Allergy Article

Allergy Alert: Breathe Easy, Naturally Posted Mon, Mar 10, 2008,

http://health.yahoo.com/experts/drmao/13022/allergy-alert-breathe-easy-naturally/

Itchy, watery eyes, running nose, an aching head, and sinus congestion. Sound familiar? You may be among the 37 million people in the United States who suffer from allergic rhinitis or sinusitis. Consider combating your springtime woes naturally with these time-tested self-healing techniques.

Allergens in the Air
When your sinuses, the air-filled hollow cavities around your nose and nasal passages, become inflamed, fluid can accumulate and interfere with normal drainage of mucus in the sinuses. This condition is known as acute sinusitis. The result? You may have trouble breathing through your nose and feel your eyes and facial tissue swell up.

Your symptoms may include a headache, fever, a nagging cough, post-nasal drip, thick green or yellow discharge, and a feeling of facial "fullness" that gets worse when you lean forward; during a severe sinus infection, some people even experience a toothache.

This uncomfortable condition has many possible causes, including bacterial, viral, and fungal infections, allergies, or a deviated septum. Synonymous with spring, allergic rhinitis, commonly called hay fever, is the inflammatory result of your immune system's overreaction to allergens in the air.

Pollen is one famous offender. Other allergens include dirt, pollution, animal hair, food particles cloth fibers, and mold.

Surprising Secrets for Sinus Health
Here are some all-natural ways to gain freedom from sinus suffering.

• Clear your sinuses and your mind with a steamy stovetop spa. Add a few drops of wintergreen oil to a pot of boiling water and inhale the steam. Take care not to be burned by the vapor.

• Herbs and spices like ginger, scallion, basil, garlic, oregano, cayenne peppers, white pepper, horseradish and turmeric will have your sinus passageways unblocked in no time!

• The supplement bromelain - a papaya and pineapple-based enzyme - helps reduce histamine release, the body's natural allergic response.

• Clear your nasal passageway daily for healthy, happy sinuses. Add 1 tsp of sea salt, 1 drop of oregano oil, and 1 drop of wintergreen to a cup of warm water. Fill a small-spouted squeeze bottle with this warm solution. Squirt into one nostril at a time and blow out through the nose. Alternate nostrils.

• Press one clove of garlic, mix with 1 tsp of olive oil and soak a clean cotton ball with the oil mixture and place in nostrils after having washed the nostril with warm salt water. Leave in for 20 minutes and repeat three times a day until the symptoms clear up.

• These two simple self-massage practices that follow are incredibly effective for relieving sinus congestion. For both, sit at the tip of a sturdy chair with your back erect, spine stretched, and your head tilted slightly forward.

1. Inhale and gently press your forehead just inside the temples with your palms. Exhale and release. Repeat three times.

2. Cross your middle and index fingers by placing the tips of your middle fingers on top of the fingernails on your index fingers. Rub the sides of your nose 36 times in a circular motion, warming your fingers first if they're cold.

What you eat affects your sinus health
Avoid the foods that produce mucous and dampness: dairy products, cold and raw foods, corn (including corn syrup), and simple sugars. Choose whole grains like quinoa, amaranth and brown rice instead of wheat, rye and barley, which are typically high allergy grains. Opt for papaya, cranberries, pear, pineapple, cherries, mango, and citrus fruits. Eat more green vegetables such as artichoke, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, kale, cauliflower, and spinach.

Both alcohol and smoking should be avoided during a sinus flare-up as they irritate the respiratory tract and worsen nasal inflammation. Also, sinus congestion is often worse with lack of quality rest so be sure to get plenty of sleep and keep your stress level low.

I hope that you find the ways to keep your sinuses clear and freely flowing. I invite you to visit often and share your own personal health and longevity tips with me.

May you live long, live strong, and live happy!

-Dr. Mao

Preserving books article

April 2, 2008, 12:03PM
Saving the jewels
At libraries and museums across the country, neglect and a lack of money threaten relics of American history

By LISA GRAY
Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle

History at TSU

Bernard Forrester, with his honeyed radio announcer's voice, exudes about 10 times the charisma you'd expect from an archivist. And last week, displaying the jewels of Texas Southern University's historic collections, he poured on the drama.

Behold: The archives of Congresswoman Barbara Jordan, who embodied moral authority during Watergate!

Benin bronzes and Dogon wood carvings from a museum-quality collection of African art!

"Chattel" papers from the 1800s showing slave ownership by Texas' founders!

A 400-year-old book about Africa! A first edition by W.E.B du Bois! A first edition of poetry by Phillis Wheatley, worth more than $30,000! Newspapers from the 1750s!

Those treasures aren't as safe as they should be.

History in danger

Forrester was pulling out the stops for a visit by Anne-Imelda Radice, the director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services, which is to say, the head of a federal agency that gives money to institutions like TSU and tries to rally others to support them.

A couple of months before, Forrester had met Radice at an Atlanta conference about "Connecting to Collections," her agency's effort to support endangered collections. Radice gave the conference's opening remarks, and afterward, Forrester introduced himself. She was dead-on, he thought, in saying that the nation's heritage is endangered.

Even large institutions, like the Smithsonian, struggle with preserving artifacts and documents, and for smaller institutions, the problems loom even larger. Radice often cites statistics from a report by Heritage Preservation, a Washington, D.C., foundation. In 2005, Heritage Preservation surveyed roughly 3,000 institutions, and their confidential answers revealed that few were entirely prepared to care for their historic items.

Among the grim statistics:

• 26 percent of the institutions had no environmental controls to protect their collections from heat, humidity and light;
• 65 percent have artifacts damaged by improper storage while in their care;
• 26 percent have little or no security to protect their items from theft;
• 77 percent have no budget allotted specifically for preservation.
The IMLS urges individuals and granting agencies to give money to conservation — a cause far less sexy than acquiring new materials, but often far more important.

That call to action moved Forrester. In a letter, he wrote Radice that TSU's archives, housed in the university's 1956 library, had no separate climate control, no budget for conservation and no fire-suppression system at all.

If a fire broke out, he wrote, "just bring on the barbecue."

No place to repair

Walking through the archives with Radice, Forrester tried to accentuate the positive at his institution — maybe because his boss and a newspaper reporter were on hand, too. The future, he said, looked brighter now than it did when he wrote his letter. Since then, the library has begun installing a fire-suppression system.

He gestured to a pair of double doors and said that someday, when there's money, that closet will become his "conservatory," a place he can repair fragile books. "I'm a ghetto librarian," he joked. "I know how to put books back together."

He didn't mention the archives' climate control, but he did mention a recent initiative: TSU has asked its congresswoman, Sheila Jackson Lee, to help it get money for a first-class digitization machine. The machine's delicate metal arms can turn the brittle pages as it records a book's contents, making it easy to post on the Internet or send via e-mail. Digitization won't save the book itself, but at least there would be a good record of its contents.

Forrester took Radice to a table where, in her honor, he'd arrayed the university's most valuable books, its best candidates for digitization. Following his lead, she slipped on white cotton gloves and gingerly handled the Phillis Wheatley volume, then Sir Henry Morton Stanley's 1870s writings about Africa and his search for David Livingstone.

They moved on to other books — some with water-splotched covers, many with busted spines. Much of the damage had occurred decades before Forrester took his job — maybe when the books were circulated in TSU's library, squashed in copiers, or stored in temporary buildings. Though better cared for now, most of the books haven't been repaired and all still suffer the slow ravages of fluctuating temperatures.

Examining A Negro's Complaint, a book published in 1731, Radice admired its hand-tinted illustrations. "If you had rice paper," she suggested delicately, "you could put that between the leaves to protect the pages."

"I'm ordering it," said Forrester. "But it's not here yet."

lisa.gray@chron.com

Article on Barack Obama

Something you may not know about me: I've worked at the election voting sites (especially presidential elections) on election day for the past 16 years. I think this is one of the craziest presidential races ever. Please forward the following article to all those who you think might be interested. I think it is important to get the word out. Also, I want to take this time to urge you to vote. As a woman, I have studied the history of women fighting for the right to vote - many sacrifices were made, and I think we owe it to them, and to ourselves, to always vote - especially when electing leaders who represent us. The only way we can make viable change is by electing leaders who represent our values. Please vote on election day, and please forward this article. Thank you.
Melissa
Wikipedia Women's Suffrage
History of Women's Suffrage in the United States

Barack Obama on the issues: http://www.ontheissues.org/Senate/Barack_Obama.htm

Ken Blackwell - Columnist for the New York Sun

http://www.townhall.com/columnists/KenBlackwell/2008/02/14/the_real_obama?page=full&comments=true


http://www.townhall.com/columnists/KenBlackwell/2008/02/21/obamas_silver_tongue_is_forked?page=full&comments=true

It’s an amazing time to be alive in America. We’re in a year of firsts in this presidential election: the first viable woman candidate; the first viable African-American candidate; and, a candidate who is the first frontrunning freedom fighter over 70. The next president of America will be a first. We won’t truly be in an election of firsts, however, until we judge every candidate by where they stand. We won’t arrive where we should be until we no longer talk about skin color or gender. Now that Barack Obama steps to the front of the Democratic field, we need to stop talking about his race, and start talking about his policies and his politics. The reality is this: Though the Democrats will not have a nominee until August, unless Hillary Clinton drops out, Mr. Obama is now the frontrunner, and its time America takes a closer and deeper look at him. Some pundits are calling him the next John F. Kennedy. He’s not. He’s the next George McGovern. And it’s time people learned the facts. Because the truth is that Mr. Obama is the single most liberal senator in the entire U.S. Senate. He is more liberal than Ted Kennedy, Bernie Sanders, or Mrs. Clinton. Never in my life have I seen a presidential frontrunner whose rhetoric is so far removed from his record. Walter Mondale promised to raise our taxes, and he lost. George McGovern promised military weakness, and he lost. Michael Dukakis promised a liberal domestic agenda, and he lost. Yet Mr. Obama is promising all those things, and he’s not behind in the polls. Why? Because the press has dealt with him as if he were in a beauty pageant. Mr. Obama talks about getting past party, getting past red and blue, to lead the United States of America. But let’s look at the more defined strokes of who he is underneath this superficial “beauty.” Start with national security, since the president’s most important duties are as commander-in-chief. Over the summer, Mr. Obama talked about invading Pakistan, a nation armed with nuclear weapons; meeting without preconditions with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who vows to destroy Israel and create another Holocaust; and Kim Jong II, who is murdering and starving his people, but emphasized that the nuclear option was off the table against terrorists — something no president has ever taken off the table since we created nuclear weapons in the 1940s. Even Democrats who have worked in national security condemned all of those remarks. Mr. Obama is a foreign-policy novice who would put our national security at risk. Next, consider economic policy. For all its faults, our health care system is the strongest in the world. And free trade agreements, created by Bill Clinton as well as President Bush, have made more goods more affordable so that even people of modest means can live a life that no one imagined a generation ago. Yet Mr. Obama promises to raise taxes on “the rich.” How to fix Social Security? Raise taxes. How to fix Medicare? Raise taxes. Prescription drugs? Raise taxes. Free college? Raise taxes. Socialize medicine? Raise taxes. His solution to everything is to have government take it over. Big Brother on steroids, funded by your paycheck. Finally, look at the social issues. Mr. Obama had the audacity to open a stadium rally by saying, “All praise and glory to God!” but says that Christian leaders speaking for life and marriage have “hijacked” — hijacked — Christianity. He is pro-partial birth abortion, and promises to appoint Supreme Court justices who will rule any restriction on it unconstitutional. He espouses the abortion views of Margaret Sanger, one of the early advocates of racial cleansing. His spiritual leaders endorse homosexual marriage, and he is moving in that direction. In Illinois, he refused to vote against a statewide ban — ban — on all handguns in the state. These are radical left, Hollywood, and San Francisco values, not Middle America values. The real Mr. Obama is an easy target for the general election. Mrs. Clinton is a far tougher opponent. But Mr. Obama could win if people don’t start looking behind his veneer and flowery speeches. His vision of “bringing America together” means saying that those who disagree with his agenda for America are hijackers or warmongers. Uniting the country means adopting his liberal agenda and abandoning any conflicting beliefs. But right now everyone is talking about how eloquent of a speaker he is and — yes — they’re talking about his race. Those should never be the factors on which we base our choice for president. Mr. Obama’s radical agenda sets him far outside the American mainstream, to the left of Mrs. Clinton. It’s time to talk about the real Barack Obama. In an election of firsts, let’s first make sure we elect the person who is qualified to be our president in a nuclear age during a global civilizational war.

Mr. Blackwell is a contributing editor of townhall.com and a columnist for the New York Sun. He is a Senior Fellow at the Family Research Council and the Buckeye Institute in Ohio.

3 articles - on fertility, skim milk, and apples

The following are three interesting articles from Press TV. I just found this website, and their health articles are very well-written and make more sense than most. They also aren't the alarmist type so the articles are safe for consumption.

3 articles
1. Dairy fat good for fertility and conception
2. Skim milk can lead to prostate cancer
3. Interesting facts about apples

Go with Full Fat Raw Milk from your local farmer!
If you can't drink milk, go with Full Fat Coconut Milk.

Rich food paves way to conception
Fri, 02 Mar 2007 18:37:23
http://www.presstv.ir/Detail.aspx?id=1239&sectionid=3510210
Eating rich ice cream and drinking whole-fat milk, and using heavy cream for coffee, may help reward women shooting for pregnancy, researchers report.

On the other hand, if pregnancy is not the goal, low-fat dairy foods, such as skimmed milk and low-fat yogurt, may the better bill of fare.

In a turn-about from the standard health prescription, researchers found that women who ate two or more portions of low-fat dairy foods a day increased their risk of ovulation-related infertility by 85%, compared with women who ate less than one portion a week, reported Jorge Chavarro, M.D., Sc.D., of the Harvard School of Public Health here, and colleagues, in the Feb. 28 issue of Human Reproduction.

If women ate at least one portion of high-fat dairy food a day, their risk of anovulatory infertility was 27% lower compared with women who had one high-fat dairy serving a week, or even less.

To determine whether the intake of dairy foods was associated with anovulatory infertility and whether this association differed according to fat content, the researchers prospectively followed 18,555 married premenopausal women without a history of infertility.

During follow-up, 438 women reported infertility because of an ovulatory disorder. Intake of total dairy foods was not associated with the risk of anovulatory infertility, but the association with infertility appeared when low-fat and high-fat foods were considered separately.

Overall, there was an inverse association between dairy-fat intake and anovulatory infertility.

Low-fat dairy foods included yogurt or sherbet, skim or low-fat milk, and low-fat cottage cheese. High-fat foods included whole milk, ice cream, whipped or heavy cream, sour cream, cream cheese, and other cheeses.
Scientists recommend people to take more dairy products and especially low-fat dairy to prevent osteoporosis and other ailments, which serves controversial to the findings of the study.
Skim milk linked to prostate cancer
Sat, 26 Jan 2008 18:14:16
http://www.presstv.ir/Detail.aspx?id=40450&sectionid=3510210
Recent studies suggest while whole milk decreases the risk of prostate cancer, drinking low-fat or nonfat milk can raise this risk.

Previous studies have reported dairy products to be a risk factor for prostate cancer because of their high content of calcium.

They claimed calcium converts vitamin D to its active form 1, 25 dihydroxy vitamin D, depleting the body of the cancer-fighting vitamin.

However, according to the study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, calcium and vitamin D intake have no impact on increasing cancer risk.

Scientists believe skim milk can increase localized tumors or non-aggressive prostate tumors.

Prostate tumor is relatively slow-growing and considered to be the most frequent type of cancer among elderly men.

Getting regular sun exposure, optimizing vitamin D levels, regular exercise, adding omega 3, vitamin E, and lycopene-rich foods (such as tomato sauce) to the daily diet and drinking green and black tea can help prevent prostate cancer.

PKH/HGH

Alternative medicine: Apple
Thu, 29 Nov 2007 15:18:26
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=33039&sectionid=3510210 By Patricia Khashayar, MD., Press TV, Tehran
The many health benefits attributed to apples have given rise to the ancient saying that eating an apple a day keeps the doctor away.

Botanical: Pyrus malus
Family: N.O. Pomaceae
Synonym: Wild Apple. Malus communis.

Habitat:

The temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere.

Description:

The 5 to 12 meter tall apple tree is deciduous. Its simple oval leaves are alternately arranged with acute tips. The flowers are white with a pink tinge which gradually fades. The centre of the fruit contains five carpels arranged in a five-point star.

Part Used Medicinally:

The fruit and the bark.

Constituents:

Apple has 80 to 85 percent water, 5 percent proteid, 10 to 15 percent starch and sugar, and 1 to 1.5 percent acids and salts.

All apples contain varying amount of the organic malic and gallic acids, vitamins A and C, pectin and iron.

Medicinal Uses:

Fresh apple is rich in vitamins, and is used to treat scurvy.

Apple is sedative and tonic. It is used to treat diabetes and lower the blood cholesterol.

It also has antiseptic and anti-rheumatismal effects and may help with heart disease, and weight loss.

Apple's high content of vitamin C as well as other antioxidant compounds reduces the risk of colon, prostate and lung cancers.

Its fiber content helps regulate bowel movements.

A group of chemicals in apples protect the brain from damages triggering neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinsonism.

Apple consumption can act as an excellent dentifrice. It also pushes back the gums so that the borders are cleared of deposit.

It's malic and tartaric acid content helps individuals with liver disorders.

Apple acids not only make the fruit itself digestible, but also help with the digestion of other foods. Its sugar is predigested and enters the blood rapidly to provide the body with energy and warmth.

Apple juice, without sugar, reduces the stomach acidity and corrects sour fermentation.

Consuming ripe, sour, juicy apples at bedtime cure constipation and some cases of insomnia.

Regular apple consumption prolongs life span.

The glucoside extracted from apple bark and root, is effective in treating diabetes.

Apple bark decoction is used to treat intermittent fevers.

Cooked apples make a good homemade remedy for sore throats, fevers, eyes inflammation and erysipelas.

Apple consumption appears to promote hair growth. It may also delay aging and skin wrinkles.

A polyphenol compound extracted from unripe apples has an inhibitory dose-dependent effect against cholera toxin and can treat diarrhea.

Apple is a rich source of flavonoid and can improve lung function in asthmatics and lower the incidence of coughing and breathlessness in COPD patients.

It may also prevent the development of carcinogenic substances in the bladder, lung and prostate.

Consuming apples is related to a decreased risk of thrombotic stroke and heart attack mortality.

Apples play an important role in reducing the risk of a wide variety of chronic disease and maintaining a healthy lifestyle in general.

In India, physicians prescribe apple cider vinegar in combination with the herb Gotu Kola to help revitalize the skin. When mixed with honey it improves digestion.

It is antibacterial and anti-fungal and boosts the immune system. It also fights respiratory infections, sore throats and nasal discharges.

Apple cider vinegar is good in individuals suffering from arthritis because it breaks down calcium deposits in the joints while remineralizing the bones.

Apple cider vinegar is a good remedy for food poisoning, urinary tract infections and lowering high blood pressure.

It is also a good source of potassium for diuretic users.

preparation

Eating 2 to 3 unpeeled red apples 3 times a day, is an effective treatment for diarrhea.

Consuming unpeeled yellow apples before sleeping or in the morning is a good remedy for constipation.

Eating 1 or 2 yellow apples after each meal will also lower the blood sugar and cholesterol levels.

Eating green apples helps the liver function.

Caution

Eating too many apples especially when cooked may cause amnesia.

The fruit's malic acid erodes tooth enamel over time.

The seeds, which contain small amounts of amygdaline, a cyanogenic glycoside, are mildly poisonous, but only chewing a large amount can cause toxic effects.

PKH/HGH

Why eat organic foods?

Click on the link: Why eat organic foods?

more to come......

update:
another site -
http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/Dirty-Dozen-Foods?click=main_sr

Not all of us can afford to go 100% organic. The solution? Focus on just those foods that come with the heaviest burden of pesticides, chemicals, additives and hormones. Whenever possible, deploy your organic spending power to buy organic versions of the following foods (in no particular order). Can't find organic versions of these foods? In some cases, we've listed safer alternatives that contain similar valuable vitamins and minerals.

1. Meat. Contrary to a widely reported "fact," meat typically contains less pesticide residue than plant-based foods, according to Debra Edwards, the director of EPA's Office of Pesticide Programs.

That said, raising animals with conventional modern methods often means using hormones to speed up growth, antibiotics to resist disease and pesticides to grow the grain fed to the animals. As the EPA puts it in an Ag 101 feature, "Antibiotics, pesticides, and hormones are organic compounds which are used in animal feeding operations and may pose risks if they enter the environment."

Consumers looking to avoid meats raised with these substances can seek out certified organic meat. To meet USDA standards, this meat can come only from animals fed organic feed and given no hormones or antibiotics.

Publications as varied as the Wall Street Journal, in its 2007 When Buying Organic Makes Sense and When It Doesn’t, and Consumers Union, in its 2006 Tips on Buying Organics Without Breaking the Bank, recommend seeking out organic meats when possible.

2. Milk. Pesticides and other man-made chemicals have been found in human breast milk, so it should come as no surprise that they have been found in dairy products. While any residues detected have been rare, and of low concentration, milk is of special concern because it is a staple of children's diets.

Organic dairies cannot feed their cows with grains grown with pesticides, nor can they use antibiotics or growth hormones like rGBH or rbST.

3. Coffee. Many of the beans you buy are grown in countries that don't regulate use of chemicals and pesticides. Look for the Fair Trade Certified Organic label on the coffee package or can; it will give you some assurance that chemicals and pesticides were not used on the plants. It will also mean that fair prices were paid for the end product in support of the farm and that farm workers are treated fairly.

4. Peaches. Multiple pesticides are regularly applied to these delicately skinned fruits in conventional orchards. Can't find organic? Safe alternatives: watermelon, tangerines, oranges and grapefruit.

5. Apples. Scrubbing and peeling doesn't eliminate chemical residue completely so it's best to buy organic when it comes to apples. Peeling a fruit or vegetable also strips away many of their beneficial nutrients. Can't find organic? Safe alternatives: watermelon, bananas and tangerines.

6. Sweet bell peppers. Peppers have thin skins that don't offer much of a barrier to pesticides. They're often heavily sprayed and victim to pesticides commonly used to keep them insect-free. Can't find organic? Safe alternatives: green peas, broccoli and cabbage.

7. Celery. Celery has no protective skin, which makes it almost impossible to wash off the chemicals that are used on conventional crops. Can't find organic? Safe alternatives: broccoli, radishes and onions.

8. Strawberries. If you buy strawberries out of season, they're most likely imported from countries that use less-stringent regulations for pesticide use. Can't find organic? Safe alternatives: blueberries, kiwi and pineapples.

9. Lettuces. Leafy greens are frequently contaminated with what are considered the most potent pesticides used on food. Can't find organic? Safe alternatives: cabbage, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts.

10. Grapes. Imported grapes run a much greater risk of contamination than those grown domestically. Vineyards can be sprayed with different pesticides during different growth periods of the grape, and no amount of washing or peeling will eliminate contamination because of the grape's thin skin. Can't find organic? Safe alternatives: blueberries, kiwi and raspberries.

11. Potatoes. America's popular spud ranks high for pesticide residue. It also gets the double whammy of fungicides added to the soil for growing. Can't find organic? Safe alternatives: eggplant, cabbage and earthy mushrooms.

12. Tomatoes. A tomato's easily punctured skin is no match for chemicals that will eventually permeate it. Can't find organic? Safe alternatives: green peas, broccoli and asparagus.

If the cost of buying all organics isn't within your budget, fear not. Check out The Daily Green's top ten list of fruit and vegetables you don't need to buy organic, with tips for buying and how to clean, store and use them in delicious recipes.

Laura Williams' Musings: Rid Your Home of Fleas

Laura Williams' Musings: Rid Your Home of Fleas

Fertility/Infertility Herbs and Vitamins - Article

http://www.healthwell.com/hnbreakthroughs/feb98/restoringfertility.cfm?path=hw

Restoring Fertility With Vitamins And Herbs

by Jill E. Stansbury, N.D.

In one of life's ironies, every night, millions of men and women use
condoms, diaphragms and other contraceptives to avoid pregnancy.
Meanwhile, an estimated 10 percent of all couples who want a child
can't conceive. To them it feels tragic. Sadness and self-incriminations
can lead to discord in their marriages. Fortunately, simple nutritional
and botanical remedies can often restore fertility.

Infertility is defined as a lack of conception after one year of
unprotected intercourse. Hormonal imbalances, nutritional deficiencies,
anatomic problems and various diseases are often to blame. Because it
takes two to make a baby, the reason for conception difficulties may
lie with the man, the woman or both.

The key to male fertility is large quantities of healthy sperm. A
medical evaluation relies primarily on a sperm analysis, whereby fresh
semen is examined for the quantity, form and motility of sperm. Sometimes
anatomical problems such as enlarged scrotal veins (varicocele) or
fluid accumulation in the scrotum (hydrocele) can impair sperm formation.
Correcting circulation to the testes with exercise, alternating hot and
cold sitzbaths or surgery may restore fertility.

Glandular diseases such as thyroid abnormalities and diabetes mellitus
can interfere with hormonal control of sperm production, while infections
of the prostate and epididymis (a tubular structure on top of each testis
into which secretions drain) can interfere with sperm production or block
the exit of sperm from the body. Treating both can resolve infertility.
Other infections, such as mumps orchitis (an inflammation of the testicles
following the mumps), can result in permanent infertility. Chromosomal
abnormalities associated with infertility are likewise not correctable.

Sometimes sperm can't do their job because the woman's immune system
creates antibodies to them.1 Examining the fluid in a woman's vagina
after intercourse can determine if immune rejection is causing the
infertility.

When examinations fail to find an illness or anatomical defect to
explain an abnormal sperm count, nutritional and environmental factors
may be to blame. For example, exposing the testes to excessive heat
from jacuzzis, saunas or tight clothing can interfere with optimal
sperm production. General malnutrition, as well as specific nutrient
deficiencies, can also result in weak sperm.

To keep their groins cool, men should wear loose clothing and avoid
heat exposure, such as long soaks in hot tubs. To maintain optimal
nutrition, I recommend a diet that is rich in organic vegetables,
fresh fruits and whole grains, and low in animal products. Evidence
indicates that residues of the estrogens fed to cattle and poultry
can interfere with human hormones. Furthermore, pesticides, plastics
and other environmental pollutants can bind to estrogen receptors in
the body and depress both male and female fertility.2

I also recommend that men take a good multivitamin and make sure
they get sufficient amounts of nutrients specific for male reproductive
health, such as zinc, vitamin E and the amino acids arginine and taurine.

* Zinc:
Semen contains high concentrations of zinc. Supplementing the
diet with 30-60 mg zinc a day may improve sperm count and sexual
function.3,4 A good dietary source of zinc is pumpkin seeds, long
recommended as a fertility-enhancing food and a remedy for benign
prostate enlargement.5 Pumpkin seeds also are rich in two other
nutrients beneficial to male sexual functioning: the plant steroid
beta-sitosterol (which binds to the testosterone receptor) and
vitamin E.

* Vitamin E:
Formerly labeled the anti-sterility vitamin, vitamin E is
crucial to proper reproductive function in both men and women. In
fact, the chemical name for vitamin E, "tocopherol," originated from
the Greek words tokos, which means "offspring," and phero, which means
"to bear." One of the body's main antioxidant nutrients, vitamin E
protects hormones from oxidation. As vitamin E becomes less available
in processed foods and exposure to harmful oxidizing agents increases,
supplementation with 400-800 IU a day may improve fertility for some
men.6

* Amino acids:
Arginine has been shown to raise sperm counts and sperm motility.
The recommended dosage is 2-4 g a day.7,8 Taurine, another amino acid
that may enhance sperm production and motility, is supplemented at 2-4 g
a day.9

After a man adopts a healthy diet supplemented with the above nutrients,
he should have his sperm count rechecked in three to six months.

Sources Of Female Infertility
As with men, hormonal abnormalities can lead to infertility in women
and should be ruled out with blood tests. Uterine fibroids (benign
tumors of fibrous tissue), endometriosis (abnormal location of uterine
tissue in the pelvic cavity), ovarian cysts and infections of reproductive
organs can all impair fertility and are easily detected by a physician.

Lack of ovulation can also be a cause of infertiltiy. Lab tests can
document ovulation, but a woman can also determine ovulation by noting,
throughout the month, variations in her body temperature and vaginal
mucous. A woman's morning temperature usually increases half a degree
around the time of ovulation and remains high until the menstrual
period begins. Many medications and factors, such as excessive use
of alcohol, electric blankets and restless sleep, can disturb this
variation in body temperature. Prior to and after ovulation, when a
woman isn't fertile, cervical mucous tends to be thick and sticky.
At ovulation, the mucous becomes thinner, more watery and abundant.

Conditions that cause irregular menses or cycles without ovulation
can also lead to infertility. These may stem from ovarian and uterine
abnormalities. Women who are anemic may stop menstruating as their
bodies attempt to avoid the loss of blood. Treating anemia and its
underlying cause may restore fertility. Women who exercise vigorously
or who have extremely low body fat may be below a critical body weight
to sustain menstruation and pregnancy. Backing off the heavy exercise
and gaining a few pounds is sometimes all that's required to become
fertile.

As with men, the objective is to diagnose and treat any illness or
imbalance that might secondarily cause infertility. In the absence of
an underlying cause, hormonal therapies can sometimes help correct
ovulation problems or irregular menses. Both pharmaceutical and botanical
treatments may restore the hormonal rhythms that control ovulation.

Clomiphene citrate is a commonly prescribed fertility drug. It stimulates
the brain to release luteinizing hormone, which causes egg maturation and
release from the ovary. The drug is taken for just a few days and then
stopped. A brief fertile period may follow. A drawback is that more than
one egg may be released, resulting in a multiple pregnancy. In addition,
nearly half of all pregnancies achieved in this way result in spontaneous
abortion.10 Perhaps the miscarriage rate is so high because such
medications only force ovulation without correcting underlying deficiencies
or hormonal abnormalities. Botanical medicines on the other hand, nourish
and support the female reproductive system to restore hormonal balance.

Herbs That Can Restore Fertility
Here are a few herbs, listed in order of importance, that are often
recommended by naturopathic doctors and herbalists to help restore female
fertility.

* Chaste tree berry
(Vitex agnus-castus): This herb stimulates the release of luteinizing
hormone (LH) from the pituitary gland in the brain. This, in turn, promotes
ovulation. Chaste tree berry may restore normal periods in women with
amenorrhea (lack of menstrual periods).11

* Dong quai
(Angelica sinensis): Widely used for female complaints, including
menstrual irregularities and infertility, dong quai can tone a weak
uterus by promoting metabolism within the organ,12 regulating hormonal
control and improving the rhythm of the menstrual cycle.13

* Red clover blossoms
(Trifolium pratense): These beautiful little flowers are categorized
in many herbals as fertility promoters. Chemical analysis shows that the
herb is rich in coumestans and isoflavones, estrogenlike compounds that
may promote fertility, particularly in women who are deficient in
estrogen.14

* Licorice
(Glycyrrhiza glabra): This plant contains hormonally active
compounds categorized as saponins.15 A Japanese study found
licorice-based medicines improved menstruation in women with infrequent
periods. The study also found that licorice helped women with elevated
testosterone and low estrogen levels, as commonly occurs in polycystic
ovary disease.16

* Siberian ginseng
(Eleutherococcus senticosus): This and other tonic botanicals
can improve fertility by enhancing overall health and vitality. Siberian
ginseng also acts on the brain to promote regulation of reproductive
hormones.17

Maintaining Pregnancy
Sometimes a woman's fertility problem lies not in conceiving, but in
maintaining pregnancy. For habitual spontaneous abortion, several
hormonal, nutritional and herbal therapies may help continue the
pregnancy. In addition, numerous botanical medicines can improve both
uterine tone and hormonal regulation. Here are a few:

* Black cohosh
(Cimicifuga racemosa): Like chaste tree berry, black cohosh
enhances pituitary secretion of luteinizing hormone with subsequent
ovarian stimulation.18,19 It contains isoflavone constituents, which
can bind to estrogen receptors in the body.20

* Blue cohosh
(Caulophyllum thalictroides): Sounding the same but of an
entirely different genus than black cohosh, blue cohosh is a uterine
tonic, meaning it can relax a hypersensitive uterus as well as increase
the muscular tone of a weak uterus. Early American herbals list blue
cohosh as a uterine botanical helpful in cases of infertility.21

* Motherwort
(Leonurus cardiaca): This feminine-sounding herb affects the
nervous, cardiac and female reproductive systems. It is indicated
for anxiety, tension and heart palpitations caused by heart weakness,
nervous disorders, menopause, premenstrual syndrome and other hormonal
imbalances. Motherwort is also a uterine tonic, useful for cramps and
as well as uterine weakness.22

* Wild yam
(Dioscorea villosa): Very popular in recent years, wild yam
contains plant hormones including the steroidal saponins diosgenin,
pregnenolone and botogenin.23 For several decades, the pharmaceutical
industry has used wild yam as a raw material in the synthesis of
pharmaceutical steroids such as progesterone, cortisone and prednisone.
In its crude form, wild yam has a weak hormonal activity in the body
that may help prevent habitual miscarriage due to hormonal insufficiency.

* Squaw vine
(Mitchella repens): Used by Native Americans as a fertility and
pregnancy tonic, squaw vine is a uterine tonic that increases uterine
circulation and reduces uterine congestion. It also improves uterine
tone, yet relaxes uterine spasm.24

* Crampbark
(Viburnum opulus) and black haw (V. Prunifolium): Both these herbs
are considered uterine sedatives and tonic plants that are helpful for
chronic miscarriage and uterine pain and cramps. Both are also used as
preparatory herbs to condition the uterus for pregnancy and childbirth.25

* Unicorn root
(Chamalerium luteum), also called blazing star: A uterine tonic,
unicorn root is especially useful for women who have a tendency toward
pelvic congestion, a condition typically experienced as a sensation of
heaviness. This herb may help prevent miscarriage and menstrual bleeding
due to uterine weakness.26


Some midwives and obstetricians recommend that women at risk for
spontaneous abortion use herbs such as those listed above for several
months prior to conception to improve uterine tone and hormonal
regulation. They should lower the dosage during the first trimester.
A formula used by early American physicians combined in equal parts
blue cohosh, crampbark, unicorn root and squaw vine. The recommended
dosage was 2-4 mL three times daily. Such herbs were also used during
the last trimester of pregnancy to facilitate an easy delivery and
rapid recovery, particularly in women with difficult or prolonged labors.

After a medical workup has ruled out serious diseases as the cause
of infertility, natural medicines can offer a great deal. Just paying
closer attention to the body's cycles can enhance a woman's fertility
awareness. For men and women, a nutritious diet supplemented with a
multivitamin and free of hormones and pesticides goes a long way toward
improving both reproductive and overall health. Botanical medicines
selected by a knowledgeable practitioner can further enhance hormonal
rhythms and general vitality. Just add romance and you have the
prescription for fertility.


References
1. Hargreave, T.B. "Incidence of serum agglutinating and immobilizing
sperm antibodies in infertile couples." Int J Fertil: 27-90, 1982.

2. Foye, W. Principles of Medicinal Chemistry, 3rd edition: 463.
Philadelphia, PA: Lea and Febiger, 1989.

3. Skandhan, K.P., et al. "Serum electrolytes in normal and infertile
subjects. II. Zinc." Experentia, 34(11); 1476-77, 1978.

4. Netter, A., et al. "Effect of zinc administration on plasma
testosterone, dehydrotesterone, and sperm count." Arch Androl, 7: 69,
1981.

5. Weiss, R.F. Herbal Medication: 117, 121, 254. Beaconsfield, England:
Arcanum Press, 1988.

6. Haas, E. Staying Healthy with Nutrition: 101-2. Berkeley, CA:
Celestial Arts Publications, 1992.

7. Papp, G. et al. "The role of basic amino acids of seminal plasma
in fertility." Int Urol Nephrol, 15(2): 195-203, 1983.

8. Schachter, A., et al. "Treatment of oligospermia with the amino
acid arginine. " J Urology, 110 (3): 311-13, 1973.

9. Haas, E. op. cit., p. 47.

10. Krupp, C. Current Medical Diagnosis and Treatment: 467-69.
Los Altos, CA, Lange Medical Publications, 1984.

11. Weiss, R.F., op. cit., p. 317.

12. Zhu, D. "Dong Quai," Am J Chinese Med, XV (3-4): 117-125, 1986.

13. Zhiping, H., et al. "Treating amenorrhea in vital energy-deficient
patients with Angelica sinensis." J Trad Chin Med, 6 (3): 187-190, 1986.

14. Duke, J. A. Handbook of Medicinal Herbs: 489. Boca Raton, FL:
CRC Press, 1985.

15. Leung, A. Encyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredients Used in Food,
Drugs, and Cosmetics: 290-91. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1980.

16. Yaginuma, T., et al. "Effect of traditional herbal medicine on
serum testosterone levels and induction of regular ovulation in
hyper-androgenic and oligomenorrheic women." Nippon Sank Fujinka
Gakkai Zasshi, 34(7):939-944, 1982.

17. Darymov, L.V. "On the gonadotrophic effect of Eleutherococcus
glycosides." Lek. Srd. Dalinego Vostoka,11:60-65, 1972.

18. Jarry, H., et al. "Studies on the endocrine effects of the contents
of Cimicifuga racemosa, 1: in vitro binding of compounds to estrogen
receptors." Planta Med., 1:46-9, 1985

19. Jarry, H., et al. "Studies on the endocrine effects of the contents
of Cimicifuga racemosa, 2: influence on the servum concentration of
pituitary hormone in ovarectomized rats." Planta Medica, 1:46-9, 1985.

20. Duker, E.M., et al. "Effects of extracts from Cimicifuga racemosa
on gonadotrophic release in menopausal women and ovarectomized rats."
Planta Medica, 57(5): 420-4, 1991.

21. Ellingwood, F. American Materia Medica, Therapeutics, and Pharmacognosy,
11th edition: 593. Cincinnati, Ohio: Lloyd Brothers Publishing, 1919.

22. Felter, H.W. Eclectic Materia Medica, Pharmacognosy, and Therapeutics:
443. Cincinnati, OH: Lloyd Bros Publishing, 1922.

23. Mowrey, D. The Scientific Validation of Herbal Medicine:
107-115 & 151-156. New Canaan, CT: Keats, 1986.

24. Felter, H.W., op. cit., p. 480.

25. Felter, H.W., op. cit., p. 694.

26. Felter, H.W., op. cit., p. 404.

Jill Stansbury, N.D., maintains a private practice in rural southwestern
Washington state where she specializes in botanical and natural therapies.
She heads the botanical medicine department at the National College of
Naturopathic Medicine in Portland and recently published a brief materia
medica, Herbs for Health and Healing.