Indigenous Peoples Own Carbon Credits, Group Says

A proposal being considered at the climate change talks in Copenhagen would put a cash value on standing forests that help soak up atmospheric carbon dioxide. The plan could provide a powerful new incentive to those who protect their forests in order to trap greenhouse gases. But some advocates are concerned the forest plan could trigger a land rush, and threaten the rights of the indigenous peoples who call the forests home.

Black Cohosh

The potential therapeutic properties. Includes flowers, leaves, bark, fruit, seeds, stems, and roots. black cohosh—common names, uses, potential side effects, and resources for more information. Black cohosh, a member of the buttercup family, is a plant native to North America. It was used in Native American medicine and was a home remedy in 19th-century America.

Common Names—black cohosh, black snakeroot, macrotys, bugbane, bugwort, rattleroot, rattleweed

Latin Names—Actaea racemosa, Cimicifuga racemosa


What Black Cohosh Is Used For

Black cohosh has a history of use for rheumatism (arthritis and muscle pain) but has been used more recently to treat hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, and other symptoms that can occur during menopause.
Black cohosh has also been used for menstrual irregularities and premenstrual syndrome, and to induce labor.

How Black Cohosh Is Used

The underground stems and roots of black cohosh are commonly used fresh or dried to make strong teas (infusions), capsules, solid extracts used in pills, or liquid extracts (tinctures).

What the Science Says

Study results are mixed on whether black cohosh effectively relieves menopausal symptoms. An NCCAM-funded study found that black cohosh, whether used alone or with other botanicals, failed to relieve hot flashes and night sweats in postmenopausal women or those approaching menopause.
Most studies to date have been less than 6 months long, so the safety of long-term use is unknown.
NCCAM is funding studies to further understand the potential effects of black cohosh on hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms.
There are not enough reliable data to determine whether black cohosh is effective for rheumatism or other uses.

Side Effects and Cautions

United States Pharmacopeia experts suggest women should discontinue use of black cohosh and consult a health care practitioner if they have a liver disorder or develop symptoms of liver trouble, such as abdominal pain, dark urine, or jaundice. There have been several case reports of hepatitis (inflammation of the liver), as well as liver failure, in women who were taking black cohosh. It is not known if black cohosh was responsible for these problems. Although these cases are very rare and the evidence is not definitive, scientists are concerned about the possible effects of black cohosh on the liver.

Black cohosh can cause headaches and stomach discomfort. In clinical trials comparing the effects of the herb and those of estrogens, a low number of side effects were reported, such as headaches, gastric complaints, heaviness in the legs, and weight problems.

No interactions have been reported between black cohosh and prescription medicines.

It is not clear if black cohosh is safe for women who have had breast cancer or for pregnant women.

Black cohosh should not be confused with blue cohosh (Caulophyllum thalictroides), which has different properties, treatment uses, and side effects than black cohosh. Black cohosh is sometimes used with blue cohosh to stimulate labor, but this therapy has caused adverse effects in newborns, which appear to be due to blue cohosh.

Tell your health care providers about any complementary and alternative practices you use. Give them a full picture of what you do to manage your health. This will help ensure coordinated and safe care.

Sources

Mahady GB, Low Dog T, Barrett ML, et al. United States Pharmacopeia review of the black cohosh case reports of hepatotoxicity.

Newton KM, Reed SD, LaCroix AZ, et al. Treatment of vasomotor symptoms of menopause with black cohosh, multibotanicals, soy, hormone therapy, or placebo: a randomized trial. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2006;145(12):869–879.

Office of Dietary Supplements and National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Questions and Answers About Black Cohosh and the Symptoms of Menopause. Office of Dietary Supplements Web site. Accessed on July 2, 2007.

National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine and Office of Dietary Supplements. Workshop on the Safety of Black Cohosh in Clinical Studies. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine Web site. Accessed on July 2, 2007.

Natural Standard Database. Black cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa [L.] Nutt.). Natural Standard Database Web site. Accessed June 28, 2007.

Black cohosh root. In: Blumenthal M, Goldberg A, Brinckman J, eds. Herbal Medicine: Expanded Commission E Monographs. Newton, MA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2000:22–26.

What is really happening with the environmental talks?

Asian Ginseng

Asian Ginseng plant or part of a plant used for its flavor, scent, or potential therapeutic properties. Includes flowers, leaves, bark, fruit, seeds, stems, and roots. Asian ginseng—common names, uses, potential side effects, and resources for more information. Asian ginseng is native to China and Korea and has been used in various systems of medicine for many centuries. Asian ginseng is one of several types of true ginseng (another is American ginseng, Panax quinquefolius). An herb called Siberian ginseng or eleuthero (Eleutherococcus senticosus) is not a true ginseng.

Common Names—Asian ginseng, ginseng, Chinese ginseng, Korean ginseng, Asiatic ginseng

Latin Name—Panax ginseng

What Ginseng Is Used For

Treatment claims for Asian ginseng are numerous and include the use of the herb to support overall health and boost the immune system. Traditional and modern uses of ginseng include:

Improving the health of people recovering from illness

Increasing a sense of well-being and stamina, and improving both mental and physical performance

Treating erectile dysfunction, hepatitis C, and symptoms related to menopause

Lowering blood glucose and controlling blood pressure

How Ginseng Is Used

The root of Asian ginseng contains active chemical components called ginsenosides (or panaxosides) that are thought to be responsible for the herb's medicinal properties. The root is dried and used to make tablets or capsules, extracts, and teas, as well as creams or other preparations for external use.

What the Science Says

Some studies have shown that Asian ginseng may lower blood glucose. Other studies indicate possible beneficial effects on immune function.

To date, research results on Asian ginseng are not conclusive enough to prove health claims associated with the herb. Only a handful of large clinical trials on Asian ginseng have been conducted. Most studies have been small or have had flaws in design and reporting. Some claims for health benefits have been based only on studies conducted in animals.

NCCAM supports studies to better understand the use of Asian ginseng. Areas of recent NCCAM-funded research include Asian ginseng's interactions with other herbs and drugs and the herb's potential to treat chronic lung infection, impaired glucose tolerance, and Alzheimer's disease.

Side Effects and Cautions

When taken by mouth, ginseng is usually well tolerated. Some sources suggest that its use be limited to 3 months because of concerns about the development of side effects.

The most common side effects are headaches and sleep and gastrointestinal problems.
Asian ginseng can cause allergic reactions.

There have been reports of breast tenderness, menstrual irregularities, and high blood pressure associated with Asian ginseng products, but these products' components were not analyzed, so effects may have been due to another herb or drug in the product.

Asian ginseng may lower levels of blood sugar; this effect may be seen more in people with diabetes.

Therefore, people with diabetes should use extra caution with Asian ginseng, especially if they are using medicines to lower blood sugar or taking other herbs, such as bitter melon and fenugreek, that are also thought to lower blood sugar.

Tell your health care providers about any complementary and alternative practices you use. Give them a full picture of what you do to manage your health. This will help ensure coordinated and safe care.

Sources

Ginseng, Asian (Panax ginseng). In: Coates P, Blackman M, Cragg G, et al., eds. Encyclopedia of Dietary Supplements. New York, NY: Marcel Dekker; 2005:265–277.

Ginseng, Panax. Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database Web site. Accessed on July 2, 2007.

Ginseng. Natural Standard Database Web site. Accessed on June 28, 2007.

Ginseng root. In: Blumenthal M, Goldberg A, Brinckman J, eds. Herbal Medicine: Expanded Commission E Monographs. Newton, MA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2000:170–177.

Oak Bark

The young bark is carefully pared from the trunk or from branches which are not more than 4 inches thick.)

It has been claimed that Oak bark is astringent, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic.

Oak Bark may be used wherever an effective astringent is called for, e.g. diarrhea, dysentery or hemorrhoids. Because of its high percentage of astringent tannins it might be too strong in some situations. As a gargle, the decoction can be used for tonsillitis, pharyngitis and laryngitis. Used as an enema for the treatment of hemorrhoids and as a douche for leucorrhoea. Primarily indicated for use in acute diarrhea, taken in frequent small doses.

It is often given with Ginger before meals.

Decoction: Put 1 teaspoonful of the bark in a cup of water, bring to the boil and simmer gently for 10-15 minutes. This can be drunk three times a day.

Please consult your physician before starting on any herb.

Moisture levels in acorns before storage are critical. Two years after being dried before storage, water oak (Quercus nigra) acorns had 17% to 25% germination, while cherrybark oak (Q. pagoda) acorns were dead. Acorns stored fully hydrated faired far better after 2 years in storage, with germination ranging from 48% to 53% in water oak acorns, and from 67% to 76% in cherrybark oak acorns. Survival of acorns in the field was also dependent on moisture. The moderating effects of high relative humidity and rainfall throughout the collection period of the second experiment led to higher viability of white oak acorns left in the field for up to 15 days. We also observed a higher sucrose concentration in desiccating white oak acorns. While this increase may serve to initially protect cellular membranes in the acorn tissues, the mechanism is obviously not successful in preserving viability, which dropped rapidly after day 5 of the experiment.

Fire has played a prominent role in the history of oak in eastern North America, and it is useful today for promoting oak regeneration where competition with other woody vegetation is a problem and for managing savannas and woodlands. We spent the last century extinguishing wildfire from forests for good reason, but now we must spend some time relearning how to use fire as a tool for sustaining oak-dominated ecosystems. The use of fire to favor oak in forested settings where timber production is a goal is very different from its role in managing savannas and woodlands. Fire as a tool originated in wildlife management and then found application in savanna and woodland restoration. In the past 30 years, there has been increased emphasis on fire in silviculture research and forest management. This paper discusses the use of fire in the context of oak ecology and silviculture with emphasis on promoting oak regeneration and dominance. Highlights include: (1) fire interactions with acorns and oak seedlings, and advance reproduction; (2) fire-induced changes in stand structure and understory and implications for oak regeneration; (3) fire as part of the regeneration prescription; and (4) the role of fire in the process of oak recruitment into the overstory.


Research on oak (Quercus L.) regeneration has generally consisted of smallscale studies of treatments designed to favor oak, including consideration of site quality and topographic effects on oak regeneration. However, these experiments have not consistently factored in broader-scale ecological differences found in the eastern United States. Oak regeneration experiments should be replicated at appropriate ecological scales to address the similarities and differences in regeneration following prescribed silvicultural treatments among ecological units. Patterns in oak regeneration can be better understood in an ecological context by considering how oak species interact in the differing physical environments and are able to maintain dominance in changing complexes of competing vegetation among the selected eco-units. Our understanding of oak regeneration response to specific silvicultural practices and our ability to model regeneration is improved when we use replication, blocking, or factorial deployment of relatively small-scale treatment plots within an ecological classification system.

Bilberry

Bilberry is a relative of the blueberry, and its fruit is commonly used to make pies and jams. It has been used for nearly 1,000 years in traditional European medicine. Bilberry grows in North America, Europe, and northern Asia.

Common Names—bilberry, European blueberry, whortleberry, huckleberry

Latin Names—Vaccinium myrtillus

What Bilberry Is Used For

Historically, bilberry fruit was used to treat diarrhea, scurvy, and other conditions.
Today, the fruit is used to treat diarrhea, menstrual cramps, eye problems, varicose veins, venous insufficiency (a condition in which the veins do not efficiently return blood from the legs to the heart), and other circulatory problems.
Bilberry leaf is used for entirely different conditions, including diabetes.

How Bilberry Is Used

The fruit of the bilberry plant can be eaten or made into extracts. Similarly, the leaves of the bilberry plant can be made into extracts or used to make teas.

What the Science Says

Some claim that bilberry fruit improves night vision, but clinical studies have not shown this to be true.

There is not enough scientific evidence to support the use of bilberry fruit or leaf for any health conditions.

Side Effects and Cautions

Bilberry fruit is considered safe. However, high doses of bilberry leaf or leaf extract are considered unsafe due to possible toxic side effects.
Tell your health care providers about any complementary and alternative practices you use. Give them a full picture of what you do to manage your health. This will help ensure coordinated and safe care.

Hops

Echinacea

Echinacea Not Effective in Treating Children's Colds: Study Results

NCCAM-funded researchers at the University of Washington and Bastyr University have found that echinacea (Echinacea purpurea), an herb often used to treat colds (upper respiratory infections), is not effective in young children. The researchers reported that use of echinacea from the onset of symptoms did not lessen the number of days the colds lasted or the severity of symptoms.

The study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, enrolled 524 children aged 2 to 11. The children were randomly assigned to receive either echinacea or a placebo at the onset of cold symptoms and twice a day for as long as the cold lasted, up to a maximum of 10 days. The echinacea preparation was a dried-pressed juice of the herb that had been used previously in a number of encouraging preliminary studies in Europe. Participants were enrolled for 4-month intervals and received treatment for up to three colds during that period. Data were analyzed for 707 colds (337 treated with echinacea and 370 treated with placebo) experienced by 407 children.

Overall, the researchers found that between those receiving echinacea and those receiving placebo at the onset of symptoms there was:

No difference in the duration of upper respiratory infection symptoms

No difference in the overall severity of symptoms

No difference in the number of days of fever

No difference in parents' assessment of severity of infection

No overall difference in side effects (adverse events); however, children taking Echinacea were more likely to develop rashes than those taking placebo.

The researchers concluded that the "results do not support the use of Echinacea for treatment of upper respiratory infections in children 2 to 11 years old." In addition, the researchers recommend more studies to look at other Echinacea preparations or different doses or dosing schedules to determine if there is any possible role for Echinacea in treating colds in children. They also suggest further research to determine whether Echinacea has any role in preventing colds.
Echinacea species are flowering herbs native to North America. Echinacea is often used by consumers for the treatment and prevention of upper respiratory infections. It is one of the most commonly used herbs in the United States.

Benifits of Juniper