Sunshine Weeks, ND Naturopathic Doctor

04/14/2026

You might be surprised to learn that there is clinical evidence supporting the value of Astragalus membranaceus in joint problems. In yet another example of the remarkable clinical versatility of medicinal plants, an extract of Astragalus root improved knee pain in a double blind, randomised controlled trial. This was conducted with 90 adults (18 to 60 years of age) from Rajalakshmi Hospital and Research Centre, Karnataka, India. Participants with functional knee pain (not radiographically confirmed osteoarthritis) were randomly assigned to receive either 480 mg/day of a dried hydroethanolic extract of Astragalus root (n = 45) or placebo (n = 45) for 28 days. The primary outcome was knee pain reduction, which was assessed using a visual analogue scale (VAS) after a 6-minute walk test. Secondary outcomes included the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), Stair Climb Test (SCT), knee range of motion (ROM), and treatment compliance, evaluated at baseline and at follow-up on days 5, 14, and 28. Patient satisfaction and safety were also assessed.

The Astragalus group exhibited a large and significant 82% reduction in knee pain (p < 0.0001), with mean VAS scores dropping from 6.7 ± 0.5 to 1.2 ± 0.6 vs 6.7 ± 0.5 to 5.6 ± 0.9 for placebo. Significant improvements were also observed in the WOMAC, SCT score, and ROM (p < 0.0001). Patient satisfaction was higher in the active treatment group, and no serious adverse events were reported.

Based on earlier published work, the clinical dose likely corresponds to 3 to 4 g of Astragalus root daily. This study provides preliminary evidence for Astragalus in functional knee pain and is a novel clinical finding for this herb. However, replication in larger and longer trials is necessary to establish the reliability of the effect. This modern finding that Astragalus may be a joint mobility herb is not classical Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), but on the other hand it is compatible with some aspects of TCM theory.

For more information see: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41235391/

02/06/2026

Cineole (eucalyptol) is an anti-inflammatory monoterpene present in the essential oil of different Eucalyptus species and other plants such as tea tree and rosemary. It has mucolytic, mucoregulatory, bronchodilatory and antiviral properties. In a 2024 exploratory clinical trial from Germany, adults with a confirmed common cold who started early treatment with cineole experienced a substantially lower symptom burden and faster recovery than those who started later.

In the trial design, 522 healthy adults (18 to 70) were enrolled before getting sick and 329 subsequently developed a common cold and generated data. Cineole was given as enteric-coated capsules 200 mg three times daily (600 mg/day) and continued until recovery (or up to 2 weeks). Patients who began treatment within 12 hours of first symptoms had approximately 38% lower overall symptom burden and recovered about 1.5 to 2 days faster than those who delayed treatment beyond 24 hours. Tolerability was mostly rated as "very good", with adverse events of suspected causal relationship reported in 4.3% of participants.

The study was open-label and non-randomised, with self-reported outcomes and no placebo group, so the results should be interpreted as hypothesis-generating rather than definitive proof of efficacy. It does highlight a key truth—natural treatments tend to work best against infection when started as early as possible in the disease course.

Eucalyptus has a time-honoured role in relieving the common cold, grounded in both traditional practice and modern pharmacology. Indigenous Australians used eucalyptus leaf preparations for respiratory congestion and fever long before it was adopted in European medicine.

For more information see: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38236839/

01/21/2026

Adults with heart disease who had a previous heart attack and took vitamin D doses tailored to reach ‘optimal’ blood levels reduced their risk of another heart attack by more than half compared to those who did not, according to a preliminary study presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2025. The meeting held on November 7-10 in New Orleans, was a premier global exchange of the latest scientific advancements, research and evidence-based clinical practice updates in cardiovascular science.

Previous studies found low vitamin D levels are linked to worse heart health. The TARGET-D randomised clinical trial included 630 adults with heart disease who also had a previous heart attack. More than 85% of participants began the study with vitamin D levels in their blood below 40 ng/mL (100 nmol/L). Unlike earlier vitamin D randomised trials that used standard doses, the TARGET-D trial personalised the doses based on the results of each participant’s blood test.

“Previous clinical trial research on vitamin D tested the potential impact of the same vitamin D dose for all participants without checking their blood levels first,” said Heidi T. May, principal investigator of TARGET-D and an epidemiologist and professor of research at Intermountain Health in Salt Lake City, Utah. “We took a different approach. We checked each participant's vitamin D levels at enrolment and throughout the study, and we adjusted their dose as needed to bring and maintain them in a range of 40 to 80 ng/mL.”

Participants in the TARGET-D study were randomised to two groups: The standard of care group did not receive management of their vitamin D levels, and the treatment group received tailored vitamin D supplementation, with doses adjusted every three months until their vitamin D blood levels were above 40 ng/mL. Once the vitamin D level was above 40 ng/mL, levels were checked annually and doses adjusted if levels dropped below that target.

Researchers monitored both vitamin D and calcium levels for the participants in the treatment group throughout the study to prevent vitamin D toxicity. Doses were reduced or stopped if vitamin D levels rose above 80 ng/mL (200 nmol/L).
The study’s key findings include:

• People who received personalised dosing of vitamin D supplements to achieve vitamin D levels greater than 40 ng/mL for nearly four years had a 52% lower risk of heart attack compared to participants whose vitamin D levels were not managed.
• More than 85% of participants had vitamin D levels below 40 ng/mL when they enrolled in the study.
• Nearly 52% of participants in the treatment group required more than 5,000 IU of vitamin D each day to reach the target blood levels of greater than 40 ng/mL.
• There were no significant adverse outcomes from the vitamin D intervention
Researchers found that tailored vitamin D doses did not significantly reduce the primary outcomes of death, heart failure hospitalisation or stroke; rather, supplementation appeared to be beneficial for preventing heart attacks specifically.

For several years, informed by a broad reading of clinical and observational research, I have aimed for a minimum serum vitamin D level of 100 nmol/L (40 ng/mL) in my patients. In many cases, patients self-fund testing, as vitamin D measurement is often deprioritised in mainstream practice and higher target ranges are regarded as lacking clinical relevance beyond deficiency prevention.

This study provides important support for the clinical value of targeting higher vitamin D levels—an approach long adopted by many natural and integrative practitioners.

For more information see: https://bit.ly/49kHooj
and
https://newsroom.heart.org/news/heart-attack-risk-halved-in-adults-with-heart-disease-taking-tailored-vitamin-d-doses

04/20/2020

03/23/2020

I got a frantic call from a friend who is not a herbalist this week: her local store was out of elderberry syrup and zinc lozenges. What other herbs could she take during a pandemic?! It's a strange time for us herbalists. Many of us have, for years, been shouting from the rooftops about how magic

03/06/2020

I've been really enjoying her videos and have watched this one in particular several times.

» Create your own professional site for free at Wix: https://www.wix.com/go/pickuplimes » The music we use: http://bit.ly/YT-music (great for YouTubers) » Cl...

02/22/2020

The vagus nerve is the longest nerve in the body. Stimulating the vagus nerve can help relieve various mental and physical pain. Find out how!

02/18/2020

Artemisia infused salves made with olive oil pressed from our own olives and sagebrush from the front yard finished today. Also, starting some calendula oil for future lotion making. Brainstorming on an herbal workshop schedule for the spring.

02/10/2020

Soap making for the first time. This is my first time using lye. I have been a little intimidated by it but I had some help

01/25/2020

05/08/2019