Liquorice - a herb for health!

Herbs that soothe and calm your digestive tract, promoting better health.

Going with the basic premise of this site, that anyone that suffers from repeated yeast infections or from systemic candida (or any other type of gastro intestinal problem) needs to take steps to support their body’s best health, this post will discuss some herbs that soothe and help to heal the gastro intestinal tract. The healthier our digestive systems are, the healthier we will be!

Herbs covered in this post:
Liquorice
Herbs covered in future posts:
Marshmallow
Comfrey Root
Slippery Elm

Liquorice
Benefits - liquorice helps protect the innermost mucosal layer of the stomach against irritation that could lead to ulcers. Liquorice works by stimulating your stomach so that it produces more protective compounds. Liquorice also contains flavonoid compounds that can help inhibit H. pylori the bacteria associated with stomach ulcers. Liquorice itself has a sweet flavour and can be stimulating and some people have chewed the root (swallowed the resulting juice but spat out the root) to help them stop smoking. It is also meant to be good for your lungs, your adrenals as well as your gut.
How it is taken – liquorice extract as used by herbalists is made from the liquorice root. It is not the same thing as the liquorice that is sold in sweets shops or candy stores. Liquorice the sweet often contains flour, water and salt and aniseed extract. Even some liquorice syrups that are sold for medicinal purposes contain either alcohol or sugar and so are to be avoided. It can be taken in capsule form, drunk as a herbal tea – either prepared from the root yourself, or in a tea bag (but then check carefully what else has been added to the tea bag, make sure, for example, that the tea bag is free from caffeine!) And you can also chew on the root (but most herbalists recommend swallowing only the juice and not the actual root fiber).
Side affects – there are quite a few possible side affects when using liquorice, so you may want to check with your health care professional if you have any pre existing conditions such as hypertension, heart problems or you are pregnant or breast feeding. Apparently the major possible problem is hyper tension, and it is for this reason that pregnant people or those with heart conditions are cautioned to be wary of it. However, many herbalists say that when taken in a normal (ie tea bag) dose made from the whole root there is little chance of problems unless you are someone who is very sensitive to liquorice. So it can be wise to start out slowly and see if you have any problems. Other potential problems include edema (fluid retention) so if you begin to have a puffy face or hands, discontinue use.

An easy step to stimulate good digestion

Bitters anyone?

Bitters, these days added to some cocktails, started their life as medicinal preparations. For example Angostura bitters were first made by a German physician in the town of Angostura in Venezuela. He prescribed them to patients for stomach upsets.

The concept of having something bitter to stimulate the digestive function is still a valid one. If we eat (or drink) something bitter 20 -30 minutes before a meal our pancreas has been stimulated and more digestive enzymes have been released and are ready and waiting for the food.

We will digest the food better and will benefit from the attendant increase in health.

So, given that the anti candida diet is not in favour of alcohol, what can you have besides a cocktail that will act as bitters for your stomach?

Let’s go back to the herbs that are used in bitters. Bitter herbs (that stimulate digestive function) include gentian, wormwood, boldo, goldenseal, barberry, dandelion, hops, and artichoke.

Some of the easiest to access would be artichoke, gentian and dandelion. (Gentian is a primary ingredient in the Angostura bitters). They do have a bitter flavour, but I recommend trying them for overall digestive health. Dandelion is my preferred one, taken as a tea.

ARTICHOKE AND FENNEL SALAD
INGREDIENTS:

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

2 fennel bulbs (about 2 pounds)
2 14-ounce cans artichoke hearts, drained and quartered or eighths
2 tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup pitted Nicoise or other brine-cured black olives
1 ounce (about 3) flat anchovy fillets, drained, minced, and mashed to a paste
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon dried orégano, crumbled
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled
freshly ground pepper to taste

Trim the feathery tops from the fennel bulbs, reserving several for garnish, and trim the stalks to the point where they meet the bulb, reserving them for another use.
Quarter the bulbs, discarding the core, and slice the quarters thin crosswise. In a large bowl combine the fennel, the artichoke hearts, the tomatoes, and the olives.
In a bowl whisk together the anchovy paste, the oil, the lemon juice, the orégano, and the thyme.
Toss the fennel mixture with the dressing, season it with the pepper and salt, andgarnish the salad with the reserved fennel tops.

Serves 6.

Yeast Infection is not the only itchy culprit

A Recent report delivered to the International Society for the Study of Vulvovaginal Disease has researchers warn that women who self diagnose them selves with a yeast infection and then treat their vaginal yeast infections with over the counter drugs may be doing more harm then good.

What Susan Hoffstetter said in her report was "Everything that itches isn't a yeast infection." There can be many reasons for vaginal itching or discharge that range from skin irritation because of dryness to sexually transmitted disease. Susan Hoffstetter pointed out that these conditions require different treatment and women should consult with their doctor before diagnosing themselves.

Working at the Saint Louis University School of Medicine, Hoffstetter analyzed over 150 cases and found that only 26% of cases actually had a vaginal yeast infection. When a women visits her doctor, the doctor will be able to identify correctly what her problem is through pelvic examinations as well as a vaginal swab.

Balanitis and thrush

What is it? It is an infection of the glans – the tip of the penis that the foreskin covers. When a person has balanitis this area becomes sore and swollen. Besides localised pain it may make it difficult to urinate.

What causes balanitis – it can be caused by a fungus, by a bacterial infection or it can be symptomatic of a more serious disease – for example balanitis can be an early sign of male diabetes in children.

In babies balanitis may be caused by bacteria or fungus already present as a yeast infection spreading to infect the penis.

How to treat Balanitis
First talk to your doctor and rule out the possibility of the inflammation being caused by something more serious. Then practise really good hygiene. Pull the foreskin back and wash thoroughly with gentle soap. Allow it to dry thoroughly and receive air if possible. This destroys the environment that bacteria and fungus like and they are responsible for most balanitis. This simple practice will help clear up many cases of balanitis. For babies, make sure the nappy is changed often when wet.

If simple hygiene methods aren’t enough, then you may need to use either an anti fungal or topical antibiotic cream. It can be helpful for your doctor to culture a swab from the glans to establish what is causing the balanitis, as bacteria and fungus are killed by different medications.

If your balanitis still does not respond, sometimes circumcision will be recommended.

How important is it to treat balanitis?
If left untreated a couple of nasty things may happen. It may spread to be a general (very painful) infection of the total penis. It may cause scarring of the ureter which makes passing urine painful. This would then necessitate an operation to enlarge the ureter again. More pain. So get it treated as soon as it appears. And if you have to go for circumcision, oh well, it won’t kill you!

4 Truths about drugs that cause yeast infections

There are drugs that dramatically increase your chances of developing a candida overgrowth. Some major culprits are steroids, the oral contraceptive pill, chemotherapy and antibiotics.

Steroids:
Oral steroids (such as those taken for asthma) can contribute to cases of oral thrush. So be on the look out for white patches in the mouth or on the tongue, and be prepared to see a doctor if you suspect a problem. Spacers used with steroid inhalers can help prevent oral thrush or stop it recurring. Treatment for oral thrush generally involves looking for and removing the cause of the problem, and then if necessary oral lozenges may be prescribed by your doctor.

Steroids taken either intravenously or in ingested as medication can increase the likelihood of getting thrush, either vaginal, oral, or sometimes on other parts of the body. Steroids may prescribed for such things as allergies, hodgkins lymphoma, crohn’s disease etc.

The Oral Contraceptive pill:
Because it alters normal hormone levels, it can increase a woman’s susceptibility to thrush. This is because as our hormone levels are altered by the pill, our ability to process sugar is reduced, leading to more available sugar for the thrush to feed on.

Chemotherapy:
Can increase your chance of oral thrush in a number of ways. First of all, chemotherapy works by damaging the cells in your body. Healthy cells can repair and keep reproducing, cancerous ones find it more difficult. But in the period where your healthy cells are damaged they are liable to more problems than usual.

You can find you get ulcers and bleeding, and candida, always present in our mouths any way, can become an opportunistic infection. Really good oral hygiene is important in treating and preventing thrush while having chemotherapy. If you have dentures, keep them very clean. If you have teeth use a soft tooth brush, an electric one can also be good. Replace the toothbrush frequently to prevent infection.

Chemotherapy often causes a lack of saliva, so eat foods that are soft on the mouth, think juicy or saucy things, rather than crispy or acidic.

Antibiotics:
Antibiotics are implicated in yeast overgrowth because they kill friendly bacteria such as lactobacilli. Lactobacilli are normally available to help keep a balance with the yeast and stop them growing out of control, so if they are removed yeast tend to flourish more.

It is also worth remembering that with the exception of the contraceptive pill, you only take these drugs when you have a pre-existent health problem. Candida overgrowth can occur purely because our body is run down, so the fact that you have a health problem already may make you more susceptible to yeast overgrowth, regardless of the drugs that you are taking.