ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE WISHES WORKING!
The information you are currently reading is also a quick reference to sources of information about non-traditional, alternative and complementary therapies; their use and how you could get them. This is an unusual assembly of many useful facts, written in a language understandable for the average person. I tried to demonstrate the usefulness and effectiveness of many naturally occurring and often neglected substances in maintaining health, treating (or even treating) various devastating diseases and prolonging life. Although it is addressed to the lay person, the article also contains a lot of scientific information about these excellent substances of great antiquity.
Alternative medicine is usually classified under the general term "complementary therapy." This, in turn, is defined as a therapeutic practice, which is not currently considered an integral part of normal allopathic medical practice. They may not have enough convincing biomedical explanations, well; but, as they are tested in the laboratory and better investigated and, as stated, give real life in numerous cases where certain death was once foregone, they simply become reliable. It is obvious that therapy becomes “complementary” when they are used in addition to traditional treatment, while they become “alternative” when used instead of traditional medicine. Some old definitions usually describe alternative medicine as an unrelated mass of unorthodox therapeutic practices, often with explanatory approaches that do not fully correspond to the usual biomedical explanations; or as unorthodox therapeutic trends with “not entirely convincing” scientific explanations for their effectiveness. Others define complementary and alternative medicine as a wide range of healing entities that encompass all health systems, modalities and practices, and their associated theories, hypotheses and beliefs that are different from those in a politically dominant health system of a particular society or culture at a given time in history. This definition encompasses all such practices and ideas that are perpetuated by potential users as the prevention or treatment of disease, as well as the promotion of human health and general well-being. However, the boundaries between these different modes of definition are not always clear or fixed.
Alternative and additional medicine includes, but is not limited to, the following disciplines: traditional medicine, herbs, diets, faith healing, acupuncture, etc. The common practice clearly shows that these treatment methods are mostly sought and used by desperate people who have been put diagnosed with HIV / AIDS, cancer, incurable neurological conditions, back pain, severe arthritis and other equally devastating diseases that you might think about. This article, of course, is not able to provide information for each disease or even provide sufficient assistance to all who seek information about specific treatments or medical conditions. For specific diseases, treatment or therapeutic information, you should consult a medical professional or visit certain websites on the Internet. This is just a general entry for information on proven and workable treatments, dietary supplements, etc.; but, of course, I do not have the right to make any recommendations about their effectiveness for those who are not ready to try. If you are one of those skeptics and doubt Thomases, you'd better consult your family doctor before you try anything in that direction. This entry is intended for your general education and is not intended to convince you to do away with the professional help of your qualified medical practitioner if you are not the kind of person who easily believes and can dare; nor is it for promoting or selling any goods or products by any company or anyone, if you are not sure.
But how did I get motivated to write this post? It's a long story! I could, perhaps, begin by bringing you back to your background and personal history. I was born poor, not knowing who my father or my mother is; although I came later to find out that my mother is still alive. I grew up in very difficult circumstances, under the supervision of an aging grandfather and step-grandmother. In those days, like today, in rural Africa, shilling meant for the family. I can remember my inaudible little sobs, asking for fees for school fees, as my grandfather sifted barefoot through the dust and sand of his little coffee and bananas, where the family planted and reaped the fruits and domestic cattle for many years. At the time, I did not understand this, but sending him to school and paying forty shillings a year, including a form, meant a huge sacrifice - because in those days, in 1957, when we could barely make ends meet, the shilling was like Today in our area is worth $ 10.
We lived in a dirty thatched-roofed house. These were the times; coffee did not bring a good price in the cooperative market, and the harvest failed because of a long drought. But I was only a little boy of nine years old, and the cares of this world simply did not bother me. Looking back, I can well see where the fence for the family was a real nightmare for my grandfather; who could walk for a long time on a pedestal for support, in the boiling heat of the tropics, selling charcoal and firewood from one estate to another. Yes, we were very poor. But then everyone else. But I could never understand it at that time. I felt like the richest man on earth; and, while on vacation at home during a long break in school, I was as happy as a lark.
I was constantly at home, even during my studies. My school was only a few kilometers away from home; just an old iron-covered building with crumbling brick walls, as well as an office for the manager and two houses for staff. It was a day school where we could walk in the morning and return in the evening. My grandfather could not afford a boarding school; and there was no public transport, so we always dreamed of a long vacation, when we could calmly and quietly rest and relax in the sun, and do something of our own in an open country, somewhere without hindrance.
I loved my school, but I also loved my home. I remember how a small child saw the inscription on red paint on the stone walls of our village church, taken from 1 Timothy 1:17:
“Now to the king of the eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, to be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen".
Then it means nothing to me, but now! Both education and strict discipline, which I studied both at home and at school, prepared me for a world outside - an average and carefree world that constantly reminded me that he did not owe me anything, but rather, as an adult, I was obliged him.
That's funny. In those days there were no soft bank loans or poverty reduction schemes for Africans. There is no free medical care or primary education; There is no guaranteed salary, no school boycott or riots. They simply did not exist. We were only grateful that we could breathe the free air of God and enjoy the beautiful scenery of the countryside. For us, school was a privilege. And if we could pass the exams - and they were extremely difficult, without any leaks or deception, we could still consider it a privilege to be able to go to high school. In fact, it was even a privilege to get a good job. But we were happy! No air pollution; no population explosion or tribal wars; just good fresh air in the country and a rich variety of African biota.
Yes, malaria and other diseases were rampant; and there were no hospitals or even dispensaries nearby. But people have always had the opportunity to cope with their health problems. There were many natural substances, including medicinal plants, which were widely used and respected. I could always see my grandmother crush the herbs in a small pot in the backyard or grind some powder on a huge stone in the plantain to treat some condition in the family or in the neighborhood. The value of any drug it gave out was greatly enhanced by suggestion, and the possibility that any harmless substance under the correct conditions of suggestion and faith could have dramatic healing effects. However, the belief in the power of the drug was not limited to traditional medicine. Clinical trials using placebo will always lead to the fact that the percentage of cases of response to the "drug" will take place. It is for this reason that it was extremely difficult to study the possible medicinal properties of certain plant species and to compare the results with traditional uses. This is vividly illustrated by the “grab plant” (Harpogophytum procumbens), which for many years has been transformed into an outstanding medicinal plant in Africa, known in Europe and the USA as the “Devil's Claw”.
Now I was older than puberty; well adult and sensible, and that was when I showed more interest in traditional medicine. Of course, this was consistent with my grandmother’s wishes, and I liked it. Currently, there is a rural dispensary a few kilometers from the house, built by some kind of church organization; and I was always wondering why Western medicine never bothered or even looked at our local herbs as sources of new therapeutic agents, given their prominence and effectiveness in our own traditions. Then one Saturday, I came back from the farm where I was collecting coffee with my grandfather, since it was near Christmas and the schools were closed. I carried a bunch of firewood and headed straight for the small building in the back yard, which we called the "kitchen". I found my grandmother lying on her tummy by the kitchen door. And she could not get up. Then I did not realize this, but she was unconscious. I raised her hand and tried to pull her out of the door. There was no reaction from her. I turned to my grandfather for help. We hurried back to the kitchen. My grandfather went to the place where she lay. She suddenly raised her head and raised her eyes, but her eyes could not focus. She gave me a distant look, and then, with all the strength that her frail body could muster, she defiantly tried to smile slightly. Then she died! And we all wept bitterly.
The world collapsed around me. My heroine is dead! What for? Unfortunately, the next day our family - along with neighbors, relatives and friends gently carried a wooden coffin with the remains of my steppe grandmother to the corn field, cutting off a small coffee farm and buried it. We set up a hastily made wooden cross over a newly excavated grave, just like the sun was setting over the hills on the horizon. And then we solemnly returned home.
Secretly, for many days, I would go to her grave and talk to her. But she did not answer. In this small pot in the backyard there were no more stones, no crushing of herbs, or grinding powder in the plantain. Grandma is gone! That was when I was confronted with the reality of death.
But time has its own way to erase sadness and heal wounds. I soon returned to class and grew up in a young man and graduated from high school. One day, a distant relative named Simon came home to visit and asked me to give him company on a small lake nearby to buy fish. I reluctantly agreed, because I had some kind of homework. Shortly after returning home, a shrill voice insistently called from the side of the corn field. We all ran out of the building because of the urgency that accompanies the bell. It was a neighbor who told us that his grandfather collapsed suddenly, selling coal in a small shop around the corner, and he needed quick help.
We rushed, and I followed a relative with a bicycle to help get him to the clinic. For three days we took turns sitting by the bed, but we all quietly knew that this vigil was hopeless. A clinical officer in the clinic suggested that he be transferred to the district referral hospital approximately eighty kilometers away. We all agreed. There was no ambulance or reliable public transport, so we had to look for alternative ways. Finally, the old man was admitted to the district hospital; and that was two days later. He constantly moaned and complained of severe stomach pains. An abdominal ultrasound revealed a pancreatic tumor, laboratory tests showed high blood glucose levels, triglycerides and cholesterol. A week later, a laparatoma revealed a neoplastic tumor of the pancreas with possible involvement in the liver. Biopsy confirmed pancreatic adenocarcinoma. At this stage there were no remedies, and now it was the final case. Subsequently, the old man was released.
It was already late in the evening. Simon and I lazily fell apart in the little living room of our thatched house. Then I got up and entered my grandfather's room, where he lay. I looked at his fixed form, breathing mechanically. I touched his arm, and then a thought came to me. Does my grandfather really need to die? Have we done enough to save his life? Did he realize that he would die anyway? I tried to imagine myself in his situation. For a moment, a sudden fear came over me. Then I remembered! To overcome fear, you must always act as if it is impossible! One of the things that I knew for sure was that the internal battles that a dying person earns inside himself are numerous. Yes! fears of death and suffering are common. But you had to die - not even trying to do something?
I had an idea! Yes! drugs obtained from medicinal plants still formed the basis for rural medical care in my country - and this was largely due to the lack of modern medical facilities. In practice, most of these drugs offered effective treatment. And in my village, homeopaths and traditional healers were trademarks in the provision of medical care, including my family. And we all had one thing in common. Our goal was never to accept an offer of our medicine, and we never tried to compare African aboriginal medicine with Western allopathic medicine; but rather to share experience, the purpose of which was to dispel the distrust that had long been caused by negative prejudices, while we helped in solving the problem of public health.
Despite the obvious analogy in the medical concepts of the two health systems - the African indigenous and the European exotic system - it is also true that the philosophy underlying them was different. One of them was the result of an analytical method of reasoning and experimentation, and the other was the result of a systematic method of intuition and empiricism. However, we should not forget about the importance of intuition and empiricism in Africa as the right way to find new and useful tropical plant compounds. Most of the secondary compounds of plants used in modern medicine today, were first "discovered" by such means. Periwinkle pink (Catharanthus roseus or Vinca rosea) is a classic example of the importance of plants traditionally used by mankind. This herb, native to southeastern Madagascar, has been the source of more than 75 alkaloids, two of which (vincristine and vinblastine) are used to treat childhood leukemia and Hodgkin's disease with great success. The use of quinine from the bark of Sinhona to treat clinical malaria today must be used by Peruvian Indians in the 17th century, who used raw extracts of Sinhona trees to treat malaria. These are just a few of the things that modern medicine owes to ethnobotanical treasures.
So what am I going to do? Do I need to convince more? I was thinking about Vernonia amygdalin! It was a common plant in our area, belonging to the subfamily Vernonieae; and we called it "Omubilizi" in our folk. It is indigenous to tropical and subtropical Africa, and its use in traditional medicine in our area has varied from treating hepatitis, heart problems, poisoning of any kind, malaria, abdominal pain, snake snakes and eczema. In many cases, it has been said that they have anti-tumor and cytotoxic effects, and this is also an antiviral agent.
Detailed studies of its therapeutic activity have long shown that flavonoids and vernolides are active principles in its extracts. Кверцетин флавоноиды, 3-метилаукцетин и рутин ингибировали агрегацию тромбоцитов и уменьшали активность липоксигеназы и циклооксигеназы и имели значительный сердечно-сосудистый эффект. У Vernolide было очень сильное противопаразитарное действие, особенно против Entamoeba histolitica на том же уровне, что и антипаразиты, используемые клинически, такие как метронидазол или тинидазол. 3-метоксиукцетин и 3,3'-диметоксиукцетин имели очень важную противовирусную активность, которая была показана даже при концентрациях до 10 нанограмм. Эти вещества имели избирательный эффект, поскольку они препятствовали образованию вирусных белков, не мешая метаболизму клетки-хозяина. Они особенно активны против вируса полиомиелита, вируса коксаки, вируса везикулярного стоматита (VSV), вируса Rhino и против других вирусов африканского происхождения.
Таким образом, важность этого растения в противовирусной химиотерапии была очевидна, особенно в том, что даже в более развитых западных медицинах такого препарата не было. Таким образом, семейство продуктов, выделенных из этого растения, позволило нам предвидеть дальнейшие лабораторные исследования с некоторой надеждой на успех в лечении других групп вирусов, таких как ретровирусы. В одном случае один ученый продемонстрировал ингибирование обратной транскриптазы encornavirus некоторыми флавонолами растительного происхождения.
Это растение было едва токсичным и спонтанно росло во многих местах нашей деревни. Его разнообразная деятельность, очень очевидная в противовирусной химиотерапии; и его случайное применение традиционными целителями в нашей местности на пациентах для цитотоксического лечения определенных опухолей и рака, побудило меня серьезно рассмотреть вопрос о том, чтобы попробовать его на старика. Я видел, как моя бабушка использовала его для ареста подтвержденной гиперплазии эпителия пищевода у молодой женщины по соседству, и она все еще жива сегодня. Если это не сработало; ну, мне нечего терять - кроме дорогой жизни дедушки!
Я собрал мужество и собрал достаточное количество цветов Вернинии amygladina и высушил их в тени, чтобы избежать разрушения активных ингредиентов прямым теплом тропического солнца. Затем я измельчил высушенные цветы в мелкий порошок; Я приготовил водную суспензию порошка в маленьком деревянном двигателе и добавил достаточно воды, чтобы получить около полули литра концентрированного экстракта.
Я начал управлять лечением, дав старик две столовые ложки три раза в день в течение четырех месяцев. Улучшение было ограниченным, но значительным. Затем мы объединили обработку сушеной и порошкообразной клубней Cyperus rotundus, свежие листья Moringa oleifera, а также водные экстракты свежей капусты и Euphorbia hirta. Результаты были просто поразительными! Еще через несколько недель он смог встать без посторонней помощи с кровати и сделать несколько шагов на заднем дворе. После одного полного года он был достаточно силен, чтобы работать на своей маленькой кофейной ферме, и медицинские тесты не могли выявить ничего ненормального. Он был еще жив четырнадцать лет спустя, пока не умер от старости.
Я с тех пор окончил университет, получил две ученые степени, включая докторскую степень, и практиковал медицину в качестве фармацевта. Прежде всего, я стал рожденным свыше и принял Иисуса как своего личного спасителя. Но каждый момент дня, когда мы слушаем радио или смотрим телевизор или читаем газеты, мы видим завершение жизни. Мы не только слышим, видим, либо читаем о том, как умирают известные люди или люди, но программы или колонки некрологов заполнены именами простых мужчин и женщин, которые ушли; и в то время как они на мгновение почитаются, они скоро будут забыты. Каждый день из нашей среды в современном мире, будь то весна, лето или зима; смерть наносит ущерб, а сотни умирают - от болезней, которые, к сожалению, можно было легко предотвратить. But how?
Это вопрос, который эта книга надеется ответить за вас.
И он не мог прийти в более подходящее время. Человек медленно ускользает в нездоровый и стрессовый образ жизни, где нормами являются такие болезни, как гипертония, диабет и рак. Альтернативная медицина, и, более конкретно, травяные средства и пищевые добавки могут просто дать ответ.
Как живое свидетельство, я рекомендую эту книгу тем, кто верит в природные средства от болезней человека. Мое самое большое желание, чтобы эта рецензия была воспринята с энтузиазмом и стала очень полезной для того, чтобы вернуть человечество к естественному и здоровому образу жизни.
Тем не менее, несмотря на все доказанные возможные преимущества для здоровья, которые могут быть получены из натуральных средств и пищевых добавок, этот отчет не означает, что все, что здесь отражено, должно каким-либо образом заменить выработанные и профессиональные рекомендации врача. Пациенты с конкретными проблемами всегда должны сначала обратиться к врачу.
