Herbs & Alternative Medicine

Tongue cancer begins with the formation of squamous cells on the tongue. This in turn leads to tumor growth, and from there the cancer can spread to other areas of the mouth. Some lifestyle...

Black salve, or drawing salve, is a topical herbal past used primarily to treat skin cancer, skin infections and moles. The original black salve had bloodroot (Sanguinaria Canadensis) and crushed...

Ganoderma Lucidum is a type of herb that has been used in Asian countries for hundreds of years. This herb is revered for its many medicinal uses. Western doctors are now taking note of this...

Also known as part of complementary and alternative medicine, herbal medicine is not usually standard medical care. When it comes to treating cancer, people are often willing to try a multitude of...

As cancer rates continue to increase and confidence in the adequacy and overall safety of traditional medical treatments is eroding in some quarters, many people are choosing to prevent or treat...

Mangosteen, also known as xango or Garcinia mangostana, is a tropical fruit native to southeast Asia. Mangosteen is available as a juice or a capsule and is used by alternative medical...

Prostate specific antigen or PSA is a protein produced by the prostate gland. A PSA reading is the result of a blood test intended to detect levels of PSA in the blood. Although a higher level of...

Garlic has long been known to provide a variety of health benefits. While the effectiveness of taking garlic in tablet form is unproven, there are a wide range of potential benefits.

Prostate cancer is one of the most common kinds of cancer in men, impacting about one in six men in the United States, according to the Mayo Clinic. Each year, about 185,000 men are diagnosed with...

Esophageal cancer begins in the esophagus, which is the digestive track tube that transports food to your stomach. There are two primary forms of esophagus cancer: Adenocarcinoma, which begins in...

Almonds are a type of nut that grows on trees, which were originally cultivated from the Middle East. Oil derived from almonds is used in cooking as well as in herbal medicine to treat a number of...

Essiac is a mixture of herbs common to the wilderness surrounding Ontario, Canada. Created by Rene Caisse, it's been known in the alternative medicine community to be a viable treatment for many...

Also known as reishi, Japanese lingzhi is a type of fungus native to Asia. Japanese lingzhi is often used as medicine by herbalists and is available in a number of weight-loss supplements.

Many people are using herbal supplements as alternatives to drugs. Information Resources Inc., a market research firm based in Chicago, concluded that herbal supplement sales in the mainstream...

Black licorice is a type of chewy candy flavored with licorice root extract. Licorice can be used as alternative or complementary treatments for a variety of conditions, although little evidence...

Essiac was originally developed as a cancer remedy in the 1920s. The traditional essiac recipe calls for four health-boosting herbs: sheep sorrel, burdock root, Turkish or Indian rhubarb root and...

Graviola, a tree that grows in the tropical regions of North and South America, has been touted as a cancer-fighting herbal remedy. A 2001 study published in the Journal of Natural Products...

Lung cancer is a destructive disease that aggressively attacks lung tissues and possibly surrounding tissues as the cancer spreads. Sufferers typically have difficulty breathing, as well as...

Also called xango, semetah and amibiasine, mangosteen is a tropical fruit tree native to southeast Asia. The fruit, juice, rind, twig and bark of the mangosteen tree are used in alternative medicine.

Chrysin is a naturally occurring polyphenol found in the passion flower and in the sticky, resinous substance that bees use to build their hives. Specifically, chrysin belongs to a class of...

Holy basil is a small shrub native to India and tropical Asia. Because of its medicinal properties, holy basil is used in Ayurveda, a system of medicine that originated in India over 5,000 years...

Pau d'arco is a large evergreen tree native to Central and South America. The inner bark of the tree is often used in herbal remedies and has been available in the United States since the 1980s....

Turmeric is a common spice in India that has become commonplace in many countries. Turmeric has several health benefits, including as a complementary treatment for some types of cancer.

The World Health Organization estimates that between 70 and 80 percent of the population in many developed countries use some form of alternative medicine, which includes herbal remedies. Some...

Allicin powder is a biological part of garlic that gives garlic its antibacterial qualities. Allicin powder helps fight many health conditions and is even an anticarcinogenic agent.

Coming from Croton tiglium, a plant that's a member of the species codiaeum, croton oil has been used for a variety of herbal purposes in the past. However, it's no longer as popular as it once was.

Essiac tea is actually a blend of four herbs. It is sold in most health food stores and often prescribed by naturopaths and herbalists. The FDA forbids any natural products and herbs from claiming...

According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), laetrile, sometimes referred to as amygdalin, is a natural compound used worldwide in the treatment of cancer. The United States-patented version...

There are a number of compounds that possess promising anti-cancer properties, and curcumin is at the top of the list, as studies have shown that it has the remarkable ability to target and help...

There may be a way to cure cancer that doesn't destroy your health or force you into bankruptcy. In 1952, Dr. Ernst Krebs, Jr. from San Francisco wanted to find the ingredient that's missing from...

No magical, mystical treatments exist that will immediately cure cancer. That being said, many substances found in nature have various anti-cancer properties. Combine certain flowering plants with...

Cancer of the tongue is frequently malignant, and it can often lead to the need a combination of chemotherapy and surgery. There are herbal treatments that may be able to aid other treatments in a...

Psyllium, or "plantago ovata" by its scientific denomination, is an annual herb that comes from India, the Middle East, Northern Africa, Spain and the Canary Islands. It is often found on the...

Squamous cell carcinoma is a cancerous skin condition characterized by the development of a red nodule on your neck, hands, arms, face or lower lip and/or the development of a red lesion that is...

While Essiac is sold online and in health food stores as an herbal dietary supplement, some alternative health practitioners regard it as a treatment and cure for cancer.

Unfortunately, the statistics on adults who will contract cancer and those who will die from it are discouraging. We do, however, have many different methods of fighting cancer. Chemotherapy,...

Rhodiola is a plant with dozens of species that grow throughout the cold mountainous temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. It has been traditionally used as an energizing and uplifting...

Black cohosh is an herb that has been used for centuries as a natural remedy for a variety of ailments in men and women but has grown to become a popular alternative treatment to counter menopause...

Rauwolfia serpentina, also known as "rauvolfia," "Indian snakeroot" and "serpentwood," is a woody evergreen sub-shrub, originally from India, Indochina, Borneo, Sri Lanka and Sumatra. Its roots,...

Colon cancer is one of the most common and lethal forms of cancer. Although many of the available mainstream medical treatments of colon cancer can be highly effective, a lot of people are...

Lymphoma is a cancer of the lymph nodes which has a direct and harmful effect on your lymphatic system; your lymphatic system includes organs and tissues that generate and store as well as carry...

Since Canadian nurse Rene Caisse began treating cancer patients in the 1930s with an herbal tea formula she called Essiac---her surname spelled backwards---supporters have touted its medicinal...

Bladder CIS, also known as carcinoma in situ, is a unique form of cancer that spreads cancerous cells all over the lining of the bladder. CIS is not easy to treat because it can be difficult for a...

Red clover flower is sweet herb containing isoflavones, fatty acids, vitamins and minerals. It is purported to prevent or treat a wide range of health conditions, from acne to cancer.

Reishi mushrooms have long been known as an extremely healthy natural foods that can offer a health-conscious person many health benefits. In fact, they are an integral part of Oriental cuisine...

Alternative medicine, such as Amazonian herbs, is increasing in popularity because of the low cost and the appeal of using items found in nature. Amazonian herbs are natural herbs found in the...

As more people try to find new ways to stay healthy and live longer, spruce tree extract has come to the attention of health-conscious consumers. Norwegian spruce trees contain a chemical called...

Graviola leaves are large, shiny, dark green leaves that grow on the evergreen Graviola tree, which can be found in the rainforests of North and South America. While scientifically classified as...

Mangosteen is a small purple fruit from southeast Asia. It's delicious taste and texture make for great smoothies or snacks. It has been claimed that mangosteen has curative properties, treating...

Liver cancer is often the end result of another liver condition like hepatitis C or the spread of cancer from somewhere else in the body. While the cancer is treatable, some doctors will recommend...