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Cinnamon is also known by the names Sweet Wood and Gui Zhi. The parts of this plant used medicinally are the dried inner bark of the shoots, and the oil distilled from the bark and leaves. Cinnamon is an ancient herbal medicine mentioned in Chinese texts as long ago as four thousand years ago. Cinnamon was used in ancient Egypt for embalming. In ancient times, it was added to food to prevent spoiling. During the Bubonic Plague, sponges were soaked in cinnamon and cloves and placed in sick rooms. Cinnamon was the most sought after spice during explorations of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. It has also been burned as an incense. The smell of Cinnamon is pleasant, stimulates the senses, yet calms the nerves. Its smell is reputed to attract customers to a place of business. Most Americans consider Cinnamon a simple flavoring, but in traditional Chinese medicine, it's one of the oldest remedies, prescribed for everything from diarrhea and chills to influenza and parasitic worms. Cinnamon comes from the bark of a small Southeast Asian evergreen tree, and is available as an oil, extract, or dried powder. It's closely related to Cassia and contains many of the same components, but the bark and oils from Cinnamon have a better flavor. Cinnamon has a broad range of historical uses in different cultures, including the treatment of diarrhea, rheumatism, and certain menstrual disorders. Traditionally, the bark was believed best for the torso, the twigs for the fingers and toes. Research has highlighted hypoglycemic properties, useful in diabetes. Cinnamon brandy is made by soaking crushed Cinnamon bark a "fortnight" (two weeks) in brandy. Chinese herbalists tell of older people, in their seventies and eighties, developing a cough accompanied by frequent spitting of whitish phlegm. A helpful remedy, they suggest, is chewing and swallowing a very small pinch of powdered cinnamon. This remedy can also help people with cold feet and hands, especially at night. Germany's Commission E approves Cinnamon for appetite loss and indigestion. The primary chemical constituents of this herb include cinnamaldehyde, gum, tannin, mannitol, coumarins, and essential oils (aldehydes, eugenol, pinene). Cinnamon is predominantly used as a carminative addition to herbal prescriptions. |
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Banaba, also known as Crepe Myrtle, Queen's Flower and Pride of India, is a medicinal plant that grows in India, Southeast Asia and the Philippines. Banaba Leaf extract contains a compound known as corosolic acid, which can safely lower blood sugar levels. By keeping blood sugar and insulin levels in check, Banaba helps you control food cravings. This makes it useful for anyone who wants to lose weight. Banaba is a plant that grows in India, Southeast Asia and the Philippines. Traditional uses include brewing tea from the leaves as a treatment for diabetes and elevated blood sugar. Banaba Leaf extract contains a triterpenoid compound known as corosolic acid, which has actions in stimulating glucose transport into cells. Studies show that corosolic acid can safely lower blood glucose levels. In diabetic mice, rats and rabbits, Banaba feeding reduces elevated blood sugar and insulin levels to normal. In humans with Type 2 diabetes, Banaba extract, taken for four to eight weeks, has been shown to be effective in reducing blood sugar levels (five percent to thirty percent reduction) and maintaining tighter control of blood sugar fluctuations. In one study, subjects who took the supplement over a twenty-two-week period had a thirty percent drop in blood sugar levels. They also averaged a weight loss of 3.2 pounds per month without changing their diet. For some people, fluctuations in blood sugar and insulin are related to appetite, hunger and various food cravings - particularly craving for carbohydrates such as bread and sweets. By keeping blood sugar and insulin levels in check, Banaba helps people to lose weight safely and quickly. At suggested doses, no adverse side effects are expected from Banaba. Higher doses should be avoided, however, to prevent dizziness or fatigue, which can happen with extremely low blood sugar levels. Blood sugar control is enhanced with small amounts of Banaba taken one-to-three times daily. Most users report a reduction in food cravings, especially for high-carbohydrate foods like bread, cereal, pizza and cookies. A small loss of weight (three-four pounds per month) is not uncommon, due to the lower blood sugar and insulin levels. Some weight-loss experts believe that Banaba extract is more effective when combined with other ingredients such as Kola Nut (caffeine) and Green Tea.
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