118 The Complete Home Guide to Herbs, Natural Healing, and Nutrition
could help balance major deleterious immune trends through its ability to
fortify against environmental pollutants and radiation. It helps to regulate
blood sugar levels and infl uences and nourishes the pituitary and adrenal
systems. It protects the liver and helps eliminate drug residues from the
body. Taken on a daily basis, Siberian ginseng increases our ability to
resist infection; it has also been shown to suppress cancer cells by
enhancing phagocytosis and the production of leukocytes. It is a good
long-term tonic that should be used by those suffering from many
conditions ranging from myalgic encephalo myelitis (chronic fatigue
syndrome) to cancer and all the various autoimmune diseases, including
multiple sclerosis. I use a mixture of this and milk thistle seed to treat and
support those turning around from drug and alcohol addiction.
Additionally, it increases endurance by improving the cells’ ability to use
phosphorus-containing molecules and by disposing of lactic acid and
other unwanted and often-harbored by-products of metabolism. It is
wonderful for stress, and one teaspoon of tincture before breakfast can
really help the quality of one’s day and of one’s night of sleep. You can
take up to three doses daily. It is a good idea to stop for two days in every
ten and then repeat the cycle for up to nine months (or longer under
supervision). Siberian ginseng also affects the adrenal cortex and will
therefore have a slight hormonal effect — which could be estrogenic, but
is more likely to be simply an endocrine tonic and balancer.
Although it is called a “ginseng,” it is in no way related to true ginsengs
(members of the genus Panax), either by its action or by its botanical
structure. It got its name purely because it gives vitality. In order to avoid
confusion, it may be wiser to refer to it by one of its other common
names, eleuthero.
There are literally hundreds of herbs worldwide that stimulate the
immune system and attack microbes: they include turmeric root, burdock
root, plantain leaf, and oregano leaf, but of late echinacea root has been
very popular. Echinacea (Echinacea angustifolia) is a well-known herb
cultivated in Britain, America, and Europe. The only place it still grows in
its natural habitat is North America. It is capable of rallying the top
defenses of the
immune army. Native American tribes have been aware of the benefi ts of
this herb for many centuries. While white Americans grudgingly accepted
its medicinal value toward the end of the eighteenth century, it has only
comparatively recently reached Europe. It was used as a major immune-
system stimulator by the indigenous peoples, who loved this pretty
purple-pink-rayed fl ower with its attractive center. They sucked on the
root, with its tingling, almost metallic taste, all day when they were sick.
The tingling is caused by the chemical isobutylamine. Many herbal
scientists have said that the tingling is incidental to its healing properties,
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