FEVERFEW
The feverfew herb has been used as an herbal remedy since the time of Dioscorides-78 A.D. The herbal remedies made from feverfew were used to treat problems such as headache, the development of menstrual irregularities in women, disorders such as stomachache, and all types of fevers in particular. The common name of the herb itself is a simple corruption of the name in Latin- febrifugia or the fever reducer. Botanist are still agreed about what proper scientific name to give to this strongly aromatic and perennial herb. Feverfew belong to the plant family Asteraceae, the disagreement among botanists about naming the plant has been existing for a long time now. Feverfew was in fact, placed into five different genera at different times. At the present time, the herb is known by the botanical name Tanacetum parthenium (L.), and this Latin name is the scientific designation which is currently and widely accepted within the United States by the botanical community. The use of the herb as an alternative remedy began in the 1970s, the herb was first tried out by individuals who did not obtain any relief from the painful symptoms induced by migraine and arthritis through conventional medications - these individuals began to popularize this herb as an alternative remedy in the treatment of these conditions. The pain and frequency of migraine attacks was found to decrease when the person consumed only two or three fresh leaves of the herb, every day for prolonged periods of time. Tests done on the freeze-dried and powdered leaves have shown similar results. Through various studies conducted on the plant, the principal active compound in the herb was identified at first as the chemical parthenolide, which is a form of chemical called a sesquiterpene lactone. The spasmolytic action of several of the sesquiterpene lactones has been identified and verified in various clinical tests. This means that the compounds tend to make the smooth muscles along the walls of the cerebral blood vessels less reactive to the presence of certain compounds that are common inside the body and thus they tend to have a pronounced influence over the actions of these compounds by limiting their role. The hormones such as norepinephrine, the pain compound known as prostaglandins, and the hormone serotonin are examples of these endogenous substances. The action of the active compound in the herb, and its anti-migraine effect within the body, may be in a manner which is similar to that of the compound methysergide, which is an identified serotonin antagonist in the human body. The ancient Greek physicians used herbal remedies made from feverfew in the treatment of "melancholy," the term may have included disorders such as persistent headaches as well as long term depression. Seventeenth century doctors in England used the remedy for the treatment of disorders and problems such as vertigo, disorders such as depression, and persistent headaches, they may have also prescribed its use for the treatment of fevers, to bring the temperature down. The use of the herb in the medical community faded after the seventeenth century, and most herbalists never used the herbal remedy during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. As feverfew had a reputation for repelling insects, it was, however, often planted in well laid out gardens, this cultivation may also have been for the aesthetic value endowed by its many small daisy like flowers. The herb was also sometimes used in the form of an herbal balm which could be applied in order to ease the itching in the skin due to insect bites. The plant escaped from cultivated areas in many places and feverfew now grows as a wildflower in large areas throughout much of the northeastern United States. The regular use of the herb as an herbal remedy has revived only in recent decades, but its use in herbal medicine is primarily as a preventive measure against the symptoms and pain of migraine headaches in affected patients. While all the parts of the herb are used in herbal medicine, the preferred parts are dried leaves and stems, which are often picked when the plant is still in full bloom - from July to October. Several physiological changes in the human body induced by feverfew herb has measured and observed. For example, the herbal extracts of the upper parts of the plant is known to be capable of reducing the production of the chemicals known as prostaglandin in the body, this chemical is important in inflammation reaction of the human body. The reduction in the production of this chemical in the body was up to 88 percent from normal. This distinct property of the herb and its other well known anti-inflammatory activities may help explain the reason feverfew has been successfully used in the treatment of disorders such as psoriasis in many patients. However, the use of the herbal remedy, in a clinical trial for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis showed no observable benefits over the actions of a placebo. The ability of feverfew have also been measured in other laboratory settings, and extracts of feverfew can keep blood platelets from sticking together and clotting inside the test tube, from such studies, it can be seen that feverfew herb may prove useful as a mild herbal anticoagulant compound. The herbal extract manages this process via a different chemical pathway, which is not similar to the action of aspirin or other salicylates that also induce this action. The release of the hormone serotonin by the platelets is blocked by the compounds present in feverfew herb, this property of the herbal extract can be one explanation about mode of action in preventing the occurrence of migraines. The release of histamine from mast cells is also prevented by extracts of feverfew herb, for this reason, it has been speculated that the herbal remedies made from feverfew may prove useful in the treatment of all kinds of allergies and allergic reactions in the body of affected patients. While lacking in evidence from modern clinical studies, it is also believed to be able to bring about a lowering in fevers - no current studies substantiate this traditional claim. The herbal remedies made from feverfew herb have a stimulant effect on the uterus - the remedy is also capable of inducing relaxation in the uterine tissues. The herbal remedies made from feverfew can be used to induce flows in patients suffering from delayed or suppressed menstrual periods, at the same time, the herb is also useful in relieving the painful sensations associated with the menstrual periods and it also reduces the physical symptoms associated with PMS, including persistent headaches, irritability and muscular tension. Hot flashes in women have been traditionally treated using feverfew herb and the remedy has also been used in the treatment of all other symptoms related to the period of menopause in women. Feverfew ensures equalization in the circulation of blood if it is taken during the period of childbirth by women, and the herb makes the pains and the muscular contractions come much more regularly. At the same time the contractions become firmer if the process of labor during the birth is slow in starting. Herbal remedies made from feverfew herb also help in relieving the tension present in a rigid cervix which can affect some women. The use of feverfew herb has gained recent fame, as an effective and excellent herbal remedy for the treatment of all kinds of headaches and chronic migraines. The benefits of taking feverfew herb was studied during clinical trials, where at least 70 per cent of the patients suffering from intractable migraines spoke of improvements when they took doses of feverfew herb, at the same time 33 per cent of them reported the cessation of further attacks following the treatment. There are many ways to supplement the herb in the diet, and fresh leaves can be eaten every day inserted between slices of bread - it is best not to eat them alone, as they are known to cause mouth ulcers in some individuals. The bitter taste of feverfew may also put off some people, but the herbal bitterness gives a beneficial push to the functioning of the liver, and results in beneficially enhancing the general appetite as well as the digestive process. The bitterness also allays and stanches the nausea and persistent vomiting affecting some people. The herb helps the body to clear away excess heat and accumulated toxins from the system and helps the body rids these substances. The symptoms related to a sluggish liver can be relieved by feverfew herb, and herbal remedies made from feverfew have also been used to relieve the pain and inflammation associated with arthritis. The herbal feverfew remedy actively relieves the lethargy, persistent irritability and headaches which accompany a sluggishly performing liver in patients. The nervous system is also benefited as feverfew acts as a tonic, it helps in relaxing the tension and aids in lifting away persistent depression while also promoting sleep at the same time. Nerve pain in the body has also been effectively relieved using the herbal remedies made from feverfew; these include pains associated with trigeminal nerve neuralgia and disorders such as sciatica in the lower limbs. Feverfew herb can be prepared in the form of a hot herbal infusion, which will increase the rate of perspiration in the body and reduce fevers in patients. The decongestant action of feverfew herb is another beneficial property of this plant, it helps the body clear away accumulated phlegm, it relieves chronic catarrh and symptoms associated with disorders such as sinusitis in patients. The herbal feverfew remedies have also been used to treat disorders such as asthma, allergic reactions such as the hay fever, in the treatment of spells of dizziness and to treat ear problems such as tinnitus.
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