Healers divulge their favorite natural cures

By Hannah Wallace

updated 10:17 a.m. ET Oct. 25, 2007

Throughout history, every society produces men and women who possess extraordinary therapeutic skill and insight — born of acquired knowledge, experience, intuition, or a combination of all three. In search of our era's consummate healers, we've screened the worlds of both natural and conventional medicine. Here, these modern masters share their personal strategies for maintaining good health, high energy, and mental clarity.

Keeping a cold at bay
"At the very first sign of a cold, I toss a couple of andrographis supplements down my throat. I never travel without them."

Chris Kilham, an ethnobotanist at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, conducts research around the world to develop and introduce traditional plant-based medicines to Western users.

An herb with antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties, andrographis is used in Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine to treat a wide variety of infections and diseases. It may also boost production of antibodies and macrophages (cells that ingest viruses), making it effective against the common cold. The herb reduces fever, too. Swedes have long used the andrographis remedy Kan Jang for colds and flus and take it regularly throughout the winter for immune support.

You can buy andrographis (called Chuan Xin Lian) from a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner or at health food stores. Take as directed at the first sign of a cold or fever.

Kilham is founder of Medicine Hunter Inc.

Playing it safe with cell phones
"I always use an earpiece with my cell phone to lower my risk of developing brain cancer."

Keith L. Black, MD, renowned neurosurgeon and scientist in Los Angeles, uses groundbreaking techniques he developed that enable chemotherapy drugs to pass the blood-brain barrier and attack brain cancer.

Black is not convinced that cell phones are safe.

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A recent Finnish study published in the International Journal of Cancer showed that using a cell phone exclusively on one side of the head over a 10-year period increased brain tumor risk by 39%. Until the issue of cell phone safety is resolved definitively, play it safe and purchase a headset; reliable ones can be found for as little as $10. Using an earpiece keeps the microwaves that your phone emits far away from your head. The explosive growth of cell phones has occurred only in the past decade — too short a time to reveal a spike in brain cancers, which are thought to develop slowly.

Black is director of the Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

Morning meditation
"I do tai chi, qigong, and meditation every morning for 30 minutes."

Steven K. H. Aung, MD, a family physician in Edmonton, Alberta, treats pain and illness by combining traditional Chinese and modern treatments. For his integrated approach to medicine, he was awarded the Order of Canada in 2006.

Recent studies have shown that tai chi, a centuries-old Chinese art, can lessen anxiety and depression, relieve chronic pain, improve sleep quality, and reduce the risk of falls in older adults. Starting at age 7, Aung began learning the ancient techniques from his grandfather, a traditional Chinese physician. "I don't get sick," says Aung, "and I never have pain." Many YMCAs and senior centers offer classes, but you can also find one in your area at worldtaichiday.org or taoist.org.

Aung is an associate clinical professor in the department of family medicine at the University of Alberta in Edmonton.

An apple a day...
"I eat fibrous foods daily to prevent tooth decay."

Richard T. Hansen, DMD, a holistic dentist in Fullerton, CA, has pioneered a variety of uses for lasers in dental care — for instance, to eliminate potentially harmful bacteria in the mouth before oral surgery.

Raw vegetables, apples, and even fish, turkey, and steak act as natural abrasives that scrub the surface of the teeth while you chew, says Hansen. "They also massage the gum tissue, which makes the gums healthier." He suggests eating raw vegetables as often as you can — "the greener and more colorful, the better." Hansen's theories date to at least 1939, when Canadian dentist Weston Price published "Nutrition and Physical Degeneration," an account of his travels around the world observing the diets and dental health of indigenous cultures. Those who ate traditional local foods packed with the fat-soluble vitamins A and D, such as meats, shellfish, and animal fats, had perfect dental arches, no tooth decay, and virtually no chronic disease. Those who ate modern, processed food had extensive decay and a host of modern maladies like arthritis and cancer.

Hansen is founder and director of the Advanced Health Research Institute, a teaching and research center in Fullerton.

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