Reports & Research
Herbal Treasures
from the Amazon - 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 lifeas 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 Uña 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:
-
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.
- An ability to help
patients who are chemically-sensitive, decreasing (he fatigue which
accompanies this problem and reducing the severity of symptoms.
- 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!"
- 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."
-
An
ability to decrease the visible size of some skin, tumor or cyst
growths within two weeks.
Una de gato also
has anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties. These
properties explain its usefulness in the treatment of arthritis,
bursitis, allergies and numerous bowel and intestinal disorders. There
have been several case histories cited in literature where Una de gato
has been linked with the remission of intractable brain and other
tumors and give relief to the side-effects of chemotherapy.
Although Una de
gato is probably the most powerful immune system enhancer from the
Amazon,there are other herbs that can make a significant difference in
immune status. When combined together, they can decrease the course of
time that allergic reactions and infections normally run. They may
clear up the sinus congestion which occurs with ragweed sensitivities.
Immune-system enhancing herbs that work well together include Pau d'
Arco, Espinheira Santa, Jatoba, Suma and Una de gato. (See Table 2 for
the scientific names of these herbs.)
Pau d' Arco is thought to
eliminate toxins in the body and purify the blood, and it has
anti-fungal properties. In an original weight loss research study
performed in Chicago in 1992, 1 found that women's chronic yeast
infections cleared up promptly when Pau d' Arco was added to the
formula. Pau d' Arco also has anti-inflammatory characteristics, making
it useful in the treatment of arthritis and other inflammatory
diseases. Some researchers report its ability to increase red blood
cell counts and eliminate some symptoms associated with cancer. Espinheira santa's effects also
include the elimination of toxins in the body. This plant is sometimes
used as an anti-asthmatic agent. Espinheira santa benefits the
intestinal tract and the immune system indirectly by inhibiting
pathogenic bacteria and helping restore the intestinal flora, a
characteristic shared with Una de gato.
Suma, called 'Brazilian ginseng,"
strengthens the immune system and reduces tumor formation. Of six
pfaffic acid sugar compounds isolated from this plant, five of them
were shown to inhibit cultured tumor cell melanomas. The nutrient
composition of Suma shows it especially high in the trace element
germanium, very important for proper immune system function. Suma is
also a cellular oxygenator and contains two plant hormones, sitosterol
and stigmasterol, which encourage estrogen production and reduce high
serum cholesterol levels. Some patients report an increased resistance
to extreme highs or lows in the temperature of their environment from
Suma.
These natural
healing remedies from the Amazon are true treasures from the
environment to those in need of blood sugar regulation or immune system
enhancement, and many people find them very beneficial.
Dr. Donna
Schwontkowski obtained her doctorate degree in chiropractic medicine
from National College of Chiropractic in Lombard, Illinois
simultaneously with a Masters' Degree in Nutrition from Northern
Illinois University in 1990. Her long-standing interest in natural
healing therapies and extensive experience in the field of nutrition
prompted a research project in 1991 on the effects of an Amazonian
herbal combination on weight loss in adults. She continues to research
the Rainforest herbs and is currently on a nationwide radio circuit to
educate people on how they may benefit from the use of these herbs. Her
chiropractic practice emphasizes the natural healing treasures from the
Amazon Rainforest.
H&N - Healthy
& Natural, October 1994, Issue 1
Reprinted with permission of the author and the publisher.
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