The Green Pharmacy

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Celery Seed: I take this common spice daily to help ward off gout and alleviate arthritis pain. With nearly two dozen anti-inflammatory compounds, it packs quite a punch. Add dried seed to soups, stews or tomato sauces, or take two 450 milligram capsules twice a day before meals.

Echinacea and Garlic: I rely on this dynamic duo (the first as a supplement, the latter fresh from the garden or produce market when I'm home, in pills on the road) to protect against colds, flu and cancer. Garlic also gets points for lowering blood pressure and reducing "bad" cholesterol.

Saw Palmetto: 1 take this herbal supplement to protect against the prostate trouble that strikes two of every three men over age 65. (German clinical trials have already shown it to be as effective and considerably safer than the leading pharmaceutical alternative.) I also take a small dose of Evening Primrose to work with my saw palmetto at reducing prostatic inflammation.

Milk Thistle : I turn to this proven detoxifier to guard against or slow down deterioration of the liver. Take the dosage recommended for standardized extracts.

I rely on Gingko supplements (standardized extract taken at la beled dosages) to protect and preserve my brain, as well as peripheral circulation. (In patients with Alzheimer's, it may even help to slow the progress of the disease.)

When stress gets the upper hand, I lower the book - and my tension level - with a strained tea of Hawaiian Kava or else I take a standardized extract of kava kava as directed. Never undervalue the ability to relax the body: stress wreaks havoc on the immune system, opening us up to a whole host of health problems.

St. John's Wort serves as an immune system- and mood-booster, particularly during the short days and long nights of winter, when, like millions of Americans, I sometimes suffer the mild blues associated with seasonal affective disorder (SAD). On those rare days, if I can't get to the tropics, I find sunshine in the standardized St. John's wort pill.

Horse Chestnut helps keep painful varicose veins from forming and helps to prevent swelling of my arthritic joints. While I don't take it daily, I probably should, in standardized extract form as recommended.

Turmeric, the zesty root in curry, works like those expensive miracle aspirins (COX-2 inhibitors) for arthritic and other inflammations, only it's much cheaper and possibly much safer. Use as a spice for cooking or take capsule-standardized curcumin (the active compound in turmeric) as directed.

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