IN THIS ISSUE:

Energetic Qualities of South American Herbs

New Offer: Special Testing Sizes of Herbs

Reader Mail: Royal Cat's Claw Liquid Extract

Viana's News and Health Action

READ BACK ISSUES

Energetic Qualities of South American Herbs

Whether we are enjoying the clear blue skies and pleasant walking temperature days of early fall or experiencing the drama of hurricanes and heavy rain, or enjoying the prolonged summer of hot days and cool nights of the Southwest, it is a good time to reflect on some of the energetic qualities of the South American herbs offered by Whole World Botanicals. What I am learning over and over again is that the same herb can have very different -- even opposite -- energetic qualities for different people. Sometimes this may be dose- dependent, but often it is simply the way an herb reacts in a person's body, since we are all unique bio-chemical entities. I have not yet found a way to predict how an herb will act in someone's body except on a trial and error basis. Let's look at them one by one.

Maca

One of the main qualities that people first notice about maca is the feeling of non-depleting energy which it gives. This strengthening of the adrenal glands helps create a feeling of well being. At the same time, some people swear by maca as the biggest guarantee to a sound night's sleep. They take their nightcap of Royal MacaTM shortly before going to bed--or at the earliest with dinner. I don't attribute this to the direct energetic quality of the herb but rather to its effect on the pineal gland--probably helping to stimulate greater melatonin production.

I've also had other people call and ask me, "Why didn't you warn me? I took three Royal Maca caps with dinner and I had so much energy I stayed up way past my bedtime cleaned out my closets because I didn't know what to do with myself!”

Camu-Camu

I call camu-camu the "sweet dreams" herbal supplement because it has such a sweet, calming feeling about it. I've had clients get in touch and say, "Why didn't you say camu-camu was good for insomnia. This stuff is wonderful!”

Then there is the other group that swear by Royal CamuTM because it "gives me so much energy, no matter how tired I feel before I take it." (These folks are taking 1/2 to one whole teaspoon or 3 or 4 caps at a time.) Actually, come to think of it, I've experienced both of these effects with Royal Camu. The sweet calming feeling with the lower amount and the energizing feeling with the larger amount. Some have a slight detox reaction in the beginning -- a slight nausea sensation. Others find their nose dripping for a few days as they get cleaned out.

Desmodium adscendens (Amor Seco)

Royal DesmodiumTM so relaxing to the muscles that many people with muscle tension who have a hard time falling asleep like to take it at bedtime and swear by it for getting a good night's sleep. A number of reports from people with fibromyalgia say it has helped tremendously with their insomnia.

Yet, others, find the Royal Desmodium so energizing—they have even contacted me to find out if it contains any caffeine (it doesn't). Some folks drink several cups a day because of its affect on their energy and because it relieves their muscle pain. One woman who took two capsules before bedtime to help her sleep lay awake for the entire night, with her mind super-alert.

Break-Stone (Chanca Piedra)

Traditionally known for its "nervine" or calming effect, some like to drink it a bedtime. Many people like to take it at night. I haven't heard anyone say it keeps them awake—except for the people that experience its diuretic effects rather strongly and have to get up during the night if they take in the evening.

But Royal Break-StoneTM has its energizing effect on many folks because they say "It makes my body work better." Basically, it creates a feeling of well being and people who have gall bladder and liver detox issues. In the beginning, it may produce a detox reaction. You might start coughing up phlegm, your nose may run, and you may get a headache. If you get a headache from taking one capsule (or one cup of tea) three times a day, you can cut back to one cap (or cup) twice a day.

Cat's Claw (Uncaria tomentosa)

Cat's Claw is definitely energizing and mind-focusing to some people and these folks should not take it after 4 p.m. if they want to get a good night's sleep. On others, it has no effect whatsoever on their sleep.

Graviola (Annona muricata)

Energetically, Graviola is ALWAYS calming and on the extreme side can make you feel tired, even sleepy. It lowers blood pressure very effectively, so if you have normal or low blood pressure and are taking it for its immune system effects, only take it at night or when you can just relax in your house. People with high blood pressure don't get sleepy or tired. They just feel calm and good.

New Offer: Special Testing Sizes of Herbs!

For the month of October, 2002, Whole World Botanicals is offering 1/2 bottles and containers of selected products so that you can sample our products with a minimum investment.

If a product has been of interest to you, test it out and see how you like it and how it works for you. Below are our prices for the sample bottles.

Royal Maca Extract Capsules: 45 (one to six week supply) $12
Royal Camu Caps: 50 (12-25 day supply) $15
Royal Desmodium Extract Caps: 30 (15 day supply) $12
Royal Break-Stone Extract Caps: 30 (15 day supply) $12

SPECIAL VALUE: Entire set of half-bottle samples, $51 VALUE FOR ONLY $45.

Reader Mail: Royal Cat's Claw Liquid Extract

This comes from a physician's assistant who works for a large nationally known alternative medicine clinic:

"I am recommending Royal Cat's Claw Liquid Extract to our immune-compromised patients based on my own experience with this product. Periodically I have my own blood tested by live blood cell analysis, since this is one of the tests that we routinely do on our immune system compromised patients. This type of test tells the level of bacteria and viruses present in the blood, as well as the viscosity of the blood. We find that the higher the bacterial and viral load in the blood, the harder it is for the patient to return to full health. After recommending certain supplements for a couple of months, we re-test the patient to see how much improvement there is in their blood. After two months of taking Royal Cat's Claw Liquid Extract, my viral load showed up as zero. The technical specialist who performs the live blood cell analysis came to me astounded to ask, "What are you taking?" The only change in my normal supplements was the Royal Cat's Claw Liquid Extract. My excellent test results are only a confirmation of what I have been feeling since I started taking it. If I miss a day, I notice the difference in how I feel."

Order Cat’s Claw Extract from Whole World Botanicals

Viana's News and Health Action

I’m combining my latest news with the “Health Action” column this month, because they are very related. I have recently returned from a month in Peru. In Peru, I was asked to testify at a Congressional Hearing organized for the purpose of assessing the new policies (since 1998) of the World Health Organization, and its strategic partners, including the transnational pharmaceutical companies, the European Union, the World Bank, and OMPI, the patent rights organization.

The plan is that the ONLY therapeutic herbs/botanicals which will be permitted to be sold internationally will have to be regulated as pharmaceutical drugs, often with patented compounds, available by prescription only from a medical doctor in many countries. This is already how it works in Germany, where you even need a prescription to get Vitamin C, and more countries are considering similar regulations.

The key issue is a conflict of interest. The pharmaceutical corporations which have a vested commercial interest in outlawing the sale of herbs as dietary supplements are designing international legislation that will benefit them commercially and do away with the herbal supplements—which are posing increasing competition for their much more expensive products.

The Peruvians are alarmed that maca, cat's claw and other Peruvian therapeutic plants have been banned in Bavaria (Germany), Portugal and Spain since January of 2002. It turns out that the European Union, whose laws now take precedence over the laws passed by the Parliaments of the individual governments of countries in Europe, has passed legislation that forbids the sale of medicinal plants which were not sold in Europe prior to 1986, unless they are registered as pharmaceutical drugs. Since South American therapeutic botanicals were virtually unknown in Europe prior to 1989 or 1990, virtually all South American botanicals are now officially banned in countries making up the European Union.

The use of strategic partners who are pharmaceutical companies, a patent protecting organization, bankers (including the World Bank), and the European Union (which has just enacted the most restrictive herb sale policy on Planet Earth) to promote an "Essential Drugs and Medicines Policy" in WHO represents a major change in the direction and focus of the World Health Organization. These "strategic partners" have also provided the major funding to WHO since 1998. Since its founding as part of the United Nations in 1946 until 1998, the World Health Organization was funded by the member countries and concentrated on issues like vaccination, access to clean water to prevent infant diarrhea, malaria control, maternal health, and until recently, AIDS.

The "Essential Drugs and Medicines" Project, which is outlined on the WHO website is dedicated to 'harmonizing' the laws for the international sale of pharmaceutical drugs. BUT HERBAL SUPPLEMENTS ARE TO BE SOLD ONLY AS PHARMACEUTICAL DRUGS UNDER THIS PLAN! The last step in this plan is to have the WHO Pharmaceutical Drug proposals enacted into international law by the World Trade Organization (WTO).

It is very important to become aware of what is going on internationally. First, because even though there is a strong pro herbal dietary supplement consumer movement in the U.S., when you aren't looking your Congressmen and Senators can give up their right to vote on this WTO proposal and give the U.S. President to be the sole decider on how the U.S. will vote on this proposal. This is called 'Fast Track' legislation. Second, even though we feel pretty secure in the U.S. about our right to purchase dietary supplements, a strong, negative international regulatory climate is having an effect on the actions of the FDA here at home. In fact, attorneys who specialize in FDA regulatory controls are saying already that the regulatory climate is becoming more difficult for supplement companies and consumers.

What can you do?

What can you do to make sure that you will always have access to the therapeutic plants (medicinal herbs) and vitamins you wish to buy? (the Codex Alimentarius is playing a similar role for vitamins that WHO is playing for herbs) You can make sure that you let your members of Congress and Senators know how important this issue is to you. You can also find out how your representatives voted on "fast track" legislation that came before Congress in December, 2001 where it passed by only one vote!

What is "Fast Track"? Fast track is the name given for turning over the power of the American people and their elected Representatives to the President and his advisors on all international trade issues. It means that your Congressman and Senators are telling the U.S. President, "You can decide how to vote on any trade bill that comes before the World Trade Organization." Once passed by the WTO, the legislation becomes legally binding for all the 191 countries that belong to the WTO and is more powerful than any national law, much less any state law, or city law.

If your Congressional representative or Senator voted "yes" on Fast Track legislation (it's fast because it gives the President the power to act on his own without consulting Congress) then they voted for Congress to give up their own veto power over proposals made by the World Trade Organization—including forbidding the international sale of herbs, unless they are regulated and sold as pharmaceutical drugs.

Is this an acceptable position to you?

Whether we are Republicans, Democrats, or Independents, we have to recognize the reality that this worldwide movement against the sale of therapeutic botanicals is being orchestrated by the pharmaceutical companies and the organizations that represent them. Sadly, these organizations are now led by the World Health Organization.

The information on how your Congressional representatives voted on "Fast Track" is available through a website called Public Citizen: Protecting Health, Safety & Democracy, a national non-profit public interest organization. You can go to http://action.citizen.org/pc/issues/votes and just put in your zip code and they will let you know who your member of Congress is and how he/she voted on Fast Track. I suggest that you write and congratulate your representative if he/she voted against Fast Track and you can also state that you are concerned about the effort to eliminate herbal products in favor of pharmaceutical drugs as a result of the 'harmonization' efforts being organized by the World Health Organization for the World Trade Organization.

To quickly write your representatives, go to the “Mr. Smith Emails Washington website”.

I have so much more to share with you later this month about my trip to Peru.

Hasta pronto,

-- Viana

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NOTE: All information is intended for your general knowledge only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for specific medical conditions. You should seek prompt medical care for any specific health issues and consult your physician or health practitioner before starting any supplements, vitamins, diet programs, fitness regimens, or changing prescribed treatments or medications. The statements contained herein have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, mitigate or prevent any disease.

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"A Whole World of Herbs" is copyright © 2002, Viana Muller.

Whole World Botanicals, Inc.
PO Box 322074 Ft. Wash. Station
New York NY 10032
Toll-free phone 1 (888) 757-6026
Phone 212-781-6026    Fax 212-781-0440