbs?
According to Webster’s dictionary, an herb is “a plant valued for its medicinal, savory or aromatic qualities.” In fact, a number of today’s synthetic pharmaceutical preparations are derived from herbal extracts that were originally discovered and prescribed many years ago. The drug digitalis, for example, which is used to treat various types of heart ailments, is made from the leaves of the foxglove plant.

What are standardized extracts?
One problem with selecting herbal supplements is that you can’t always be certain of the potency of a particular formulation. Potency depends on a number of factors — what part of the plant was used, where it was grown, when it was harvested, how it has been processed and packaged — and it can either be very strong or virtually inert.

Because of these variables, it’s best to look for herbal supplements that list a “standardized” level of potency. The active compounds found in herbal extracts are usually expressed as a percentage of the total. For example, if a typical standardization level for an ingredient is expressed as 6 percent, that means 100 mg of the standardized herb supplies 6 mg of the active ingredient.

What are vitamins and carotenoids?
Although vitamins do not share a common chemistry, they share certain characteristics. They are all organic nutrients that are necessary in small amounts for normal metabolism and good health. Most vitamins must be provided by the diet or by supplements, but three vitamins (D, K and the B-vitamin biotin) can be manufactured in the body from non-dietary sources. Vitamins are not sources of energy as are carbohydrates, fats and proteins. Instead, vitamins serve as chemical partners for the enzymes involved in the body’s metabolism, cell production, tissue repair and other vital processes. Vitamins are either fat-soluble or water-soluble.

The fat-soluble vitamins, which include A, D, E and K, are absorbed by the body using processes that closely parallel the absorption of fat. They are stored in the liver and used up by the body very slowly. The water-soluble vitamins include vitamin C and the B vitamins. The body uses these vitamins very quickly. Excess amounts are eliminated in urine.

The recommended daily allowance (RDA) for vitamins, which is set by the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academy of Sciences-National Research Council, has been enhanced with a standard called the Dietary Reference Intake (DRI). The DRI is a general term for four different rating sets that apply to vitamins, minerals and proteins taken by men or women in specific age groups. These ratings are:

* Estimated Average Requirement (EAR)
EAR is the daily intake of vitamins that meets the requirements of 50 percent of the population group.

* Adequate Intake (AI)
If the EAR is unknown, AI is used. This is an estimate of an average intake that seems to be healthy and not dangerous.

* Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA)
RDA is the amount of a supplement that is sufficient to meet nearly all the needs of men or women in certain age groups.

* Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL)
UL is the maximum dose likely to be safe in nearly all individuals.

Another standard being developed is Daily Reference Values (DRV), which covers nutrients and other food components, such as phytoestrogens, fiber and nutritional factors that do not yet have any standards. Because vitamins and other dietary supplements are regulated as food (not drugs) by the government, no standards exist for effectiveness. Various manufacturers’ brands of vitamins differ in quality and in their ability to be absorbed by the body. The wise consumer shops for the lowest priced vitamins, as there appears to be no significant difference in quality between vitamins in various price ranges.

The FDA requires that vitamins and other dietary supplements include labels similar to those found on commercial foods. The label must include nutrient information and a list of all ingredients, as well as identification of the parts of plants from which ingredients are taken. Nonetheless, evaluation of the quality of a particular supplement is not required. There is no control over what goes into a dietary supplement, and little is known about long-term effects and risks. Studies on ginseng, for example, found that some supplements did not contain any active ingredients while others varied widely in the amount they contained. The US Pharmacopoeia, an independent organization that sets standards for drugs, has implemented standards for vitamins. Consumers should look for the USP label on supplements to ensure the products adhere to these standards.

We hope you found this health article helpful!