Exploring herbal medicine with the Medicine Man

Fourth-year medical students from across the country were in South Texas recently as part of the South Texas Environmental Education and Research (STEER) program, a month long environmental elective sponsored by the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. Learning about native medicinal plants with Tony Ramirez, the Medicine Man, pictured at right, are Nakia Gray, Southwestern Medical School, Mark Sundy, Texas Tech School of Nursing, Bonnie Trotter, Baylor College of Medicine, Marnie Rosenthal, University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine, and Betsy Pearson, Washington School of Medicine. Ramirez teaches the herbal medicine segment of STEER, which is under the direction of Dr. Claudia Miller. Local program coordinators are Joan Engelhardt and Roger Perales.

This will be the fourth article in a series dealing with cancer and the potential benefits of certain plants as they relate to preventing and fighting the dreaded disease. As with all previous articles, the objective of this one will also be informational, and not intended to take the place of conventional care. Furthermore, I do not claim to be a doctor, so my focus is on the benefits of medicinal plants, and not so much on the details of the disease.

According to the American Institute for Cancer Research, this year approximately 1,228,600 Americans will develop cancer. Every 56 seconds someone dies of cancer in America, and this year an estimated 564,800 Americans will die of the disease. Cancers are so prevalent, that most everyone knows someone who has battled the disease, or perhaps has confronted it himself or herself.

Just as not all cancers respond to all chemotherapeutic drugs, not all medicinal plants are compatible with all types of cancers. For example, an herb that may be beneficial to help fight infection by stimulating the immune system to produce more white blood cells may not be wise to take to fight leukemia. This is because in leukemia, one has an overproduction of or defective white blood cells, or leukocytes. Leukemias also vary in type, depending on how quickly they progress and what type of white blood cell they affect. Generally speaking, there are four major types of leukemia. Acute leukemias progress quickly; chronic leukemias progress slowly. Lymphocytic leukemias affect lymphocytes, while myeloid (myelocytic) leukemias affect myelocytes. The cause for most leukemias is not known, but we do know that exposure to radiation and certain chemicals, such as benzene, or even the use of certain anticancer drugs may increase the risk of developing leukemia. There is also a possible link between children with leukemia and their consumption of hot dogs.

Let us now look at some of the plants that contain compounds with anti-leukemic activity. A commonly grown ornamental plant, the Madagascar periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus), or as it is known around here, teresitas, contains six anti-leukemic chemicals. In fact, vincrastine and vinblastine, two well-known cancer-fighting medicines, are derived from it. Teresitas are, however, much too potent and toxic to be used as an herbal remedy, so I do not recommend using them in their natural form. Common oregano (Origanum vulgare), the kitchen spice, also has six beneficial compounds that fight leukemia. It would be wise to use oregano in cooking on a regular basis for this and other benefits that it has. Black or green tea (Camellia sinensis) has many beneficial compounds, including five that are anti-leukemic. I guess I don’t have to encourage us to drink more tea at mealtime. Aside from all of the commonly known nutritional benefits that grapefruit (Citrus paradisi) offers, it also has five anti-leukemic compounds as well. Ginkgo leaf extract (Ginkgo biloba) is not only good for improving memory and circulation, but it also contains five anti-leukemic compounds. Common licorice (Glyrcyrriza glabra), German chamomile (Matricaria recutita), spearmint (Mentha spicata), thyme (Thymus vulgaris), and Bilberry leaf (Vaccinium myrtillus) all have five anti-leukemic compounds each. Milenrama or milfoil (Achillea millefolium), onions (Allium cepa), garlic (Allium sativum var. sativum), and blessed thistle (Cnicus benedictus) each have four anti-leukemic compounds.

Prevention is always the best medicine. The previous three articles dealt with cancer and various plants with potential benefits, and practical tips for daily protection and defense. If you have the last issues, you might want to clip them together for future reference [or see the Medicine Man archives at www.laredosnew.com]. Since studies indicate that 35% of all cancers are related to diet, here are a few more basic guidelines to help defend and protect us from the risk of cancer. Try to make your diet mostly plant-based. By this I mean to serve generous portions of vegetables, fruits, and grains. Add ripe peaches, bananas, and/or berries to your whole grain cereal. Add a variety of vegetables to your salads such as leaf lettuce, red cabbage, ripe tomatoes, shredded carrots, chickpeas or kidney beans, diced ripe red or yellow bell peppers, and broccoli florets to create flavor, texture, and health. Try new and different fruits and vegetables. Substitute whole-wheat or multi-grain flour for refined flour in your recipes. Decrease the portion sizes of meat and poultry, and increase the vegetable portions. Cut down on fat by removing skin from poultry, using less fat (use canola or olive oil) in cooking, and try low-fat or non-fat dairy products. Experiment with herbs and spices such as rosemary, oregano, basil, turmeric, chives, and different types of chiles for added flavor and health benefits. Don’t cook out on the grill too often, and don’t eat charred foods.

Try to maintain a healthy body weight and keep fit by getting some amount of exercise on a regular basis. This can be from walking, cycling, dancing, hiking, swimming, gardening, or any physical activity that you may be up to doing or suits you.

That will do it for this month. As always, consult with your physician before using any herbal remedies. I can be reached via e-mail at glorioso@netscorp.net for questions or comments on this column.