2010 November/December Newsletter
Welcome!
It’s that time of year again — time to give thanks for everything and everyone we have in our lives. Here at the Herbal Path, we feel thankful for every person who comes into our stores, whether they are bringing us a question, a story, a shopping list, or a smile. We are thankful for our suppliers, many of whom are making their own efforts to give back to communities around the world. And we are thankful to all of you reading this newsletter; we hope you enjoy it!
As we head into the holiday season, why not make a trip to the Herbal Path? We’re getting new products every week! You can feel relaxed and stress-free as you take care of your holiday shopping at the same time as you’re picking up your supplements!
This newsletter includes articles from our most recent Massachusetts College of Pharmacy Interns, as well as updates on some of our favorite products and companies here at the Herbal Path. Click the titles to jump to the individual articles.
A Season of Giving
MCPHS Final Project: Alcoholism
MCPHS Final Project: Alternative Treatments for Common Childhood Concerns
Q & A: “What is your favorite cold weather health and beauty product?”
You can sign up to receive our email newsletter at the store’s website, herbalpath.com.
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A Season of Giving
by Marci Kuegel
I always think of November and December as the months of giving. They are a time to give thanks, give gifts, and give back. In fact, I think most of us spend these months being bombarded with donation drives and opportunities for giving, and it can get pretty overwhelming. Here at the Herbal Path, we like to make things easy.
Every Purchase Can Make a Difference
Our token donation program continues to be a huge success. Every time you shop at the Herbal Path, if you bring in your own bag (or just don’t take a bag), you can receive a token. All you have to do is drop off the token on your way out, and the Herbal Path will donate money! (Did you know a paper lunch bag costs us about seven cents? We donate those savings!) We are on our third round of organizations this year, and have given $1,000 back to the community so far.
Organizations we have helped this year include: Cocheco Valley Humane Society, Our House for Girls, My Friend’s Place, Tri State Bird Rescue and Research, Strafford County Community Action Committee, and the Strafford County Animal Protection Society. Currently, we are collecting tokens for: Pets for Vets, the Algalita Marine Research Foundation, and the Dover Food Pantry.
Vitamin Angels
Vitamin Angels (vitaminangels.org) is a non-profit organization based in California that works globally to reduce child mortality by increasing access to micronutrients (especially vitamin A) for infants and children. Essential nutrients fight malnutrition and help children build a stronger immune system for a lifetime of better health. One Vitamin Angels program is Operation 20/20, which has the goal of eliminating Vitamin A deficiency worldwide by the year 2020. This year alone, Operation 20/20 will reach 20 million infants and children and four million lactating women in 30 different countries, including the United States.
Many of the companies we work with are partnered with Vitamin Angels. They include Natural Factors, Rainbow Light, Emergen-C, Nordic Naturals, Garden of Life, Organic India, NOW Foods, Pure Encapsulations, Vibrant Health, Twinlab, and Boiron. Any time you purchase a product from one of these companies, you are supporting a company that is making a donation to Vitamin Angels.
From Local to Global
Large companies aren’t the only ones making a difference by giving back. Winnepesauke Chocolates, located right here in New Hampshire, donates 10% of its net profits to local conservation efforts. Endangered Species (makers of Bug Bites and other delicious treats) donates 10% of its net profits to “support species, habitat, and humanity.”
Your purchases can make a difference around the world, too. Alaffia, Everyday Shea (this line is part of the Alaffia family), and African Market Baskets all support communities in Africa. Proceeds from your basket help provide healthcare, education, and community buildings for the weavers and their families!
We Can All Make a Difference
In this season of giving, we can all make a difference. From tokens to vitamins to chocolate to baskets — your everyday actions can help make the world a better place. Thank YOU for reading and supporting the Herbal Path. We look forward to seeing you soon!
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Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences: Intern Final Project 1
Alcoholism
by Samuel Lalinde
Alcoholism is a devastatingly widespread disease. It is estimated that around 20% of hospital inpatients have alcoholism. Additionally, 85,000 deaths per year are attributed to alcohol; mostly from injuries. It’s much more common in younger men than women. It is also one of the most preventable causes of cirrhosis.
Alcohol can affect multiple bodily systems especially the liver, kidney, cardiovascular, nervous, and metabolic systems. Alcohol is addictive because of its affects on the nervous system, in particular the brain. Studies show that every neurotransmitter in the brain is affected by alcohol. What leads to addiction is alcohol’s stimulating effects on the pleasure centers and reward pathways in the brain.
Alcohol also modulates opiate receptors in the brain; which also attributes to its addictiveness. During chronic alcohol intake, the glutamate receptors are up-regulated (increase in number). This up-regulation can lead to seizures if alcohol is withdrawn, thus making a chronic alcohol drinker physically addicted to alcohol as well. Lastly, chronic alcohol drinkers are very nutrient depleted. They’re depleted because their bodies adapt to alcohol as a food source. This leads to malnutrition and other serious diseases such as beri-beri and wernikie-korsakoff syndrome.
The medical community has various drugs to treat alcoholism. Chronically, treating alcoholism is done with 3 drugs; Campral, Antabuse, and ReVia. These drugs can be very expensive and have bad side effects – just like any drug.
Herbally, there are several options to treat chronic intake. Chronically, people use kudzu root. The active constituents of kudzu are called daidzin & daidzein. It has been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for centuries with good results. For liver damage, milk thistle is superb. The silymarins in milk thistle have been shown to protect the liver cells from toxins, stimulating protein synthesis in the liver, and be an antioxidant.
The adaptogens such as Eleuthero, Rhodiola, Ginseng, etc. are very good for normalizing the stress response. It is good to make sure that alcoholics get the nutritional support also. B vitamins, calcium, and magnesium specifically are good for alcoholics.
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Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences: Intern Final Project 2
Alternative Treatment Options for Common Childhood Problems
by Holly Rousseau
Hello everyone! My name is Holly; I am a 6th year PharmD student from Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. I am currently doing a six week rotation at The Herbal Path as my elective rotation block. Recently, I did a power point presentation on alternative treatment options for common childhood problems. I adore children and think that it is extremely important that we know exactly what we are putting on or in our children, and to ensure it is 100% safe and effective. Some of the problems that occur frequently in children that I discussed include diaper rash, chicken pox, impetigo, the common cold and otitis media (middle ear infection).
Diaper rashes can be extremely painful and cause a child great discomfort. Some of the products we put on our children actually do more harm than good, due to the drying effect they have. It is important to remember the difference between a child’s skin and adult’s skin. Babies skin is 20-30% thinner than adult skin, increasing absorbency significantly.
A product I found to be extremely helpful and effective is a diaper rash ointment that can be made at home, so parents know exactly what they are putting on their child. It is a combination of chickweed, marshmallow root, comfrey root, golden seal root powder, almond oil and beeswax. This ointment is extremely soothing and moisturizing for a child and provides complete relief for a child in just a few days!
Cradle cap, an inflammatory scaling disease of the scalp, face and sometimes other parts of the body requires oily preparations to help gently remove the scales. A simple mixture of comfrey root and water is a superior mixture for the job. This will irritate a child’s scalp so it will be necessary to apply a soothing ointment to relieve the child from any discomfort. I would recommend a mixture of olive oil, slippery elm bark and cocoa butter; those scales will be gone in no time!
Colic can be a very upsetting problem for both mother and baby. It is extremely painful for a child and equally frustrating for a mother who feels helpless because they cannot understand what is wrong with their child. Colic refers to painful contractions of the GI tract. Some things to alleviate this frustration are soothing teas for mom, to help her relax and ease the tension between the two. Chamomile, lemon balm, linden and red clover are all possibilities.
Children are very susceptible to any stress, tension or frustration that a parent is feeling and it will greatly affect them. Gripe water is a product that is indicated for colic and has proven to be quite effective. Warm baths or laying a child on their stomach with a warm cloth are also ways to help relieve the pain a child experiences.
With children back to school and winter approaching, it is important to give children immune boosters to help them fight off the common cold. It is estimated that children get between six to ten colds per year, mainly due to the fact that their immune systems are not fully developed. Some products to stock up on this season include sweet Echinacea, Children’s Winter Health, and Sambu Guard for Kids! These products will all help boost your child’s immune system and help them fight off any possible colds or the flu!
Hope this has been helpful for you and your little ones!
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Q & A: “What is your favorite cold weather health and beauty product?”
Cold weather, dry air, snow sports — they can lead to dry skin and hair, cracked lips, itchy scalp, and other uncomfortable winter conditions. We polled the Herbal Path staff to find out their favorite hand creams, body lotions, and lip balms, all specific for chilly weather!
CREAMS AND LOTIONS
- Burt’s Bees Shea Butter Hand Repair
-Greg - Zion Pink Grapefruit Lotion
-Barbara - Nubian Shea Butter Lavender Wildflower
-Chantelle - Derma-e Dry Skin Therapy
-Hannah
SALVES AND BALMS
- Badger Healing Balm (scented)
-Pat - Burt’s Bees Hand Salve
Naturally Whit’s Bottom Line
-May - Sweet Grass Farm Super Duty Hand Care
-Chad
LIP CARE
- Thera Neem Lip Therapy
-Marci - Badger Lip Balm (unscented)
-Patricia - Burt’s Bees Acai Berry Lip Balm
-May
OILS
- Weleda Body Oils (esp. Pomegranate and Sea Buckthorn
-Mekeel - Omega 3 EFAs and Sea Buckthorn Oil (internally)
-Ron
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