Herbal Remedies Not For Rheumatism

Most pain killers and anti-rheumatic drugs result to ulceration and liver damage for prolong use. These untoward reactions are the usual reasons more people switch to natural alternatives. There are a lot of herbs and medicinal plants for rheumatism. However, not all can be beneficial. Some can produce serious side-effects and some can even be carcinogenic.

Here are the five natural remedies that should be avoided for rheumatism.

• Alfalfa

Medicago sativa linne (Fam Leguminosae)

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Alfalfa or lucerne has a reputation for arthritic relief. It can stimulate appetite thus recommended for weight gain. More to this, its dried leaves, flowering tops and seeds have stimulating property when brewed into a tea. However, studies reveal that the alfalfa seeds can cause SLE or systemic lupus erythematosus - a chronic inflammatory connective tissue disorder that can affect joints, kidneys, mucous membranes, and blood vessel walls. If a person has already suffered from SLE, the use of alfalfa may result to recurrence of this disease.

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Is Folic Acid for Pregnant Women Only?

Some patients particularly the women complain to their doctor once they discover that they are also given folic acid for their anemic conditions. They tend to react, ‘Am I pregnant too?’

As silly as this sound, some people regard folic acid as an essential supplement for pregnant women only. Folic acid has been known to protect the fetus against neural tube defects which refers to birth abnormalities including the malformations of the spine (spina bifida), skull, and brain (anencephaly). On the contrary, folic acid is also an anti-anemic agent.

Background 

As a vitamin occurring in the leaves and foliage of spinach, the term folic acid was derived from the Latin word folium meaning leaf.  It has been previously called vitamin M and vitamin B9. Since then, folic acid has been in whey, mushrooms, liver, yeast, bone marrow, soybeans and fish food. Upon cooking however, folic acid is readily destroyed. Up to 90% of the dietary folates are lost during the cooking process. The best way to acquire folic acid from food sources is to take them raw. Fresh spinach salad and uncooked animal liver are best examples. Then again, there is always the synthetic form of folic acid.

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