Tag: Natural

  • How To Cure Borborygmi (Borborygmus)

    How To Cure Borborygmi (Borborygmus)

    [ad_1]

    Borborygmus (or Borborygmi being the plural) is the term given to loud rumbling stomach noise which occur when food/gas is passed through the stomach, intestine and gut. Borborygmus is the term given to this and occurs in both humans and animals.

    This condition can be a very embarrassing, painful and annoying condition for those who suffer from it. Many of it’s symptoms can be compared to Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) such as diarrhea, stomach bloated, stomach gurgling and many more.

    This condition is easily cured or remedied with a simple change in diet once you know what causes it. I was a personal sufferer of this condition and since changing my diet I have been symptom free for over a year now.

    What Causes Borborygmi?

    Borborygmi is the sound of undigested carbohydrates within your digestive system. Many foods produce carbohydrates, some foods are far worse than others. For those who suffer from borbrygmi should carefully select the carbohydrates that they eat and try to avoid the ‘unnatural’ or unsuitable foods that cause borborygmus.

    The most likely foods that cause thos condition include:

    • Milk
    • Wheat
    • Oats
    • High sugar fruits
    • High sugar vegetables
    • Beans
    • Bread
    • Sugar (particularly fructose)
    • Gluten

    Many of the foods listed above are simply not natural for human consumption. Foods such as wheat, sugar, bread and even milk. This may come as a surprise but foods that are ideal for human consumption are foods that the caveman would eat such as meat, vegetables, fruit With the increase of such foods into our diet over the last 100 years conditions such as borborygmi and IBS has increased significantly.

    How To Cure Borborygmi

    With the cause of borborygmi now established it gives us a better idea of how to remedy this condition. Ideally you should look to restrict your intake of foods to very low sugar items. Items with a very low GI rating and items with very little carbohydrate content. These items are digested over a longer period of time and are more natural and easier to digest. These foods by their very nature cause very little gas, it is the gas that is created that will cause very loud abdominal pain, stomach bloating and……..borborygmi.

    A diet plan is the best approach to curing this problem. I have written a more indepth view of borborygmi which is called Common Causes of Borborygmi, check it out, many people have commented on the help it has provided them.

    Once you eliminated these problem foods then you should ideally remain eating them for a couple of weeks to give your body enough time to adjust to this new way of eating. Once this two week period has elapsed then slowly introduce high protein and low sugar foods into your diet one week at a time. There is more information on this diet and cure for borborygmi on the link above.

    Good Luck….

    [ad_2]

    Source by Alan Kings

    Views: 0

  • Best Video Marketing Tips You Should Know About

    Best Video Marketing Tips You Should Know About

    [ad_1]

    If you’re responsible for marketing a business, you need to get involved with making videos for your company. No two ways about it; video marketing is an effective and evolving tool for marketing that nearly every marketing manager can benefit from. Check out the tips in the following article to get started on your video marketing campaign today.

    Don’t be afraid of complex video marketing strategies. It is simple to make a good video with basic equipment. You can show customers your workplace, manufacturing centre or just discuss your expertise.

    Videos can easily be used to explain your products or services to potential customers. Seeing how a product works will help your customers understand how to use your product and why buying from you is preferable to other sellers. So, learning to make videos to explain what you are selling will easily help build your customer base.

    After you have published your video, include your web address in the video description. You will also want to include several keywords that describe your video in the description. This will help users find your information and search engines effectively rank your video. Your web address can also be included in your video.

    When shooting a video it is okay to keep things simple with your equipment. In most cases, it’s not the technical brilliance of the clip that achieves the desired results. Some of the most basic video marketing has been done by large corporations like Dell or Apple.

    Remember how important a catchy title is to the success of your video. More viewers will be interested in your videos if the titles make sense and attract their attention. This is what makes them more interested in the topic you’re discussing. Take some time to brainstorm titles that are creative if you want your video marketing to be successful.

    If you are thinking of using video marketing to increase your sales and website traffic, then look to your competition for some clues. See what is working for them and try to capitalize off of this information. You do not have to copy them, but see what is working for them and try to make it work for you.

    Don’t only rely on videos in your marketing campaign. They are great marketing tools, however, they should not replace your other marketing tactics. Videos should not replace content creation like article writing or blogging. Videos should simply be used to enhance the content in your marketing campaign and to build up your link portfolio.

    The content you use needs to be interesting. Make your video really pack a punch. Popular video hosting sites such as YouTube can expose you to many potential customers, but there is no way to attract them with boring videos. A lot of people want to watch videos that are relevant. Interesting videos ultimately increase traffic.

    Maybe you aren’t going to be the star of your show, but you do need to find a good spokesperson or mascot to help market your videos. Try to find somebody that is natural when speaking and generally makes people around them feel comfortable. People want to watch somebody they feel that they can trust.

    If you have a product that is quite difficult to use, you should create a video that will give step-by-step directions to users. They will appreciate the time you took to explain your products to them. This will make it more likely they will come to you when looking for additional products.

    Keep in mind that some people surf the Internet using large screen televisions for their monitors. YouTube accepts large video files now. So, do not turn your nose up at high-definition content. Someone looking at your content on a fifty-inch plasma will not buy from you if they just see pixels.

    Make sure each video contains a clear call to action. Inform your viewers of where your products and services are located and insist that they act immediately. Make it easy for your visitors to follow through by making your instructions simple and clear. Specific, bold calls to action are smart ways to conclude your videos.

    Perfection is not your goal! You do not need professional equipment to create quality videos. A webcam or a basic camera will be enough. Also, if you have a cell phone with a video camera on it, you can utilize it for your work. So long as you have solid information and remain professional, people are going to watch your videos.

    Try to let your unique personality come through in your videos. Your audience is predominantly interested in seeing exactly what you have to offer. The more viewers feel that they know you, the more likely they are to develop a relationship with your brand and not with your competitors! Many customers appreciate the chance to link a friendly face to a company and its products and services.

    Don’t think in terms of a single video. Think of an entire series of videos, which can become a marketing campaign. If you create a show which appears every week on a specific topic, for example, people will come back to see what’s new, and you’ll grow a loyal viewer base.

    Once you begin with video marketing, you’ll probably find it impossible to stop. It’s effective, easy, cost-effective and really fast to produce! It can also put your business on the Internet map, boosting your customer base right along with the bottom line. Get started soon and realize your potential in video marketing.

    [ad_2]

    Source by Cameron Nyack

    Views: 0

  • Combining Traditional Medicine With Natural Healing

    Combining Traditional Medicine With Natural Healing

    [ad_1]

    Natural medicines made from herbs and plants have been around since the dawn of mankind. The advent of modern medicine has made natural healing less common. However, in recent decades, the interest in natural medicine has been revived. Bear in mind, it is important to work with your physician when you take natural medicines to avoid dangerous complications.

    Finding a Physician Who Is Knowledgeable in Natural Medicine

    Patients who are interested in natural medicine should find a general practitioner or family physician who is skilled with the type of natural medicine you are interested in. For example, those interested in traditional Chinese remedies should find a physician who knows enough about the remedies to be able to work with them in conjunction with their Western style of medicine. The physician does not necessarily need to practice the form of medicine, but they must understand its principles well enough to avoid prescribing a medication that will interact with your herbal medicines.

    Finding a Natural Healer

    Although there are many highly skilled, experienced natural healers, keep in mind that anyone can claim to be a natural healer. Very few natural forms of medicine are regulated by any sort of accrediting body or governed by a state licensing agency, which means that there are unscrupulous people claiming to be able to heal when in fact they cannot. Ask the healers detailed questions about where they received their training. Beware of those without medical training who claim to be self-taught. Their training may not be adequate to provide any helpful advice in the form of natural medicine that they claim to practice, and even worse, they may inadvertently cause harm through their lack of knowledge. Look for a healer that has completed an educational path or who has apprenticed with another healer. Then, ask for references.

    Purchasing Natural Remedies

    Most natural remedies, or the ingredients to make natural or herbal medicines, can be purchased at a natural foods store. However, it is important to ask the healer detailed questions before you make any purchases. Some herbs are made in several forms and strengths, and one form or strength may be less effective or even have a different effect than another. Even worse, because natural remedies are medications, patients can accidentally overdose on them. Before you make your purchase, read labels. Make sure that the remedy is the form and strength that you need. Do not substitute without consulting your natural healer.

    When to Consult a Physician

    The physician should always be consulted before beginning any natural medicine regimen. Always tell your physician about any natural remedies you are taking, and always tell your natural healer about any medicines you are taking. Natural remedies and medications can cause dangerous drug interactions that can cause serious health problems or even fatalities. Even supplements that sound harmless can have dangerous side effects or may render other medicines useless, or even worse, ramp up their effectiveness, causing an overdose.

    Finding Out More about Natural Medicine

    The best place to find out more about natural medicine is from someone who has had extensive training in the practice. However, the local library and some university or organization-run websites may also be credible sources of information about the natural medical tradition. However, patients should not put themselves on any natural supplement or medicine without consulting a physician and a natural healer, if one is available.

    Natural Medicine and Traditional Medicine

    Many people feel that they must choose between natural and clinical medicine. This is not the case. When used judiciously and safely, natural medicine may be a safe addition to, or even an alternative to, clinical medicines. In fact, in many cases, natural remedies may be even safer than their clinical counterparts.

    [ad_2]

    Source by Serena Li

    Views: 0

  • 3 Bacterial Vaginosis Natural Cures For Safe and Quick Relief

    3 Bacterial Vaginosis Natural Cures For Safe and Quick Relief

    [ad_1]

    Many women prefer to leave bv untreated rather than attempting to find bacteria vaginosis cure that works. In my opinion it is not very safe to adopt this approach. If you are lucky the infection may disappear on its own. If not, it can get aggravated. Considering that there are a number of bacterial vaginosis natural cures which you can easily use in bv cure, it is better to treat it rather than leaving it untreated. These cures are simple and devoid of any side effects. Ingredients for these cures are easily available and are inexpensive too.

    For bacteria vaginosis cure you must follow a systemactic approach. These may include lifestyle and diet changes.

    To begin with upon identifying your infection abstain from intercourse or sexual activity at least during the treatment period. If it is not possible for you to do so due to personal reasons, have protected sex and insist that you partner uses a condom. Bv is not a sexually transmitted disease but abstinence is recommended because intercourse could worsen the situation by further tipping the acid balance in favor of the invading bacteria.

    This type of treatment for BV cure is based on natural antibiotics The most popular bacterial vaginosis natural cures tea tree oil, is really effective in providing relief from the infection.

    You can also use other oral natural antibiotics like ginger, garlic, and turmeric. You can add these to the food and make them a part of your daily intake. Ginger tea is very healthy and an excellent way to include ginger in your diet. You can use raw fresh ginger or dried flakes for this purpose.

    For reintroducing good bacteria into your system milk bath is very useful. Alternatively you can either apply milk to the vaginal area a few times a day or apply milk lavishly on a cloth and place it over the vagina for at least fifteen minutes.

    Follow these simple bacterial vaginosis natural cures which provide quick and safe relief from the infection naturally.

    [ad_2]

    Source by Marie Paul

    Views: 0

  • Natural Cure to Cancer – Treat Cancer Naturally

    Natural Cure to Cancer – Treat Cancer Naturally

    [ad_1]

    Dread cancer no more. It is not the deadly disease anymore that it used to be even a couple of decades back. Various kinds of natural treatments to cancer have been invented by scientists and their researches have proved that cancer can be prevented and cured in a natural way without harmful and painful chemotherapy, radiation and surgery. It has been proven now that the alternative natural cures applied to treat cancer are fruitful and of course painless unlike the other methods. Natural treatments are a little complicated and hence must be done by an experienced person.

    The best natural cures for cancer start working quickly on certain aspects of the disease to get rid of it. It will start by protecting the cells that have not been harmed by cancer yet, killing the cancer cells or restoring them to normal cells, curbing the spreading of cancer and guarding the non-damaged cells from the harmful affects of lactic acid. There are 5 protocols that are generally followed to cure cancer naturally. However, none of these protocols can be used in combination. They must be used separately or else might cause heavy damage to the cells.

    The first is the Cellect-Budwig Protocol. This is basically a nutritional supplement manufactured for cancer patients. It is available in the form of powder containing amino acids, vitamins, immune builders, and trace minerals. Advanced stage patients can use it along with maintaining a strict diet routine and can reap the benefits. The second is the Cesium Chloride Protocol. This treatment is extremely powerful and stops the cancer cells from multiplying. It also aids in stopping the cachexia cycle and is an alkaline protocol. If you are suffering from cancer which is spreading very fast throughout the body then, applying any of these will bring fast and positive results because these stop spreading of the infected cells.

    Bill Henderson Protocol is another effective protocol for cancer patients. This boosts the immune system and eliminates the infected cells. This protocol is in fact the least expensive among all the other ones. LifeOne Protocol is extremely effective for particular types of cancer. It was being manufactured by Dr. Jim Howenstine and is a supplement based product including immune builders. Tony Isaacs is the last protocol used to cure cancer. This is also an immune building protocol made of Oleander leaves. The leaves of this plant are used in pill form today to treat cancer. The specialty of this plant is that it can reduce the side effects of chemotherapy and also kill the cells causing cancer.

    Aloe Arborescens is a plant that can treat cancer successfully. Protandim prepared from green tea extract and herbs is also used as a natural cure to cancer. The One Minute Cancer Cure is also a process that is known to kills cancer cells. It is known to oxygenate the body and destroy cells that cause tumor or cancer. As the name suggests, it can be used one minute everyday at home. It works on the theory of increasing oxygen levels in blood which results in the death of pathogens thus curing you of fatal diseases like cancer. The One Minute Cure can be used as the cure of all diseases that can prove fatal.

    [ad_2]

    Source by Robert L Coleman

    Views: 0

  • How Online Digital Marketing Course Can Help You Shape Your Career in Marketing?

    How Online Digital Marketing Course Can Help You Shape Your Career in Marketing?

    [ad_1]

    Introduction to Digital Marketing
    A good hold on digital technology has become vital in the marketing industry like never before. And with the ever-rising use of digital platforms for promoting your products and services, demand for professionals with strong holds on these techniques and strategies has also increased. People have started spending as much as twice the time on the internet as they used to a few years back. And with this, online shopping has surpassed the offline shopping statistics.

    Marketing is all about interacting with the right audience at the right time at the right place and as most people remain online for most of the time, it has become the obvious place to connect with them. Next is the strategy to explain your plans to them in the most effective manner to convert them into customers. Digital marketing, collectively refers to all the efforts made to leverage potential customers on digital platforms like Google search, emailing, social media and websites etc.

    Why digital marketing is so successful?

    • Increases traffic on websites
    • Helps in generating leads
    • Helps in brand building
    • Improves the ranking of the search engine
    • Helps in improving internal communication
    • Helps in providing better customer services
    • Helps in understanding the ever-changing demands and expectations of people.

    What are you taught in Digital marketing course?

    • Search engine optimization (SEO): It is a process of attracting traffic from free and natural search results on a search engine such as Google, Yahoo or Bing by ensuring that your website appears high on the list of results shown by the search engine.
    • Web Analytics: The process of collecting, measuring, analyzing, and reporting the web data in order to understand the web usage behavior of people.
    • Email marketing: Every commercial message sent to a group of existing or potential customer is email marketing.
    • Pay per click (PPC) marketing: In this model an advertiser pays a certain fee to a website owner each time his advertisement on that site is clicked.
    • Social media marketing: Using social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, etc. to promote your product is social media marketing.

    The above listed are only some of the components of a marketing course and along with that interactive session with industry experts, doubt clearing sessions, practical assignments and surveys are conducted from time to time.

    A well designed Online Marketing course should be able to give one an opportunity to discover various tactical ways as to how modern business houses are making high profits using digital marketing. Thorough case studies help in understanding better implementation and gives a cutting-edge insight into the latest developments. It should also be giving you an opportunity to interact and learn from industry experts.

    Why you should opt for an online course in digital marketing
    Gone are the days where you could afford to stick to the conventional marketing strategies and ignore digital marketing. The scenario has changed and whether or not you are planning a career in the marketing industry, you cannot deny the fact that everyone today has become a digital marketer by posting updates, pictures and videos on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube etc. An online digital marketing course gives you an opportunity to get enrolled in the best program across the globe.

    [ad_2]

    Source by Shalini M

    Views: 0

  • Bohemian Travel Fashion

    Bohemian Travel Fashion

    [ad_1]

    The boho trendy soft and smooth-textured caftan maxi is the perfect lounger yet luxurious and a must-have piece for your wardrobe. Wear on its own as a maxi dress or pair with skinny jeans, with a broad belt or sash and jazz up with a ton of mala beads, the recycled sari caftan is comfortable and perfect for relaxing at home, at pool parties as a hostess gown or simply a beach coverup. The flowy shape features wide, kimono sleeves and an exotic mix of abstract and floral prints.

    Walk the beaches barefoot in your caftan, the wind billowing at the edges and the water lapping at your feet, connecting through the sand and earthing yourself with Mother Nature, an ancient practise that rejuvenates your body and is proven to make your healthier. Hippies and gypsies and their love for everything natural, from food to clothing have walked the earth barefoot for centuries and earthing is the new essential. You release all the negative ions or free radicals into the sand and your body gets positively charged with the earth ions. What better than recycled sari caftan dresses and natural cotton loose baggy pants for beach yoga.

    Your jewelled kaftan has been designed to take you effortlessly from beach to bar, and each of our hand embroidered kaftans tells a story of summer fields and chrysanthemums, with a collage of colours and vivid designs. For the glamorous traveller, our digital printed viscose kaftans work perfectly from heavenly Tulum to the glorious Amalfi Coast.Be it a laid back beachy cotton voile caftan to a heavily embellished kaftan maxi, make your very own boho fashionista style.

    The colorful and mystical prints of the hi low sari skirts worn with skinny halters create a signature boho style. The stylish skirt shows off your legs and yet trails behind wantonly longing for the never ending expanses of sandy beaches which merge into the dazzling blue waters.The free spirit vibe goes hand in hand with the naughty and fun nightlife. Boho chic fashion never goes out of style.

    Hit the extravagant beach clubs in the colorful, embellished kaftan or lounge on your yacht in the sheer caftan dresses that shimmer in the sun accenting your silhouette. Glamorous Santorini with its whitewashed villas and indigo rooftops, the vintage patchwork maxi skirts are favorites with crochet tops, each unique and ethically handmade. Gypsy free spirited dresses, flamboyant colors and ethical clothing for the bohemian traveller, a style statement that never goes out of fashion.

    [ad_2]

    Source by Era Chandok

    Views: 0

  • All About Traditional Chinese Medicine

    All About Traditional Chinese Medicine

    [ad_1]

    Traditional Chinese medicine is an alternative to contemporary medicine. The treatment method corrects imbalances in the body and works in different ways that include:

    • Addressing the environment and the external factors of the patient.
    • Helping the patients relate to the internal emotions in a healthier way.
    • Improving the lifestyle of the patients. This includes promoting better diet and exercise.

    The traditional Chinese medicine affects different areas of the body but it focuses on only a few of these areas. The areas include: large intestine, gallbladder, small intestine, lung, liver, spleen, kidneys, and heart.

    Benefits of traditional Chinese medicine

    The treatment option comes with many advantages that include:

    Reduced inflammation: The herbs and mushrooms used in the treatment have antioxidant, antiapoptotic, autophagic, and anti-inflammatory effects on the body. When you take the herbs, you have reduced levels of oxidative stress and inflammation thus you protect the body cells, tissues, and organs from developing diseases.

    Reduction of chronic pain and headache: The use of acupuncture and acupressure plays a vital role in managing pain brought about by arthritis and other medical conditions. Experts have also found that treatment methods such as eating a healthy diet and tai chi aid in reducing chronic tension headaches.

    Hormonal balance: Research studies show that the herbs used in the treatment contain anti-inflammatory and antioxidants that improve the functions within the endocrine and central nervous system. This aids in improving the healing abilities of the body and balances the hormones such as insulin, estrogen, cortisol, and testosterone.

    Improvement of the health of the liver: Since traditional Chinese medicine advocates that you take a healthy diet, the diet aids in improving the health of the liver. Some of the best foods that you should take to improve the health of your liver include: sweet potatoes, healthy fats, spices rich in ginger and garlic, and herbs. You should avoid fried foods, sugary drinks, and snacks, refined oils, alcohol, and processed carbohydrates.

    Tips to consider when engaging in traditional Chinese medicine

    For you to have a great experience with the treatment method, you need to consider a number of tips. Before you settle on a given practitioner, always take your time to research him/her and ensure that he/she is reputable. Experts recommend that you visit a number of facilities and take a look at the displayed certifications. If there are no certifications, you should stay away from the practitioner.

    While the herbs are natural, you should take them under maximum supervision. You shouldn’t take them if suffering from a medical condition or when pregnant. You should avoid medications from an unknown company as they might be containing dangerous additives, lead, cadmium, mercury, and traces of other heavy metals.

    To get the most from the treatment method, you should incorporate different lifestyle and preventative habits such as exercising, eating a healthy diet, getting enough sleep, and taking beneficial supplements.

    Conclusion

    This is what you need to know about traditional Chinese medicine. You should remember that the medications are recommended as complementary treatment methods; therefore, you should try them together with the complementary medications. To avoid complications always follow the doctor’s advice.

    [ad_2]

    Source by Idd Aziz

    Views: 0

  • How to Cure Canker Sores Quickly With Green Tea

    How to Cure Canker Sores Quickly With Green Tea

    [ad_1]

    Home remedies for sores

    Do you have an infected mouth and do not know how to cure canker sores? Green tea can help you treat them and get rid of them. In this article you will learn how you can do it in a simple and practical way. Do not stop reading!

    What are canker sores, or postemillas?

    Canker sores are ulcers that can form anywhere in the mouth. Generally, they are usually small in size, but they are quite painful and annoying. If you ask yourself, why did they come out? The answer is that they can be caused by stress, an unbalanced diet, hormonal changes, low defenses, deficiency of some nutrient or due to an allergy to some food.

    If you are a fan of tea, you should already know that it is a highly curative drink, since it has exceptional properties and medicinal benefits. For this reason, it is used as a natural remedy to treat numerous conditions and health problems.

    One of the latest developments in the science of tea, is that through new research it was known that its consumption and topical application, can be very useful to treat different oral diseases, especially canker sores.

    How to treat canker sores? Fortunately, tea can help you heal canker sores quickly. Find out in the following paragraphs.

    What is good for canker sores

    As I mentioned in previous paragraphs, green tea has great healing properties, where its great antimicrobial and analgesic power stands out. For this reason, green tea is considered one of the best home remedies for postemillas and wounds in the mouth.

    Deflates the affected area. Green tea is rich in antioxidant compounds, which act as anti-inflammatory and antibacterial agents.

    Eliminates bacteria Its bacterial properties not only help you eliminate canker sores, but also prevent them from coming back in a short time.

    Protects from cancerous tumors of the mouth. In a study conducted at the University of Texas, it was found that the consumption of tea extract can slow the growth of precancerous lesions in the mouth, avoiding oral cancer.

    All good, but how to cure a canker sore with green tea?

    Remedy for green tea canker sores

    Of the home remedies for sores, without a doubt green tea is one of the most potent and effective. How to use green tea to cure sores in the mouth and tongue? Follow the following instructions.

    Topical use

    Prepare a tea on a regular basis.

    Remove the bag and let it cool or place it in the refrigerator for a few minutes until you can apply it to your mouth.

    Take the cold green tea bag and pass it over the canker sores gently.

    Let it rest for 10 minutes.

    Repeat this treatment two or three times a day to cure sores on the tongue completely.

    Oral use

    To get its antibacterial benefits, drink a cup of green tea after lunch or dinner and swish with a mouthwash.

    Other therapeutic benefits of tea

    Just as green tea is one of the most powerful remedies for canker sores, it can also help you treat and prevent other diseases. To get a clear idea of the great benefits of green tea for health, I recommend you take a look at the following suggestions.

    Prevents diseases of the mouth and eyes. You will discover different ways to benefit from the healing properties of this variety of Camellia Sinensis, through its external use.

    Soothes the skin with psoriasis. You will discover that some components of tea have the ability to regulate the growth of cells, preventing them from becoming too thick and from origin to this skin disease.

    It improves acne. You will know that the galate epigallocatechins that green tea has are responsible for this benefit. Since there is scientific evidence that these antioxidant compounds are capable of reducing the sebaceous production of the skin. You will discover how and how much tea you should consume daily to achieve the healing of this condition.

    Soothes the skin with rosacea. One of the most important properties of this healthy drink is its high content of antioxidants, capable of rejuvenating skin cells. The extract of Tai Ping Hou Kui Tea contains these virtues and is for this reason that it can help you treat the skin with rosacea. Here you will know how to consume it and apply it to obtain this benefit.

    [ad_2]

    Source by Demarcus Martin

    Views: 0

  • Animal Self-Medication: Do Wild Animals Heal Themselves?

    Animal Self-Medication: Do Wild Animals Heal Themselves?

    [ad_1]

    What do wild animals do when they get sick? Unlike domestic pets, animals in the wild have no access to the range of treatments provided by owners or vets. Do wild animals know how to heal themselves?

    Growing scientific evidence indicates that animals do indeed have knowledge of natural medicines. In fact, they have access to the world's largest pharmacy: nature itself. Zoologists and botanists are only just beginning to understand how wild animals use plant medicines to prevent and cure illness.

    There's a name for it

    The emerging science of Zoopharmacognosy studies how animals use leaves, roots, seeds and minerals to treat a variety of ailments. Indigenous cultures have had knowledge of animal self-medication for centuries; many folk remedies have come from noticing which plants animals eat when they are sick. But it is only in the last 30 years that zoopharmacognosy has been scientifically studied. Biologists witnessing animals eating foods not part of their usual diet, realized the animals were self-medicating with natural remedies.

    When a pregnant African elephant was observed for over a year, a discovery was made. The elephant kept regular dietary habits throughout her long pregnancy but the routine changed abruptly towards the end of her term. Heavily pregnant, the elephant set off in search of a shrub that grew 17 miles from her usual food source. The elephant chewed and ate the leaves and bark of the bush, then gave birth a few days later. The elephant, it seemed, had sought out this plant specifically to induce her labor. The same plant (a member of the borage family) also happens to be brewed by Kenyan women to make a labor-inducing tea.

    Chimps take their medicine

    Not only do many animals know which plant they require, they also know exactly which part of the plant they should use, and how they should ingest it. Chimpanzees in Tanzania have been observed using plants in different ways. The Aspilia shrub produces bristly leaves, which the chimps carefully fold up then roll around their mouths before swallowing whole. The prickly leaves 'scour' parasitical worms from the chimps intestinal lining.

    The same chimps also peel the stems and eat the pith of the Vernonia plant (also known as Bitter leaf). In bio-chemical research, Vernonia was found to have anti-parasitic and anti-microbial properties. Both Vernonia and Aspilia have long been used in Tanzanian folk medicine for stomach upsets and fevers.

    It is only the sick chimpanzees that eat the plants. The chimps often grimace as they chew the Vernonia pith, indicating that they are not doing this for fun; healthy animals would find the bitter taste unpalatable.

    Nature's pharmacy for all

    Wild animals won't seek out a remedy unless they need it. Scientists studying baboons at the Awash Falls in Ethiopia noted that although the tree Balanites aegyptiaca (Desert date) grew all around the falls, only the baboons living below the falls ate the tree's fruit. These baboons were exposed to a parasitic worm found in water-snails. Balanites fruit is known to repel the snails. Baboons living above the falls were not in contact with the water-snails and therefore had no need of the medicinal fruit.

    Many animals eat minerals like clay or charcoal for their curative properties. Colobus monkeys on the island of Zanzibar have been observed stealing and eating charcoal from human bonfires. The charcoal counteracts toxic phenols produced by the mango and almond leaves which make up their diet.

    Some species of South American parrot and macaw are known to eat soil with a high kaolin content. The parrots' diet contains toxins because of the fruit seeds they eat. (Even the humble apple seed contains cyanide.) The kaolin clay absorbs the toxins and carries them out of the birds' digestive systems, leaving the parrots unharmed by the poisons. Kaolin has been used for centuries in many cultures as a remedy for human gastrointestinal upset.

    Survival of the medicated

    So, how do animals know how to heal themselves? Some scientists believe that evolution has given animals the innate ability to choose the correct herbal medicines. In terms of natural selection, animals who could find medicinal substances in the wild were more likely to survive. Other observations have shown that, especially among primates, medicinal skills appear to be taught and learned. Adult females are often seen batting their infant's hand from a particular leaf or stem as if to say "No, not that one."

    Wild animals don't rely on industrially produced synthetic drugs to cure their illnesses; the medicines they require are available in their natural environment. While animals in the wild instinctively know how to heal themselves, humans have all but forgotten this knowledge because of our lost connection with nature. Since wild animals have begun to be observed actively taking care of their own wellbeing, it raises questions of how we approach healthcare with natural remedies, not just for ourselves but for our companion and farm animals too.

    [ad_2]

    Source by Gary Le Mon

    Views: 0