Navigating the health supplement marketplace can be a formidable challenge when you consider the number of products that are out there. Thousands. Then consider what each type of natural remedy can do to help keep you healthy and, finally, what its ingredients – its components – are so you have a good idea of what you are getting into with each one.
Figuring all this out on a personal-need basis can take oodles of hours. It helps to know at least some things about what your need or physical condition entails, and what herb, supplement or other nutrient is the best match for your situation. We always aim to help in that regard. That’s what we are here to do for you, whether you are an individual looking how best to recover from a workout or stave off a cold, or a healthcare professional trying to find the right preventative or remedial treatments to best serve your patients or clients.
To add a little spice to our blogs, we occasionally dream up different ways to talk about herbs and supplements (and so forth), especially when it comes to those you might not have heard about. In this presentation we summarize several products that have “black” in their name, as we associate that adjective with positivity, or profitability, when it comes to benefitting your health just like black figures on a balance sheet’s bottom line signify fiscal profitability.
4 ‘Black’ (as in Profitable) Natural Remedies
Christopher’s Black Ointment. Believe it or not, the skin on our bodies comprises the largest organ in (or on) our bodies, so it needs plenty of care. Black ointment can meet that challenge in that it can not only rid your body of waste and guard it against toxins, but it can also protect exposed areas of skin from the sun’s unrelenting UV rays and even regulate body temperature. Its main ingredient is comfrey, a perennial shrub found in Europe and parts of Asia. The roots and leaves of a comfrey plant contain allantoin, which can promote the growth of skin cells, while other components, such as rosmarinic acid, are known to cut down inflammation and maintain skin health. In ointment form, comfrey will work to assist in healing bruises, and treating pulled muscles and ligaments. It can also act as a remedy for fractures, sprains, strains, and osteoarthritis. Like some substances used for skin care, though, blank ointment comes with several cautions. Be extra careful never to ingest it; avoid lathering it on where there are breaks in the skin. Follow the directions to the letter and discuss its use with your primary-care physician or other licensed professional.
Black Cohosh. Also known as Actaea racemosa or Cimicifuga racemosa, black cohosh is another perennial that, in its case, belongs to the buttercup family and is native to North America. For real. Its other names over the years have included snakeroot, black bugbane, and rheumatism weed. This is a natural remedy that has been used for many years in traditional medicine, like those practiced by Native Americans who used it for addressing musculoskeletal pain, fever, and cough, among other ailments. Present day it is used most commonly for menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, and vaginal dryness. Black cohosh’s pain-killing attributes are linked to the fact that it binds to the opioid receptors found inside our bodies.
Black Currant Oil. This substance, as you might have guessed, is sourced from the blackcurrant plant. With everything from its leaves to its seeds used one way or another in treating people, black currant oil is a versatile natural remedy, used by its loyalists for treatable conditions related to blood flow, the immune system, and health of the eyes, gut, and kidney. An active ingredient in black currant oil is gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), which is an Omega-6 fatty acid that has been shown to alleviate unwanted inflammation.
Black Pepper Extract. This is probably open to debate or at least discussion, but black pepper is referred to by some culinary experts as “the king of spices.” It is, after all, often mentioned as one of the most-used spices in a variety of food preparations. As far as our health goes, black pepper, is believed to present various activities such as anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory and anti-glycan, the latter referring to the ability to thwart infection and regulate the microbiome. Black pepper’s major active compound is piperine, a naturally occurring alkaloid which is believed to be a potent anti-inflammatory that has been shown to bolster brain function in animal studies.
Just a reminder: if you plan to try using any of these “black” natural remedies to address any of your own health concerns, be sure to talk it over first with your personal physician or a licensed professional.