Alzheimer's Mad Cow Disease And Buying Herbs Info

You can buy a pound of organic herb for around the same price as one or two bottles of store bought herbs in capsule form. You'll get a pound of better, fresher more potent organic herb instead of 3 ounces of lesser quality.

If you do get encapsulated herb in a bottle try to get vegetable based capsules. Look for "Suitable for vegetarians" or "Vegan" or something similar on the label. I want my capsules from a plant source. This goes for herbs or supplements or vitamins.

However I don't take regular so called vitamins or minerals. I use the best I use SuperFood Plus from Dr Schulze's American Botanical Pharmacy. That's my number one choice. Any one that knows me can tell you I don't recommend much. I'm very critical of health related products. If I mention something it's worth at least a look.

Not made from animal scraps or mineral oil. I'm concerned with a recent disease in cattle and other farm animals in the animal based capsules. Mineral oil blocks absorption in the digestive track. Specifically Mad Cow Disease in cattle and Scrapie in sheep and goats.

Mad Cow disease a.k.a. BSE (Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy)
Scrapie a.k.a. TSE (Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy)
Found in cats in Europe (Feline Spongiform Encephalopathy)
To mention a few.

In people in the US the official agencies call it -
variant Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease (vCJD) and now they added
new variant Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease (nvCJD)

The human form is a Spongiform Encephalopathy but you notice they have been very careful not to include it in the name.

Are they the same disease but given different names because they are in different animals. I'll tell you more of this possible connection in a future post. These diseases and many more in the same class raise well deserved concern. I am very suspicious of pathogens that jump across multiple species all at once.

This is something I don't feel happens in nature by it's self. Maybe from one animal to us or another animal but when it jumps all species all at once a red warning flag goes up. Know what I mean. Some one has been peeing in the gene pool.

If you want to use herbs in capsules there are some people doing this manually so you don't get the flow agents. If you come across an offer for this from one of the herb suppliers you still want organic or wild-crafted herb and please look for or request the vegetable based capsules.

The other option is to buy vegetable based capsules and fill them yourself. You may find you can buy capsules in bulk also. Usually in multiple of 1000 caps. When I do this I get the best prices buying from the same place I get herbs. I have found it much cheaper than buying direct from the companies that make the capsules. I buy herbs from several companies.

The standard sizes of capsules would be "0" or the larger "00". Most herbs you by at the store are in the "0" size capsule. Personally I prefer the "00" size. When you buy bulk everything becomes so cheap there is no reason to skimp.

When you fill capsules by hand it takes time but saves money. To make the job easier you can get a cheap tool that makes the process easier and faster. It will keep your hand from cramping up if your going to fill hundreds of capsules in one sitting.

I started doing this with the Ginkgo biloba for my mother to help with her Alzheimer's disease. It worked better that the stuff we were buying in the stores. Not only does it help with memory it but got rid on the mood swings and bad attitude she occasionally would bless us with.

The one I use has a base made up of 4 parts. A base that has little rounded indentations to cup the bottom of the capsule. In each corner is a vertical peg that you side the next layer onto. Also on the base are 2 more pegs. one centered on opposite ends of the base.

These pegs are for 2 small rectangles. When turned one way the support the filling platform and when turned 90 degrees allow the platform to sit on the base.

The platform has 50 holes that align with the indentations of the base. You start with the platform up. Place a capsule in each hole. The top of the capsule is a hair lower than the platform.

Then spoon some herb on the platform. They give you a card to move the herb around and fill the capsules about the size of a credit card. When all the holes are filled you take the tamper that have one peg for each capsule and press it into all the capsules at the same time. Then repeat until you can't get any more to compress and the capsules are full.

Now you just rotate the pieces that support the platform and let it lower. The filled capsules are now about half exposed but still being held upright. Now place the caps on the capsules and your done. The one I use is called Cap-M-Quik. I have both the "0" and "00" sizes. I have tried others but I like the Cap-M-Quik the best. Fast and easy to use.

I usually take the smaller cap side before I cap the filled capsules and scoop up a little more herb in them before placing the on the filled half. That way I get more herb in them and the capsules are very firm if you squeeze them between to fingers.

When I have taken store bought bottled capsules and squeezed them they seem to have a different amount herb in each capsule. Most of them are only putting half as much herb in their capsules than will fit. This makes you think your getting more than you think. It's a visual deception.

It's just like everything else we buy. They put it in a big container and then add that the contents are by weight not buy volume. Content may have settled. I don't believe that. It's to make you think your getting more when your not.

Like when they started putting 14 ounces coffee in the same size can they previously put 16 ounces in. Then they kept the price the same and people thought they were still getting 16 ounces. Or when you buy an extra large box of breakfast cereal and when you open it there is about what should be in a medium size box. One top of that the bigger container costs you more, takes more space to store and makes more trash.

When you buy herbs in bulk you can usually get it in several forms. Powdered form is what you would get if you planned to put it in capsules. I also get powdered form when the herb is extremely hard like Kola nut when making a tincture. Some herbs are just so hard they will destroy consumer grade blenders, food processors and mills.

They sell chopped which is usually used when making teas. You can get ginkgo biloba in whole leaf. Both dried and at certain times of the year you may be able to buy fresh.

The shipping on fresh is a lot more because it's shipped next day delivery and may have ice packs included. The fresh herbs are often shipped by a certain carrier. This is because they have a controlled environment from the pickup to delivery.

Your herbs don't bake in a hot truck or transit hub on its way to you. Even if shipped when it's cold out you want to know your herbs won't get jammed up against the trucks heater.

This is usually not your choice. The herbal companies that you want to buy from will always take care. They want repeat business. They make sure you get your fresh herb fast and in great shape. Every time I have ordered fresh herbs they looked like I just went out and picked them.

A quick word about bottled herbs bought in health food stores and wellness centers and any other type of stores that carry a line of herbal products. The buyer beware. If your buying a bottle of capsules or herbal tea know that they have been around sitting on the self and in the warehouse for a while. I never buy generic or store brand.

With that said if that was all I had available to me I would use it. The stuff still works. Maybe not as quick or as well but it's better than nothing. Always buy the best you can get or the best you can afford. Don't give up just because you can't have the best.

Also most of the commercially bottled capsules contain flow agents. These are added so the powdered herb flows through the automated equipment that puts the herb in the capsules. Check the label and you will see these chemicals. Still look for organic if you can. I have seen hand packed capsules available through some of the bulk herb sellers.

Know that these companies are in herbals to make a profit and they may be buying cheap pesticide treated herbs for 50 cents a pound to fill their containers. Pesticides lower the immune system. These cheaper herbs may not have the full range of compounds the higher quality herbs have and they may be weaker.

When you buy bulk you have the advantage of seeing what your getting. You see the condition it is in. You can actually smell and taste it. You can see that it isn't half rotten or have mold growing all over it. You can send it back.

After you use herbs for a while you will evening be able to make a good appraisal of its quality. You will even be able to determine if dried herbs are this years crop or last years crop.

Got Alzheimer's Take Ginkgo Biloba Now.

An area of interest we always had was herbs and natural healing and this is where we got the best results. We had always used herbs but you become brain washed into believing that doctors know what they are doing and in truth they do a lot more guessing than you would suspect.

When I mention herbs to the family doctor I always get one of those are you kidding glares. Oh no here he goes again type looks. Needless to say I don't get the normal welcome at the doctors office. I am tolerated at best. I think they feel I will contaminate the others in the waiting room with my ideas. I have - Ha Ha HA!

After I was able to get my mother Edith off the prescription drugs she was on I could sense a coldness coming from the direction of the doctor. She is now prescription drug free and healthy except for Alzheimer's disease. What percentage of people over the age of 90 do you think there are not on prescription drugs. Not many. Down in the single digits for sure.

Every time the doctor diagnosed a condition and whipped out her prescription pad she would look at me and say "You can't cure that with herbs". Every time she did that we went home and looked up the prescription in the Physicians Desk Reference (a.k.a the PDR) to see the side effect and warnings. What we concluded was the drugs were too risky. Each time we found a natural alternative to use that worked faster, better and with no side effects.

I would like to bring to your attention that although an herb may be considered safe and harmless some individuals may have allergic reactions on occasion. When trying something for the first time I take it myself to test it. I start with a small dose and watch for an adverse reaction.

I have also taken the herbs I use in amounts that would have some people question my sanity. By doing this I have found that many herbs are used in amounts to small and that sometimes a small adjustment in the amount taken makes a big difference in the result I get.

Always be safe and start small until you know what you are doing. There are people that have severe reactions to peanuts and wheat and strawberries. Many of the medicinal herbs are used in cooking on a regular basis. You probably use medicinal herbs and spices when you cook.

When ever I use an herb I use whole herb. This gives me the best results. I stay away from the products that have been standardized because I want the original balance of compounds found in the plant. What they do is try to pick the one ingredient they think is responsible for the action and then they set it to a certain percentage. Most product lines have a plain whole herb product and one that is standardized.

For example on the label it may say extract standardized to 6 percent for a certain chemical or compound. Whenever possible use the unchanged organic whole herb. By whole I mean the way it grows without being altered or enhanced by changing the chemical composition.

It's fine to use it powdered, chopped and in it's natural form dried or fresh. Some herbs are so hard you would find it almost impossible to powder yourself. You don't need to be a rocket scientist to learn how to use herbs. No matter what your level of education you can learn to do this stuff.

The use of ginkgo biloba goes back thousands of years. The first time we can find it mentioned is in ancient Chinese materia medica Pen Tsao Ching. This was from 2800 B.C. and was attributed to Shen Nung the first emperor of China. If it didn't work do you think its use would have survived that long.

Ginkgo biloba does not cure Alzheimer's disease at the doses I've tried but I feel by what I have seen that it can be a valuable tool. It can be used alone or you can combine it with other herbs to create a formula. I use three other herbs along with it.

The key is not just the herb but getting high levels of plant based nutrients at the same time. With out the needed nutrition the body doesn't have the proper building blocks to rebuild and repair. If your body tries to replace a cell it uses what you give it. If you input low quality nutrition you end up with a cell that may not function the way it should. It may not be as flexible or do its job as well. The membrane wall might not let water, nutrients and waste pass in and
out of the cell the way it should.

What I do is get as much high nutrition in whenever I work on a condition. Another thing you might find useful is when you try to fix a condition your body might not agree with your choice. If there is something the body feels is more important to fix it may try to address that first.

You might be able to find Ginkgo trees growing near where you live. They have been added to landscapes almost everywhere. You may have one on your own property. Ask around and see if some one has access to one of these trees and you may find yourself a free source for the leaves and that's what you use, the leaves.

Try not to use one that is right next to the street. Especially a heavily traveled street. I try to find one at least 50 feet away from the road so the tree isn't loaded with stuff found in a cars exhaust. Pollution is worldwide but the trees that are away from heavy traffic or dump sites and land that may have been exposed to toxic chemicals are what you look for. The elementary school I went to had a Ginkgo tree.

I feel ginkgo biloba probably helps because of the antioxidants it contains working together with the flavonoids, glycosides, ginkgolides, bilobalide and terpene lactones. All these phyto chemicals require each other work and they work in a synergistic way. If you want great results use only whole herbs. Not only do whole herbs work they are cheaper than herbs that have had their compounds messed with.

You don't need to know all chemistry about it. All you need to know is it helps and will not harm you. Try to buy the best you can afford. If you can't afford the best still use the herb. It might not work as well or as fast but it will help. Ginkgo biloba is used to help other conditions besides Alzheimer's disease.

One of the things that I noticed in using ginkgo biloba was that my mothers overall mood improved and stayed there. It got rid of the up and down emotional mood swings. Any day you can elevate the mood of a person with Alzheimer's is a good day. It makes everything easier for the person taking care of them too.

The person with Alzheimer's is more willing to cooperate if they are happy, feel they are where they belong, feel they are wanted and loved, are asked to do something and not told to do it. If they decline to do something just stop asking for a few minutes and try again with a different approach. Don't be a control freak. It's nice to be important but it's more important to be nice.

Alzheimer's To drug or not to drug that is the question.

To drug - or not to drug - that is the question. Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous doctors, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, And by opposing end them.

To drug or not to drug that is the question. The answer isn't an easy one but is most important. Consider what your doctor tells you but know you should not use them for your only source of information. They don't have to live with the decision you do. The doctors answer isn't the only answer and it's not always the right answer. Be aware. Be in control. Be enlightened. Be informed. Watch your health care professionals like a hawk.

The doctor wanted to put Edith on a well known prescription that starts with the letter "A". We wanted to start her on the herb ginkgo biloba. The thing is that ginkgo biloba can take two to six months to show benefit. Some people get results after only a week or two. If you don't get fast results be patient it's worth it. The doctor only wanted to try the ginkgo biloba for two weeks. Well after a few more visits to the doctor she convinced us to try the "A" drug. This was a big mistake. It took a friendly, happy and loving person and changed her personality overnight. She became argumentative, belligerent, confrontational and I could come up with a negative term for every letter of the alphabet.

This was not from the progression of Alzheimer's but had I not known what I knew I would have believed the doctor. The family discussed this and we all agreed this was not the way we or she would want to handle her treatment. We stopped the drug known as "A" after one week of hell for her and for us. It took me a month to get her back to the pleasant caring person we all loved. Thank God the effects were reversible.

Edith was started on 5 mg of that drug and the doctor wanted to increase the dose to 10 mg doses by the end of the month. When we got to see the doctor she tried to shame us and told us it was probably to late now for the drug to work at all. As if we took her only hope for a slow progression into the depths of this disease that steals away everything you are. Doctors should stop making statements like that. It's nonsense to say that and doesn't make sense. If it isn't going to work now it wasn't going to work 3 weeks ago.

This was the start of an incredible journey and a great awakening in my own consciousness. My own spirituality became stronger and I found in myself another glimpse of our greater self. If you think you could not do what do or have done you are wrong. I have learned to take back control of our health and be responsible for it. This will empower you and make you stronger and smarter.

Question everything. You won't believe the things that come out of a doctors mouth that they can't prove. If they make an effort to offer proof. Question their proof. They might not like it but who cares what they like. Their ego isn't important your health is. The medical industry is out of control and it's time they know we don't like them doing what they are doing.

No one has more interest in their health condition than the one that is sick. That's why you hear so often of patients knowing more than the doctors that treat them. The ill person often seeks knowledge far beyond what doctors know because they live with their illness 24 hours a day. I learned to look beyond the knowledge that doctors deem credible and question the doctors sources of knowledge. When did they replace the Hippocratic oath with the Pharmaceutical oath and the Insurance Company oath.

Your doctor may not be telling you all of your medical treatment options. You might only be told of treatments your health insurance approves of or covers. You might not be told of the one or more treatments that would be better you. I don't like my choices filtered or censored. I'll decide what's right for me.