Positive Health Online

A New Look at Daisy (Bellis Perennis)

by Anne McIntyre

The perennial daisy is such a common ‘weed’ that its value as a medicinal plant has largely been overlooked. Its fresh green leaves can be eaten in salads, along with other wild fo...

Adaptogen - Eleutherococcus Senticosus Maxim Shrub

by Dr Moira Williams

Medically trained Dr Moira Williams, with a keen interest in herbal plants and their effects on health problems, focuses on the most renowned and most widely researched adaptogen, ...

Applied Phytomedicine Treatment for Herpes Zoster (Shingles)

by Claudia Louch

Herpes zoster is an acute neurodermic viral infection of the dorsal root ganglia of the spinal cord or the extramedullary cranial nerve ganglia.  It is caused by the reactivation o...

Case Study re: Herbal Medicine for Liver Disorder

by Patricia Ferguson

The author describes her patient, his symptoms, the result of blood tests and X-rays, and the theoretical background for the treatment regime she recommended. Having suffered ‘bi...

Chinese Herbal Medicine for Common Childhood Ailments

by Rob Helmer

This article focuses on the practice of Traditional Chinese Medicine to treat illnesses suffered by children. According to the author, with regard to children's health, Chinese med...

Cold and Flu Busters: The Natural Approach

by Klaus Ferlow

The author gives a very detailed account of approaches to strengthening the immune system and helping it to prevent and to cure colds and flu, concluding with a thorough discussion...

Coleus forskohlii / Plectranthus barbatus: A Unique Healer

by Anne McIntyre

The author writes that although she has practised as a Medical Herbalist for some 25 years, she had only recently come across Coleus. Coleus is an Ayurvedic herb, a small perennial...

Coriolus versicolor for HPV Patients with Cervical Lesions (LSIL)1,2

by J Silva Couto and D Pereira da Silva

Link between HPV and Cervical Cancer. Cervical cancer rates are high in women between the ages of 35 and 55. Risks increase with earlier sexual intercourse, number of sexual partne...

Cuba's Green Revolution - Natural Medicine Advances

by Geoff D\'Arcy

The author writes with the authority of a tourist who has been a licensed acupuncturist and herbalist for more than 20 years and who recently visited, among other places, a state m...

Devil's Claw

by James Leith

As concerns grow about the increasing and often unsustainable exploitation of medicinal plants worldwide, a project in Namibia is successfully demonstrating how environmentally sus...

Devil's Claw - The Herbal solution to the North-South Divide?

by Liz Wickham

Research studies with Devil's Claw (Harpagophytum procumbens) have shown it to be beneficial for arthritic conditions and a viable alternative to NSAIDS (non-steroidal anti-inflamm...

Devil's Claw - Your Best Friend For Arthritic Pain

by Klaus Ferlow

Arthritis is an ever-increasing public health problem, predicted to affect 20% of the US population by the year 2020; in Canada it is predicted that 85% of the population over 70, a...

Devil's Claw: Therapeutic Uses

by Laura Stannard

Devil's claw is a perennial plant, common in the southern and eastern parts of Africa, particularly the former Transvaal.

Escharotics: Herbal Surgery for Tumours

by Lev G Fedyniak

Botanic surgery is only one of numerous options in the treatment of cancer. What's more, no procedure should be undertaken as a sole treatment but as part of an approach. Supportiv...

Ginkgo Biloba - The Longevity Herb

by Klaus Ferlow

Ginkgo has been called the Elixir of Youth - modern medicine from an ancient tree.

Healing with the Wonderful Herb Pepper - A Plant with Immense Medicinal Value

by G Ravishankar

This article focuses on the beneficial effects, medicinal value and advantages of the cayenne pepper, from ancient times to recent clinical studies. Consumption of black pepper not...

Health Benefits of Horticultural Therapy

by Marilyn Mountford

The concept of horticultural therapy is relatively new in the UK, but the curative effects of gardening on the mentally ill were realized in the USA as early as the 18th century, a...

Helpful Herbs Following Surgery

by Anne McIntyre

The author has recently undergone a half-knee replacement, and the topic of this article is to share with her readers the particular herbs which she found helpful during her conval...

Herbal Beauties in Late Summer

by Barbara Payne

In this column the author shares tips on how to keep gardens looking pretty, with Aromatherapy Fragrances, in a shabby-chic kind of way in the late summer, a season when most peopl...

Herbal Essential Oils For Winter Cheer

by Barbara Payne

Barbara Payne shares her love for nature by growing herbs and organising botany sessions in her garden. Now with winter fast approaching, and forced to spend more time indoors, she...