Chinese Herb Breakthrough Wins Prestigious Award

Posted by Cathy on

The award known as American Nobel Prize was presented last Saturday to an 81 year old researcher for her work on a Chinese herb called Artemisia.  Tu Youyou is the first Chinese citizen to receive the prestigious Lasker Medical Research Award.  Her work, along with her research team, has studied the Chinese herb Artemisia (qing hao) which is used to cure malaria.  Today the artemisia based drug created by Tu and her colleagues  is now a standard treatment for malaria and statistics show it's success rate is 97 percent.  

"I think the honor not only belongs to me, but also to all Chinese scientists," Tu said at the award ceremony held in New York. "The discovery of artemisinin is a gift to mankind from traditional Chinese medicine," Tu was quoted as saying by Xinhua.

"Not often in the history of clinical medicine can we celebrate a discovery that has eased the pain and distress of hundreds of millions of people and saved the lives of countless numbers of people, particularly children, in over 100 countries," Lucy Shapiro, a member of the award jury and professor of Stanford University, said while describing Tu's discovery.

This is very exciting news for Traditional Chinese Medicine. If we learn as a society to embrace the longstanding traditions and wisdom which botanical or herbal medicine hold, we will have the answers to many of the diseases of the 21st century.  We can improve the quality of our life and our lifespan using the knowledge of herbal medicine pasted down for centuries.   More research like that being done by Tu and her team could mean less lines for the unsustainable ER services and huge savings.  As a society we need to learn about Chinese herbs and how we can use them to create American traditions of "Wellness for Centuries".

For more information on Malaria and Artemisia read this post.   http://www.pacherbs.com/2009/04/

Flu Shot or Chinese Herbs, Which Is More Reliable?

Posted by Cathy on with 1 Comment

flu shot or Chinese herbs? I’ve been driving around town seeing flu shot signs in nearly every pharmacy lately.  I’ve was wondering, when did a flu shot become necessary?   If I were driving around Taiwan or China I would see signs saying, “Chinese Herbs Sold Here For The Flu.”  Am I missing something or is getting a flu shot more propaganda than good health practices?  I decided to do some research.

I found this quote from Dr. Tom Jefferson, a British epidemiologist who heads vaccine research for the respected Cochrane Collaboration.  Dr. Jefferson said he “can’t see any reason” for vaccinating anyone against flu –  he argued the shots did nothing to save lives — and that most influenza-vaccine studies are “rubbish.”   

Chinese herbs have been used for generations of men and women, hundreds of thousands have survived the flu for centuries throughout China using only Chinese herbs as their primary medicine.  But I wanted to find some unbiased flu shot data. In other words, studies that are not performed by companies that have a stake in making a profit off flu vaccines. 

An international organization called the Cochrane Foundation is one of my favorite places for trustworthy data.  They review thousands of relevant studies from around the world and collate the findings.  In this case, Dr. Tom Jefferson an epidemiologist was the leading researcher for flu vaccines.  His conclusion published in the Lancet February 26, 2005.

 “We recorded no convincing evidence that vaccines can reduce mortality, [hospital] admissions, serious complications, and community transmission of influenza.”   Contrary to conventional medical wisdom, vaccines do not seem to reduce flu-related deaths in elderly people”.

The best the Cochrane reviewers could come up was this: “Vaccines were somewhat effective at reducing school absence…”

However, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention advises flu vaccines for babies 6-23 months because they tend to suffer more complications once they get the flu, no evidence supports the recommendation. The Cochrane reviewers found that vaccines had little effect on bronchitis, ear infections, and hospitalizations, compared with the babies given placebo vaccines. In short, the CDC recommendations are irresponsible given the fact that the only two studies that involved babies found no benefit and little is known about adverse effects of these vaccines for babies.

Because fewer than 10% of all winter deaths can be attributed to the flu in any year during this study’s three-decade period, the authors conclude that vaccination’s benefit to elderly people has been substantially overestimated.

For me, I’ll stick with the Chinese herbs. Never did like shots anyway.

 

References:

Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2010 Feb 17;(2):CD005187.

Center for Medical Consumers   March 2005.

HRT Causes Nutrient Loss – Learn The Supplements to Add To Your Diet

Posted by Cathy on

I am blessed with an outstanding community in Los Angeles of Alternative Medicine and Natural Medicine doctors.  One great pioneer in the field is Dr. Hyla Cass.  We meet once a month, along with other movers and shakers in the Alternative Medicine Community to learn from each other, network and enjoy a wonderful meal.  

I wanted to re-post some excerpts from one of Dr. Cass’s recent articles.  This information is so critical and yet left unsaid by most doctors that prescribe the drugs.  

If you or someone you know is taking Hormone Replacement Therapy, please read Dr. Cass’s vitamin supplement suggestions.  I’m not sure why they won’t just call a spade a spade, HRT is Artificial Estrogen Replacement. HRT or Hormone Replacement Therapy does sound much more benign and certainly less scary.

If you suffer from menopause hot flashes and night sweats  we understand you may be suffering for years and dealing with the menopause symptoms can make life unbearable.  There are other options and ones that work.  We understand herbs can be a little scary too.  The real difference with Traditional Chinese Medicine and herbs for menopause is the hundreds of years of continual use throughout Asia.  You can read more about our Menopause Relief Herb Pack if you would like to learn more… otherwise, please take Hyla’s suggestions to heart and add some supplements if you absolutely must use HRT for your menopause hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings and other symptoms.

By Hyla Cass, M.D.

A little known, but potentially life-saving fact is that common medications deplete your body of a host of vital nutrients essential to your health. In this practical guide I’ll show you how to avoid drug-induced nutrient depletion and discuss options for replacing nutrient-robbing medications with natural supplements.

America has been called a pill-popping society, and the statistics bear this out. Nearly 50 percent of all American adults regularly take at least one prescription drug, and 20 percent take three or more. (1) Our increasing reliance on prescription medications has contributed to the growing problem with nutrient depletion. The truth is that every medication, including over-the-counter drugs, depletes your body of specific, vital nutrients. This is especially concerning when you consider that most Americans are already suffering from nutrient depletion. Additionally, many of the conditions physicians see in their everyday practice may actually be related to nutrient depletion. The good news is that, armed with information and the right supplements, you can avoid the side effects of nutrient depletion, and even better, you may be able to control and prevent chronic diseases, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis.

A Common Scenario

I have seen case after case of patients who have experienced nutrient loss from taking prescribed medications. Too often, neither the patients nor their doctors are aware that the medications are the real cause of their symptoms.

Drug-Induced Nutrient Depletion is Widespread

Physicians often tell their patients that symptoms arising from nutrient depletion are simply “part of the illness” or just signs that they’re “getting older.” To make matters worse, physicians frequently try to address the symptoms arising from drug-induced nutrient depletion by prescribing even more drugs, further compounding the problem.

On the flip side, some drugs can deplete nutritional status by increasing the desire for unhealthy foods, such as refined carbohydrates. Many of the neuroleptics (anti-psychotic drugs) and some antidepressants cause insulin resistance or metabolic syndrome, with results in blood sugar swings. Patients then crave simple carbohydrates, such as sugar, bread and pasta. Steroid drugs, including those given by an inhaler, can create similar issues as well.

HRT is a Common Nutrient Robbers

Nutrients are essential to the metabolic activities of every cell in the body. They’re used up in the process and need to be replaced by new nutrients in food or supplements. Some drugs deplete nutrients by speeding up this metabolic rate. These drugs include antibiotics (including penicillin and gentamicin) and steroids, such as prednisone, and the gout medication, colchicine.

Hormone Replacement Therapy

Many baby boomers are on hormone replacement therapy (HRT), which can deplete vitamins B6 and B12, folic acid and magnesium. These nutrients are critical for heart health, as well as for mood. Rather than an antidepressant prescription, these women should be given the appropriate supplements to restore balance. I have seen many women do well once these nutrient depletions were addressed.  This applies to younger women on oral contraceptives as well.  (Well said Dr. Cass, I couldn’t agree more.)

For women on standard HRT (estrogen and progesterone, orally, including as an oral contraceptive, or as a transdermal skin cream) I may also recommend calcium (1,000 mg to 1,200 mg daily), folic acid (400 mcg to 800 mcg), magnesium (500 mg), vitamin B2 (25 mg), vitamin B6 (50 mg), vitamin B12 (500 mcg to 1,000 mcg), vitamin C (500 mg to 1000 mg) and zinc (25 mg to 50 mg).   

Summary

Drug-induced nutrient depletion is far more common than has been acknowledged. In evaluating patients’ symptoms, doctors must assess whether symptoms are due to the illness, to the side effects of the drugs, or to drug-induced nutrient depletion. Considering the inadequate nutritional status of the majority of the population, we must remember that the illness itself may be due, in part, to nutrient deficiency. For insurance, it is easiest to provide baseline coverage: a daily high potency multivitamin mineral formula, CoQ10 (200 mg), omega-3 fatty acids (2 grams) and additional vitamin D and probiotics.

The bottom line: Physicians must look more deeply and determine underlying causes to determine whether drugs are harming patients – and what we can do to reverse these effects. As a consumer, be aware of these drug-nutrient depletions, and do what you can to avoid taking medications whenever you can, using natural products instead.

For more information, see my book, Supplement Your Prescription: What Your Doctor Doesn’t Know About Nutrition [http://www.cassmd.com/SuppYourPrescrpBk/SupYourPrescp_bk.html] available at my website, www.cassmd.com.

References
1. Centers for Disease Control and Statistics. Health United States 2006. www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/hus06.pdf#093.
2. The ALLHAT Officers and Coordinators for the ALLHAT Collaborative Research Group. JAMA 2002;288:2998-3007.
3. Clayton JA, Rodgers S, Blakey J. Thiazide diuretic prescription and electrolyte abnormalities in primary care. Br J Clin Pharmacol 2006 Jan;61:87-95.
4. Pak CY. Correction of thiazide-induced hypomagnesemia by potassium-magnesium citrate from review of prior trials. Clin Nephrol 2000;54:271-275.
5. Khedun SM, Naicker T, Maharaj B. Zinc, hydrochlorothiazide and sexual dysfunction. Cent Afr J Med 1995;41:312-315.
6. Zenuk C, Healey J, Donnelly J, et al. Thiamine deficiency in congestive heart failure patients receiving long term furosemide therapy. Can J Clin Pharmacol 2003;10:184-188.
7. Kishi T, Watanabe T, Folkers K. Bioenergetics in clinical medicine XV: Inhibition of coenzyme Q10-enzymes by clinically used adrenergic blockers of beta-receptors. Res Commun Chem Pathol Pharmacol 1977;17:157-164,
8. Stoschitzky K, Sakotnik A, Lercher P et al Influence of Beta-blockers on Melatonin Release. Eur J Clin Pharmacol. Apr1999;55(2):111-15.
9. Langsjoen PH, Langsjoen AM. The clinical use of HMG CoA-reductase inhibitors and the associated depletion of coenzyme Q10: A review of animal and human publications. Biofactors 2003;18(1-4):101-111.
10 Crane FL. Biochemical functions of coenzyme Q10. J Am Coll Nutr 2001;20:591-598.
11. Folkers K, Langsjoen P, Willis R, et al. Lovastatin decreases coenzyme Q levels in humans. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 1990;87:8931-8934.
12. Valuck RJ, Ruscin JM. A case-control study on adverse effects: H2 blocker or proton pump inhibitor use and risk of vitamin B12 deficiency in older adults. J Clin Epidemiol 2004;57:422-428.
13. Russell RM, Golner BB, Krasinski SD. Effect of antacid and H2 receptor antagonists on the intestinal absorption of folic acid. J Lab Clin Med 1988;112:458-463.
14. Sturniolo GC, Montino MC, Rossetto L, et al. Inhibition of gastric acid secretion reduces zinc absorption in man. J Am Coll Nutr 1991;10:372-375.
15. Yang, YX, Lewis JD, Epstein S, Metz DC. Long-term proton pump inhibitor therapy and risk of hip fracture. JAMA 296 (24): 2947-53
16. Zhao-Wei Ting R, C Chun Szeto, M Ho-Ming Chan, et al. “Risk factors of vitamin B12 deficiency in patients receiving metformin.” Archives of Internal Medicine Oct 9, 2006: 1975-1979.
17. Wulffele MG, Kooy A, Lehert P, et al. Effects of short-term treatment with metformin on serum concentrations of homocysteine, folate and vitamin B12 in type 2 diabetes mellitus: A randomized, placebo-controlled trial. J Intern Med 2003;254:455-463.
18. Bottiglieri T. “Folate, vitamin B12 and neuropsychiatric disorders.” Nutrition Review Dec 1996; 54(12): 382-390.,
19. Bottiglieri T, M Laundy, R Crellin, et al. “Homocysteine, folate, methylation, and monoamine metabolism in depression.” Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry Mar 2001; 70(3): 419.
20. Landau D, Kher KK. Gentamicin-induced Bartter-like syndrome. Pediatr Nephrol 1997;11:737-740.
21. Elliott C, Newman N, Madan A. Gentamicin effects on urinary electrolyte excretion in healthy subjects. Clin Pharmacol Ther 2000;67:16-21.

Healthy Fat For Pain Free Periods

Posted by Cathy on

The title of this article may sound contradictory.  First, many would ask how can fat be healthy and second, how can fats help with period pain? 

Let me explain. The french cook with this healthy fat in nearly every dish.  It has been around since man began domesticating animals. Eating this fat helps with the absorption of many other nutrients and it's' an even better choice than olive oil or other refined oils.  Would you believe it's butter!!

Yes, butter is good for you. Don't take my word for it. Check out what Weston A. Price Foundation and  Google Rudolph Ballentine MD who studied the antiviral and anti-cancer properties in "clarified" (milk solids removed) butter. This is simple to do  by boiling off the butters foam.  Dr. Ballentine knew about this healthy alternative decades ago.  It's the butyric acid, a fatty acid that provides the natural PMS, menstrual cramp relief and other healthy benefits.    

It works like this. Butter provides both short and medium-chain fatty acids molecules that are body depends upon for proper immune function and intestinal health. Fatty acids cannot be synthesized in our bodies and yet we rely on them for many normal functions, including normal growth and development. Butter contains the perfect balance of the fatty acids omega-3 and omega-6 fats both which regulate prostaglandin balance, which in the process helps regulate menstrual cycles, PMS, uterine cramps and normal reproductive health.

Have you ever had a stomach ache at the onset of your menstrual cycle?  Butter is beneficial for PMS bloating and digestive pains.  This makes perfect sense in Traditional Chinese Medicine, (TCM) because butter increases digestive fire.  This means is it helps improve the assimilation or digestibility of other foods.  Butter contains glycospingolipids  a category of fatty acids that protect against gastrointestinal infections.  

Go back to good ole' fashioned butter. Butter is a healthy fat and a little each day is a great food addition and a perfect way to help keep PMS and monthly period pains under control. 
__________________

To make clarified butter heat two pounds of sweet (unsalted) organic butter in a saucepan until it boils.  Maintain a rolling boil and scrape the foam off the top .  If the butter begins to sound like it's frying temperature, with crackling noises, quickly remove from heat.   Finish skimming and pour the butter into a glass or pottery storage container.  Do not use plastic.   The sediment in the bottom of the pan are milk solids and can be used in other food prep.  This makes approximately one pound of clarified butter.

Placenta Cookbook Now Available, Really!

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What is it about consuming a human placenta, used for centuries in Traditional Chinese Medicine, that seems to capture our attention?  Other mammals eat their placenta’s immediately after giving birth, only humans have been historically out of sync.

I must qualify that statement, Westerners have been out of sync. Asian cultures have not lost touch with this idea.  There are several thousand Chinese herbs documented in use for over a thousand years.  500-600 hundred are commonly used today and human placenta falls into the commonly used Chinese herb category.  

This growing trend of bringing home a new moms placenta, has been practiced in the East without fanfare.  Moms and grandmothers have known for centuries the health benefits of preparing a placenta with Chinese herbs to help a new mother recuperate from labor and promote lactation.  The placenta is packed with hormones, vitamins, minerals, blood cells and has a wide variety of health benefits.  Most well known may be milk production but if you’ve ever spoken to a mom who has consumed her placenta all tell endless stories about improved energy, faster healing from child birth.

Recently New York Magazine wrote about the latest trend and a new book called “The Placenta Cookbook”.  Congratulations to the author for writing the first cookbook of it’s kind.   Just when we thought every possible food group recipe had been written, this authors delivers something new.  I haven’t seen the book so I’m not sure if she talks about preparing placenta with Chinese herbs. It’s a true skill and not to be undertaken without some training.

I’ve written about Tom Cruise eating placenta before and it has been a popular blog post. Personally I would opt for my placenta made into capsules.  I recommend hiring a qualified dula to prepare the placenta with herbs in accordance with Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).  The expense is certainly worth it to safety reap all the benefit from your afterbirth.  

Read more on this topic:  

Eating the Afterbirth, A Chinese Medicine Tradition