Natural Remedies for Inflammation

Christopher Vasey

• Publisher: Healing Arts Press
• Year: 2014
• Print ISBN: 9781620553237
• eBook ISBN: 9781620553244
• Topic: Medicine
• Subtopic: Alternative & Complementary Medicine

An illustrated guide to natural relief from chronic inflammation • Explores the use of 18 anti-inflammatory herbs, such as bay laurel, basil, turmeric, and devil's claw, as well as 15 other natural substances, such as propolis and fish oil• Examines which natural remedy is best for many common inflammation-related ailments, such as asthma, bronchitis, tendonitis, arthritis, and eczema • Reveals the important role of omega-3s in defending the body against inflammation From aspirin and ibuprofen to antihistamines and cortisone, anti-inflammatory drugs are now the top-selling pharmaceuticals in the world. But daily use of these powerful drugs comes with a price: side effects, many of which can lead to other chronic conditions and the further use of medications. In this practical guide to natural remedies for inflammation, naturopath Christopher Vasey explores 18 anti-inflammatory herbs, such as bay laurel, basil, turmeric, and devil's claw, as well as 15 other natural substances, such as propolis and fish oil. He explains which conditions each addresses most effectively, proper dosage, and the best methods of ingestion. Vasey explains how, like fever, inflammation is a defensive reaction of the body and also carries out a cleansing process, which natural remedies support but pharmaceuticals can destabilize by contributing more toxins to the internal terrain. He examines 50 of the most common inflammation-related ailments--such as allergies, asthma, conjunctivitis, bronchitis, sinusitis, cystitis, tendinitis, arthritis, eczema, and sciatica--and explains which medicinal plant or food supplement is best suited to safely alleviate unpleasant symptoms while helping the body complete the healing the inflammation was initiated to perform. Revealing the important role of omega-3s in defending the body against inflammation and reducing the damage caused by chronic inflammation, Vasey explores what foods are rich in these key molecules, how much must be eaten to defend the body, and what omega-3 supplements are most suited to your body's needs. The author also examines how to deacidify the body, as acids have an inflammatory effect, as well as how to use hydrotherapy to calm inflammation.

Anti-inflammatory drugs are the bestselling pharmaceutical products on the market. Not only are the number of inflammatory diseases increasing, but they afflict more and more people with ever increasing severity. Anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin and cortisone are powerful and effective. They are accompanied by many contraindications, though, which makes their use potentially hazardous.

It is therefore worth knowing that nature offers us a host of medicinal plants, as well as other remedies, with anti-inflammatory effects. Their greatest benefit is that they can be used with no harmful side effects. However, natural medicine does not limit itself to fighting the symptoms but addresses the cellular terrain that permitted those symptoms to appear in the first place. In fact, its primary focus is to remove the cause of the illness, and its treatment of the symptoms is only a secondary concern. The activities of the anti-inflammatory agents it uses are consequently supported by a profound correction of the terrain as the basis of the treatment.

The issues of cellular terrain restoration and the destruction of the germs responsible for the bulk of inflammations will not be dealt with here, as I have already covered this subject in some depth in my previous books, especially those pertaining to detoxification.

The purpose of this book is to present inflammation from the point of view of natural medicine, to restore it to its proper place in the general context of the body’s defense mechanisms, and to offer a selection of safe and natural anti-inflammatory substances. They can be used, for simple ailments, by individuals treating their problems personally, but in serious disorders, and if individuals have any cause for concern, it is imperative that they seek the advice of a trained professional.

1

The Body’s Defenses

Inflammation Reactions

The efforts undertaken by the body to protect itself against an irritating or aggressive agent (such as a germ or poison) are often accompanied by painful and annoying inflammation. The vast majority of patients would gladly do without this problem. However, inflammation does not merely accompany the body’s defensive reactions; it is itself part of the body’s defense system. This is why we can talk of an “inflammatory reaction” when describing it—to show the useful, active nature of the role inflammation plays in protecting the body. We cannot do without it.

To truly grasp what inflammation is, we need to deal with three major questions:

1. Why does the body need to defend itself?
2. What is attacking the body?
3. How does the body defend itself?

WHY DOES THE BODY NEED TO DEFEND ITSELF?

The body employs different procedures to defend itself; their main purpose is to protect the cells of the body, but the body also looks to protect those cells’ environment: the terrain.

The Cells of the Human Body

The human body is an extremely complex object made up of some fifty billion cells. These come in different varieties depending on the organ or part of the body to which they belong. Each one has its specific task to perform, but it does this in accord with the logic that oversees the entire body. It conforms, or, more exactly, submits, to the will of the whole. This is essential, as the proper functioning of the entire body and its survival depends on this compliance.

This collection of cells that forms our body is incapable of tolerating in its midst the presence of foreign cells, whose behavior conflicts with the body’s overall harmony.

Out of all the foreign cells that enter the body, the majority are “killed.” This is the case with the cells belonging to the foods we eat. They are broken down into smaller particles that are integrated into our tissues. For example, the cells of a vegetable or a piece of meat do not survive in their original composition. Cooking and the digestive process divide them into simple elements (amino acids, vitamins, and so on), which will then be integrated into the physical structure of the body or used as fuel.

The human body consists of some fifty billion cells.

A portion of the cells that enter our bodies are not killed (or not all at once). These are germs—that is, bacteria, fungi, molds, and parasites. Some of these integrate perfectly into the overall functioning of the body, such as those that restore the intestinal flora. The characteristics of others do not permit their harmonious integration into the body. They play no role in maintaining the general well-being of the body but live, in accordance with their own needs, at the expense and to the detriment of the whole. They are a threat to the body’s proper functioning and sometimes even its very survival. The body therefore has to react against these invaders in order to protect itself.

The Terrain

Discussion of the cells alone could give a false or overly fragmentary vision of the body. We must also speak of the environment in which the cells live, in other words the terrain. This environment is liquid and consists of four different kinds of fluids:

1. Blood is familiar to everyone. It circulates through the vascular network, in other words the arteries, veins, and blood capillaries. This liquid represents 5 percent of total body weight.

The blood represents 5 percent of the body’s weight.

2. Extracellular fluid surrounds and bathes the exterior of the cells. It fills the tiny spaces that separate one cell from the next. It forms the external environment of the cells, the vast ocean in which they are immersed. This extracellular fluid is whitish in color. It is derived from blood plasma, which is the fluid part of blood, minus the red blood cells.

3. Lymph circulates in the lymph vessels. It is basically the same as extracellular fluid and its color is also whitish. Lymph removes some of the toxins produced by the cells and transports them into the bloodstream. In fact, the lymph vessels discharge their cargo into the blood network at the level of the subclavian veins. Lymph and extracellular fluid together account for 15 percent of total body weight.

4. Intracellular fluid is the liquid located inside the cells. Given the fact that cells are so small that they cannot be seen by the naked eye, their individual volume is extremely tiny. However, when added all together, these spaces form a fairly large volume. In fact, it is so large that intracellular fluid accounts for 50 percent of total body weight. This fluid is whitish in color and its composition is quite similar to that of extracellular fluid.

All of these fluids together make up the body’s terrain and account for 70 percent of the body’s total weight. The cells are entirely dependent on these fluids. They carry the nutrients (such as oxygen, minerals, and amino acids) the cells need to function. These same fluids transport the wastes or toxins expelled by the cells to the eliminatory organs—the liver, intestines, kidneys, skin, and lungs—to be eliminated from the body.^*1 The cells’ very survival is thus dependent on these fluids. If they do not supply the cells with all the nutrients they require, the cells will weaken to the point that they can no longer perform their work properly. If they are saturated with wastes, they will be suffocated and attacked by the poison these wastes contain.

There is, therefore, an ideal composition for the body’s cellular terrain that guarantees its cells an optimal environment for functioning. It so happens that every substance that enters the terrain alters its composition and thereby influences the cells’ state of health positively or adversely. This influence will be beneficial if the substance can be integrated into the body—in other words, if it can find its proper place in the body’s organization and structure. In the opposite case, the substance’s influence will be negative and the cells will be endangered. This will then force the body to react more or less forcefully according to the danger posed by the invader, in order to neutralize or eliminate it.

WHAT IS ATTACKING THE BODY?

Countless invaders capable of provoking a defensive reaction from the body exist. They can be divided into four groups, based on their origin.

Microbial Invaders

Germs (in other words, bacteria, viruses, and yeasts) are living entities with their own functional logic. They therefore have no place in the human body, as they will be foreign guests who disturb its functioning (with the exception of the bacteria making up the intestinal flora). By setting up shop and multiplying in the body, ...

Table of contents

• Cover Image
• Title Page
• Table of Contents
• Part One: The Inflammation Syndrome
• Part Two: Natural Substances That Fight Inflammation
• Appendix
• Illustration Credits
• Footnotes
• About the Author
• About Inner Traditions • Bear & Company
• Copyright & Permissions
• Index