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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