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Low blood pressure or hypotension, to give it a proper medical term, refers to the fall in blood pressure below the normal. It is a condition in which the action of the heart in forcing the blood through the arteries is weak. This is a direct outcome of a weakened and devitalized system. The patient with chronic low blood pressure may complain of lethargy, weakness, fatigue and dizziness. The patient may faint especially if arterial pressure is lowered further when he assumes an erect position.

These symptoms are presumably due to a decrease in perfusion of the brain, heart, skeletal muscle and other organs. The most important cause of low blood pressure is faulty nutrition. It makes the tissues forming the walls of the blood vessels to become overrelaxed and flabby or stretched. This results in less supply of oxygen and nutrients to the tissues. Malnutrition can result from diet deficient in calories, proteins, vitamin C or almost any one of the B vitamins.

Sometimes, the blood pressure falls rapidly because of haemmorrhage or loss of blood. Low blood pressure may develop gradually because of slow bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract, or through the kidneys or bladder. Emotional problems are far more frequent cause of low blood pressure. To a lesser degree, prolonged disappointment and frustration may result in a subnormal blood pressure.

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After the juice fast, the patient may adopt a restricted diet consisting of fresh fruits, raw or steamed vegetables and whole meal bread. Curd and milk may be added to this diet after a few days. The patient may thereafter gradually embark upon a well-balanced diet of seeds, nuts and grains, vegetables and fruits. The large proportion of the diet should consist of raw foods. Seeds and beans such as alfalfa, mung and soya beans can be sprouted. This diet may be supplemented with cold-pressed vegetable oils, honey and yeast. Juice fasting may be repeated at intervals of two months.

The patient should avoid tea, coffee, alcoholic beverages and all condiments and highly flavored dishes. He or she should also avoid sugar, white flour products, denatured cereals like polished rice and pearled barley and tinned or bottled foods. Certain home remedies have also been useful in the treatment of leucoderma. The best known of such remedies is the use of seeds of psoralea. Seeds should be steeped in the juice of ginger or cow’s urine for three days. The fluids should be renewed every day. The seeds should then be rubbed with hands to remove their husks, dried in the shade and powdered. One gram of this powder should be taken every day with fresh milk for 40 continuous days. The ground seeds should also be applied to the white spots.

Seeds of psoralea, combined with tamarind seeds are also useful. Equal quantity of both the seeds should be steeped in water for three or four days. They should then be shelled and dried in the shade. They should be ground into paste and applied to the white patches for a week. If the application of this paste causes itching or the white spots become red and a fluid begins to ooze out, it should be discontinued. If there is no itching or reddening, psoralea seeds should also be taken for 40 days.

Another useful remedy for leucoderma is red clay found by the river side or on hill slopes. The clay should be mixed in ginger juice and applied over the white spots once a day. The copper contained in the clay seems to bring back skin pigmentation and ginger juice serves as a milk stimulant, facilitating increased blood flow to the spots. Drinking water kept overnight in a copper vessel also helps.

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Many wrong beliefs are prevalent about the causes of leucoderma. It is not caused by eating fish and drinking milk at the same time, as is generally believed because even vegetarians suffer from this disorder. Other food combination’s such as pumpkin and milk, onion and milk as possible causes of leucoderma also have no basis. Leucoderma is not caused by any germs; nor is it due to bad blood. It is neither infectious nor contagious. It cannot be transmitted from one person to another by physical contact.

The main causes of leucoderma are excessive mental worry, chronic or acute gastric disorder, impaired hepatic function such as jaundice, worms or other parasites in the alimentary canal, ailments like typhoid which affect the gastrointestinal tract, defective perspirative mechanism and burn injuries. Often the harmone secreting glands are involved in this disorder. Heredity is also a causative factor and about 30 per cent of patients have a family history of the disorder.

In nature cure, the treatment of leucoderma consists of adoption of constitutional measures to cleanse the system of accumulated toxins. This enables the healing power within the body to assert itself, and produce normalcy. To begin with, the patient should undertake a fast on juices for about a week. In this regimen, he or she should take fruit or vegetable juices diluted with water on 50:50 basis every two or three hours. The bowels should be cleansed daily with warm water enema during this period.

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Leucoderma, also known as vitiligo, is a distressing skin condition. The world literally means ‘white skin’. There is a gradual loss of pigment melanin from the skin layers which results in white patches. These patches look ugly, especially in people with dark complexions. The condition does not cause any organic harm. It, however, brings about great psychological tension to the patient who is more embarrassed than the victim of any pain or discomfort. The condition thus, besides being a medical problem, also becomes a social stigma.

Leucoderma is a fairly common disorder and it affects one percent or more of the world’s population. The incidence is a little higher in India than any other country. The disorder can occur at any age in either sex in normal skin. It is, however, more common in women than men. The most affected areas are the hands, the neck, the back and the rist in that order.

The problem usually starts with a small white spot and later on it develops into patches. These patches are pale in the beginning but become whiter and whiter as time passes due to loss of pigment. As spots enlarge, they merge into each other and, in course of time, form a very broad patch. In some cases, most of the skin of the body may be covered with white patches.

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A majority of patients suffering from kidney stones can be treated successfully by proper dietary regulations. These regulations will also prevent a recurrence of the symptoms. Only a few cases require surgery. The patient should avoid foods which irritate the kidneys, to control acidity or alkalinity of the urine and to ensure adequate intake of fluids to prevent the urine from becoming concentrated. The foods considered irritants to the kidneys are alcoholic beverages, condiments, pickles, certain vegetables like cucumbers, radishes, tomatoes, spinach, rhubarb, watercress and those with strong aroma such as asparagus, onions, beans, cabbage and cauliflower, meat, gravies and carbonated waters.

In calcium phosphate stones, over-secretion of parathyroid harmone causes loss of calcium from the bones resulting in a high blood level of calcium with increased excretion of calcium in the urine. An abnormally high intake of milk, alkalis or Vitamin D may also result in the formation of calcium phosphate stones. For controlling the formation of calcium phosphate stones, a moderately low calcium and phosphorous diet should be taken. The intake of calcium and phosphates should be restricted to minimal levels consistent with maintaining nutritional adequacy. The maintenance level of calcium is 680 mg. and of phosphorous 1000 mg. In this diet, milk should  constitute the main source of calcium while, lentils and groundnuts should form the main source of phosphorous.

Foods which should be avoided are whole wheat flour, peas, soya beans, beets, spinach, cauliflower, turnips, carrots, almonds and coconuts. When stones are composed of calcium and magnesium phosphates and carbonates, the diet should be so regulated as to maintain an acidic urine.  In such a diet, only half a liter of milk, two servings of fruits and two servings of vegetables should be taken. The vegetables may consist of asparagus, fresh green peas, squash, pumpkins, turnips, cauliflower, cabbage and tomatoes. For fruits, you may consume watermelon, grapes, peaches, pears, pineapple, papayas and guavas may be taken.

On the other hand, the urine should be kept alkaline if oxalate and uric acid stones are being formed. In this diet, fruits and vegetables should be liberally used and acid-forming foods should be kept to the minimum necessary for satisfactory nutrition. When the stones contain oxalate, foods with high oxalic acid content should be avoided. These foods include almonds, beetroots, brinjal, brown bread, cabbage, cherry, chocolate, potatoes, radish, spinach and soya beans. Uric stones occur in patients who have an increased uric acid in the blood and increased uric acid exertion in the urine. Since uric acid is an end product of purine metabolism, food with a high purine content such as sweet bread, liver and kidney should be avoided.

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The formation of stones in the kidneys is the result of defects in the general metabolism. They usually occur when the urine becomes highly concentrated due to heavy perspiration or insufficient intake of funds. They are aggravated by a sedentary lifestyle. The other causes are wrong diet, excess intake of acid-forming foods, white flour and sugar products, meat, tea, coffee, condiments and spices, rich foods and overeating. Lack of Vitamin A and an excessive intake of vitamin D may also lead to formation of stones.

Chemically, urinary stones are of two categories, namely, primary stones and secondary stones. Primary stones are ordinarily not due to infection and are formed in acidic urine. They usually result from alcoholism, sedentary life, constipation and excessive intake of nitrogenous or pure-rich foods. Secondary stones are due to local infection and are formed in the alkaline urine.

Most kidney stones are composed either of calcium oxalate or phosphate, the latter being most common in the presence of infection. About 90 per cent of all stones contain calcium as the chief constituent. More than half of these are mixtures of calcium, ammonium and magnesium, phosphates and carbonates, while the remainder contain oxalate. Uric acid and cystine stones represent about four per cent and one per cent respectively of the total incidence of stones.

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The formation of stones in the kidneys or urinary tract is a fairly common disorder. The stones are formed from the chemicals usually found in the urine such as uric acid, phosphorous, calcium and oxalic acid. They may vary in consistency from grit, sand and gravel-like obstructions to the size of bird’s eggs. Stones may form and grow because the concentration of a particular substance in the urine exceeds its solubility. This disorder occurs more frequently in middle age, with men being afflicted more often than women.

The kidneys are two bean-shaped organs, lying below the waist on either side of the spinal column on the back wall of the abdomen. They are soft, reddish brown in color and, on an average, measures 10 centimeter in length, 6 centimeter in width and is 2.5 centimeter thick at its center. They are the filtering plant for purifying the blood, removing water and salts from it which are passed into the bladder as urine.

Kidney stones usually cause severe pain in their attempt to pass down the ureter on their way to the bladder. The pain is first felt on the side and thereafter in the groin and thighs. Other symptoms of kidney stones are a desire to urinate frequently, painful urination, scanty urination, nausea, vomiting, sweating, chills and shock. The patient may also pass blood with the urine. Sometimes, larger stones may remain in the kidneys without causing any trouble and these are known as “silent” stones.

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All fats like ghee, butter, cream and oils must be avoided for at least two weeks, and after that their consumption should be kept down to the minimum. Digestive disturbances must be avoided. No food with a tendency to ferment or putrefy in the lower intestines like pulses, legumes, etc. should be induced in diet. The juice of bitter luffa is regarded as an effective remedy for jaundice. It is obtained by pounding and squeezing through cloth. The juice should be placed on the palm of the hand and drawn up through the nostrils.

This will cause a profuse outflow of the yellow colored fluid through the nostrils. The toxic matter having been evacuated in a considerable quantity, the patient will feel relieved. It is, however, a strong medicine and may cause in the patients with delicate nature, side effects like giddiness, migraine and at times high fever for a short duration. It’s use should, therefore, be avoided by such patients. If the green juice of bitter luffa is not available, it can best be substituted by two or three drops of the fluid obtained by soaking its dry crusts overnight in water. This produces an identical effect. Seeds of bitter luffa which are easily available can also be used for the same purpose after rubbing in water.

Another valuable food remedy for jaundice is the green leaves of the radish. The leaves should be pounded and their juices extracted through the cloth. One pound of this juice daily is sufficient for an adult patient. It should be strained through a clean piece of muslin cloth before use. It provides immediate relief. It induces a healthy appetite and proper evacuation of bowels, and this results in a gradual decrease of the trouble. In most cases, a complete cure can be ensured within eight to ten days.

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Jaundice is indicative of the malfunctioning of the liver. It may be caused by an obstruction of the bile ducts which discharge bile salts and pigment in to the intestine. The bile then gets mixed with blood and this gives a yellow pigmentation to the skin. The obstruction of the bile ducts could be due to a gall stones or inflammation of the liver, known as hepatitis, caused by a virus. In the latter case, the virus spreads and may lead to epidemics owing to over-crowding, dirty surroundings, insanitary conditions and contamination of food and water. Other causes of jaundice are pernicious anaemia and certain diseases affecting the liver such as typhoid, malaria, yellow fever and tuberculosis.

The simple form of jaundice can be cured rapidly by diet therapy and exercises. Recovery will, however, be slow in serious cases which have been caused by obstruction or pressure in bile ducts. The patient should rest until the acute symptoms of the disease subside. The patient should be put on a fruit juice for a week. The juice of lemons, grapes, peer, carrot, beet and sugarcane can be taken. A hot water enema should be taken daily during the fast to ensure regular bowel elimination, thereby preventing the absorption of decomposed, poisonous material in to the blood stream. The fruit juice fast may be discontinued after the severity of the disease is over and a simple diet may be resumed.

The simple diet may be resumed on the following lines -

On rising : A glass of warm water mixed with two teaspoons of lime juice.

Breakfast : One fresh juicy fruit such as apple, papaya, grapes, berries and mango. One cup wheat dalia or one slice of whole wheat bread with a little butter.

Mid-morning : Orange juice.

Lunch : Two small chappatis of whole wheat flour, a cup of strained vegetable soup, a steamed leafy vegetable such as spinach, fenugreek or carrot and a glass of buttermilk.

Mid-afternoon : Orange juice or coconut water.

Dinner : Two whole chappatis with a little ghee or butter, baked. Also, baked potato and one other leafy vegetable like spinach and fenugreek, a glass of hot milk and honey of desired.

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Jaundice is the most common of all liver disorders resulting from an obstruction in the bile duct, or the loss of function of the bile-producing liver cells. There are several forms of jaundice but all of them are marked by yellow discoloration of the skin and the whites of the eyes. The liver, located under the diaphragm just above the stomach, is a vast chemical laboratory which performs many important functions. It inactivates hormones no longer needed, synthesizes many amino acids used in building tissues, and breaks protein in to sugar and fat when required for energy. It produces lacithin, cholesterol, bile and blood albumin, vital to the removal of tissue wastes. It also stores vitamins and minerals.

Bile is a vital digestive fluid which is essential for proper nutrition. It exercises a most favorable influence on the general processes of digestion. It also prevents decaying changes in food. If the bile is prevented from entering the intestines there is an increase in gases and other products. Normally, the production of bile and its flow is constant. The symptoms of jaundice are extreme weakness, headache, fever, loss of appetite, undue fatigue, severe constipation, nausea and yellow coloration of the eyes, tongue, skin and urine. The patient may also feel a dull pain in the liver region.

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