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Page 62
that 100 percent of the seaweed's ingested arsenic was excreted in the urine within 60 hours.
For recipes using kelp and other sea vegetables, consult cookbooks which feature macrobiotic or Japanese foods. Note that some people are allergic to the iodine in kelp, which can cause acne-like skin breakouts. If this occurs, discontinue use.
Lily of the Valley (Convallaria Majalis)
The dried leaves of this shade-loving garden plant are widely used in Europe to treat cardiovascular problems, including congestive heart failure. Its action is similar to that of foxglove (digitalis) without that plant's toxic side effects. Because it has diuretic properties, lily of the valley is used to relieve fluid retention and congestive conditions of the heart.
As familiar as this plant is to European herbalists, it is seldom used in the U.S. for it was banned by the FDA after its cardioactive glycosides were isolated and fed in large quantities to laboratory rats, who suffered adverse effects. No one denies that the plant's red berries are poisonous, but lily of the valley has since been reapproved for use and is listed with other herbs in the Merck Index. However, few Americans know of its reclassification or appreciate the plant's uninterrupted history of effective use in Germany, England and other countries.
After developing congestive heart failure, Dick Quinn (see page 17) relied on a blend of 60 percent lily of the valley, 30 percent hawthorn berry, 15 percent rosemary leaf and 5 percent cayenne pepper to control his symptoms.
So many German preparations use lily of the valley that Rudolf Fritz Weiss, M.D., reviewed several

 
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