Feb 10 2008:-  Recently, the internet has been humming with reports on Baikal skullcap, an herb that has been used in Chinese medicine for thousands of years. It is native to Russia, Mongolia, and parts of China and Korea but is no valued that it is cultivated as a commercial herbal medicine crop in many parts of the Western world. Recent research from Heidelberg suggests that the herb, which was one of the ingredients in the once famous PC-SPES prostate formula, induces cell death of malignant cells by increasing the uptake of hydrogen peroxide, this without damaging healthy cells. The effect was attributed to one of the 26 flavonoids contained in the herb, but for the same reason, the antioxidant effect of this herb is excellent. Moreover, it is so safe that it is not even contraindicated during pregnancy. In fact, it is said to relax the fetus.

Dr. Mercola recently published something on the German research and I asked our lab if we can supply it. Meanwhile, I did the usual, and tried it on myself. I have felt very calm, no dramatic reactions, rather a slow sort of sense of detoxification.

Because of the flavonoids, the herb is highly anti-inflammatory and this is good for the arteries and hence circulation, but it is also anti-infective, especially of hepatitis B. This has been determined by reduction in antigens to the HBV over a period of ten days.

I created a pdf which you are welcome to read:

[http://www.sacredmedicinesanctuary.com/pdf/baikal_skullcap.pdf]

As with many popular herbs that have been in use for a long time, there are both traditional and modern uses of the herb. The traditional ones were for upper respiratory infections and dysentery as well as asthma and allergies such as hayfever and allergic eczema. The newer applications are, of course, centered on the big killers such as cancer and heart disease and the baby boomer obsession with antiaging strategies.

Many blessings,

Ingrid