Scientists 'Discover' Honeysuckle's Anti-viral properties (kind of like how Columbus 'discovered' America)

Sci-News is reporting the discovery of Honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) as a the first virological penicillin. Scientists have narrowed in on a microRNA from the herb, MIR2911, which directly targets Influenza virus to inhibit its replication. The full article has been published in Nature. Mice in this study who received honeysuckle had reduced mortality due from infection with some viral strains. Unlike other microRNAs which are deactivated by boiling, this particular microRNA remains active after boiling, which is the traditional preparation method for this herb. The researchers stated that Traditional Chinese Herbal preparations are generally boiled for several hours, however thirty minutes is a more accurate average. The specific length of time required to boil a Chinese herbal preparation depends on whether the herb is classified as a tonic, whether it is strongly aromatic, a mineral 'herb', etc. Thirty minutes is in fact the amount of time that the researchers boiled the honeysuckle to make a decoction for this study. 

The reason I say that the scientists 'discovered' honeysuckle the way that Columbus discovered America, is for two reasons. First, in the America that Columbus 'found', there were already people. In this case people called "herbalists" were already using Honeysuckle for its anti-viral properties. Second, it is unclear that the researchers have correctly identified what they have found; is it India, or is it North America? In the materials and methods section of the paper the researchers stated simply that the the "Honeysuckle" was purchased from a Chinese Herbal Medicine shop. They did not elaborate as to which of the two Pharmaceutically distinct Honeysuckle herbal medicines sold by Traditional Chinese Herbal shops they used; those are either the stem with the leaves or the flower buds. The pharmaceutical name of the dried stem and leaf is "Caulis Lonicerae" or commonly "Ren Dong Teng." The pharmaceutical name for the dried flower buds is "Flos Lonicerae japonicae" or commonly "Jin Yin Hua." Most often the species used is Lonicera japonica, but in some parts of China other Lonicera species are used. The plant name was stated as Lonicera japonica in the introduction, though only the common English name of "Honeysuckle" was confirmed in the materials and methods. I found it strange that these details were left out, especially considering that it was published in Nature, the most prestigious scientific journal. There are multiple Chinese Pharmaceutical herbs with not just different species that are used interchangeably, but also different genera (for example Pogostemon and Agastache). I think the research performed in this study is good.  My critique is really against the misleading Sci News headline and the editorial laxity at Nature in allowing obvious details to be left out. I would be happy to see more scientific articles in big journals, but I would hope they pay more attention to these kind of details in the future. 

Even though the Honeysuckle flowers are harder to collect, they are used more often than the stems and leaves in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Interestingly, Jin Yin Hua is not any old flower from the Honeysuckle plant. The honeysuckle flowers start out white as they bud and when they first open. In a day or two they turn yellow, which is why the flowers are call Jin Yin Hua, translated "gold silver flower." The medicinal flowers are the unopened dried flower buds, which are considered to be the strongest. When the buds are picked they are white, and as they dry they turn yellow. Good quality Jin Yin Hua is a golden yellow and whole, unopened bud. It should not be brown, which would indicate that it is old or was not dried properly. This herb currently sells for around $29 per pound or more. It is used Traditionally for all types of infections where these is fever or influenza, and it is safe for children. The herb is also used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for bacterial dysentery, boils, and mastitis.  I have used it most often with other herbs in formulas for respiratory tract infections and pneumonia. This vine grows wild in some parts of the United States, and is also considered invasive here in Florida.  I continue to grow and harvest it, because of its medicinal value. When preparing it for an adult, I boil 9-15 grams of dried flower buds (dose range for adult) in a pot of water for around 30 minutes. The water is strained and drunk over 1-2 days, a cup 2-3 times per day.  A child's dose is 1/2 the adult dose. A baby's dose is 1/3 the adult dose.

Honey Honeysuckle Tea Recipe for Reducing Acne 

by Joe Hing Kwok Chu :

Jin Yin Hua 30 grams

Gan Cao (licorice root, Glycrrhiz glabra) 5 grams

Boil with 8.5 cups of water, and simmer for 15 minutes.  Drink daily

Lonicera japonica vine is propagated easily from cuttings. You can grow it in a large container on your porch to prevent it from taking over a natural habitat.

What is the difference between Aquarian Bath's two activated charcoal soap formulas?

Both of Aquarian Bath's charcoal soaps contain activated charcoal and bentonite clay. What is the difference between Aquarian Bath's Black Magic Clarifying charcoal soap and the Zeolite Detox soap?

The Black Magic soap is our original formula formulated for oily skin types. It includes shea butter and has a stronger lather than most of our other soaps. This means the formula is more cleansing for oily skin compared to our regular soaps. This soap is one good option for oily and acne skin types, though I personally tend to prefer our salt soaps for acne skin types. I say this is a personal preference, because many customers with acne skin types have reported good results with this formula.

The zeolite soap is a milder formula. It is okay for normal and even dry skin types, elderly and kids. It includes cocoa butter. The lather is milder, so not as strongly cleansing. In addition to the activated charcoal and bentonite clay, which is also found in our original charcoal soap this soap also contains fine zeolite powder. Some larger Zeolite particles are also included, which makes the bar a slightly exfoliating. Zeolite is a specialty ingredient that is used specifically for clean up of toxicity and deodorizing. Sometimes I use small pieces of our Zeolite Detox soap in our Zero Waste Soap Saver bags for washing vegetables. 

Here is a detailed summary comparing both bars:

Both bars: Organic Extra Virgin Olive oil, Organic Coconut oil, Olive Oil Pomace, Castor oil, Activated charcoal, bentonite clay, vegan, non-GMO, SLS-free, not tested on animals

Black Magic bar: strong lather for oily skin, raw unrefined Shea Butter

Zeolite Detox Bar: moderate lather for normal skin, formulated to be gentle enough for kids, elderly and those with dry skin, Organic Cocoa Butter, Zeolite, somewhat exfoliating

Product Recommendation: High Frequency Device for Slow Hair Growth and Stubborn Acne

At Aquarian Bath we have many shampoo bar and soap products which customers have found useful for acne and problem scalp. However, when people ask me about what products are best for hair loss or very stubborn acne, I try to always let them know that sometimes dietary changes may be required, for example, to lessen acne, cutting out coffee, fried foods, sugar or alcohol can help. Also for thin hair or balding, don't expect extraordinary results with shampoo bars. Although some customers have reported that their hair grows significantly faster when they switch to our products, I think that probably has more to do with something low quality in their former shampoo products. Some people have indicated that there is a 'detox period' for using shampoo bars where the scalp adjusts to having to produce less natural oil to compensate for the harshness of other shampoos. So, I do wonder if some generic shampoos may be clogging pores and somehow slowing down normal hair growth. If you have thin hair, and you do see improvement in growth after using our shampoo bars, that is great, but there may be more you can do. Since we don't have a product specific for promoting hair growth, and some customers have asked, I wanted to make a quick review of one product from another company that I think may be helpful for promoting hair thickening. It is also great for stubborn acne patches and deep boils. This product is a High Frequency device. Many estheticians use them, but you can purchase them without a licence. The brand and model that I have experience with for about 2 years is a D'arsonval, HF4, and you can usually find them on Ebay for under $40. This device is essentially a small resonant Tesla coil operating at high frequencies.  The electrical arc is discharged through a gas filled tube, and is similar to "violet ray" electrotherapy devices popular in the early 1900's. The device comes with different attachments. The mushroom or spoon can be used on deep boils or stubborn pimples, or even as a part of your weekly skin care regimen. There is also a comb attachment that can be used for the scalp. This, and most other attachments, produce no discernible plasma arc to the skin, instead presenting a glowing "crown" discharge which is painless and virtually invisible under normal lighting conditions. I have seen results of hair thickening from our VP who used this comb attachment for male pattern balding when used regularly. Like everything else though, you have to use it regularly to get good results. Now that he hasn't used in a year or so the hair growth is back to the previous rate. I do not have experience or knowledge as to whether this is helpful for more dramatic hair loss, as in cases of Alopecia. Another interesting way that this device is used is for wart removal. I do know someone who has used this device successfully with repeated treatment for removal of warts. This was done using the "lightening bolt" attachment bi-weekly over a period of months. Overall it is a nice to have if you have recurring problem skin conditions, though if you take care of your diet, and use good quality products, you may only need to use it a few times a year. I am a big fan of spot treatment with clay overnight on pimples, but for people who may have an aversion to clays or find them messy, then this device may be a good alternative. The use of this device is contraindicated for skin cancers.

Sea Salt Soaps Make a Great Gift For Teens

The other day my friend and her son came over for a minute to say hi. Her teen aged son popped his head in to see if Tessa was around. Without much though I said "You look great!" I didn't quite know what it was, but my friend said about her son "It's the soap." Well my memory is not so perfect since I had Tessa, but it did come back to me that I had given her one of these salt soaps to give to him. And wow it was his skin that had cleared up, which was what I had noticed when he came in. She posted this on my facebook profile page:

"An amazing product!! Very gentle however incredibly effective. For several years my son had acne that was incredibly painful, within 3 wks of every other day use his skin is clear and the pore size is far reduced. Never be without it again :)."

You can always find my sea salt soaps at my facial soaps section on etsy. All my salt soaps are nearly 50% sea salt and are specially heat processed. The end product is a unique exceptionally hard, but gentle soap.