Wall Street Journal Reports on How Acupuncture May Work

Posted by Cathy on with 3 Comments

According to this report (connect here) in the Wall Street Journal today, "Despite acupuncture's 4,000-year history, little is known about the biological pathways that enable carefully placed needles to relieve pain in many patients."    A study just published in Nature Neuroscience says the compound adenosine may be the reason acupuncture  is an effective pain reliever. Adenosine has been known as an effective anti-inflammatory for years.  We've also known adonosine plays an important part in energy transfers process or ATP. (adenosine triphospate). 

But how it's function as a pain reliever has been more shrouded. This recent study showed that performing acupuncture in mice triggers a release of adenosine  in the tissues.  Levels of adenosine, a neurotransmitter, rose 24-fold in the tissue fluid surrounding  an acupuncture needle.  Certainly more studies are necessary but this is the first in many possible insights explaining how this very ancient practice has some very real biological effects. 

Anyone who has ever received an acupuncture treatment understands the calming, pain relieving effects a few extremely small needles, placed carefully in precise locations can make.   It's hard to believe until you experience it for yourself.  But after just 10 minutes the effects are so noticeable it hardly matters to any Acupuncturist enthusiast what the patho-physiological effects of the chemical transmitters are called that make the difference between pain and no pain. "As long as it works, that's all I need to know" said David, a client of mine for the past few years.  David and millions of happy people can't possible be wrong.

(My client volunteered her hand for the picture above.)

 

Summertime Thirst Quencher Herb Teas

Posted by Cathy on with 2 Comments

Chinese herbs for summertime teaSummertime is upon us and it’s heating up out there.  Forget the lemonade and the passion fruit ice tea, here’s two recipes with natural herbs for real thirst quenching. These are great for anyone who wants a cool, refreshing drink that’s packed with vitamins and heat relieving properties. These thirst quencher ice teas are healthier than sports drinks and vitamin waters and yet still taste good. 

This tea is also greener!! Instead of  buying and tossing those plastic (BPA ridden) bottles  into landfills,  you’re making a healthy fitness beverage.  You may not know these Chinese herbs but you can easily find them in Asian markets or on the Internet.  These teas have cooling properties to help keep you comfortable on those hot and humid  summer days. If you’re exercising in the heat these teas are perfect to rehydrate the minerals you’re losing.  It’s what you need in your water bottle for a bike ride,  after a workout and in the refrigerator all summer long.

Regarding sweeteners, we know high fructose corn syrup and  cane sugar is not so good for us.  High fructose corn syrup is  prevalent in juice drinks, sports drinks and processed foods so here’s some natural herbal options to sweeten these teas. These sweeteners will help diabetics control their blood sugar and won’t contribute to your kid’s cavities.

Naturals Sweeteners:

I love how easy it is to use Lo Han Sweet. Add a few teaspoons to a pitcher of tea for a healthy, low calorie sweetener.  It’s  made from ½ Xylitol and ½ Chinese herb extract called Longevity fruit.  It looks a little like Splenda’s consistency but much safer.  My other sweetener choices would be Stevia or pure Xylitol.   Be sure to  buy Xylitol, a sugar extract, that  is made from non-gmo corn.  It resembles sugar but has a third less calories and is great for diabetics.  Another option is boiling 1 Longevity fruit, (lou han guo) in a quart of water.  The water will be super sweet and you can add this to your tea to taste.

Mint & Chrysanthemum Tea –   Makes 10-15 cups

1 cup – Mint leaves – Dried or fresh. In Traditional Chinese Medicine mint is used to clear heat from the head and eyes.  It’s cool nature helps relieve heat rashes and headaches. This Chinese herb you are sure to know and recognize but you probably didn’t know it also relieves  irritability and but not recommended for nursing mothers.

1 cup – Dried Chrysanthemum flowers (Chinese grocery stores sell this or buy on line.)  Chrysanthemum, another popular Chinese herb,  has been used throughout Asia for centuries to reduce fevers, headaches and red swollen dry eyes.

Directions:

Boil 4 cups of water.  Remove from heat and place herbs in water to steep for at least 10 minutes. Strain out herbs and add a few extra mint leaves for taste. Add additional 6 cups of water or ice.  Use above sweetener to your desired taste. You may want to use 1 cup of the Longevity fruit sweetener water to taste.   

Pink Berry Cooler Tea –  Makes 10-15 cups

1 cup – Gou Ji Berries and/or Red dates  – Both of these can be found at most Chinese markets and now some health food stores. Use about 1 cup of either or ½ cup of both.  Both are great blood tonics , packed with vitamins and minerals and add a nice natural sweet flavor to any tea.   

1-2 cups Watermelon – You can use both the melon and the white rind.  But what you really need here is only the white rind. But, don’t cut too close to the green skin because the taste will get more bitter the closer you get. You’ll want to puree the watermelon with a little of the warm water from cooked berries above, before adding it to the other ingredients. Watermelon rind has the best cooling properties of just about any melon and has been used in Chinese medicine for generations.

2 cups – Aloe Vera Juice  – Buy it by the gallon. It’s cheaper and goes a long way.  This is an herb used for centuries and is well known for it’s cooling properties.  It’s great for constipation, irritability and red eyes. Add the aloe to the mixture at the end. I find aloe to be fairly bland tasting so it can be hidden with other flavors easily.

Directions:

Boil 3 cups of water.  Turn to a simmer and add gou ji berries and red dates.  Simmer for 15 -20  minutes.  Allow to cool. Strain out herbs.  Add the aloe juice and watermelon juice. Add additional 5 cups of water or ice.  Use above sweetener to your desired taste.

For a little zing add some sparking water before drinking to either tea or a splash of rose water.  (You can usually find rose water in glass bottles in most ethnic markets as well as the Chinese herbs listed above.)

You can see Chinese herbs are not really all that exotic and foreign.  5 out of  6 Chinese herbs mentioned here you have probably heard of before.  A little understanding about what to eat and drink when the weather is too cold or too hot can make a big difference in your health.

FDA Says Sleep Aids Have Not Proven Effectiveness

Posted by Cathy on
It’s only taken 15 years. The head of the FDA’s office of Nonprescription Products, Dr. Charles Ganley, sent a letter (released May 5, 2010) to the Consumer Healthcare Products Assoc. or CHPA on Feb 16, 2010 stating,  “There is an insufficient basis to support the combination of acetaminophen and diphenhydramine as a nighttime sleep aid for relief of occasional sleeplessness when associated with minor aches and pains”.
In other words, if your spending your hard earned dollars on products such as Tylenol PM and Excedrin PM your getting nothing more than minimal pain relief. Patients taking the over-the counter sleep products did not fall asleep any faster than those who took only acetaminophen or the sedative, known as diphenhydramine citrate, according to the FDA’s letter.  
 The FDA’s letter also questioned the data submitted by the drug companies behind these products. “The concern … is that we need an additional study demonstrating that the combination product is more effective than acetaminophen alone and more effective than diphenhydramine alone,” FDA spokeswoman Shelly Burgess said. The study submitted in 1995 failed to meet its main goal of showing that the combination of the pain and sleep ingredients could help people fall asleep faster.
The data on these sleep aid products was submitted 15 years ago. Why this took so many years to reach the ears of consumers is unknown. Reuters reported Ganley was not available for an interview, but Burgess cited the agency’s “significant workload in regulating over-the-counter drug products” and the need to prioritize based on available agency resources. She added that the letter did not reflect any other initiatives at the FDA, including a recall and recent concerns over acetaminophen’s risk of liver toxicity.
It’s unfortunate more people don’t know the benefits of Chinese herbs for sleeplessness. Natural sleep aids have always been needed and there are many wonderful plants and herbs that can benefit the sleep deprived.  Herbs can calm the mind gently to stop all the repetitive thinking that tends to keep us awake at night.  Chinese herbs do not have the side effects associated with prescription drugs and can be used safely long term.
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6444R720100505 (Reuters reporting by Susan Heavey)
http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/1860843/fda_says_tylenol_pm_has_no_benefit/index.html

CAUTION ADVISED When using Acetaminophen, Herbs are a safer alternative

Posted by Cathy on with 2 Comments

Usually I write about Chinese herbs, but today’s a brief diversion on a compelling topic.Herbs are safer alternative to OTC medicines

If you’re like most Americans your medicine cabinet is stocked full of over-the-counter medicine (OTC) and probably at least a few prescription medications. But did you know that taking OTC acetaminophen can be poisonous and can cause serious liver damage.  UCLA experts warn that combining many pharmaceutical drugs such as vicodin and percocet for pain with an OTC cold and flu medicine can be a deadly liver cocktail.  New data is just surfacing because liver transplants are hitting an all time high in the U.S. Turns out the number one cause of liver damage  is acetaminophen poisoning from long term overdosing. 

We know you didn’t mean to overdose but did you realize more than two extra strength tablets or 650 milligrams daily is the U.S. FDA recommended dose? This lower and safer dosage was recommended by the FDA’s own advisory board in June 2009, but this recommendation has yet to be acted on as of this publishing date.

Are you using Tylenol®PM as a  sleep aid or Tylenol® extra strength for menstrual cramps? You may be causing liver damage. It’s seems negligent of the manufacturers to withhold this information, it certainly has not been widely publicized.  Labeling laws have been slightly modified (if you read the extra small print on packages) but you are not going to hear this information on TV or a radio commercial.

If your prescription drugs have the abbreviation “APAP” on the label, the medicine contains acetaminophen, and may cause liver damage. (But not all drugs are marked so check with you pharmacist.)  If your taking any combination of over-the-counter drugs and prescription drugs containing acetaminophen, you may cause liver damage. If you add alcohol to this mix you are certain to cause liver damage and your poor liver will need to check into a rehab facility for some serious down time. 

Not to be flippant about the very serious side effects of acetaminophen but if you combine any OTC sinus caplet, cold and flu formula, a pain reliever, Sudafed®, Excedrin®, Tylenol®, Pamprin®, Benadryl®, Premsyn®, CVS® decongestant, Eckerd® Pain relief, Thera flu ®cold packets, Vicks® DayQuil or NyQuil, arthritis pain relief caplets (just to name a few) together on any given day your most likely going over the recommended/safe zone for acetaminophen. You guessed it, more liver damage.

Take a vacation from the OTC medicines and get yourself some all natural 100% safe Chinese herbs. You’ll feel better and your liver will thank you.

Wisconsin Ginseng Crop Damaged Due to Snow in May

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The best American Ginseng Typically, May weather in Wisconsin is wet, but not below freezing.  This was not the case on May 7, 2010 in Marathon County when it snowed 3-4 inches in 24 hours. The freezing temperatures have likely killed all the newly planted Ginseng. 

American Ginseng, also known as Panax quinquefolius, is a highly sought after Chinese herb used for centuries.   It is the root of this herb that is used medicinally.  Wisconsin depends on American Ginseng for over 15 million dollars each year and the freakish weather is estimated to have killed or damaged up to 80% of the new crop.  The cold weather snap effects the recently planted seedlings the hardest and may seriously drive up prices.

Much of the harvest is exported to Asia where it fetches higher dollar values than in America.  Asian cultures  have used Ginseng for it's medicinal values for over 2000 years.  Used commonly to ward off colds & flu's, ginseng is also known for it's anti-cancer properties and research shows it reduces blood sugar in people with diabetes. The Ginseng Board of Wisconsin has a very nice website with more information. 

The crop normally takes 4 years to mature.  Chinese herbs like American Ginseng are also grown in other parts of the U.S., mainly the woods of Kentucky and North Carolina. So, depending on how much Wisconsin Ginseng can be salvaged, the supply in the coming years may or may not be severely effected by Mother Nature's temperament. Many Chinese herbs grown in China have seen price increase due to Mother Nature.  An ongoing drought in China has effected another specie of Ginseng, and has already driven up prices as much as 300% this year alone.