Swelling

Swelling

An editor called me with a plea for help. She sounded like an upwardly mobile young woman working for one of those upwardly mobile women's health magazines. But she was stumped and in a hurry. With a deadline looming, her boss had challenged a statement that cucumber is good for swollen areas, especially swollen eyelids. She wanted me to find out if it was really true--in an hour. Where's the proof? her boss wanted to know.

Swelling is an enlargement of a localized area caused by abnormal fluid accumulation between cells. It is usually the result of infection, injury or retention or shifting of body fluids. In medical jargon, the word for swelling is edema, which is the Greek word for it. And any medicine or poultice that reduces swelling is called an anti-edemic.

Now I knew that cucumber had enjoyed a long folk reputation as an anti-edemic, but that information wasn't good enough for this editor. She needed scientific proof. So I laboriously plowed through my database and discovered that yes, indeed, cucumber contains at least two anti-edemic compounds: ascorbic acid and caffeic acid. It also contains a chemical relative of vitamin A, which may help as well.

Of course, once I got going, I became fascinated by all the anti-edemics I turned up, and I offered her the list--notably ginger, pineapple and turmeric. But all she wanted was verification of cucumber, which I gave her, although as anti-edemics go, it's on the weak side.

Still, as a result of that database search, I can now offer this tip: If you ever develop swollen eyelids, cut two circular sections of cool cucumber, lie down and place the slices on your closed eyelids. It just might help.

Green Pharmacy for Swelling

Besides cucumber slices, there are a number of other herbs that can also help reduce swelling.

Ginger (Zingiber officinale). For centuries, India's traditional Ayurvedic physicians have recommended ginger, especially for swelling caused by arthritis. More recently, several researchers have shown that enzymes that help digest protein, known as proteolytic enzymes, also have anti-inflammatory action.

According to one report, the compound zingibain, which is one of the most active constituents in ginger, is also one of Nature's most potent proteolytic enzymes. Just one gram of zingibain can tenderize as much as 20 pounds of meat.

A Danish researcher reported one case of a woman with rheumatoid arthritis who found no relief from taking corticosteroids, which are commonly prescribed to treat the pain and swelling associated with this condition. She began taking 50 grams of ginger a day (that's almost two ounces, or 25 teaspoons) and within 30 days reported considerable reduction of swelling, as well as some pain relief. "Ginger," the researcher wrote, "produced better relief of swelling, pain and stiffness than nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs."

Of course, 50 grams of ginger a day is a tall order (and you should definitely not take this much if you are pregnant). But given ginger's traditional use for treating arthritic swelling and the herb's proteolytic action, I'm inclined to believe this report.

I have, on occasion, enjoyed 50 grams of candied ginger. It's a hot, spicy candy that's available in many shops that sell gourmet items. It would be a fairly easy way to get this much ginger if you want to give this treatment a try, but ginger is also available in capsules.

Pineapple (Ananas comosus). This fruit contains the proteolytic enzyme bromelain. Naturopath Michael Murray, N.D., co-author of the Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine and several other scholarly books on nutritional and naturopathic healing, recommends taking the pure compound, which is available in health food stores, to reduce swelling, particularly the kind caused by surgical incisions and traumatic injuries. Bromelain blocks the production of kinins, the compounds produced during inflammation that increase swelling and induce pain.

Dr. Murray's suggested dose is 400 to 500 milligrams taken three times a day on an empty stomach. Personally, I love pineapple, and my own recommendation is to simply eat more of this delicious fruit.

Turmeric (Curcuma longa). India's traditional Ayurvedic physicians apply two parts turmeric and one part salt to swollen areas. Some also include ginger in this mixture. Science confirms this ancient wisdom. When researchers gave turmeric oil to experimental animals, they found that it had anti-inflammatory, anti-edemic and anti-arthritic activity.

Dr. Murray hails curcumin, the most active constituent in turmeric, as one of Nature's most potent anti-edemic and anti-inflammatory agents. He recommends taking 400 milligrams of the pure compound curcumin three times a day. Again, I prefer the whole-herb approach. I suggest simply eating more curries, heavy on the turmeric.

Aloe (Aloe vera). People in the West Indies apply the gel of aloe to treat the swelling that comes from water retention. Bahamians even drink aloe juice for this purpose. West Indians also heat the split leaves and apply the warm interior of the leaf to bruises and swollen areas.

Aloe contains an enzyme (bradykininase) that helps decrease swelling and relieve pain. It also contains magnesium lactate, which is an antihistamine, so the herb may also help relieve the itching associated with some swelling.

Arnica (Arnica montana). Arnica, also known as mountain daisy, is a favorite among homeopathic physicians for treating the swelling caused by sports injuries.

In larger doses--more than homeopathic doctors would recommend--this herb gets a thumbs-up from Commission E, the German government's group of herbal medicine experts. This group endorses external applications of arnica flowers as a quick fix for water retention, bruises, dislocations, sprains and rheumatic muscle and joint complaints. The commission suggests using two teaspoons of dried herb per cup of boiling water to make a tea to use as a wash. You can also dilute a tincture (one part tincture and three to ten parts water) to use in a compress.

Cat's claw (Uncaria, various species). Also known as uña de gato, cat's claw is an Amazonian herb that's becoming quite popular in the United States, and with good reason. Two researchers sent me a report in which they discuss several compounds (quinovic acid glycosides) that show systemic anti-inflammatory activity. They suggested that cat's claw extract was better at relieving swelling than indomethacin (Indocin), a standard nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug that is often prescribed for that purpose.

My own experiments with cat's claw haven't been that positive, but you can try it and see if it works for you.

Cat's Claw A newcomer from the Amazon, cat's claw contains substances that can help relieve swelling and inflammation.

Corn (Zea mays). The Chinese have used cornsilk successfully to treat swelling caused by kidney disease, according to pharmacognosist (natural product pharmacist) Albert Leung, Ph.D. In one small three-month study of 12 people with kidney disease, water retention disappeared in 9 people and mostly disappeared in 2 others. The people were given about two ounces of dry cornsilk twice a day. Cornsilk is an effective diuretic and is thus useful for getting rid of excess water.

Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale). Also a potent diuretic, dandelion can remove some of the excess fluid that causes swelling. You can eat the fresh roots, flowers and leaves or use them to make tea. You can also buy capsules.

Multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora). Now a serious weed in the eastern part of the United States, multiflora rose is listed in Chinese pharmacy reference books as a good treatment for swelling. You can try a tea made with two to three teaspoons of dried herb per cup of boiling water.

Spanish needles (Bidens pilosa). This is a plant that belongs to the same botanical family as feverfew. It is a popular folk medicine in Taiwan for all sorts of illnesses, from influenza to hepatitis. In one study with laboratory animals, Taiwanese scientists showed that this herb has significant anti-edemic and anti-inflammatory activity. More research is needed here, but I'm intrigued, and I'm on the lookout for further reports of its effectiveness.