Carthamus:
This is a year-round many-branched thistle shaped plant having yellow-red flowers. Each flower is composed of 30 to 90 clusters of similar petals. The plant reproduces from seeds and thrives best on well-drained soil, although it will tolerate permanently humid soils.
Hibiscus sabdarrifa:
This is a high growing plant which sprouts all year round. It has cylindrical reddish coloured stems each of which supports a single flower flower of 5 cm to 7 cm in diameter. According to the variety, the flowers are either red or yellow.
Only the red varieties are used due to their containing so-called anthocyane.
Uses in Ethnic Medicine:
Carthamus flowers: used in the treatment of gall disorders, skin disease, blood cleansing, blood and heart tonic, disturbances in fat metabolism, and strengthening the heart.
Hibiscus sabd. flowers: treatment of kidney stones and bladder stones. Used as an expectorant (loosening of phlegm from respiratory passages) and for the treatment of disturbances in fat metabolism.
Traditional Thai Prescriptions:
The dried petals are consumed as an infusion (tea) or powdered and dispensed in capsules.
Ingredients (Carthamus flowers):
Arabinose, arachidic acid, Calcium oxolate, ß-carotine, isocarthamidin, carthamin, carthmin-glucoside, neo-carthamin, carthmone, cellulose, daucosterol, fat, glucose, Interferon inducer, isocarthamin, kampferol-3-0-ß-Dglucosyl, rhamnoside, kampferol-3-0-ß-D-rhamnoglucoside, lauric acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, lysine, mannose, myristic acid, myristoleic acid, nonacosane, oil, oleic acid, palmitic acid, palmitoleic acid, phytol, antocyane pigments, polysaccharides, protein, resin, rhamnose, safflomin, safflor yellow A, B, safrole yellow, ß-sitosterol, starch, stearic acid, sucrose, trideca-1-cis-3- trans-3-trans- 11-triene-5,7,9,-tryine, vitamin E, wax, xylose.
Ingredients (Hibiscus sabdarrifa flowers):
Alkaloids, anthoxanthin, L-ascorbid acid, aspartic acid, chrysanthemin, citric acid, cynanidin-3-glycosyl-rutinoside, cyanidin-3-ß-D-glucoside, cyanidin-3- sambubioside, cyanin, delphinidin, delphinidin-3-0-ß-D-glucoside, detto monoglucoside, delphinidin-3-sambubioside, galactose, galacturonic acid, glycolic acid, gossypetin, gossypetin-3-ß-D-glucoside, gossypetin-7,8-glucoside, gossypin, gossypitrin, gossytrin, heterosides, hibiscetin, hibiscic acid, hibiscin, hibiscitrin, hibiscus acid, malic acid, malvin, myrtillin, oxalic acid, pectin, protocatechuic acid, quercetin, resin, sabdaretin, sabdaretrin, ß-sitosterol, tataric acid, waxes.
Pharmacognistic study and clinical trials:
Bacterial action: Effective against escheria coli, bacillus subitlis, salmonella tyhosa, klebsiella pneumoniea, streptococcus pyogenes and staphylococcus aureus.
Antimicrobiotic activities: Effective in Candida albicans (a yeast like fungus which causes candidiasis also known as moniliasis). Hibiscus sabdariffa powerfully surpresses the growth of aflatoxins and is also effective against aspergillus falvus (a fungus which causes aspergillosis).
Anti tumour action:
Carthamus has a slight cytotoxic action against Hela cells with an ED 50 of 62.0 mcg/ml whereas Hibiscus produces an effect against Ehrlich ascites carcinoma.
(The optimal effect takes place 24 hours after administration of the product).
Further studies are being carried out on its diuretic (promoting the flow of urine to remove excess body fluids) properties. This research was initiated over one year ago and over one hundred test persons are participating in the trials.
The most important application of both substances is the prevention of heart attack, coronary (CHD) - Ischemic - heart disease (IHD). [ref: myocardium ; heart muscle], apoplectic insult (stroke) and arteriosclerosis.
Following Poland, Austria disturbingly has the next highest world record for these diseases with fatalities. In spite of all warnings, no heed has been taken to reduce cholesterol levels, particularly the pathologic increase in endogenous cholesterol factors and with them the LDL (low density lipoproteins considered potentially dangerous) which are correlated with increased risk of atherosclerosis. No attention has been paid either to a more rational nutrition and the call for more physical exercise. There must therefore be some other reasons why we Austrians are in the sad position of being in the ‘heart’ of this folk malady.
Cholesterol cannot be solely responsible for this phenomenon. Taking into account that exogenous cholesterol (produced by the body) is necessary for life, that it is a detoxicant, and that it is a haemolysis preventative, the total blood cholesterol level of 200 mg/dl would be highhandedly withdrawn under the influence of the pharmaceutic industry. Scientists researching into lipids have already admitted (although these groups are heavily sponsored by the pharmaceutic industry with amounts running into millions of euros and dollars) that cholesterol alone is not the root of the evil, but that more than other independent risk factors contribute to this field of disease!
The author has had the honour of working as a quasi consultant within the circle of one of the teams of the most highly qualified diabetes and lipid scientists in Austria, and is therefore up to date with the recent knowledge which has been accrued about what is becoming a medical socio-economic problem. Plans are being formulated to routinely treat all diabetics (a high risk group) with so-called statins (lipid reducers) in total disregard for the fact that thousands of fatalities have been caused by the use of a statin produced by a large German pharmaceutical company. The product had to be withdrawn from the market. To reproduce only a few of the (financed) studies of the cholesterol folk ‘menace’ would burst the bindings of this book.
The following advice can also be taken: One should attempt to maintain a reasonable total cholesterol level of 200 to 270, but without overestimating this value.
The ‘French paradox’: It is well known that in France many foodstuffs are regularly consumed which feature on the “Lipid index”. (cheese, milk and other fatty dairy produce). In spite of this, the frequency of CHD is not above the considered norm. The explanation for this lies in the fact that in France it is culturally appropriate to consume a certain quantity of red wine. Red wine contains among other ingredients, so-called anthocyanins which are able to maintain the plaques in the endothelial tubes (capillaries) free from infection. This has been ascertained from so-called measurement of CRP (C-reactive protein).
Furthermore, the Mediterranean diet which mainly constitutes the menu in France, is composed of many vegetables and non-saturated fatty acids. It is not of course our intention to suggest that we should all become alcoholics from ‘legitimate ‘ wine consumption, and die from cirrhosis of the liver instead of heart attack!
Carthamus and Hibiscus if taken regularly in combination are able not only to reduce cholesterol, but through the action of anthocyanin together with many other ingredients, but can also perform - without any side effects - a preventative action against many life threatening diseases, namely:
Cancer, certain infections, heart attack, general coronary disorders, stroke, arteriosclerosis. The substances are a tonic for the heart, lightly diuretic and free from side effects, infection inhibiting, and are a natural contribution to the improvement of general health.
With the use of these Thai herbs in association with bioresonance and changes in nutritional habits, it is possible to entice non-insulin dependent diabetics away from the pharmacopeia as, with these plants, the Langerhans cells in the pancreas will continue to produce insulin. For this, there are also other Thai herbs which can improve this condition. |
