Documented herbal use of recovery herbal treatments by local inhabitants starts back in some instances over 2,000 years. Oftentimes, hundreds of years. There’s a long, unbroken good reputation for use that people can depend on to confirm trigger and effect.

Western science and pharmaceutical companies have been taking an increasing amount of interest in this natural pharmacy. Certain herbs in particular have been incredibly well-researched and many traditional uses documented and explained.

There is not only anecdotal evidence, but a large body of scientific validation. The Rainforest is the last virgin unhoed, unsowed and unploughed growing area on earth. Untouched, rainforest plants have had millennia to learn to adapt and thrive in conditions most other plants would run away from! Teeming life in the steamy jungle means life and death battles for space, light and survival. It means learning how to throw off or come to terms with more bacteria and fungi, yeast and pests, microbes and invaders than anyplace else on earth.

Because of their astoundingly heroic ability to survive and thrive, rainforest plants have special healing characteristics. Many rainforest plants have developed exceptional cell protective qualities, which is not surprising considering the overwhelming task of protecting their cells against everything from tiny microbial attacks to armies of ants.

Handled properly plants will pass along these same cell protective qualities to us. That’s why almost all our ‘miracle’ medicines and many cancer drugs are synthesized from rainforest plants.

What is an “herb”? When I use the term “herb” I’m speaking of all kinds of natural substances, most coming form plant life such as leaves, roots, berries, flowers, stems, bark, and fungus. Long before man-made medications existed, people sought the cures to their ailments from the plants growing in the fields and their own back yards. Why don’t doctors “prescribe” the use of herbs, since this has been a practice of peoples since the beginning of time?

First of all, they have no knowledge about the use of herbs. When doctors go to medical school, they are taught how to prescribe a drug to treat a symptom. So, that is what they do. Remember, the drug is prescribed to treat the symptom, not to cure the cause of illness symptom. As a trained herbalist, I have been taught to learn how symptoms from the body can be clues from the body signaling that something is “out of balance”, or in a weakened condition, and needs strengthening. By giving the body a certain herb(s), it will help strengthen the body to do what it needs to do to heal itself.

Using Herbs for your health isn’t really a radical idea. People have been doing it for 1,000′s of years.

I like analogies….so here goes… Your car was designed to use gasoline as fuel. If you try to stuff chunks of coal into your gas tank, your car won’t run. Is it because coal is not a good fuel? No. Coal is a good fuel, but your car was designed to run on gasoline, not coal. Your engine can’t get the energy from the coal. It’s not in a form that your car can recognize or utilize.

What has that got to do with us and food? ALOT! Our bodies are designed to get most of our fuel from plants. Our systems are designed to recognize and easily assimilate nutrients from plants. Meats are more difficult for us to use–our bodies have to do alot of “processing” to change the nutrients into a form that our bodies can use. This takes more time, energy and creates more waste products. Not that meat is necessarily bad for us, but we were designed to get most of what we need from plants.

Herbs are natural–for us! Herbs are full of vitamins, minerals, enzymes and all the things we need to manufacture new parts. Plus, herbs are already ina form our bodies can recognize and utilize easily. Herbs are foods that activate some normal and natural reactions in the bodies. These reactions enables you to significantly enhance and keep health in a more secure, much less invasive, and far less costly ways than mainstream drug-based medicine. Parts of the drugs are actually toxic to the body, and that’s why you have so many side effects with many different drugs.

Women of all ages who coping the menopause practical experience a rapid decrease of estrogen levels in the bodies. Estrogen patches are prescribed by doctors for women who have a lower level of estrogen due to menopause or any other reason. These patches help treat symptoms and reduce the risks that are otherwise associated with low levels of estrogen. Women who are prescribed the estrogen patch need to follow the dosages that their doctors recommend to them.

An estrogen patch is basically a kind of sticker that you apply to your skin. Each patch is individually wrapped. When you open a patch it needs to be applied to the skin immediately. However, the patch should never be placed in the breast area due to possible complications. Each patch contains a different dosage and the patch that you use will depend on your doctor’s recommendation. There are also different types of patches that doctor’s recommend depending on the symptoms that you’re suffering from.

If you’re using the estrogen patch and you forget to apply it when you need to be sure to apply it as soon as you remember. However, never ever apply more patches to your body than prescribed by your doctor because this will trigger some disadvantage effects. The most common side effect is that it will actually worsen the symptoms you are experiencing instead of treating them.

Before a doctor will prescribe an estrogen patch to you, you must first undergo a medical check. Doctors need to determine your sensitivity to estrogen. Not everyone responds to the estrogen patch the same way and many women are actually not well suited to be on the patch. Some of the commonest negative effects of employing the estrogen patch are skin irritation, back pain and headaches. Some women also complain of bloating and belly cramping however these are uncommon side effects. However, some women are more prone to these side effects, which is why it is important to consult your doctor.

One other very serious side effect of using estrogen patches is that they can cause uterus and ovarian cancer. The longer that you use an estrogen patch the more at risk you are to developing these two types of cancer. Even so, research has also demonstrated that estrogen patches can reduce the risk of heart disease. The estrogen patch is not used as a medication to help in reducing the chance of cardiovascular disease becausethese studies are not conclusive.

Women who’re expecting a baby or have just offered birth are actually prohibited from using an estrogen patch. Using the estrogen patch during pregnancy can increase the risk of reproductive problems that may change the mother and also the unborn child. For this reason it is crucial that women who are pregnant or plan to become pregnant do not even consider trying to use an estrogen patch.

The estrogen hormone is a group of compounds called steroids. The name estrogen is derived from the important role it plays in the estrus cycle. Although estrogen is a female sex hormonal agent it can be found in men and women, but it is especially prevalent in women who are of the reproductive age. Estrogen helps women to develop breasts, thicken the endometrial, regulate the discharge of hormones from the pituitary gland and regulate the menstrual cycle.

There are six estrogenic substances in a woman’s body, but three of them, estrone, estratiol and estriol, do most of the work. Estrone is the most powerful estrogen and is produced by the ovary. Estratiol is the most common estrogen and is produced by the ovary before the menopausal stage. It is adapted to estrone. Estriol is the least powerful of the main three estrogenic substances.

When estrogen hormones are obtained they have a similar results and side effects that naturally produced estrogen causes. Females who are currently pregnant shouldn’t takeestrogen because this can lead to a miscarriage or can severely harm the developing fetus. Many senior women take the estrogen hormone after menopause. However, the risks and negative side effects of taking estrogen increase with age. The list of side effects is quite long and can provide some negative consequences.

Some of the most common side effects of taking estrogen include:

- Inflammation of the ankles and legs;
- Softness of the breast, in both men and women;
- Sudden changes in weight;
- Lesser cravings for food;
- Vomiting;
- Nausea;
- Skin Irritation.
- Abdominal pains;

Other side effects that are not as common include:

- Vaginal bleeding and spotting;
- Bleeding gums;
- Painful menstruation;
- Changes in menstrual flow;
- Vaginal infection such as Candida;
- PMS or the pre-menstrual syndrome;
- Loss of scalp hair;
- Diarrhea;
- Faintness;
- Migraines;
- Despair;
- Decreased sexual desires;
- Increased sexual desires;

Rare but serious side effects include:

- Sudden feeling to urinate;
- Blood clotting;
- Changes in vision;
- Unclear speech;
- Breathlessness.

When taking estrogen hormones it is important to realize what the negative consequences could be. You will need to determine when the advantages outweigh the risks or if you are simply not willing to take the risks.

Women who have an estrogen imbalance generally have an irregular menstrual cycle. This is very worrisome to many women so they often take estrogen hormones simply to balance out the hormones. It is important for women to maintain this balance in order to prevent some more serious consequences later in life. However, balancing out these hormones may bring about negative side effects that many women simply do not want to experience. Balancing hormones is always a tricky situation that needs to be carefully assessed.