Alternative Medicine

Cupping

Cupping is a treatment that claims to take the heat out of the body, by using cups that are heated before being placed on the body pf the patient.

A treatment in the Islamic religion

herbal medicines

An herb is a plant or plant part used for its scent, flavor or therapeutic properties. Herbal medicine products are dietary supplements that people take to improve their health. Many herbs have been used for a long time for claimed health benefits. They are sold as tablets, capsules, powders, teas, extracts and fresh or dried plants. However, some can cause health problems, some are not effective and some may interact with other drugs you are taking.

To use an herbal product as safely as possible

* Consult your doctor first
* Do not take a bigger dose than the label recommends
* Take it under the guidance of a trained medical professional
* Be especially cautious if you are pregnant or nursing

Chiropractic

Chiropractic is an alternative medical system. It takes a different approach from standard medicine in treating health problems.

The basic concepts of chiropractic are

* Your body has a powerful self-healing ability
* Your body's structure (mainly the spine) and its function are related
* The goal of chiropractic therapy is to normalize this relationship

Chiropractic professionals are doctors of chiropractic, or D.C.s. They use a type of hands-on therapy called spinal manipulation or adjustment. Many people visit chiropractors for treatment of low back pain.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is the practice of inserting thin needles into specific body points to improve health and well-being. It originated in China more than 2,000 years ago. American practices of acupuncture use medical traditions from China, Japan, Korea and other countries. In the United States, the best-known type involves putting hair-thin, metallic needles in your skin.

Research has shown that acupuncture reduces nausea and vomiting after surgery and chemotherapy. It can also relieve pain. Researchers don't fully understand how acupuncture works. It might aid the activity of your body's pain-killing chemicals. It also might affect how you release chemicals that regulate blood pressure and flow

Green Tea for Weight Loss

If weight loss is one of your top health goals, green tea may help. Some studies show that substances in green tea may offer several weight-loss-promoting effects, such as speeding up your metabolism and suppressing your appetite. Although the antioxidant-rich brew won't help you shed pounds on its own, there's some evidence that drinking green tea may support your weight loss efforts.

How Might Green Tea Promote Weight Loss?

Green tea contains caffeine, which is known to increase thermogenesis (a biological process involved in burning calories). In a 2007 report from the American Journal of Physiology: Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology, scientists state that green tea may fight the decrease in metabolism that typically accompanies weight loss. According to the report's authors, green tea may also inhibit the effects of catechol-O-methyltransferase (an enzyme known to trigger the breakdown of brain chemicals involved in regulating appetite).

Is Green Tea Effective for Weight Loss?

Certain antioxidants found in green tea seem to have a "small positive effect" on weight loss and weight maintenance, according to a report published in the International Journal of Obesity in 2009. In their analysis of 11 studies on green tea and weight loss or weight maintenance, researchers found that green tea antioxidants known as catechins may help increase metabolism.
Still, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) caution that there isn't enough scientific evidence to determine whether green tea is effective for weight loss. However, epigallocatechin gallate (a catechin found in green tea) may help moderately overweight people lose weight, according to the NIH.

Is Green Tea Safe for Weight Loss?

While green tea is likely safe for most adults, drinking more than five cups a day may lead to caffeine-related side effects (such as headache, nervousness, sleep problems, and irregular heartbeat). The caffeine in green tea may also aggravate some health conditions, including anxiety, high blood pressure, and diabetes.

Should You Use Green Tea for Weight Loss?

For most adults, moderately increasing green tea intake may yield some weight loss benefits without causing negative health effects. But in order to experience significant weight loss, it's important to combine a healthy diet with regular exercise (including at least two and a half hours of moderate-intensity aerobic activity and two strength-training sessions per week). If you're considering the use of green tea supplements (or any other natural weight loss aid), make sure to consult your physician before beginning treatment.

Herbal Remedy May Fight Prostate Cancer

Guggul shows promise as a natural defense against prostate cancer, according to a recent study. An herbal remedy extracted from the mukul myrrh tree, guggul has long been used in ayurveda (the traditional medicine of India).
In test-tube research, scientists found that guggul inhibited the growth of human prostate cancer cells. Guggul appears to increase apoptosis (a type of programmed cell death that does not trigger the release of harmful substances into the surrounding area).
To date, few clinical trials have looked at guggul's potential health benefits. Although it's often used to curb cholesterol levels in ayurveda, some studies show that guggul may actually raise levels of LDL ("bad") cholesterol.
In past research, several other natural substances (including lycopene, vitamin D, omega-3 fatty acids, and green tea) have also been found to offer some degree of protection against prostate cancer.