Pac Herbs

How Long Can You Last? The Test of Time

Cathy Margolin — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 06:09:25 +0000

In the business world when economic times get tough a business that weathers the storm is a true survivor. A standout, that must have incredibly popular products that make people come back for more even when unemployment is high and people are unwilling to spend. A business that survives must have proven itself worthy of providing great products at a fair price. Products that people simply can’t do without. When a business does this for 70 to 100 years or more we are all impressed. The stamina, the fortitude and adaptability to survive for so many years must mean this business has some incredible products which we all crave. Ford Motor Company and Kodak come to mind, some of the oldest American businesses.

But what do you think about a business that has survived providing the same products for 341 years? It’s truly unheard of in America. We have only been an independent nation for 234 years and no single business has survived since revolutionary days. Yet, a Chinese herb pharmacy called Tong Ren Tong is still in business after 341 continuous years. They still sell Chinese herbs, just as they did in the year 1669. In fact, in Beijing they operate from the same location since 1702.

They are a household name in China, Hong Kong and much of Asia. They operate pharmacies, drug retailers and various joint ventures throughout 13 countries in Asia. Wouldn’t you be a household name if you were 341 years old? The picture above is me standing in front of their Hong Kong store. (No pictures were allowed inside)

Tong Ren Tang was the supplier of medicinal Chinese herbs to the royals of the Qing Dynasty, from 1669 until their collapse 1911. They have succeed in weathering the storms of Chinese government takeovers, communism and now globalization and prescription medications. Tong Ren has been successful for hundreds of years because Chinese herbs work, it’s as simple as that. Chinese herbs worked 300 hundred years ago and they work today for all kinds of illnesses. Whether your buying ginseng or reishi mushrooms Tong Ren has the herbs and they know how to prescribe them for everything from the common cold to cancer.

When you have incredibly popular products that work well, are needed by the masses and provide real value at a fair price your business will survive regardless of the economic times and government takeovers. Chinese herbs have proven to be that commodity. Chinese herbs are medicine that continues to heal people, even centuries after they were first introduced.

Bitter Melon to Ward Off Breast Cancer Cells

Cathy Margolin — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 06:50:32 +0000

What vegetable is green, oblong, with the skin of a toad and the name of a fruit? The answer is bitter melon, a tropical native popular in South Asia and India. Most Westerners would cringe at the taste. But it’s time it start showing up in American diets now that a new study from The Journal of Cancer Research, (March 1 issue) indicates bitter melon may also ward off breast cancer.

Bitter melon has been used in Traditional Chinese herbal Medicine for ages. This study, published by the American Association of Cancer Research and conducted in St. Louis MO, showed this Chinese herb has an ability to slow the growth and in some cases kill breast cancer cells.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer of women in the U.S. It's time prevention, not just research for a cure, be emphasized, including dietary changes to effectively stop the spread of this deadly cancer.

Chinese herbal medicine commonly uses bitter melon for the treatment of diabetes. It is naturally high in Vitamin C, calcium, has twice the potassium of bananas, twice the beta carotene of broccoli and is fiber and B vitamin rich. Now we should add breast cancer prevention to the list of what this incredible, edible, Chinese herb can do.

This Chinese herbs preventative properties need to be publicized. Prevention is not only more cost effective, it is the solution to all our health challenges as we age. Staying healthy and happy is a health goal we all share. Find some bitter melon today and eat your way to good health.

Link to the study here

This post is proudly part of the Kathleen Show: Prevention not Prescription Tuesday's

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Another study just published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute reported having a double mastectomy, or removing an otherwise healthy breast to prevent breast cancer from occurring in healthy tissue had no added benefit. This was a population study conducted by MD Anderson in Houston TX. Surgery as a prevention against breast cancer had no measurable benefit.

Connect to this study here
http://jnci.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/djq018

Harvard Says Menopause Hormone Therapy Carries Proven Heart Risks

Cathy Margolin — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 06:06:11 +0000

A very important study was just released from Harvard School of Public Health by the National Institute of Health. This study on women’s health confirmed that combination hormone therapy used commonly for symptoms due to menopause increases a women’s risk for heart disease.

“New analysis from the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) confirm that combination hormone therapy increases the risk of heart disease in healthy postmenopausal women. Researchers report a trend toward an increased risk of heart disease during the first two years of hormone therapy among women who began therapy within 10 years of menopause, and a more marked elevation of risk among women who began hormone therapy more than 10 years after menopause. Analysis indicate that overall a woman’s risk of heart disease more than doubles within the first two years of taking combination HT.”

My hope is that this study will be read by the throngs of women who visit their medical doctors looking for a quick fix for hot flashes and night sweats. Understanding these proven risks will surely save lives. There is a better way to treat menopausal symptoms using Chinese medicine and Chinese herbs. This less understood Complementary and Alternative Medicine has been practiced in Asia for centuries with truly remarkable results. Today nearly every community across America has an Acupuncturist and the profession is growing.

Jacques E. Rossouw, M.D., chief of the NHLBI Women's Health Initiative Branch and a coauthor of the paper, added, "Although the number of recently menopausal women who would be expected to suffer a heart attack during the first years of combination hormone therapy is small, the risk is likely to be real.”

The risk of taking hormone therapy is real! It can’t be much clearer than that. Yet, to me it sounds like Dr. Rossouw’s statement doesn’t want to cause panic so he says the risk is small. But if even one women dies unnecessarily from a heart attack due to hormone replacement therapy, in my book, that’s one heart attack and one life to many.

I treat many women with menopausal symptoms and I understand how uncomfortable hot flashes and night sweats can be. Routinely I hear the common complaints about quality of sleep, how difficult it is to dress comfortably and all the other dryness issues from hair to nails to skin, etc. I treat women with Acupuncture and with Chinese herbs. I don’t do anything miraculous as an Acupuncturist, but my patients get great results. It’s the acupuncture and herbs that balance the body naturally and help ease the symptoms of menopause.

It’s also not a quick fix, many patients come for three to six months on a weekly basis and are very compliant about taking the herbal formulas. Again it’s not me, it’s Chinese medicine that understands the relationship of Yin and Yang energy in the body and has been perfected throughout the last 2000 years.

My hope is that all women will ease into the change of life and experience little to no uncomfortable symptoms. But when they do, spread the word that help is available using Chinese Medicine and Chinese herbs that does not carry proven risk factors such as heart attacks. Acupuncture is safe and effective when performed by a licensed Acupuncturist. If you need a referral we are here to help. Use the yellow contact button on the left and just let us know your looking for an acupuncturist in your hometown.

I always give links to studies in my articles, here’s the link for this one. http://www.nih.gov/news/health/feb2010/nhlbi-15.htm

Herbal Aphrodisiacs

Cathy Margolin — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 07:24:11 +0000

The perfect follow up to my Chinese medicinal wine article is the topic of herbal aphrodisiacs. An aphrodisiac can be anything that arouses or intensifies sexual desire. Throughout the centuries Chinese emperors had concubines to keep happy, or was it the reverse? Either way preserving one’s stamina and sexual vitality was of the utmost importance to one’s health and herbs were considered a source for the proverbial “fountain of youth”. The Chinese have worked on perfecting herbal formulas for sexual enhancement over the last two thousand years.

Ginseng is probably the most well known of the herbs used throughout the centuries. Yet a Chinese herb formula with ginseng will often be more potent than any given single herb. A formula for sexual improvement is always designed to build both yin and yang energy from a Chinese medicine viewpoint. All natural aphrodisiac formulas are designed to build the kidney energy because in Traditional Chinese medicine the kidney's are the source of the sexual stamina.

Other powerful kidney tonics include Cistanche, see this post to find out more about this truly remarkable plant that grows only with a host plant next to it. Cistanche is completely dependent on the energy of it’s host for all it’s growth and maturation.

The herb Rehmannia is another superior herb to replenish your yin and yang energy. It is always given in combination with other herbs by Acupuncturist’s and Chinese Medicine practitioners. In fact, it is one herb of six in a formula that many in Asia use for years. This formula called Six Flavor Rehmannia is commonly taken in pill form and is very safe to take long term.

Horny goat weed by name alone must be included in this list. Many studies have researched the power of this plant. The general consensus is the leaves active constituents help increase the relaxation of smooth muscle and this allows more blood flow to the penis or clitoris or other smooth muscles. It also has immune regulating effects. Again, it’s often used in combination with other herbs for the sought after aphrodisiac effects.

I would be remiss not to include Cordyceps as a Chinese herbal aphrodisiac. To read more about cordyceps click here. I believe will suffice to say it’s one of the strongest sexual tonics known in the herb world.

If your looking for a powerful herb formula to boost your energy, check with a licensed Acupuncturist. You’ll end up getting a higher quality product than something off the shelf of most stores. You will also be certain to get the right product for your condition. If you have any questions about herbal formulas feel free to post them here or drop us a private message using the yellow contact button on the left.

Happy Valentines day all.

Drink in the Benefits of Chinese Medicine Wines

Cathy Margolin — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 17:57:33 +0000

Two things I love to do are digging in the dirt and drinking good wine. So this article is a natural for me.

Digging and drinking don’t seem very compatible, but if you’re an archeologist digging in the dirt has an entirely different meaning. In 1972 a group of very fortunate Chinese archeologists were digging and uncovered one of the greatest finds in Chinese history, the Mawangdui Han Tombs dating back to the Han Dynasty dated 220 BCE to 220 AC. These tombs are one of China's most important archaeological discoveries.

One of thousands of artifacts recovered from these tombs was a book titled “52 Prescriptions". In this book more than 30 wine recipes were recorded. But not just any wine, medicated wines, formulated for both internal and external use to treat illnesses like ulcers, snake bits, skin problems and of course longevity and sexual stamina. Wine was a common beverage for the aristocrats of the time and two top priorities were living longer and greater sexual prowess.

Some wines were called tonic wines, many are still used today to preserve health and increase longevity. The wines were made by mixing certain medicinal herbs and leaving them to soak or brew for some period of time, anywhere from a few weeks to a few months or longer. I’ve never tried to make medicinal wines but I do keep a private stock of ginseng roots soaking in a premium vodka. It makes the ultimate martini.

Whether it’s wine or tea, both use the same principal of soaking or cooking Chinese herbs in a liquid, be it water or wine, to release the healthly consitutients of the herbs. So drink up and enjoy the health benefits of Chinese medicine, truly rooted in 2000 year old books like “52 Prescriptions”.

New discoveries in Chinese Herbal Medicine for Oral Cancer

Cathy Margolin — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 01:27:34 +0000

Chinese herbs can play a role in oral cancer inhibition according to a study recently published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, Febuary 2010. Surgery, radiation and chemotherapy have been the tri-fecta standard of care for oral squamos cell carcinoma (OSCC) yet the past 20 years survival rates have not improved.

This latest study reveals celastrol, a chemical found in Chinese herbs may help treat cancer by inactivating a protein necessary for cancer growth.

Oral cancer strikes men over 40 twice as often as women and tends to spread rapidly. Tobacco use is believed to be the cause of 70-80% of oral cancer cases, whether it be from smoking or chewing tobacco. Poor oral hygiene and alcohol abuse may also increase ones risk for cancers of the mouth, tongue, lips, and gums.

This recent study was conducted at the Medical College of Georgia in Atlanta, funded in part by the by National Institutes of Health, the Mayo Foundation and a grant from the American Heart Association. The study reported a “combination of GA and celastrol has a synergistic antitumor effect” and concluded this “may be a promising modality for treating oral squamous cell carcinoma.”1

“Gambogic acid (GA) is a major active ingredient of gamboge, which has been widely used in Traditional Chinese Medicine. It is reported that GA possesses diverse biological effects, such as anti-oxidant and anti-infectious activities".2-3 Recent pharmacological studies have revealed that GA also has potent cytotoxic and anti-cancer activities in several cancer cell lines” 4

Celastrol is a chemical found in the Chinese herb called Thunder God Vine (Tripterygii Wilfordi Radix Folium). Various preparations of Thunder God Vine have been used in Asia over the last 50 years in the treatment of a number of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.5

Cancer treatments may now incorporate this herb compound with other treatments to improve patients survival rates. "The celastrol induces the protein to form fibrils and clusters it together, which inactivates it," said researcher Ahmed Chadli. "When they are clustered, they're not available for other functions that help cancer grow."

As a side note celastrol an active ingredient in some Traditional Chinese herbal medicines has also been found beneficial in studies for prostate cancer.6

References:

The Journal of Biological Chemistry http://www.jbc.org/content/285/6/4224.abstract

From the Center for Molecular Chaperone Radiobiology and Cancer Virology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, Georgia 30912,

The Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota 55905, and

The Organic Chemistry Laboratory, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Jacksonville, FL

Supported by the American Heart Association Grant SDG 0930019N and a Seed award from the Cardiovascular Discovery Institute at the Medical College of Georgia. Correspondence should be addressed: Center for Molecular Chaperone Radiobiology and Cancer Virology, Medical College of Georgia, 1410 Laney Walker Blvd., CN-3151, Augusta, GA 30912.

Laboratory of Oral Tumor and Oral Biology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology and Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, Shanghai 200011, PR China

1 Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, PR China &

²Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310009, PR China

³The Chinese anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive herbal remedy Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F. Pub med. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10680192

⁴Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, PR China

& Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310009, PR China

5. The Chinese anti-inflammatory and immune suppressive herbal remedy Tripterygium wilfordii

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10680192

6 Celastrol in prostate cancer therapies. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19545787

Herb & Vitamin Fillers – is there a recommended dose?

Cathy Margolin — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 15:39:03 +0000

Labels on most herbal products in the US provide little to no information regarding the amount of fillers ie. starch, otherwise known as excipients. Excipients are inactive substance used as a carrier or any ingredient that is added to adjust the intended dosage. Often excipients are used to achieve a uniform 5 to 1 herb ratio. (Basically a diluents). Excipients are also used to improve administration such as making capsules or pressed pills.

Currently, there is no technology to make capsules or pressed supplements without using these fillers. Current FDA labeling requirements for dietary supplements do not require the manufacturer to list the amount of excipients. This leaves room for lots of speculation and ambiguity regarding the strength of the products. How much product in the bottle is filler and how much is vitamins and/or herbal extract? There is no set answer for this question simply depends on the manufacturer and many are not disclosing this information on their labels.

Gel-Caps and individual packet herbs are the only modalities which do not need to contain excipients. There are over 750 additives (includes excipients) which have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for our food & supplement products. Excipients toxicity and safety has been a controversial subject for more than a decade. Some research suggests excipients destroy immunity by bursting T-Cells and block nutrient uptake. This topic is too broad to discuss here. I mention this, only to bring awareness that the issue exists.

There are compelling reasons for these theories and further research is clearly warranted. There is simply too much we don’t know about how excipients interact in our bodies. Excipients usage in Chinese herbal products ranges anywhere from 35% to 50% of a 100 gram bottle of extract, the same percentages apply for capsule herb products. Dextrin is a common excipients along with non-GMO potato starch or corn starch (corn is the most genetically altered food). Again, the amount of excipient used is not currently required on product labels. Advantages of adding excipients are they extend the shelf life of Chinese herb products. Chinese Herb tea pills were traditional made without an excipient.

The natural clumping of the herbs was beneficial in this delivery system. Unfortunately the shelf life is very short. Remember herbs are natural products and without preservatives they do turn rancid when exposed to air. One side effect of adding excipients has turned into a benefit for people who prefer to swallow their herb granules by placing granules on their tongue and swallowing with water. The use of excipients makes this easier by reducing the natural stickiness of the herbs.

One herb, two herbs, red herbs, blue herbs…. What’s the difference?

cathy — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 08:53:02 +0000

When we speak about using plants as medicine there are two very different and distinct methods, Western herbalism and Chinese herbal medicine. I find a lot of confusion between these two methods, so I've written a little background on each.

Western herbal medicine or folk herbalism primarily treats symptoms such as asthma symptoms or coughs, colds, headaches, constipation symptoms, PMS symptoms etc. All cultures across the globe have used indigenous plants for their own brand of folk medicine. However, Western herbs in our modern day fell from the lime light when prescription medicine started being heavily marketed in the 1950’s. They seem to be making a comeback today, but large clinical studies are scarce and very expensive and this makes it difficult to know what really works. Good manufacturing standards, which are overseen by the FDA in the U.S. are getting stricter, but enforcement is lacking and herb quality control has no standardization.

In comparison, Chinese herbal medicine is the worlds oldest documented medicine. Chinese medicine has been continually practiced for over 2000 years. The same herbs have been prescribed for centuries. However, the method of prescription is done on what’s called “pattern identification” rather than on just “ bodily symptoms”. Pattern identification can get complicated but in a nut shell, a patients pattern diagnosis is made up of a person’s overall body constitution, medical history, emotional temperament, signs and symptoms. Chinese herb formulas are prescribed according to each individuals set patterns and often customized to treat both the underlying root cause of disease and symptoms.

Chinese medicine including Acupuncture is gaining popularity in the West as an effective alternative therapy. Unlike Western herbalism, China, Taiwan, Japan and other Asian countries have extensively researched and studied herbs in clinical trials. Today most of Asia depends on herbs for their primary medicine. Good manufacturing standards in Taiwan, a large producer of Chinese herbs, are extremely controlled compared to the U.S. and both enforcement and quality control standards are similar to pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities in the U.S. The reason for these strict standards in Taiwan is because the herbs are covered as part of the Taiwanese National Health Insurance program and heavily depended upon for all types of illness. In fact, even a swine flu cure has been highly publicized in Asia using only cooked and processed Chinese herbs.

Hope this helps explain the differences, if you have any questions feel free to post below.

Licorice for Weight-Loss? I’m skeptical

Cathy Margolin — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 06:05:49 +0000

Who really needs another article about weight loss plans and products? We’re inundated with advertising on weight loss supplements and the last thing we need is more of the same. Alas, I’m asked all the time, “Don’t you have herbs for weight loss?” People who know me, know I would never suggest Chinese herbs for quick fix weight loss. I’m resigned to the good old fashion diet, eat more veggies, cut the carb’s and do some exercise. There is simply no magic bullet. Chinese herbs are great for a kick start and can help with “draining damp” and “moving qi” or in layman's language "a little clean-out" but even then lifestyle changes are still necessary.

Then this study comes along and suggests that the oil in a common herb/food we know as licorice, can reduce total body fat and visceral fat. Wait, I'm a skeptic. What do you mean? All this time licorice has been masking as Chinese medicine when really it’s a weight loss herb?….

Licorice contains hydrophobic flavonoids and researchers have been studying these flavonoids for years. Many herbs contain flavonoids and they are a major ingredient in Chinese medicine. A recent clinical trial with 56 men and 28 postmenopausal women participating used licorice in concentrated extract capsules. Having changed no other aspect of their lives, all lost weight.

In this trial, some participants were given a placebo capsule and others took capsules of 300 mg of the licorice extract, once daily for eight weeks. The researchers found that the non- placebo group had decreases from baseline body weight and body mass index after the 4 and 8 weeks mark of treatment. Other studies on the Chinese herb licorice have seen similar results with LDL cholesterol reduction.

The researchers of this study concluded, “that the observed reduction in body weight and fat could be caused by increasing energy expenditure through the enhancement of beta-oxidation and inhibition of lipogenesis.” Further studies are always necessary. But the researchers also remarked “ that supplementation (with licorice) may prevent or ameliorate obesity and metabolic syndrome when combined with lifestyle modifications including diet and exercise. “

Although this may not be a definitive way to lose weight Chinese herbs prove again to be superb health supplements. Whether you are trying to reduce cholesterol or lose weight, Chinese herbs have benefits you may never have thought about.

I always provide links to the original studies so take a detour here if you want to see the whole study.

Med Students Say They Can Benefit From CAM

Cathy Margolin — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 08:59:19 +0000

Another study, I found this one most encouraging. A survey of 1784 current U.S. medical students from around the country said knowledge of Complementary and Alternative Medicine could help them as Western doctors do a better job. (51% of U.S. medical schools participated). The survey’s overall objectives were to discover how many future doctors are using Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) therapies and which therapies and to assess medical students’ attitudes toward CAM. CAM therapies include, Acupuncture, herbal medicine, yoga, massage and other non-traditional healing modalities.

There is certainly a need for emerging physicians to integrate Complementary and Integrative Medicine into their medical practices. Medical schools are recognizing this and have taken steps at restructuring their curriculum to incorporate CAM educational opportunities. It’s been my privilege to be personally involved with one such school, the USC Keck School of Medicine in Los Angeles when they host their CAM Health Care day each year.

The Keck School invites a few local Alternative Medicine practitioners from various fields to speak in the classrooms of their first year medical students. Being an Acupuncturist I spoke about Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese herbal medicine. I found the students had an incredible interest in learning more about Chinese medicine and were extremely open minded and had great questions. However, when I asked how many of them had ever gone to an Acupuncturist only about 20% said they had and not surprisingly they were most often the students from Asian decent. I’m looking forward to getting more feedback from the students at this years CAM day to be held in March. I’ll keep you posted, it’s always an enjoyable afternoon.

Adequately preparing our future doctors is a daunting task, but I do believe our medical institutions are on the right track. The next generation of doctors are already telling us that one day soon, CAM will be more than peripheral medicine, it will be main stream.

Find the whole study here. The findings were published online Jan. 20, 2010 in Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine.