Herbs For Acne

Herbs for Acne

Acne is an extremely common skin condition characterized by occasional flare-ups of blackheads, pimples, and pustules. Most often, pimples develop on the face, neck, upper chest, and/or the back. When the liver becomes congested or sluggish, toxins are not filtered out of the body but instead get into the bloodstream which can show up as a skin problem like acne.

Some of the factors that contribute to acne are:

• A diet having excessive sugar, fried, salt and processed foods.
• Insufficient intake of water, fruit, vegetables, and fibre.
• Excessive intake of foods such as chocolate, caffeine, carbonated beverages, milk products, and seafood and other iodine-rich foods.
• Being overweight.
• Use of certain birth control pills, steroids, and lithium.

Certain herbs that purify the bloodstream of toxins by improving liver function are used to treat acne. Some of the major herbs for acne are:

• Burdock,
• Yellow Dock,
• Dandelion Root
• Red Clover
• Sarsaparilla

Source : iloveindia.com

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Bromelain

Bromelain

Bromelain is not a single substance, but rather a collection of enzymes and other compounds. It is a mixture of sulfur-containing protein-digesting enzymes—called proteolytic enzymes or proteases—and several other substances in smaller quantities including: peroxidase, acid phosphatase, protease inhibitors, and calcium. It is primarily produced in Japan and Taiwan.

History
A researcher named Chittenden first identified the presence of proteolytic enzymes in pineapple juice around 1892 and called it ‘bromelin′. Later the term ‘bromelain′ was introduced and originally applied to any protease from any plant member of the plant family Bromeliaceae. Bromelain was first introduced as a therapeutic supplement in 1957. Research on bromelain apparently was first conducted in Hawaii but more recently has been conducted in countries in Asia, Europe and Latin America. Germany has recently taken a great interest in bromelain research, where bromelain is currently the 13th most widely used herbal medicine.

Source
Bromelain is present in all parts of the pineapple plant (Ananas comosus) but the stem is the most common commercial source, presumably because it readily available after the fruit has been harvested. Pineapples have had a long tradition as a medicinal plant among the natives of South and Central America. However, just eating pineapple will not give you a great deal of extra bromelain, because it is mostly concentrated in the stem, which is not nearly as tasty (albeit still edible).

Uses
Along with papain, bromelain is one of the most popular enzymes for meat tenderizing. Historically, meat tenderizing enzymes were often injected into the muscle of a food animal while it is still living. This practice has been largely discontinued, replaced with various postmortem application methods which are acceptable for lesser quality cuts. Today, approximately 90% of meat tenderizer use is in consumer households. Bromelain is sold in a powdered form, which is combined with a marinade or directly sprinkled on the uncooked meat. The enzyme will penetrate the meat, and by a process called forking, cause the meat to be tender and palatable when cooked. If the enzyme is allowed to work for too long, the meat may become too “mushy″ for many consumers’ preferences.

Bromelain can be used in a vast array of medical conditions. It was first introduced in this area in 1957, and works by blocking some proinflammatory metabolites that accelerate and worsen the inflammatory process. It is an anti-inflammatory agent, and so can be used for sports injury, trauma, arthritis, and other kinds of swelling. Its main uses are athletic injuries, digestive problems, phlebitis, sinusitis, and aiding healing after surgery. It has also been proposed in the use of arthritis, chronic venous insufficiency, easy bruising, gout, hemorrhoids, menstrual pain, autoimmune disorders, and ulcerative colitis. Studies have shown that bromelain can also be useful in the reduction of platelet clumping and blood clots in the bloodstream, especially in the arteries. It may even be useful in the treatment of AIDS to stop the spread of HIV. Its side effects include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, menorrhagia (excessively heavy menstrual flow) and possible allergic reactions. One study has also associated Bromelain with increased heart rate. Bromelain supplementation up to 460 mg has been shown to have no effect on human heart rate or blood pressure; however, increasing doses up to 1840 mg have been shown to increase the heart rate proportionately.

Bromelain is prepared from the stump or root portion of the pineapple plant after harvest of the fruit. This stump or root portion is collected from the fields, peeled and crushed to extract the juice containing the soluble Bromelain enzyme. Further processing includes precipitation of the enzyme to further purify it. This process is carried out in factories under strictly controlled conditions to assure microbiological quality and enzyme purity. The Bromelain products are all supplied as powders.

Other plant proteases include papain (from the papaya), actinidin (from the kiwi fruit), and ficin (from the fig). These proteases may induce a prickly sensation in the mouth when consumed.

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Broccoli Sprouts

Broccoli is a plant of the Cabbage family, Brassicaceae (formerly Cruciferae). It is classified as the Italica Cultivar Group of the species Brassica oleracea. Broccoli possesses abundant fleshy green flower heads arranged in a tree-like fashion on branches sprouting from a thick, edible stalk. The large mass of flower heads is surrounded by leaves. Broccoli most closely resembles its close relative cauliflower, but is green rather than white. Common varieties are Calabrese and purple sprouting broccoli.

Broccoli is one of the most versatile vegetables. It can be eaten raw with a dip, tossed into a stir fry or steamed and served with a pat of butter. Another versatile vegetable is broccoli sprouts. Broccoli sprouts are just as delicious as broccoli and can be a nice alternative to serving broccoli in the traditional sense.
Broccoli sprouts are easy to grow and even if you don’t have a large vegetable garden on your property you can be enjoying homegrown sprouts in a matter of days. They are tasty and can be added to a sandwich or a salad. Broccoli sprouts contain all of the same nutrients as the traditional heads of broccoli we are all accustomed to.

If you don’t have a green thumb but still want to enjoy the nutritional benefits of broccoli sprouts they can now be purchased in most supermarkets. Normally placed near the broccoli they are best when they are relatively fresh. You can tell how fresh they are by their texture. Broccoli sprouts should be crunchy and firm.

Most children shy away from vegetables that are unfamiliar to them. Trying new things is often the last thing they want to do. If you explain that the sprouts are just another form of the broccoli that they like in their salad or with dip, they will be more likely to give them a chance. If broccoli isn’t one of their favorite foods than it might be best not to mention that the sprouts are actually just another form of that.

Adding the broccoli sprouts to familiar dishes is also an effective way to introduce them to the younger members of your family. When added to a beef stir fry or chicken chow mein the taste blends well with the other ingredients.

Adding the sprouts to other dishes is just as easy. Salads are family favorites and often contain many assorted vegetables including tomatoes, carrots and radishes. Throwing in a few broccoli sprouts will only add to the crispness and flavor of the salad.

For many people broccoli just isn’t high on their list of favorite foods. For these people the idea of eating another food that is related to the vegetable is really unappetizing. However, it’s important to note that the flavor of the broccoli sprouts is different than the flavor of a head of broccoli. It’s impossible to know whether or not you’ll like the sprouts unless you give them a taste.

Broccoli sprouts are an inexpensive way to add a nutritional food to your menu. Experiment with them and create some dishes of your own.

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