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DAMIANA grows wild and is cultivated
around the Gulf of Mexico, and in some South American countries. Damiana is
heavily branched and reaches six and half feet in height. The stems are smooth,
straight, and yellow or reddish-brown in color. Small, obovate leaves grow in
clusters alternately along the stem; the upper surface of which are olive green
with undersurfaces lightly covered with whitish hairs. The leaves have toothed
margins, and small flowers grow in the upper leaf axils. The fruits are small
capsules, slightly curved, with rough skin. The medicinal part is the
leaves.
For more information see the HERBS section of
the Nutrition Notebook.
DANDELION is a common herbaceous plant
abundant all over the world, growing in meadows and pastures, and often your
front lawn. Dandelion has a thick, light brown perennial root which produces a
rosette of basal leaves. A leafless flower stem grows from the center of the
basal leaves. It is smooth, hollow, and terminates with a single large golden
flower which opens during the day and closes at night, and in the rain. The
root, leaves, and stem contain a milky fluid. These flowers are succeeded by a
hairy puffball containing seeds which ripen and are blown by the wind. The
medicinal parts are the leaves and the roots.
Other common names: Blowball , Cankerwort,
Lion’s tooth, Priest’s crown, Puffball, Swine snout, White endive,
Wild endive
For more information see the HERBS section of
the Nutrition Notebook.
DEAD: Metabolically challenged.
DEMULCENT - An agent which smooths the
mucous membranes on contact.
DEPURATIVE - a cleansing agent
DERMATOLOGIST: Skin Dehiver.
DIETING: A game where you have to lose
to win.
DIETING: Something that takes the starch
out of you.
DIAPHORETIC - an agent which increases
perspiration.
DIAPHRAGM - The diaphragm is a thin,
muscular, and fibrous sheet located below the lungs. It is connected to the
ventral surface of the lumbar vertebrae, and to the medial surfaces of the
ribs, costal cartilage, and xiphoid process (collectively, the interior of the
chest cavity). It divides the trunk of the body into thoracic and abdominal
regions. The diaphragm is important in respiration. Contraction of the
diaphragm, along with other muscles, causes the lungs to expand, permitting
inhalation. Relaxation of the diaphragm causes the lungs to compress,
permitting exhalation.
DIGESTIVE - a substance which assists
in digestion
DILATE is the act of opening or
stretching, as does the pupil of the eye or cross-sectional areas of arteries
and veins.
DITERPENE ALCOHOLS are a group of
compounds classified together because of their similar chemical structure.
Diterpene alcohols are found in eyebright and horehound, and other plants. Some
examples of diterpene alcohols are marrubenol and marrubiol.
DIURETIC - Diuretics form a class of
drugs which increase the volume of urine produced by the kidneys. It can be
used effectively to treat mild cases of edema when kidney function is good and
when underlying abnormality of cardiac function, capillary pressure, or salt
retention is being corrected simultaneously. Diuretics are not an appropriate
treatment for edema caused by inflammation of the kidneys, and are useless in
cardiac edema associated with advanced kidney insufficiency.
DLPA - DL-Phenylalanine is a mixture
consisting of equal parts of the D- and L- forms of phenylalanine.
Phenylalanine is a naturally occurring amino acid, discovered in 1879,
essential for optimal growth in infants and for nitrogen equilibrium in human
adults. The DL form has been found to be clinically useful in pain relief in
certain conditions.
DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid) is a complex
protein present in chromosomes of the nuclei of cells. It is the chemical basis
of heredity and the carrier of genetic information of all organisms.
DNA: A complex organic molecule
characterized as the building block of life and appropriately shaped like a
spiral staircase to nowhere.
DOGMA: A bitch with a litter.
DOPAMINE - an intermediate product in
the synthesis of norepinephrine. Is responsible for dilation of systemic
arteries, increased cardiac output and increased flow of blood to the kidneys.
Dopamine’s precursor, L-Dopa are used in Parkinsonism and Manganese
poisoning.
DRUG ADDICT: Chemically challenged.
DRUNK: Spacially perplexed.
DYSARTHRIA is a disturbance of
articulation due to emotional stress or to paralysis, incoordination, or
spasticity of the muscles used for speaking such as the tongue. It is one of
the more common symptoms of Parkinson's disease.
DYSMENORRHEA refers to painful or
difficult menstruation.
DYSPHAGIA refers to difficulty in
swallowing. |
