Thursday, December 30, 2010

Ganoderma Lucidum Herbs for Asthma

            What are the best herbs for asthma?
            Scientific studies proved that Cordyceps Sinensis can improve asthma together with Ganoderma Lucidum and Bee Propolis. How these supplements and herbs for asthma help to improve this disturbing health problem?
            Asthma is a kind of allergic reaction that causes the respiratory tract to contract. This blocks air passage where oxygen cannot enter the lung and carbon dioxide cannot flow out. For severe case, inflammation on the respiratory tract may occur, causing serious phlegm.
            Medications and steroid spray can only control asthma condition. However, choosing the correct herbs for asthma may affect a significant long term improvement.
            Generally, asthma attack is triggered by allergen such as pollen and dust. It causes your immune system to over react.
            Under normal circumstances, your immune system will react actively towards bacteria or virus that enters your body. However, pollen and dust are not germs. If your immune system is unregulated, it will launch the attack on those allergens too! This cause’s allergy or asthma attack.
            In your body defense mechanism, a protein called Immunoglobulin E, IgE functions as radar to detect unfriendly particles. When enemy enters your body, IgE radar will fire up signal calling for other immunity cells to launch an attack.
            If IgE is over sensitive, it will signal an emergency rescue call even when it detects pollen or dust. When the attack is blindly launched, it destroys your own friendly cell.
            An important substance that control and regulate IgE is Interferon Gamma.
            Other immunity regulators are Interferon Alpha, Interferon Beta and other lymphatic cells. This group of immunity regulators will suppress over active immunity cells and enhance the weaker one.
            Thus, it maintains a balance in your complex immune system.
            How herbal remedy for asthma help?
            Scientists found that extract of Cordyceps Sinensis herb can effectively enhance the production of Interferon Gamma. This in turn controls the IgE from becoming over active, improving asthma.
            Cordyceps Sinensis can also dilate (expand) respiratory tract, enhance kidney and lung energy. Traditional Chinese Medicine views asthma as condition caused by weakening of kidney and lung.
            Ganoderma Lucidum herb can enhance Interferon Alpha and Interferon Gamma. Bee Propolis is proven to improve asthma and reduce inflammation and phlegm.
            Therefore, taking these supplements and herbs for asthma together may improve the condition naturally and effectively.
            Meanwhile, try your best to avoid environment that triggers asthma attack.
            Please note that you may not discontinue any forms of medication without doctor’s advice even when you are taking herbs for asthma.

Friday, December 17, 2010

Ganoderma Lucidum Herbs for Arthritis

            Are there any herbs for arthritis that can effectively improve this common complaint?
            Yes, there are.
But it depends on what type of arthritis you have. Once you determine your actual causes of arthritis, you can take the specific herbs for arthritis for a natural treatment.
            First, let’s find out more about arthritis…
            Arthritis is a general term for joint’s pain. It can be mild or severe, affecting one or more joints. It causes inflammation, pain, swelling, warmth or stiffness in the affected joint.
            The three most common types are:
            • Osteoarthritis
            • Rheumatoid Arthritis
            • Gout
            
            Osteoarthritis
            Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis. It is caused by wear and tear due to excessive use over the years or to old injuries in the affected joints. It commonly affects people over 60 years of age.
            Osteoarthritis mostly affects the large weight-bearing joints like the knees, hips and spine, causing pain and stiffness which is worst at the end of the day. The affected person may have difficulty in walking, climbing stairs, squatting or kneeling.
            You can check the severity of osteoarthritis by having an X-ray scan.
            Causes of Osteoarthritis
            Causes of osteoarthritis include:
            1) Accidents or serious injury to joints
            2) High heel shoe
            Common use of high heel shoe injures our foot, knee and back joints. You’re recommended to use it only once a while.
            3) Bad Posture
            Remember to sit and stand with your head and back straight up. Bad posture results in extra stress to the joints especially around neck and back. It causes poor blood circulation too.
            4) Menopause
            Women’s hormones are responsible to lock calcium in their bones. After menopause, when their hormones get lesser, calcium loss increases. This speeds up their joints’ wear and tear.
            5) Unbalanced Diet
            In our diet, acidic food mainly consists of meat, sugar and peanuts. Alkaline food includes fruits and vegetables in general.
            When you take too much acidic food and less alkaline food, your blood becomes more acidic. As your body needs to maintain blood acid/alkaline (pH) level of 7.4, it will transfer calcium (alkaline substance) from the bones into the blood.
            Therefore, it speeds up calcium loss in bones, causing osteoarthritis. Acidic body also causes chronic fatigue, high blood pressure and other diseases.
            For acidic body constitution…
            • Reduce intake of acidic food and eat more fruits and vegetables
            • Prevent consumption of soft drinks as it is highly acidic
            • Remember to control intake of coffee and tea as these drinks will increase calcium loss from bones too.
            Besides this, you can take Ganoderma Lucidum herbs for faster improvement. As herbs for arthritis, this fungus can balance your body acidic value. Therefore, it controls calcium loss from bones.
            Herbs for Osteoarthritis
            In general, Ganoderma Lucidum is not the best herbs for osteoarthritis.
            For this type of arthritis, I recommend taking Cordyceps Sinensis herbs. It effectively enhances your kidney energy. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, kidney supports bone functions. Therefore, Cordyceps Sinensis herbs are beneficial for arthritis and osteoporosis.
            Another important supplement that you can take is Coral Calcium. This supplement can effectively strengthen your joint and increase bone density.
            Coral Calcium is a type of organic calcium with the most similar calcium form as calcium in our bone. Therefore, its absorption into bone is the highest and fastest. Another advantage of Coral Calcium is that it won’t cause formation of stones. Excessive Coral Calcium will be excreted out through urine.
            You are also recommended to include these foods in your diet if possible:
            • Brown rice
            • Black sesame
            These are natural foods high in calcium with other beneficial
minerals and nutrients.
            Remember not to overstress the affected joint. For back bone osteoarthritis, prevent from carrying heavy thing.
            For knee osteoarthritis, do not run or climb mountain. Walk and stand less. Exercise by swimming or cycling.
            Please note that if joint’s cartilage is totally worn out or damaged (especially knee joint), it is impossible to heal it with any supplements or herbs for arthritis. You need to undergo operation to install a artificial cartilage.
            If the cartilage has worn out about 50%, there are still chances for improvement.
            
            Rheumatoid Arthritis
            Rheumatoid arthritis is due to abnormal reaction of body’s immune system to the joints. It can also attack other parts of the body like the muscles, lungs, skin, blood vessels, nerves and eyes. It is most commonly seen in people between the ages of 40 and 60, especially in women.
            Rheumatoid arthritis often affects the small joints, especially of the wrists, hands and feet. It causes pain, stiffness and swelling which is worst in the morning. Later, other joints like the shoulders, elbows, hips, knees and ankles may also be involved.
            The affected person may find difficulty in gripping eating utensils, turning taps, dressing or writing.
            You know have your Rheumatoid Arthritis when your blood test shows higher than normal value for Rheumatic Factor indicator.
            Causes of Rheumatoid Arthritis
            The root cause of rheumatoid arthritis is over active and unregulated immune system. Your immune system is regulated by a group immunity cells especially the lymphatic cells, alpha interferon, beta interferon and gamma interferon.
            These groups of immunity cells will suppress other over active immune cells and strengthen weaker immune cells. Therefore, it plays a very important function of regulating immune system to achieve a balance among different groups of immunity cells.
            Herbs for Rheumatoid Arthritis
            Ganoderma Lucidum herb is proven to strengthen alpha and gamma interferon while Cordyceps Sinensis herbs can enhance the function of gamma interferon. Taking both of these herbs for arthritis can effectively regulate your immune system.
            Therefore, these herbs for arthritis naturally suppress over active immunity cells and improve the condition of Rheumatoid Arthritis.
            
            Gout
            Gout is a type of arthritis caused by high uric acid. Uric acid is a waste product formed from the breakdown of certain proteins called purines. It is normally removed from the body by kidneys.
            In gout, uric acid builds up and forms crystals which are deposited inside the joints. Gout is more common in men, especially between ages of 30 and 60.
            The base of big toe is usually affected. The big toe becomes red, hot, swollen and very painful. The pain may last for days to weeks if not treated. Arthritis attacks may reoccur at intervals of weeks or months. Gout can also affect other joints like the ankle, knee, wrist and fingers.
            Gout is a curable disease. But if left untreated, it can cause kidney stones, which may lead to kidney damage.
            You know you have gout arthritis when your blood test shows higher value of uric acid indicator. But don’t worry; there are some herbs for arthritis that can improve this type of arthritis.
            Causes of Gout
            One of the main causes for gout is taking too much food high in purines protein such as:
            • Organ meats – liver, kidney, brain
            • Seafood – crab, prawn, cockle, scallop
            • Small fish – sardines, fish roe
            • Meat extracts, yeast extracts
            • Beer
            While avoiding food mentioned above, you need to reduce the following:
            • Asparagus, cauliflower, mushroom and spinach
            • Peanuts, dhal, beans and peas
            • Custard apple
            • Wholegrain breads and cereal
            • Soybean products like bean curd
            When you take in excessive purines, uric acid builds up. So, the first step in treating gout is to control your diet.
            The second cause for gout is weak organs function such as:
            • Over producing of uric acid
            • Problem with uric acid metabolism and removal
            • Combination of both above
            Herbs for Gout
            For this case, we need to strengthen organs related to uric acid such as liver and pancreas. As herbs for arthritis, Ganoderma Lucidum herbs and Cordyceps Sinensis herbs can achieve this.
            Before taking any herbs for arthritis, remember to first take care of your lifestyle and diet as mentioned above. If you don’t control these two important aspects, taking any supplements or herbs for arthritis will be less effective or even useless.
            For serious condition, consult your physician first before taking any herbs for arthritis.

Saturday, December 4, 2010

Ganoderma Spore The Essence of Ganoderma Lucidum

            Every summer and autumn, when the Ganoderma Lucidum fruit body ripens, it releases Ganoderma spore powder. This spore is used to reproduce and continue its life. Carried away by the wind, most spores ends up in ashes or in the soil. Only the rare lucky spores find their way to the forest and land on wooden log that will mother them. The Ganoderma spore quickly forms primary hypha. The hypha is equivalent to the ovum or sperm of human being. It is not a wholesome life body and is very weak. The primary hypha must find another of its kind in order to complete the fertilization process into secondary hypha, to proceed with normal growth. The process is similar to that of an ovum of female obtaining complete life after being fertilized by a sperm.  The secondary hypha keeps excreting hydrolyses enzyme into the wood. Such enzyme has a very strong decomposing ability. It absorbs fiber after breaking it down and manufactures essential nutrients for its own growth. As long as the nutrients in the wood are sufficient, the secondary hypha will live for many years, even up to a few hundred years. The strong will of hypha proves that it is able to overcome adverse conditions such as humidity and other viral infections. In fact, Ganoderma Lucidum ability to fight against disease, insect and other harmful factor is outstanding among the world of
            Basidiomycetes.
            When the nutrients in T-shape base have been used up by the hypha and the climatic condition do not allow the continue growth of hypha, some hypha will break down on the surface of the T-shape base and reproduce themselves.
              Following the growth of the fruit body, numerous basidium (spore carrier) are formed within the fruit body. This is why superior grade of fungi like Ganoderma Lucidum and mushroom are known as Basidiomycetes. The two nuclei within the basidium first combined to form a single nucleus. Then, it divides itself to produce four small nuclei, forming four spores. Finally the basidium ejects the ripen Ganoderma spore from its fruit body. The new generation of Ganoderma spore is produced and the cycle repeats itself. This is how Ganoderma Lucidum survives the warm and humid forest environment. It abandons the best of the greenery and chooses to reproduce on decaying wood, making wonders out of the rotten.
            Ganoderma Lucidum is an important ambassador between human being and Mother Nature. It is regarded as the uncrown king of the Mycetes kingdom, making extraordinary contributions to human being. Other members of the Basidiomycetes family such as mushroom and tremella live on wood fiber too. They are also beneficial to our health in one way or another.
            This common characteristic comes not by chance. In the process of breaking down wood fiber, nutrients beneficial to human body are formed.
            The best part is that not only does Ganoderma Lucidum feed on wood fiber, its fruit body will eventually become hard. The polysaccharides and triterpenes produced in this process cannot be found in human body. Some of these components are bioactive and are very important tonics in regulating the internal and external environment of human body. These nutrients are mostly in Ganoderma Lucidum fruit body and Ganoderma spore.
            But the most precious part is the Ganoderma spore. It contains the most beneficial components for our health such as polysaccharides, anoderma acid, vitamins and minerals. However, Ganoderma spore’s shell is hard and solid. Human body cannot easily digest it. That is why a special spore shell breaking technique must be used to unlock its essences. The existence of spore powder depends on the cultivation method. Different types of growth pattern produce different quality of Ganoderma Lucidum.
            Three common cultivation methods are natural growth, vacuum packing and log wood cultivation..