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Brief:
Hormones are catalysts which begin and end processes of digestion, emotion, thought, action. They are normally drawn upon for specific short-term tasks. Once released into the body, they are best dissipated by the action they are associated with. Too much presence for too long will produce too much wear and tear one's health apart. Chronic high levels of hormone presence indicates imbalance.
Elementary definitions:
The following definitions may assist you in understanding the influence of certain herbs-foods on the degree of activation and suppression of one's immune system, psychological defences, awareness, energy blocks, and subsequent impact on one's health and life choices.
- Alkaloids:
There are marked differences in the influences of alkaloids on animals and humans whereas they appear to be harmless to the plants in which they are found. They often occur in association with an acid. Alkaloids participate in plant metabolism and their degree of presence varies on a daily basis. They appear to have an oxygen regulating influence in plants such that they prevent damage that would arise from over-oxygenation of tissues during higher exposures to light radiation that could overextend photosynthesis and hyperactivity "burn", by reducing the oxygen overload. This would be similar to the concern over reducing free radicals in human health.
It is important to note that alkaloids may be biosynthesised from amino acids by the influence of one, some, or many enzymes. In a similar way, hormones are generated within the body.
In humans, alkaloids can acts as a stimulant on the CNS (atropine), a depressant on the nerves to the secretory glands and plain muscle (atropine), a sedative (hyoscine) to relieve spasms, carcinogen and mutagen (nicotine, colchicum), anti-tumor (indicine N-oxide), anti-inflammatories (ephedrine), circulatory-respiratory stimulant (nux-vomica), hypertension (rauwolfia), bitter tonics (many), stomach calmers (cinchona), diuretic (cocoa), pesticides and contraception (nicotine, cevadilla, neem).
Alkaloids may act like and stronger than the normally present hormones as when ephedrine, an alkaloid, augments adrenalin, a hormone. Allergies can be symptoms of endocrine (such as the liver) over-reaction, in which the sedative influence of an alkaloid (such as ephedrine) reduces the over-reaction to normal, and the symptoms of histamine defense, normally reduced with adrenaline, are quieted. Failure to understand the over-reaction as a reaction to an illusory reality created by an energy block amplification of reality can confuse one's understanding of the role of the alkaloid, and adrenaline.
Toxic doses of alkaloids can lead to constipation, intense pains, paralysis, coma, and death. A simplistic interpretation of their influence is that they tend to slow down and de-energize the nerve signals within and between the brain and the organs, glands, and other tissues. Slowed down too much, they stop or are ineffectual once a threshold of active involvement is passed.
- Hormones:
Hormones are chemically a diverse class.
Some are related to the polypeptides and proteins, while others are steroidal.
Awareness of the specificity of human hormones and number is quite recent in history with much more to be understood about them. Adrenaline became officially recognized only in 1914. Thyroxin was isolated in 1915 and synthesized in 1928. In 1921, insulin was discovered, and became official in 1932. Testosterone became officially accepted in 1948. Relatively few, compared to a current listing were known in 1990.
- Tannins:
Tannin-containing remedies will precipitate protein and have been used for the protection of inflammed tissues. They act as antidiarrhoeals and have been employed as antidotes in poisoning by heavy metals, alkaloids, and glycosides. In toxic concentrations, tannic acid can cause central necrosis (death) of the liver). Some may have anti-tumor influence while some may have anti-virus and other anti-parasitic properties.
Tannins are soluble in water, dilute alkalis, alcohol, glycerol and acetone. Solutions precipitate heavy metals (including mercury, lead, ...) alkaloids, glycosides and gelatin.
The term "tannin" was first applied to plant extracts which when combined with the protein in hides prevented their putrefaction and influenced their conversion to the leather of 'tanned' hides. Most true tannins have a molecular weight of 1000 to 5000. Many tannins are glycosides. Their properties result from the accumulation within a moderately-sized molecule of a substantial number of phenolic groups.
Tannins are of wide occurrence in plants and are usually found in greatest quantity in dead or dying cells. They exert an inhibitory effect on many enzymes due to protein precipitation, providing a protective function. They tend to have astringent characteristics. The presence of tannins in a compound are incompatible with many alkaloids, which they precipitate.
Hydrolysable tannins may be hydrolyzed by acids or enzymes such as tannase. These are common in a number of families including Myrtaceae, Hamamelidaceae, Puniceae and Rosaceae. Examples of sources include rhubarb, cloves, red rose petals, bearberry leaves, Chinese galls (wu-pei-tzu), Turkish galls, hamamelis, chestnut, and maple, pomegranate rind and bark, myrobolans, eucalyptus leaves, kousso, chestnut, oak bark, and some Australian kinos. Galls are vegetable formations produced by insects and fungi, or by the deposition of their eggs or spores, on the surface of the plant and contain 50-70% tannin.
Condensed tannins (proanthocyanidins) are related to the flavonoid pigments. On treatment with acids or enzymes, condensed tannins are converted into red insoluble compounds known as phlobaphenes. Examples of sources include the barks of cinnamon, wild cherry, cinchona, willow, acacia (wattle, mimosa), oak and hamamelis (witch hazel leaves); lime and hawthorn flowers; cocoa, guarana, kola, and areca seeds; extracts and dried juices of catechu, acacia, mangrove, East Indian kino, butea gum and eucalyptus kino. The term "kino" is applied to the dried juices of some plants.
General hormone level modifiers
The discovery of human hormones is relatively recent in human history. Relatively few were in the literature until 1990. Now, we are aware scientifically of perhaps over 100. Awareness of them and their attributes is minimal throughout the population. The less we know of ourselves, the less we can understand and manage ourselves.
Appreciate WHY you want to know something about hormones.
Do you want to know natural sources of them?
Do you want to avoid overexposure to them?
Do you want a hormone directed function enhanced?
Do you want a hormone directed function depressed?
Do you want to know how they work in your body?
Searching for anything can quickly overburden you with information that has no relevancy if you have no focus. If you have a focus, remain open to the possibility that relevant information May come from sources which seem irrelevant in the beginning. I found a book on Pregnancy to be a source of little known Contraception information.
Many spices have hormones and hormone enhancers, but not all of them.
Health is all a matter of what is needed for Your lifesystem to be at its optimum, on a day-by-day and hour-by-hour basis. The less self-aware you are, the greater the opportunity for the inclusion of destabilizing factors and sources to upset your health.
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Reference for more detail on:
Herbology from differing perspectives and practices.
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Planetary Herbology
Michael Tierra, C.A., N.D.
1988, 484 pages,
Can $ ??? [Chapters-Indigo],
US $16.95, or "try used" [Amazon],
Lotus Press, P.O. Box 6265, Santa Fe, New Mexico, U.S.A. 87502-6265
Reference for more detail on:
Natural Remedies.
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The Green Pharmacy
James A. Duke, Ph.D.
1997, 617 pages,
Can $ 8.99 [Chapters-Indigo],
US $ 6.99, or "try used" [Amazon],
St. Martin's Paperbacks, 175 Fifth Ave.,, N.Y., N.Y., U.S.A. 10010
Reference for more detail on:
Herbal sources and combinations.
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Today's Herbal Health
Louise Tenney
1983, 2nd, Edition, 314 pages,
Can $ 8.99 [Chapters-Indigo],
US $ 6.99, or "try used" [Amazon],
Woodland Books, P.O. Box 1422, Provo, Utah, U.S.A.
Reference for more detail on:
Blood Types and metabolic assimilation.
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Eat Right 4 Your Type
Dr. Peter J. D'Adamo
1996, 392 pages,
Can $35.99 [Chapters-Indigo],
US $17.50, or "try used" [Amazon],
G.P. Putnam's Sons, N.Y., N.Y., U.S.A.
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Internet LINKS (online) to good resources
HerbalDave's Notebook - Herbs
http://www.naturalhealthnotebook.com/NotebookTOC.htm
Human Hormones
http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/H/Hormones.html
Links to individual hormones
http://www.ultranet.com/~jkimball/BiologyPages/H/HormoneTable.html
Primary Intestinal Tract Endocrine Hormones
http://www.swsbm.com/HOMEPAGE/HomePage.html
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