By Cathy Margolin
on October 28, 2009
Kudzu, a vine also known as Ge Gen in Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine has been considered a weed and an invasive species in the Deep South for the past 50 years. It has also been celebrated as one of the 50 most fundamental herbs in Chinese Medicine. While first prized for its sweet smelling flowers, it’s encroaching and invasive nature soon made it unpopular to some and a flight of fancy for others.
Here in the US, poetry, books and films have been written about this vine, and it has the making of a legend in its ability to grow one foot a day and up to sixty feet a year, covering any structure, small or large. Our picture shows it eating a car. Festivals have been planned in its honor, clubs have been formed and individuals have been known…
By Cathy Margolin
on October 22, 2009
Modern Science is proving Chinese herbs are useful for pain and menstrual cramps.
Frankincense and myrrh are two herbs mentioned repeatedly in the bible. I find it fascinating that Egyptians used myrrh for embalming the bodies of Pharaohs while frankincense was used in India as incense for worship during biblical times. These shrubs or small trees of the family Burseraceae produce a liquid when the bark is punctured. That liquid or resin is then dried and cooked with vinegar or honey for medicinal uses in Traditional Chinese Medicine. (TCM) While both trees originated in the Arabian peninsula, we know they arrived in China by 400 AD, where the exploration of their medicinal properties was noted.
What’s incredible is both of these trees is used in TCM combination’s or herb formulas mainly to unblock the flow of blood, treat traumatic…
By Cathy Margolin
on October 20, 2009
Botany of Desire
Four common plants, a weed, a flower a root and a fruit. We think we control them …. but what if they really control us? They have learned to satisfy our desires. Look at nature like never before. Can these plants be considered herbal medicine because they fulfill our desires?
The Botany of Desire by Michael Pollan.
I only wonder what the millions of other plants we use everyday from Ginseng to all the other Chinese herbs and plant medicinals would say about these four being selected for the program? How very jealous they must be.
By Cathy Margolin
on October 18, 2009
I try to bring important medical research articles to this forum to keep readers educated, through scientific studies, on Chinese Herbs that exhibit extraordinary medical results. This research was conducted in 2007 and although not as recent as some other studies I’ve mentioned, it’s relevancy is certain worthy of reporting here.
Researchers at the University of Haifa in Northern Israel, found molecules in the Ganoderma lucidum mushroom, (a popular Chinese herb) commonly known as the reishi or lingzhi in Chinese Medicine which help suppress some mechanisms involved in the progression of prostate cancer. Ling Zhi seems to be able to slow the progress of disease. The compounds identified in ling zhi were found help suppress some of the mechanisms involved in the progression of prostate cancer. They disrupt the activity of androgen receptors and impede…
By Cathy Margolin
on October 14, 2009
Asian countries have been using Chinese Herbs for centuries to treat pre-diabetes (impaired glucose tolerance or IGT), the precursor of diabetes but now there is some scientific evidence to support the Traditional Chinese Medicine claims.
The prestigious Cochran Review has just published a study they conducted on 1391 participants which says “evidence suggests Chinese herbal medicines are able to lower and normalize high blood glucose.”
Pre-diabetes is recognized by higher than normal blood sugar levels. People with pre-diabetes are advised to change their diets to control their blood glucose levels and prevent progression to diabetes. Chinese herbs are believed to work in a number of different ways to help normalize blood sugar levels, including improving pancreatic function and increasing the availability of insulin.
Those given the Chinese herb formulations were less likely to develop full blown diabetes during the study…
By Cathy Margolin
on October 13, 2009
According to several recent studies from the National Sleep Foundation and Science Daily the answer to that question is a resounding "yes". Insomnia seems harmless enough. Perhaps you simply have a hard time falling asleep at night. Or perhaps you toss and turn for a few hours, and then wake up the next morning and drink an extra cup of coffee to make up for it. How could this be harmful? While it has been proven the body can physiologically survive for 11-18 days without sleeping, the side effects and danger begin on the very first night, irritability and blurry vision, slowed reaction time, diminished memory capacity and speech control are some of the noticeable effects. From there it can build to a constant underlying sense of nausea, an increase in cortisol, which is linked to…
By Cathy Margolin
on October 6, 2009
A study released Oct. 5, at the American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery Foundation (AAO-HNSF) annual meeting reported Complementary and Alternative Medicine is being used by a growing segment of patients.
Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) is being used to treat the symptoms of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), yet patients are hesitant to tell their doctors they are using CAM therapies such as Acupuncture and Homeopathy.
Sixty-five percent of patients had used CAM. Thirty percent of patients used it for the chronic rhinosinusitis. Women were significantly more likely to use CAM than men, according to the statistics. Patients who were employed, married, and had university degrees were also more likely to use CAM. Only 43 percent of CAM users had informed their doctor about its use. CRS is defined as a group of disorders characterized by…
By Cathy Margolin
on October 4, 2009
Shopping at a farmers market is always a favorite activity of mine, checking out the best produce and looking for the best prices. I’d love to shop at a farmers market in Tibet where fresh cordyceps adorns the tables. Cordyceps has a history of being the world best fungus. But the cost may shock you. A $100.00 or more for a fee ounces? Prices vary depending on quality and can be even higher.
Cordyceps ability to treat chronic diseases including diabetes, COPD, liver and kidney diseases, tinnitus and amnesia, decreased libido and fatigue have all been heavily researched. Highly prized by ancient Chinese Emperors, many athletes today use this fungus to increase energy, improve endurance, increasing oxygen capacity and boost lung function.
In China cordyceps is used as both a dietary supplement and medicine for the above…
