Haumanu Herbal Healing

17/02/2026

Well isnt this exiciting 😍

Ill be away from Saturday (21st of February) to the following Sunday (1st of march), taking time to replenish and recharge.

If you would like to get in before I go please feel free to send me a message.

If you would like to chat about an appointment when I get back I'd love to hear from you too.

15/02/2026

Chocolate really can be medicine 🍫

One of the core components of my microcirculation phytonutrient diet is cocoa, usually as very dark chocolate (85 to 90%), chosen for its higher flavanol density and lower sugar load. A 2025 systematic review rigorously evaluated the clinical evidence to determine whether cocoa flavanols meaningfully enhance microvascular function. The review included 19 randomised, placebo-controlled human trials, comprising 13 acute studies and 7 chronic studies (with one study containing both phases), spanning effects on skin, skeletal muscle, cerebral and retinal microvascular beds.

Participants were not simply eating ordinary chocolate. Most of the trials used standardised, high-flavanol cocoa beverages, concentrated cocoa extracts in capsules, or specially prepared high-percentage dark chocolate, delivering pharmacological doses of flavanols. Acute doses commonly ranged from 500 to 1350 mg total flavanols (with 45 to 255 mg of (-)-epicatechin), and some chronic studies delivered up to 900 to 1800 mg/day.

A conventional meta-analysis was not possible because the studies varied widely in assessed vascular beds, measurement techniques (Laser Doppler, plethysmography etc), and stimulus conditions (reactive hyperaemia, hypoxia, mental stress, exercise). The authors therefore used vote counting, a Cochrane-recognised fallback method. In this approach, each study subgroup was assigned a “vote” based solely on whether cocoa performed better than placebo (1) or not (0), regardless of statistical significance or effect size. They then tested whether the proportion of positive directions exceeded chance (50%).

Using vote counting (direction-of-effect analysis), 12 of 14 acute subgroups (85.7%) showed improved vasodilator responses with cocoa flavanols, a proportion significantly greater than chance (p = 0.013), with 100% of the low-risk-of-bias (higher quality) acute studies favouring cocoa. For chronic supplementation, the direction was also generally favourable but less robust: 8 of 11 subgroups (72.7%) showed improved vasodilator responses and 7 of 9 (77.7%) favoured cocoa at rest, but these proportions did not reach statistical significance. (Note that some trials generated more than one subgroup for analysis.)

Hence the strongest signal was for acute enhancement of microvascular reactivity within 1 to 3 hours after ingestion, coinciding with peak circulating flavanol metabolites and nitric oxide-related activity. Chronic effects were less consistent, and there was little evidence of structural microvascular remodelling or reversal of established disease. The current clinical data therefore position high-dose cocoa flavanol extracts as performance enhancing short-term endothelial modulators that may enhance vascular responsiveness under stress (cognitive demand, hypoxia, reactive hyperaemia).

The fact that the clinical evidence favours acute effects from cocoa does not rule out benefits from long-term chronic intake. However, it does highlight that the use of a multicomponent sustained input, as per my microcirculation diet, is more likely to have the greatest impact on chronic microvascular compromise.

For more information see: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40217225/

12/02/2026

Pretty exciting seeing my name on a board, sitting with some amazing practitioners makes it even more exciting 🥰🥳

05/02/2026

The posts on this page have slowed down recently, but there have been big things happening behind the scenes! An early birthday present to me yesterday being about to submit my first paper with my colleague and friend the wonderful David Casteleijn 🥰 feeling very excited and lucky ❤️ with hopefully more coming in the future

25/01/2026

Even with unprecedented investment, the dementia drug pipeline continues to deliver modest and uncertain gains at best. Despite the media fanfare, recent agents largely target late-stage amyloid pathology, offering small statistical benefits that translate into limited real-world clinical impact, while carrying substantial costs and safety concerns. There is little in the current pipeline that convincingly alters disease trajectory once neurodegeneration is established. This sobering reality underlines a critical truth: dementia is unlikely to be “cured” pharmacologically after onset. The greatest opportunity lies earlier—shifting focus toward prevention and delay through vascular health, metabolic resilience, inflammation control, and lifelong neuroprotection—where the biological leverage, population impact, and cost-effectiveness are far greater.

A recent umbrella review underlines that we already know a good deal about what to do. A total of 45 reviews covering 212 meta-analyses (including around 10,000 individual studies in total) were synthesised. From this the authors identified 14 broadly defined modifiable risk factors that were significantly associated with dementia disorders.

They were: alcohol consumption, body weight, depression, diabetes mellitus, diet, hypertension, less education, physical inactivity, sensory loss, sleep disturbance, smoking, social isolation, traumatic brain injury and vitamin D deficiency. All 14 factors were associated with the risk of major neurocognitive disorders (NCD), and five were associated with mild NCD. Of note, the scientists found considerably less research for vascular dementia and mild NCD.

The study highlighted the role of a key nutrient in prevention, namely vitamin D. Beyond vitamin D, several B vitamins and selected herbs may contribute meaningfully to dementia prevention. Folate and vitamin B12 are central to homocysteine metabolism; elevated homocysteine is strongly linked to brain atrophy, white-matter damage and faster cognitive decline, with trials suggesting benefit when deficiencies or low-normal levels are corrected. Among herbs, Ginkgo biloba has the most consistent human evidence, supporting cerebral microcirculation and endothelial function and mitochondrial activity. Turmeric (particularly bioavailable curcumin) targets neuroinflammation, oxidative stress and amyloid pathology. Low-dose lithium, even at trace nutritional levels, has emerging epidemiological and clinical support for neuroprotection, possibly reduced tau phosphorylation and enhanced neuronal resilience.

For more information see: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38346414/

23/01/2026

20/01/2026

"Gotu kola remains our leading herb for tissue repair and microvascular support, and this trial further vindicates its clinical value."

There are just so many things to love about this beautiful herbal medicine

A pilot registry study found that treatment with an oral gotu kola extract (Centella asiatica) significantly improved the closure and healing rates of chronic venous leg ulcers when used in addition to best management treatment.

The study included 160 patients with venous ulcers and chronic venous insufficiency (CVI). One group received 675 mg/day of oral gotu kola extract (standardised to 35% total triterpenes) along with best management (BM) practices (compression, elevation, wound cleaning), while a control group received only BM.

The results demonstrated a significant improvement in the herbal group:
• Ulcer Closure Rate: 96.2% of ulcers in the gotu kola group achieved complete closure after 90 days, compared to 83.7% in the control group.
• Faster Healing: after just one month, 65% of ulcers in the gotu kola group were completely healed, versus only 18.75% in the control group.
• Reduced Ulcer Area: the average ulcer area in the gotu kola group decreased dramatically (from 2.34 cm² to 0.33 cm²), a significantly greater reduction than that observed in the control group (from 2.4 cm² to 1.61 cm²).
• Improved Microcirculation: the herbal group showed enhanced microcirculatory parameters, including improved skin resting flux and transcutaneous oxygen/carbon dioxide partial pressures, indicating better blood flow and tissue oxygenation.

Gotu kola remains our leading herb for tissue repair and microvascular support, and this trial further vindicates its clinical value. Notably, the dose used was high, but still realistic and achievable in practice. The benefits observed in this venous ulcer study are well explained by its established pharmacology. The triterpenes asiaticoside and madecassoside improve microcirculation and venous tone, helping reduce venous hypertension and local tissue hypoxia—central drivers of ulcer chronicity. At the same time, the herb promotes healing through enhanced fibroblast activity, collagen synthesis, and extracellular matrix repair, accelerating granulation and re-epithelialisation. Its anti-inflammatory effects temper chronic wound inflammation, while modulation of transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signalling supports angiogenesis and tissue remodelling.

For more information see: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40719428/

19/01/2026

A prospective, double-blind, RCT enrolled adult patients scheduled for elective neuro-oncologic craniotomy. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either a carbohydrate drink containing standardised ginger extract (ginger group) or an identical carbohydrate drink without it (control group) 2 hours before anaesthesia induction. All patients received co-treatment following the institutional Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocol. The primary outcomes included the incidence of post-operative nausea and vomiting (PONV), nausea severity, vomiting episodes, and rescue antiemetic use within 48 hours. Secondary outcomes assessed patient well-being and metabolic and inflammatory responses.

In total, 48 patients were enrolled. The incidence of PONV did not significantly decrease (25% vs 37.5%; p = 0.534), but vomiting episodes were significantly reduced by ginger (6 vs 23 episodes; p = 0.003). Moreover, Poisson regression confirmed a lower incidence rate of vomiting in the ginger group than on the control group [incidence rate ratio (IRR): 0.32, p = 0.017]. No significant differences were found in metabolic markers, inflammatory responses or well-being scores.

The anti-nausea and anti-emetic properties of ginger (Zingiber officinale) are supported by a substantial body of clinical evidence across multiple settings, including PONV, pregnancy-related nausea, chemotherapy-induced nausea and motion sickness. Randomised controlled trials and meta-analyses consistently show that ginger, typically administered orally at doses equivalent to 1–2 g of dried rhizome, reduces nausea severity and the frequency of vomiting, with a favourable safety profile.

What distinguishes the present trial from earlier studies is not the demonstration of ginger’s anti-nausea activity per se, but how and when the intervention was delivered. Rather than administering ginger as a capsule or tablet around the time of surgery, this study incorporated a precisely standardised dose of ginger extract (10 mg 6-gingerol, about 1–2 g of dried rhizome) into a preoperative carbohydrate drink given two hours before anaesthesia, within an Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) framework. This represents a novel integration of a phytochemical intervention into peri-operative metabolic and anaesthetic preparation, rather than its use as a stand-alone antiemetic.

In addition, the study focused on neuro-oncologic craniotomy, a surgical context in which vomiting carries particular clinical significance due to the risk of raised intracranial pressure. The finding that ginger reduced the frequency of postoperative vomiting events, even without a statistically significant reduction in overall PONV incidence, highlights a clinically meaningful effect that has been largely overlooked in prior ginger trials.

Together, these features position the trial as an important proof-of-concept: not that ginger works as an antiemetic—which is already well established—but that low-dose, standardised ginger can be safely and effectively embedded into pre-anaesthetic ERAS protocols, opening the door to more process-integrated uses of herbal medicines in surgical care.

For more information see: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41112738/

15/01/2026

The newest addition in our herbs to calm the farm series, withania

Withania somnifera, more commonly known as ashwagandha, may not be one readily available in your home but it is one you may have seen in health food stores or heard about for its calming effects. While it is often promoted for stress support, this is only one aspect of its wide-ranging benefits. Wit...

12/01/2026

It seems, just like everyone else, our website needed a quick holiday. We are working to get it back to work as soon as we can.
But until then, if you are looking to book with any of our wonderful practitioners, we have some easy to access alternative links...

To book with David https://tinyurl.com/Appointment-With-David

To book with Tina https://tinyurl.com/Appointment-With-Tina

To book with Mel https://tinyurl.com/Appointment-With-Mel

To book with Shaan https://tinyurl.com/Appointment-With-Shaan



Alternatively, our reception team is available 7 days a week 24 hours a day by calling (07) 3166 1549, they will be able to assist you with booking an appointment.

09/01/2026

The Peony-Glycyrrhiza combination (white peony and licorice), known as Shaoyao-Gancao in China or Shakuyaku-kanzo-to (TJ-68) in Japan, is one of the most instructive synergies in East Asian medicine, illustrating how the insightful pairing of herbs can produce effects not reliably conceived or achieved with either herb alone. Anchored by the constituents paeoniflorin and glycyrrhizin, the combination exerts reproducible hormonal, skeletal antispasmodic, analgesic and neuroendocrine-modulating actions with clear clinical relevance.

Clinical research on this pairing has evolved in three discernible phases. In the late 1980s, Takahashi and colleagues explored its use in women with polycystic o***y disease (PCOS), reporting reductions in androgen levels alongside menstrual induction and occasional pregnancies. This endocrine signal was extended in early-to-mid 1990s PCOS studies, which demonstrated significant reductions in total and free testosterone and longer-term shifts consistent with improved ovarian steroidogenesis.

During the 2000s, research attention shifted toward skeletal muscle cramping, a known traditional use. Clinical studies—particularly in haemodialysis patients—demonstrated rapid relief of painful muscle spasms, with reductions in cramp frequency, severity, and duration for both preventive and as-needed use.

More recently, from the 2010s onward, controlled trials have focussed on the formula’s endocrine effects, this time in antipsychotic-induced hyperprolactinaemia (which was also studied in the late 1990s), firmly reframing this ancient herb pair within a contemporary neuroendocrine context. The most recent study in this domain is reviewed in the next posting.

For more information see:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3292675/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8012442/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12943175/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27363396/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27755159/