Other MS Considerations

Because the cause of the myelin sheath damage remains unknown, avoid the things that are rumored to be possible causes, even if it is not yet proven scientifically. For instance, several reports on aspartame (more commonly known as Equal or NutriSweet®, a chemical ingredient used to sweeten many sugarless foods and drinks) link the substance to a myriad of symptoms and illnesses including MS, nerve damage, brain lesions, brain tumors, headaches, depression, black-outs, forgetfulness, and other central nervous system disorders. For more information on this and other food additives, read the book Excitotoxins, The Taste That Kills, by Dr. Russell Blaylock. Eliminating all potential toxins going into your body can eliminate the source of what could be causing your problem. Some pesticides are known to be toxic to the nervous system, so search out organic foods whenever possible to keep potentially harmful pesticides out of your system.
Stress-reduction therapies should be incorporated into your life if you suffer from MS. Activities such as swimming, yoga, massage, reflexology, and other bodywork done weekly will help keep your nerves from overreacting and may help slow the damage in the nervous system.

Black Currant Oil

Black currant oil is high in essential fatty acids, such as gamma linoleic acid (GLA). Research has shown that people suffering from degenerative diseases are low in these essential fatty acids, so GLA can help protect the immune system. Evening primrose oil has similar properties to black currant oil, but it contains only half the GLA. Flax seed oil and lecithin are also good sources of essential fatty acids, but they’re still not as rich in GLA as black currant oil.
Fatty acids are required to build up the myelin nerve sheaths, and this is why black currant oil can be your best single herb for MS. Essential fatty acids also build hormones, which are required for many biochemical processes and cellular communication.
Black currant oil has helped many and has been used for these conditions:
➤ Allergies
➤ Cancer
➤ Candida
➤ Eczema
➤ Female disorders
➤ Immunity
➤ Mental and nervous system disorders
➤ Multiple sclerosis
➤ Obesity
➤ PMS
➤ Skin ailments (all kinds)
Consider all foods and herbs that feed, support, and build the nervous system if you have MS. Vitamin E aids circulation and serves as an antioxidant, B-complex vitamins feed the brain and nervous system, and lecithin, cell salts, CoQ10, amino acids, and food enzymes have all been helpful supplements. Other helpful herbs besides black currant oil include liquid chlorophyll, black walnut, germanium, skullcap, passion flower, horsetail, and wild yam.

Multiple Sclerosis, Multiple Herbs

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disease affecting the nervous system. The myelin sheaths that surround and protect the nerves become damaged, which affects the brain and spinal cord and impairs the function of all nerves involved. Unfortunately, I see more and more young people these days suffering from MS, but the good news is that I have also seen folks with MS recover and experience increasingly longer periods without relapse, thanks to herbal remedies and other nutritional supplements.
MS affects different parts of the nerves and brain, so symptoms are scattered and can vary. Symptoms generally include:
➤ An unsteady gait
➤ Shaky hands or legs
➤ Involuntary rapid movement of the eyes
➤ Spasmodic weakness
➤ Affected speech
➤ Blurred vision due to inflammation of the nerves behind the eyes
Now let’s talk about some herbs that might help protect you from this disease.

Mullein and Mumps

Mumps is a common childhood viral infection characterized by swelling of the glands in the neck, fever, headache, and sometimes vomiting. The affected person usually feels sick for three to five days but remains infectious until the swelling of the glands has completely gone away.
If you did not have mumps as a child, catching the illness in adulthood is more serious and needs to be treated immediately. Mumps in adults can cause sterility in men. Some children get the mumps even when they have been vaccinated against it, but you can still help your child with some herbal remedies.
Mullein (Verbascum thapsus) is a common herb that’s also quite recognizable. This herb grows up to eight feet tall and has stalks that are conical in shape. It has small, yellow flowers that bloom a few at a time and sit close to the stalk. Mullein can be found along most roadsides where it is dry, warm, and open and where the soil has been disturbed. In a pinch, a dried stalk of mullein dipped in pine pitch may be lit and used as a torch.
Native Americans used to smoke the dried leaves of this plant for relief of coughs. The tea also can be drunk, or an infusion can be made and applied to the chest to help break up mucus congestion quickly.
That’s all nice and fine, but what can it do for the mumps, you ask? Historically, mullein has been used internally to treat mumps because of its affinity for the glands. You can take it or administer it internally to help with any childhood illness because it is a safe and mild herb. Apply a cooled fomentation of a mixture of mullein, lobelia, and white oak bark externally directly over the swollen lymph glands. Mullein also has an affinity for the sinuses and can break up congestion. The herb is very soothing to the mucus membranes, which makes it useful for dry, hot, irritated, and hacking coughs. Think of mullein for any type of chest or glandular afflictions.

Ginger for Morning Sickness

Ginger is highlighted in nausea and motion sickness treatment because it is one of the best, well-known, and most effective herbal remedies used to combat the problem. In moderate quantities, ginger is also a safe herb used by women with morning sickness. You can buy ginger root in candied form and chew on a small piece if you start to feel sick to your stomach; this has been a godsend to many moms over the years.
If your liver is a problem, or if you tend to be anemic (low red blood count), you can nourish your body with herbs that are rich in iron. Plant forms of iron include red beet, yellow dock, red raspberry, chickweed, burdock, nettle, and mullein. A dab of peppermint oil on your tongue can stop you from feeling sick almost right away, and peppermint tea or peppermint candy has also been used to beat nausea over the years.

Cure for Morning Sickness

Morning sickness occurs due to pregnancy and is usually caused by a toxic system, especially a stressed or overburdened liver. If you haven’t had a chance to do some internal cleansing before you conceived, you will not be able to cleanse now, but remember to do so if you have a chance before the next child. In the meantime, let’s take a look at some safe herbal remedies during pregnancy.
The leaves of the red raspberry bush (Rubis idaeus) are used as a tonic to strengthen the reproductive organs in both men and women. The fruit of the bush is used in jams, jellies, and wines, and you can take red raspberry leaves as a tea or in pill form. This herb is safe for use in pregnancy.
In contrast to pennyroyal, red raspberry serves as an anti-abortifacient, meaning that it prevents miscarriage. Red raspberry has been used to regulate hormones, as a tonic for the uterus, and also to tone the uterus after birth. The toning effect may be helpful for the prostate gland in men also. Some women have used red raspberry to correct infertility, aid labor, and ease muscle cramps and afterpains.
Red raspberry also nourishes breast milk and is rich in magnesium, iron, and niacin. It provides vitamin C and manganese, both which may help tone the abdominal wall and make labor less painful. This herb seems to have been made just for women who want to be moms!

Hormonal Helpers

For irregular periods, take vitamin E to help increase fertility and bring more oxygen into the blood; licorice root has helped some of my menopausal clients rid themselves of hot flashes. Licorice root nourishes adrenals, regulates menstruation, and helps the body to release excess water retention. Sip ginger root tea to help promote the menstrual flow once you do get your period. Dong quai has come to the rescue for many women and is used to regulate periods, ease PMS, help menopausal symptoms, nourish female glands, calm nervousness, expel retained placenta after birth, reduce hot flashes, and eliminate anemia.
Evening primrose oil has also been a saving grace for many women with raging hormones, has been used to help regulate periods, eases PMS symptoms, aids skin and hair health, and boosts the immune system. Try taking up to six evening primrose capsules daily 7 to 10 days before your period is due. Stay consistent. You will need to give your herbal hormonal helpers at least a few months to be able to correctly evaluate if your cycle is becoming regular. Patience and experimentation will be needed unless you are working with a holistic practitioner who can help guide you, of course.

Pennyroyal for That Womanly Period

Pennyroyal (Hedeoma pulegioides), or the more potent version from Europe (Mentha pulegium), is an herb that is hard to find. Because of its possible misuse, many manufacturers will not offer it to the consumer. Pennyroyal is an abortifacient, which means that it should never be taken while pregnant because it may cause the mother to abort a fetus.
If you are a generally healthy woman, however, pennyroyal can be effective in bringing on a late period. Others have used the herb after giving birth to help the delivery of the placenta (known as the afterbirth). Just a little pennyroyal also may lessen the cramps and bloating associated with menstruation. In this case, a penny goes a long way!
Pennyroyal should also be noted for its use in getting rid of bugs and pests. This herb is one of the most powerful bug repellents and seems to be effective against a wide range of bugs. Here are some uses of pennyroyal as a bug repellent:

• The plant itself has been grown in pots or flower beds surrounding porches to repel mosquitoes. Because of this, it has also been commonly known as mosquito plant.
• Used externally, the essential oil repels mosquitoes, fleas, and flies.
• The dried herb can be made into a sachet and put in with wool clothing to repel moths.
• The dried herb, burned for incense, can also serve as a great repellent.
• The plant has been rubbed directly on the skin not only as a bug repellent but also for the relief of poison oak or poison ivy rashes. Again, remember to avoid any applications of pennyroyal—whether internal or external—if you are pregnant.

Menstrual Problems, Balancing on Your Cycle

Menstruation can be viewed as your body’s monthly house cleaning. Each month, the body prepares the uterus while the ovaries are busy preparing an egg with the anticipation of attracting the best sperm and creating new life. If no lucky sperm make the grade, the lining of the uterus is shed and the process repeats again. There are three important stages during this cycle which include:

• Actual menstruation: This is the three to seven days of your period, when the uterus is shedding its lining. This is when all your hormone levels drop. You can use this time as a time of rest, for gentle exercise like walking, and clean eating (less fats and sugar) to help your entire body get the most from this cleansing time.
• The follicular phase: After your period is the time when your body is being prompted by hormones to produce eggs in the ovaries. At this time, estrogen levels begin to build and reach a peak. This is a time when your immune system strengthens in order to rid the body of germs and prepare for new life. (Note that some women become compelled to enthusiastically scrub their homes just before baby is due!) During the last part of this stage, is the time when most women feel their best and strongest (just before ovulation), skin tends to clear, and sexual urges rise. Nature designed this for the female to be better able to attract her mate just at the right time for fertility—isn’t that cool?
• The luteal phase: This is the time when the produced egg leaves the ovary on its journey to the uterus. This is the time when progesterone takes over to prep the lining of the uterus to support a growing fetus. At this time, the immune system drops so that the potential sperm and (hopefully) fertilized egg can do their thing without being attacked by the immune system. If no sperm happens to show, the body goes back to the next phase, menstruation, and the cycle continues.

Menstrual problems are frustrating and include all the symptoms of PMS, irregularity in the cycle, late periods or no periods (amenorrhea), periods that come too frequently (epimenorrhea), periods that are heavy and may last too long (menorrhagia), and painful periods (dysmenorrhea).
If you have any of these problems, you should get a check-up and find out what is causing the irregularities or pain. Endometriosis and other abnormal growths, pregnancy, and hormonal imbalances and anorexia can all be factors.

Boneset, for Bone-Breaking Aches and Pains

The herb boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum) got its name back in the days of the Civil War, when it was used against the flu named breakbone fever. The muscle aches and pains were so severe with this flu that folks believed their bones would break! Boneset helped ease these fever-related pains and earned its name as it did so. It is said that boneset was also used in place of quinine during this time to fight malaria. You can still use boneset to fight the discomfort of the measles and other illness such as the flu. Boneset works as a diaphoretic (it pushes out fever) and an expectorant (it pushes out mucus); it also resists bacteria and viral infections and helps reduce the muscle pain associated with fevers. Make boneset into a tea or decoction and drink warm to help with fever. The energetic effect seems to change with this herb if taken in a liquid form. For instance, herbalists will tell you to take boneset warm for its diaphoretic effect (making you sweat to break a fever). But if you are chilled and shaking with a fever, boneset is more effective taken as a chilled tea or infusion. Of course, if you take the herb in a pill form or mixed with other herbs, you bypass these specifics.
Other herbs to boost the immune system that are safe for children as well as adults include Echinacea and golden seal, safflowers, liquid chlorophyll, marshmallow and fenugreek, slippery elm, and yarrow. Beta carotene and vitamin C both can boost the immune system as well.
Make a fomentation of thyme and apply topically to the rash or use for a sponge bath to help break fever. Garlic and catnip enemas are helpful in fighting infections in little ones and also help reduce mucus in the system. In addition, you can swab Oregon grape onto internal mouth sores to aid in healing.
The essential oil of eucalyptus diffused in a room can help protect others from airborne viruses spread by the coughing, infectious person.

Were You Vaccinated?

Most of us already have experienced measles in childhood, whether we were vaccinated against it or not. However, exposure to this usually mild infection, through exposure to someone contagious with the measles, will usually ensure lifetime immunity so that you don’t have to experience the problem again. The vaccine against measles is not necessarily 100 percent protection against the virus, nor is it necessarily the reason for the eradication of the disease. Here are some interesting facts:

• The death rate from measles declined by 95 percent from 1916 to 1958. Note that this occurred years before the introduction of the vaccine.
• More than 95 percent of measles cases have a history of vaccination, according to Dr. William Atkinson of the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
• In Hungary, between December 1988 and May 1989 there were 19,000 cases of measles; 77 percent of these cases were found in people age 17 to 21 who had already received the live measles vaccine.

Whether you were vaccinated against measles or not, you can still utilize the same herbal remedies to help you recover. Let’s take a look at an old remedy, boneset.

Measles: No Measly Solution

Measles is typically a childhood illness, caused by a contagious virus. The symptoms include a rash that lasts about three to five days, a cough, a fever, and sometimes small red spots with white centers on the inside of the mouth. This illness usually lasts a short time, but you should take care of yourself for at least a week after you recover to ensure that you avoid further complications from the illness. An inner ear infection or other ailments of the respiratory tract can sometimes follow a measles outbreak.

Suma: Wrestling with Lyme Disease

When you think Suma, do you think sumo wrestling? Well, wipe that vision of a big black thong out of your mind’s eye, and let’s get back to business! Suma is an adaptogenic herb that can help the body recover from illnesses such as Lyme disease. This herb also has been called Amazon or Brazilian ginseng, and in Spanish it has been referred to as “para todo,” which means “for everything.” Suma can help get you back on your feet by helping to regulate sugar balance, acting as an aphrodisiac, and serving an immune stimulant. One herbalist claims that it helps fight the virus responsible for Epstein-Barr, and some recent Japanese research insinuates that suma may inhibit some cancer cells.