Herbal Treasures from the Amazon
H&N - Healthy & Natural, October 1994, Issue 1
Reprinted with permission of the author and the publisher.
Part 1: Blood-Sugar Regulating and
Immune-Enhancing Herbs
by Dr. Donna Schwontkowski
July 30, 1994
The following is the first in a three part series:
Case History: Anne
Anne, a distraught 54-year-old woman, had just returned from an annual check-up that uncovered a
fasting blood sugar level of 190 mg/dl (normal levels are 80-120
mg/dl). Although she had no symptoms other than occasional fatigue, she was told that she has a
pre-diabetic condition; a condition which, if left unchecked for long periods of time, can result in diabetes mellitus.
Diabetes mellitus affects about 14 million Americans and is the fourth leading cause of death by disease in the United States. Diabetes takes the lives of more than 150,000 people each year. It is a major cause of heart disease, stroke and kidney disease, and is the number one cause of new cases of blindness and amputations in the U.S.
Everyone knows that there is no cure for diabetes and that once told they have it, patients must learn to live with the disease. The overall objectives of treatment are to prolong life and improve the quality of life
as much as possible. Treatment is directed specifically toward: (1) relieving the symptoms; (2) improving the body's ability to metabolize glucose and correcting faulty metabolism; (3) preventing or correcting complications; and (4) assuring adequate nutrition.
Anne's doctor sent her home with advice to lose weight, exercise, and "hope that next month's blood sugar levels will return to normal." The Midwestern winter, however, prevented her from long, regular outdoor walks-her only feasible method of exercise. She felt she needed additional help. Anne came to me
with the hope that somewhere in the deepest jungles of the Amazon were plants that the natives had discovered to treat similar conditions. She was willing to use these plants on a trial basis to prevent diabetes from becoming a reality.
Help From the Amazon Rainforests
My own research into the medicinal effects of Brazilian and Peruvian herbs had uncovered several plants with reported activities of lowering blood sugar levels, normalizing the frequency of urination, and eliminating glucose in the urine of diabetics. Much of the research was ethnobotanical; however, several scientific studies showed the effectiveness of these herbs in cases of adult-onset diabetes in reducing blood sugar levels, sometimes up to 35%. These herbs were true treasures for Anne.
Anne took a combination of the herbs Pata de vaca, Pedra hume caa, Stevia and Cashew plant daily in-between meals when her blood sugar levels needed regulation. (See Table I for scientific names of these plants.) The results were quite exciting.
After one month, her blood sugar level fell to 140 mg/dl. After two months, it was down to 110
mg/dl (within normal range), and it stayed there for her next annual checkup. She hadn't lost any weight through dietary modification or exercise.
Other Medicinal Effects Reported from Plants in the Amazon
Plants with blood sugar-regulating activity are only one category of helpful herbs with medicinal effects from the Amazon. Of the more than 200,000 plant species in the Amazon, many have been found to have antiviral,
anti-fungal and antibacterial activity-activity which
stimulates the body's immune system.
The most powerful immune-enhancing herb is Una de gato. Research from 1970 through the present (by Klaus Keplinger and others in Austria, Germany, England, Hungary and Italy) has shown beneficial effects of Una de gato in the treatments for cancer, genital herpes, systemic candidiasis and AIDS. Six alkaloids isolated from the plant root have been found to significantly enhance the ability of the white blood cells to attack, engulf and digest harmful micro-organisms or foreign matter, thus assisting the process of phagocytosis in the body.
My own preliminary studies on the immune-enhancing properties of Una de gato have uncovered
the following:
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An
ability to stop viral infections in the early stages (when an individual feels an infection starting
and/or already has a fever, fatigue, muscle aches and sore throat) One patient reported that his viral infection symptoms cleared within 8 hours after taking Una de
gato.
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An ability to help patients who are chemically-sensitive, decreasing (he fatigue which accompanies this problem and reducing the severity of symptoms.
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An ability to significantly enhance emotional stability, even in the midst of extreme stress from personal problems. One patient commented, 'I just can't get depressed anymore, no matter what happens. It's this Amazon herb!"
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An ability to help the body fight infections better in AIDS patients. One patient reported, "I ran out of the fungicide for the skin rash on my face and used a bacteriocidal agent until I could get a new prescription. The bactericide didn't work and the rash started coming back. I used Una de gato and after just three days, the rash cleared up on my face.! feel that it's my own body working against the fungus as a result of the Una de
gato."
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An ability to decrease the visible size of some skin, tumor or cyst growths within two weeks.
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