Alternative Medicine

Alternative medicines provide many an interested consumer an opportunity to get to know their bodies better and in depth. Since many of them are based on herbs, the few that also rely on the supplementation of amino acids will offer consumer information that is interesting but at the same time leads to a bit of confusion. After all, it has become part and parcel of the general understanding that amino acids are good, but exactly what they do – and how – is still shrouded in mystery for many.

It is no difference with arginine, an ingredient in many a nutritional supplement and now also a premier ingredient of holistic medicines that is touted as being absolutely essential, but which at the same time is also sometimes maligned as going hand in hand with causing systemic disturbances. Who is right? Is arginine a safe ingredient for holistic medicine or should you stay away from any substance that shows it on its label?

Is it Safe?

Niacin, known also as vitamin B3 or nicotinic acid, has long been seen as one of the best weapons in cholesterol management. It is cheap and effective. It is able to lower levels of fatty acids, triglycerides, and to a lesser extent, LDL- the "bad" cholesterol. At the same time it can impressively raise HDL levels (the "good" cholesterol). There's just this one drawback. Nobody likes taking niacin because for most people, it causes alarming and embarrassing flushing, an intense rush of blood to the face and other skin surfaces along with itching, prickling sensations.

University of Michigan researchers led by Dr. Ayyalusamy Ramamoorthy, Associate Professor of Chemistry, have discovered that curcumin, the main active ingredient in turmeric, acts as a disciplinarian, introducing itself into cell membranes and making them more orderly, this improving cells' resistance to infection and malignancy, according to findings published March 3 in the online Journal of the American Chemical Society.

Alternative medicine has become more and more popular over the last few decades. Why do you suppose that is? What is the attraction of alternative medicine to consumers? Do you suppose it is because they have encountered failure on the part of conventional medicine to heal what ails them?

Is it because alternative medicine methods involve no drugs or surgery and so many people are becoming disillusioned with drugs and the many harmful side effects and they refuse to think that cutting into their body is the only way to feel better? What other reasons are there for the popularity of alternative medicine methods and therapies?

The science of thermography has been around for a while, but it is finally making its triumphant entry into the world of alternative medicine. It is the art and science that allows a skillful practitioner to capture with a camera where there are damaged tendons, ligaments, pulled muscles and even inflamed nerves. These show up in a high color scan and allow alternative healers to keep a good eye on new injuries but also on healing problems. Athletes in particular greatly benefit from this application in more ways than one.