Nairobi – Researchers at the South African University of Stellenbosch, Cape Town, have discovered that plant fats, commonly found in most plants, could yield a cheaper treatment for HIV/Aids patients. According to the University’s head of immunology, Prof. Patrick J. D. Bouic, the plant fats – sterol and sterolin – stabilised and maintained HIV positive [...]

When Penelope* was diagnosed HIV positive she thought her life was over. She immediately wrote will, invested money for her baby daughter and decided who she’d ask to raise the child when she was no longer around. That was two years ago. Today the 28-year-old Cape Town single mother is the picture of health and [...]

Arthritis is an auto-immune disease. The painful joints are caused by the malfunctioning of the immune system. Now the cause, instead of the symptoms is treated with sterols and sterolins which regulate the immune system and are used in the treatment of Aids and cancer. The pain started in Gaby’s fingers. At first she thought [...]

As I understand it, an Herbal Salve is an oil-based Herbal, which is applied to the skin for Cosmetic, medical, or other therapeutic reasons. The basic concept is that the oil becomes infused with the specific healing properties of the herb. Usually, the oil that is used also has some therapeutic properties for healing and/or [...]

Many men today seem to be having difficulty exercising their Yang energy in appropriate ways, perhaps as a result of sedentary jobs, the move toward greater sensitivity, suburban or urban living, or taking on a greater number of domestic chores without balancing this with appropriate large-movement expression, and this is a major health concern. It [...]

Calendula (Calendula officinalis) Although evidence to support use of this well-loved herb is not significant, it is popular as a topical application, and is said to have anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties. For hot spots, calendula might be combined with comfrey, which contains allantoin, accelerating epithelialization, black tea, or witch hazel (the tannins are astringent and [...]

Ginger (Zingiber officinalis) Ginger has long been used as a carminative, an aid for digestive disorders, especially gas and colic, and is a staple of the Chinese and Ayurvedic medical systems. In veterinary medicine, it may be found in a variety of combinations for gastrointestinal disorders. In Chinese medicine, it is a warming herb and [...]

Two main systems are used for deciding which herbs to prescribe, and for purposes of this discussion we will call those systems traditional and pharmacologic. Traditional herbal medicine is based largely on ethnobotanical data, usually from ancient cultures such as China (traditional Chinese medicine) or India (Ayurvedic medicine). These practitioners, ancient or present-day, use an [...]

History tells us that Asclepius (the Greek god of medicine) admired the dog most of all, as the dog finds herbs to eat specifically for treatment of ailments. Noted English herbalist Juliette de Bairacli Levy observed her kennel of Afghan hounds for decades, and observed that they preferentially eat certain herbs from her large and [...]

Alternative medicine; or medical and healing practices that fall outside of the realm of Conventional Medicine (Western) has always been with us. Legends of Shaman, Medicine Men and Healing Powers have been passed down from generation to generation. Natural home remedies for a plethora of conditions and diseases, old fashioned and folk medicine remedies, natural [...]