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Herbal ShowcaseWith Steven Horne, Registered Herbalist (AHG)

Flexibility with Herbs and Nutritional Supplements

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Classifications of Fatty Acids

(Short Chain)Propanoic (3)

Butyric (4)

Capronic (5)

(Medium Chain)Caprylic (8)

Capric (10)

Lauric (12)

(Long Chain)Myristic (14)

Palmitic (16)

Stearic (18)

Arachidic (20)

Behenic (22)

Lignoceric (24)

Saturated

Mono-unsaturated

Unsaturated

Polyunsaturated

Myrisoleic (14:1)

Palmitoleic (16:1)

Oleic (18:1)

Vaccenic (18:1)

Gadoleic (20:1)

Gondoic (20:1)

Cetoleic (22:1)

Erucic (22:1)

Nervonic (24:1)

(Omega-6 or n6)Linoleic – LA –Omega 3 EFA (18:2)

Gamma-linolenic –GLA (18:3)

Arachidonic (20:4)

Conjugated linoleic acid –CLA (18:2)

(Omega-3 or n3)Alpha-linolenic (18:3)

Eicosapentaenoic –EPA (20:5)

Docosahexaenoic acid –DHA (22:6)

Omega-6 Fatty Acids

• Linolenic Acid (ALA)

• Gama LinolenicAcid (GLA)

• Dihomo Gama LinolenicAcid (DGLA)

• Arachidonic Acid (AA)

Evening Primrose Black Currant &

Borage Oil

Delta 5 Desaturase Inhibited by Omega3

and Glucagon. Activated by Insulin

Delta 6 Desaturase Inhibited by Aging,

Transfatty Acids and Viral Infection

ArachidonicAcid

Dihomo Gamma Linolenic Acid

(DGLA)

Gamma LinolenicAcid (GLA)

Vegetable OilsLinoleic Acid

(Omega 6)

GLA (Gamma-Linolenic Acid)

Illustration source: Wikipedia

• Formed from linolenic EFA by adding another double bond (desaturation)

• Synthesis may be inhibited by– Nutritional deficiencies– Alcohol and tobacco use– Saturated or trans fatty acids– Stress, illness, age

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GLA Sources

• Evening Primrose Oil (72-73% Omega-6, 8-10% GLA, trace Omega-3)

• Borage Oil (35-37% Omega-6, 20-24% GLA, trace Omega-3)

• Black Currant Oil (47% Omega-6, 15-18% GLA, and 13% Omega-3)

• Super GLA contains all three of the above oils

Borage flowers

Super GLAIngredients

• Evening primrose seed oil

• Black currant seed oil

• Borage seed oil

• Glycerin

• Carob fruit extract

Benefits

• Supplies GLA, an essential omega-6 fatty acid

• Dihomo-γ-linolenic acid (DGLA) is formed from GLA

• DGLA is one of three fatty acids used to make prostaglandins

• DGLA is the precursor to:– Prostaglandin PGH1, which in turn forms

PGE1 and the thromboxane TXA1– PGE1 and TXA1 are anti-inflammatory

prostaglandins– TXA1 helps induces vasodilation and

inhibit platelet aggregation

Sarsaparilla

Found In:

• BP-X

• C-X

• DHEA-M

• EnviroDetox

• Joint Support

• Menstrual-Reg

• Skin Detox, Ayurvedic

• Thyroid Activator

• X-A

• Women’s X-Action

About

• Part of the flavoring for root beer

• Traditionally used as an alterative and hormone balancer

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Ingredients

Burdock root, dandelion root, fenugreek seed, ginger rhizome, pepsin, red clover flower, yellow dock root, marshmallow root extract, sarsaparilla root extract, Bacillus coagulans, cascara sagrada bark, echinacearoot extract, milk thistle seed extract

Benefits

• Traditional alterative and liver formula

• Supports healthy liver and gallbladder function

• Aids intestinal and lymphatic systems

• Supplies friendly bacteria

• Pepsin aids protein digestion

EnviroDetox

Stress and Reproductive HormonesStress causes pregnenolone to be

shunted into the production of cortisol, thereby reducing levels of

DHEA and reproductive hormones

Cholesterol

Pregnenolone

DHEAProgesterone

Cortisol Estrogens Testosterone

STRESS

DHEA-M

Ingredients• DHEA 25mg

• Sarsaparilla root

• Damiana leaf

• Saw palmetto fruit

• Pumpkin seed

• Korean ginseng root extract

Benefits• Supplies DHEA, the precursor to testosterone

• Contains herbs traditionally used to balance male hormones

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V-X and PLS II Ingredients

V-X• Originally created as blend

for making vaginal boluses

• Contained: Squaw vine whole plant, chickweed aerial parts, goldenseal root and rhizome, marshmallow root, mullein leaf, plantain leaf, slippery elm bark, yellow dock root

• Squaw vine is found in 5-W, C-X, NF-X and FCS II w/Lobelia

PLS II• Slippery elm bark,

marshmallow root, goldenseal root and rhizome, fenugreek seed

• Could be blended with yarrow or Menstrual Regto make a vaginal bolus like V-X

Parthenium and Echinacea

Parthenium

• Has been used as a substitute of Echinacea

• Limited traditional uses, almost no historical literature

• Primary historical use was as a remedy for the urinary system

• Has some immune stimulating compounds

Echinacea

• Well researched

• Many documented traditional uses, as well as backed by modern research

Echinacea Interesting Facts

• Echinacea was widely used by native Americans

• It introduced into Western culture by H. Meyers who sold it as the original “snake oil”

• The Eclectics considered it a remedy for “bad blood” (i.e., an alterative)

• Echinacea is mildly stimulating due to the presence of alkamindes, which give it an acrid flavor

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Echinacea Compounds• Caffeic Acid Derivatives (found primarily in the flowers

of E. purpurea)– Stimulate phagocytosis – Increase leukocyte, macrophage and T-cell activity– Inhibit hyaluronidase– Increases interferon

• Lipophilic compounds– Increase phagocytosis– Enhance wound healing– Downregulate inflammatory cytokines

— Research references for the above cited in Herbal Therapy and Supplements

by Merrily A. Kuhn and David Winston

Fatigue is a Big Problem

• Fatigue is the second most common reason for a primary care medical visit, second only to pain

• The National Institute of Health states that one out of five Americans claims to suffer from fatigue severe enough to interfere with normal daily life

• Most people deal with fatigue by using caffeine, which doesn’t really give a person energy; it just blocks the signal that you’re tired

Energy Drinks: A Booming Business

• From 2008 to 2012, sales of energy drinks grew 60%, with total U.S. sales topping $12.5 billion

• According to data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2009‒2010, about 20% of Americans consume energy drinks daily

• Stimulants cause the body to discharge more energy; they do not help the body produce more energy

• Over time stimulants deplete energy reserves, resulting in greater fatigue

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Energ-V

Ingredients

• Bee pollen

• Eleuthero root

• Gotu kola aerial parts

• Licorice root

• Rose hips

• Yellow dock root

• Barley grass

• Schizandra fruit

• Kelp leaf and stem

• Capsicum fruit

Benefits

• Multi-faceted approach to increasing energy

• Contains stimulating adaptagens (schizandraand eleuthero)

• Contains herbs traditionally used to support the adrenals (gotu kola and licorice)

• Supplies iodine for the thyroid (kelp)

• Provides circulatory, thyroid, and nervous system support

Nature’s Chi

Ingredients

• Eleuthero root, cinnamon twig, peony root without bark, forsythia fruit, gardenia fruit, hoelensclerotium, ginseng root, schizonepeta flower, scuteroot, siler root, mint leaf, tang-kuei root, polygonumroot, astragalus root, licorice root

Benefits

• Stimulating adaptagens (eleuthero and ginseng)

• Helps with metabolism and energy for activity

• Invigorates blood circulation by improving the flow of internal energy, or chi.

• May help reduce the body’s desire to eat (according to Traditional Chinese Medicine).

• Stimulates the immune, glandular and circulatory systems

Helping the Nervous System• NSP has many products that aid a variety of

needs for the nervous system

• The following are some of the products that can be used in place of wood betony and blue vervain

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Passion Flower

• Traditional calming nervine

• Helpful for sleep

• Constituents– Flavonoids which may have

a sedative activity– Maltol relaxes skeletal

muscle, helps to induce sleep– Indole alkaloids have

sedative effects

St. John’s wort

• St. John’s wort and Wood Betony were the two most important plants for mental health issues in the middle ages (Matthew Wood: The Earthwise Herbal)

• They were both thought to drive away evil influences

Sunlight “Signatures”• Blooms on St. John’s day, just before the summer solstice

the longest day of the year

• Leaves have tiny perforations that allow light to pass through (Hence, genus name perforatum)

• Eating the fresh plant makes some animals photosensitive

• It has bright yellow flowers

• In short, it is a plant traditionally associated with light

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St. John’s Wortand the Nerves• Homeopathic St. John’s wort is used as

a remedy to help the nervous system; it is considered the “arnica” of the nervous system

• Research suggests that St. John’s wort may affect many neurotransmitters including serotonin, norepinephrine, dopamine, l-glutamine and GABA

[Source: PDR for Herbal Medicines, which has eight pages just listing studies done on St. John’s wort]

St. John’s WortHistorical Uses

• Historically St. John’s worthas not just been seen as a nerve remedy

• It was thought to support the solar plexus and digestive system

• It was traditionally considered a cleansing herb; Russian herbalists considered it a liver herb

• Flavor is sweet, oily, warming and drying

• Source: Matthew Wood’s Earthwise Herbal

Constituents• Hypericin and other napthodianthrones

– Increase capillary blood flow– Inhibit serotoinin, dopamine and

norephinephrine reuptake

• Phloroglucinols, such as hyperforin– Inhibit uptake of serotonin, GABA

and l-glutamine

• Also contains flavonoids, flavonolglycosides, essential oils and tannins

Research references for the above cited in Herbal Therapy and Supplementsby Merrily A. Kuhn and David Winston

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AnxiousLess

Ingredients• Thiamin 5mg

• Magnesium (citrate) 40mg

• Zinc (gluconate) 1mg

• L-Theanine

• Zembrin (Sceletiumtortuosum aerial parts extract)

Benefits• Helps ease occasional anxiousness

without drowsiness

• Promotes a feeling of confidence and security

• Facilitates positive mood while helping reduce fatigue

• Offers safe, non-habit forming relief

IF Relief

Ingredients• Andrographis whole

plant extract

• Boswellia gum extract

• Mangosteen pericarp extract

• Turmeric root extract

• White willow bark extract

Benefits• Mangosteen – Xanthones

• Turmeric – Curcumin

• Willow bark – Salycilates

• Bowsellia – Boswellic Acids

• Andrographis - Andrographolides

Discontinued Herb: Blue Cohosh• Blue cohosh is on the

endangered species list for United Plant savers

• It is difficult to source

• There are safety concerns during pregnancy

• Let’s look at some alternatives

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5-W

Ingredients• Black cohosh root

• Squawvine whole plant

• Dong quai root

• Butcher’s broom root

• Red raspberry leaf

Benefits• Traditional formula for the last five weeks

of pregnancy

• May help tone and strengthen the uterus.

• Helps with glandular and circulatory systems

MasterGland

Ingredients

• Vitamins A (beta carotene) 900IU, C (ascorbic acid) 60mg E (d-alpha tocopherol) 14IU, pantothenic acid 24mg, zinc (gluconate) 6mg, manganese (amino acid chelate) 1mg, potassium (citrate) 20mg, soy lecithin 25mg, licorice root, alfalfa aerial parts, asparagus stem extract, black walnut hulls, parsley leaf, parthenium aerial parts and root, thyme leaf, dandelion root, dong quai root, eleuthero root, kelp leaf and stem, lemon bioflavonoid extract, schizandra fruit, marshmallow root extract, uva ursi leaf

Benefits

• Formulated with herbs traditionally used to support all major glands

• Also contains vitamins and minerals that are helpful for the glandular system

• Supports energy and glandular balance