Nix Arthritis Aches NATURALLY

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Dr. Duke's Arthritis Broth

To make this broth, begin with a couple of cups of water and add red pepper, burdock, black pepper, celery seed, dandelion, garlic, ginger, horseradish, juniper, lemongrass, oregano, parsley, sarsaparilla, thyme, turmeric, valerian, watercress, white mustard and willow bark. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for a few minutes.

I confess I have never made this broth in its entirety. I just opportunistically seize any of these ingredients that are near at hand. If you press me for a recipe, I'd say use four dashes each of burdock, dandelion, parsley, turmeric and watercress; two dashes of celery seed, garlic, ginger and oregano; and one dash each of the others, as available. If this is too spicy for you, alter the recipe to suit your taste.

MultimintAntioxidant Arthritis Tea

Rosemary and oregano are both antioxidant mints. Add several more antioxidant herbs to these two, and you get my Multimint Antioxidant Tea.The mints are basil, bee balm, horehound, hyssop, lemon balm (also known as melissa), marjoram, oregano, peppermint, rosemary, sage, savory, spearmint and thyme. It makes sense to top it off with a dash of ginger and turmeric. Many of these mints are loaded with not one but several COX-2-inhibitors. Oregano has more COX 2-inhibiting rosmarinic acid than rosemary itself.

I checked my database to see if, in addition to their antioxidant value, any of these herbs contain proven anti-arthritis compounds. Sure enough, basil had five, while marjoram, oregano and rosemary weighed in with a few each. How much of each herb should you use to make this tea? My teas are never the same; I use a little of this and a little of that. To satisfy people who need recipes, I'll say use two parts of the ingredients you like and one part of those you find less appealing. Pour boiling water over the herbs and let them steep for 10 to 20 minutes before drinking.

Oregano (Origanum vulgare). Studies are accumulating that the pizza herb, oregano, is a powerful antioxidant. Like other antioxidants contained in fruits and vegetables, the compounds in oregano may help prevent the cell damage caused by free radicals - highly unstable oxygen molecules that steal elec trons from other molecules they encounter. Free radical reactions are probably involved in inflammation, degenerative arthritis and the aging process in general. And evidence is accumulating that an tioxidants may help relieve osteo- and rheumatoid arthritis.

In a test of nearly 100 plants in the mint family, of which oregano is a member, the pizza herb was the one that had the greatest total antioxidant activity. Research has shown the antioxidant activity of oregano and other medicinal mints is due in large part to rosmarinic acid, a compound with antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antiviral properties. Considering how highly it ranks for this kind of protection, oregano is definitely worth adding to your pizza, or any other food, if you have arthritis. You could also try my Multimint Antioxidant Arthritis Tea (see recipe above ).

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