Herbal Medicine May Help Reduce Menstrual Pain Says Cochrane Collaboration

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PMS Relief

A study involving nearly 3,500 women in several countries suggests natural herbs may be more effective in relieving menstrual cramps than drugs, acupuncture or heat compression.

Australia-based researchers said herbs not only relieved pain, but reduced the recurrence of the condition over three months, according to the Cochrane Library journal. Who writes The Cochrane Library Journal? An international not-for-profit and independent organization, dedicated to up-to-date, accurate information about the effects of health-care readily available worldwide.

Who is Cochrane Collaboration? Watch video

The Cochrane Collaboration produces and disseminates systematic reviews of health-care interventions and promotes the search for evidence in the form of clinical trials and other studies of interventions. The Cochrane Collaboration was founded in 1993. They publish the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews quarterly as part of the Cochrane Library.

Women looking for a natural treatment for menstrual cramps can be confident that Chinese herbs have been reviewed in clinical trials and have been used safely for hundreds of years. The evidence came from 39 trials, involved 3475 women – 36 in China, and one each in Taiwan, Japan and the Netherlands. Participants were given herb formulas to regulate their ‘qi’ (energy) and blood, warm their bodies and boost their kidney and liver functions.

“Chinese herbal medicine gave significant improvements in pain relief when compared to pharmaceutical drugs. It also reduced overall symptoms. The research revealed that Chinese herbal medicine was also better at alleviating pain than acupuncture or heat compression.”

“All available measures of effectiveness confirmed the overall superiority of Chinese herbal medicine to placebo, no treatment, NSAIDs, OCP, (oral contraception pills) acupuncture and heat compression, and, at the same time, there were no indications that Chinese herbs caused any adverse events,” says lead author Xiaoshu Zhu who works at the Center for Complementary Medicine Research at the University of Western Sydney, Australia.

Some of the Chinese herbs include Chinese angelica root (danggui), Szechuan lovage root (chuanxiong), red peony root (chishao), white peony root (baishao), Chinese motherwort (yimucao), fennel fruit (huixiang), nut-grass rhizome (xiangfu), liquorice root (gancao) and cinnamon bark (rougui). In one trial involving 36 women, 53 percent of those who took Chinese herbs reported less pain than usual compared with 26 percent in the placebo group. (No coincidence these herbs are all included in our PMS Relief Herb Pack)

See Full Study here: http://www.mrw.interscience.wiley.com/cochrane/clsysrev/articles/CD005288/frame.html

New Research Says Breast Cancer Triggered By Artificial Hormone Progestin

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Another day and another friend/mother/sister/daughter diagnosed with breast cancer.  Today breast cancer is affecting one in every eight women sometime during their lifetime  in the USA, Europe and the UK.   Looking around at my friends, family and extended family we need no reminders of the impact of these statistics. But there is good news, actually GREAT news– medical researchers at the Institute of Molecular Biotechnology (IMBA) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Vienna identified a key protein that triggers breast cancer and in December 2012 received a grant of $7.4 million from the USA Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program for ongoing research.

Working for the last ten years, the research team has been able to show the synthetic female sex hormone progestin used in HRT and contraceptive pills can trigger RANKL (a protein found in breast cells).  As a consequence of this trigger, mammary cells start to divide and multiply and fail to die when they should. Moreover, stem cells in the breast become able to renew themselves, ultimately resulting in breast cancer.

The research around the artificial sex hormone progestin, used in hormone replacement therapy, HRT, and in birth control pills has been the center of  work for  Professor Josef Penninger, (IMBA director) who found the first genetic evidence that this protein RANKL is the master regulator of healthy bones and breast cell multiplication.

“Ten years ago we formulated the hypothesis that RANKL might be involved in breast cancer and it took us a long time to develop systems to prove this idea”, says Prof. Josef Penninger. ” I have to admit it completely surprised me just how massive the effects of the system were. Millions of women take progesterone derivatives in contraceptives and for hormonal replacement therapy. Since our results show that the RANKL system is an important molecular link between a synthetic sex hormone and breast tumors, one day women may be able to reduce their risk by taking blocking medicines in advance to prevent breast cancer”.

Alternative answers are available for women suffering with menopausal symptoms and want relief from hot flashes and night sweats without adding artificial hormones to their body.  Natural solutions used in Traditional Chinese Medicine are available that are safe and are made from natural plant sources, not artificial hormones.

Alternative birth control methods beyond the pill include the  IUD’s  without hormones, condoms, diaphragm,  natural rhythm method and permanent birth control in the form of tubal litigation.

The research results presented here was an  international collaboration between lead researchers at IMBA and scientists at the Medical University of Vienna; the Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, Australia; the Ontario Cancer Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Harvard School of Public Health, Harvard Medical School and the Ragon Institute of MGH/MIT and Harvard, Boston, USA; the Institute for Genetics, Centre for Molecular Medicine (CMMC), and Cologne Excellence Cluster (CECAD), University of Cologne, Germany; University College London, UK; and the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany.

http://phys.org/news/2011-01-progesterone-breast-cancer.html

 

 

 

 

Natural Weight Loss Herbs- Skinny Boost

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This is an informative video about Skinny Boost, the new herbal formula from Pacific Herbs!  It is the number one weight loss herbal formula used in Japan today, and has its roots in Traditional Chinese Medicine. This herbal remedy was first written down in 1070 AD and has been used ever since then. Skinny Boost Herb Pack is a time-tested weight loss remedy that helps improve metabolism, helps with elimination and gives your digestive system a boost so you can process and use what you eat more effectively. Give Skinny Boost a try today. We know you're going to love it. More about Skinny Boost here.

 

Bio- Identical Hormones & Menopause Relief

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Soy for menopause or bio-identical homrmones

 

 

The question many women suffering with menopausal hot flashes and night sweats are asking is whether bio-identical hormones such as progesterone cream and phytoestrogen (plant sourced estrogen) are safe and effective AS  the chemical hormones found in hormone replacement therapy (HRT) drugs?

 

Many women today are being told “bio-identical” hormones are identical to those your body makes. Even though progesterone and estrogen bio-identical creams may be closer to what your body produces there are certainly risks in using any hormone therapy.   Some doctors believe the risks are just as great as taking an hormone replacement therapy drug (HRT) others believe the jury is still out because we have no long term data since these products are still very new to the market.  Risks may be tied to the dosage which varies greatly from women to women.

 

Bio-identical hormones made from plant sources may be perfectly safe in low doses, which is the way we would ingest these chemicals found in yams, soy beans and a handful of herbs but at higher doses may be harmful. Nearly every substance found in nature can be safe in minute doses yet toxic at a higher dose. Even water can kill us when taken in to large a dose over a very short time period.  Knowing what dose is right for your body can be tricky depending on blood, urine and saliva testing which may not give an accurate reading of circulating hormones in your blood which changes daily and even hourly.

 

Bio-identical hormones, make no mistake can be just as powerful and dangerous as taking a prescription hormone replacement drug.  Phytoestrogen  used in minute doses the way we find in nature may be completely safe and effective.  Asian women have a long history of eating soy beans nearly everyday of their life from childhood through adulthood and experience very few menopausal symptoms.  The isoflavones in soy are known to act as a hormone balancing chemicals.

 

So, which should you choose, bio-identical hormones or synthetic hormone replacement therapy for your menopausal symptoms?  How about neither!   There is a third option that women in Asia have used for centuries and the Western world is just beginning to see on store shelves.  Traditional Chinese herbs are another option for menopause symptom relief.   You can learn more about it here.

 

Supplement During Menopause Treatments

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Hot flashes and night sweats for 3 years, Oh MY! I friend of a friend just confided in me she’s been suffering with menopause symptoms in silence for years. When I inquire as to why, she said, “I just didn’t know what to do and I didn’t want the artificial hormones”.

 

Not all women need a menopause treatment plan. Menopause is a time of change and all women over 50 will experience an ending to their menstruation sooner or later.

 

But, not all women will need a treatment plan during their menopause years. According to Dr. Elaine Jolly, director of Ottawa’s Shirley E. Greenberg Women’s Health Centre, “Menopause is seen as not very sexy,” says Jolly. “And the menopause curriculum in medical schools is horrible. And that’s a pity, because mature women benefit from preventive care.” she says.

 

Jolly suspects she knows why the (menopause treatment) field is not a popular choice for medical students contemplating a specialty. It takes a full hour to have a proper consultation with a menopausal patient — and the pay is lower than other medical specialties. “You don’t get kudos for health prevention,” says Jolly. “In France, if you spend time counseling and talking about these things, you get paid.” Many frustrated women are turning to complementary and alternative medicine, she says. “They are not getting satisfaction through conventional medicine.”

 

I agree with you Dr. Elaine Jolly, women are turning to alternative medicine especially Chinese herbs for menopause treatment. The herbs used in Menopause Relief Herb Pack are the same ones used for centuries to help women balance their hormones and give them relief from hot flashes and night sweats.

Is China Ripping Off American Ginseng?

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GinPacific Herbs Highest quality Siberian ginseng seng is one of the most popular Chinese herbs in the world and if you live in China, it is one of the most popular ways to promote health and virility.  

 

But why does most of the American ginseng get exported to China and Korea? 

 

Asian cultures have been using ginseng for thousands of years and place a high value on the American grown variety. Amazing, but true, China has been importing American ginseng for nearly 100 years since it was first discovered in the Northern mid-western region. In fact, Wisconsin's most valuable export has nothing to do with the dairy industry, or corn or wheat.  It's all about the ginseng production every year.

 

Wisconsin  is producing 95 percent of America's ginseng. U.S. demand for ginseng is still very low and the best price can be fetched in Asia. 

 

Good to know we have at least one export that China wants from us. Wisconsin governor Walker is in China this week and a deal with Tong Ren Tong, the oldest continually operated Chinese herb store in China has just been signed to export Wisconsin grown ginseng.  Maybe one day soon Americans will learn the value of this incredibly powerful herb.

 

We carry American Ginseng in our store here!

 

Energy Drinks With Carnitine Dangerous Link For Heart Disease

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A study just released from the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio shows energy drinks with carnitine, a common additive not always disclosed on the labels, has been tied to heart disease.  The amount of carnitine found in energy drinks varies and may be harmful especially in doses of more than 3 grams daily.  The Cleveland Clinic study showed carnitine contributes to hardening of the arteries.

The research group, led by Dr. Hazen, section head of preventive cardiology and rehabilitation, found the link between heart disease and carnitine and the bacteria in the intestine that digests carnitine.  If you ever wondered why docotors recommend limiting red meat in your diet if you have heart issues, it it’s because carnitine is also found in red meat.

“It’s shifting their [gut] flora to one that’s more likely to promote atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries,” said Dr. Hazen.  “I wouldn’t want my family members drinking these.”

 

Chinese Herbs Reduce Hot Flashes Says American Menopause Society

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HT Hormone Therapy Risks

The American Menopause Society recently published the results of a study on the use of Chinese herbs as a menopause treatment.  It's always nice to see a clinical trial like this published in English (many are in Mandarin only)  and this study was completed in a manner consistent with top notch clinical protocol.  The study was double-blind, randomized and controlled…..ahhhh the gold standard for clinical research.

 

Chinese Herbal Formulas Can Reduce Menopausal Hot Flashes Safely and Effectively

The women in the study were experiencing menopausal hot flashes and were between the ages of 40 to 50 years old.  The participants drank either a concentrated extract of herbal granules twice daily for 12 weeks or a placebo, fake herbal tea.  The women who drank the Chinese herb remedy found their hot flashes dropped by 62%.  Most importantly, the dosage of herbs was discussed in this trial and the participants used 15 grams of concentrated extracts in a sachet each day.  (See Menopause Relief Herb Packet herbal granules here)
 
 
It is important to note the herbs were dried into granules and no pills or capsules were used in this trial. Pills and capsules always contain fillers. It is also very difficult to take 15 grams (15,000 milligrams) of herbal concentrate when taking pills or capsules because it requires a high number of pills to be swallowed.  In this case it would be 15-20 pills per dose.
 
 
THE TREND CONTINUED

Even three months after the study ended, the participants said their hot flashes did not increase after the study ended and they stopped using the menopause herbal remedy. This study shows, compared with Hormone Replacement therapy, Chinese herbs are a safe and viable alternative for menopause symptoms. 

 

Although previous studies have found that Chinese herbs can help reduce hot flashes, those studies were not of the same quality methodology as this study, according to the researchers at Menopause: The Journal of The North American Menopause Society.

 

SOURCE: Menopause: The Journal of The North American Menopause Society, online February 25, 2013.

Bio-Identical Hormones and Menopause Symptom Relief

Posted by Cathy on

Soy for menopause or bio-identical homrmonesThe question many women suffering with menopausal hot flashes and night sweats are asking is whether bio-identical hormones such as progesterone cream and phytoestrogen (plant sourced estrogen) are safe and effective AS  the chemical hormones found in hormone replacement therapy (HRT) drugs?

 

Many women today are being told "bio-identical" hormones are identical to those your body makes. Even though progesterone and estrogen bio-identical creams may be closer to what your body produces there are certainly risks in using any hormone therapy.   Some doctors believe the risks are just as great as taking an hormone replacement therapy drug (HRT) others believe the jury is still out because we have no long term data since these products are still very new to the market.  Risks may be tied to the dosage which varies greatly from women to women.

 

Bio-identical hormones made from plant sources may be perfectly safe in low doses, which is the way we would ingest these chemicals found in yams, soy beans and a handful of herbs but at higher doses may be harmful. Nearly every substance found in nature can be safe in minute doses yet toxic at a higher dose. Even water can kill us when taken in to large a dose over a very short time period.  Knowing what dose is right for your body can be tricky depending on blood, urine and saliva testing which may not give an accurate reading of circulating hormones in your blood which changes daily and even hourly.

 

Bio-identical hormones, make no mistake can be just as powerful and dangerous as taking a prescription hormone replacement drug.  Phytoestrogen  used in minute doses the way we find in nature may be completely safe and effective.  Asian women have a long history of eating soy beans nearly everyday of their life from childhood through adulthood and experience very few menopausal symptoms.  The isoflavones in soy are known to act as a hormone balancing chemicals.

 

So, which should you choose, bio-identical hormones or synthetic hormone replacement therapy for your menopausal symptoms?  How about neither!   There is a third option that women in Asia have used for centuries and the Western world is just beginning to see on store shelves.  Traditional Chinese herbs are another option for menopause symptom relief.   You can learn more about it here.

 

Chinese Medicine From A Western Medicine Viewpoint

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How a Harvard-trained doctor began to appreciate Traditional Chinese Medicine, TCM.

by Leana Wen, M.D.

As a child growing up in China, I was always aware of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). TCM is what we refer to as Eastern medicine, in contrast to the Western medicine we know from U.S. hospitals. I never understood much about TCM, only that it somehow involves herbs and that many Chinese people used it. The more I progressed in my medical training in major U.S. academic centers, the more distanced I felt from TCM. Why should I learn about something that lacks evidence, when there’s so much to know about for which there is good research?

 

Last fall, I went to China on a research trip. While my study is primarily on its Western medical system, I was so fascinated by what I learned of Eastern medicine that I spent many free evenings observing TCM practitioners. There is so much I didn’t know. As a discipline, TCM is far too complex for me to understand in my short observation, but there are some very important “lessons from the East” that are applicable to our Western medical practice:

 

#1. Listen—really listen. The first TCM practitioner I shadowed explained to me that to practice TCM is to “listen with your whole body”. Pay attention and use every sense you have, he said. I watched this doctor as he diagnosed a woman with new-onset cervical cancer and severe anemia the moment she walked into his exam room, and within two minutes, without blood tests or CTs, sent her to be admitted to a (Western) medical service. I’ve seen expert clinicians make remarkable diagnoses, but this was something else!

 

“How could you know what you had and that she needed to be admitted?” I asked.

“I smelled the cervical cancer,” he said. “I looked and saw the anemia. I heard her speak and I knew she could not care for herself at home.” (I followed her records in the hospital; he was right on all accounts.)

#2. Focus on the  diagnosis. I watched another TCM doctor patiently explain to a young woman with long-standing abdominal pain why painkillers were not the answer.

“Why should we treat you for something if we don’t know what it is?” he said. “Let’s find out the diagnosis first.” What an important lesson for us—to always begin the diagnosis.

 

#3. Treat the whole person. “A big difference between our two practices,” said one TCM doctor, “Is that Western medicine treats people as organs. Eastern medicine treats people as a whole.” Indeed, I watched her inquire about family, diet, and life stressors. She counseled on issues of family planning, food safety, and managing debt. She even helped patients who needed advice on caring for the their elderly parents and choosing schools for their child. This is truly “whole person” care!

 

#4. Health is not just about disease, but also about wellness. There is a term in Chinese that does not have its exact equivalent in English. The closest translation is probably “tune-up to remain in balance”, but it doesn’t do the term justice, because it refers to maintaining and promoting wellness. Many choose to see a TCM doctor not because they are ill, but because they want to be well. They believe TCM helps them keep in balance. It’s an important lesson for doctors and patients alike to address wellness and prevention.

#5. Medicine is a life-long practice. Western medicine revers the newest as the best; in contrast, patients revere old TCM doctors for their knowledge and experience. Practicing doctors do not rest on their laurels.

“This is a practice that has taken thousands of years to develop,” I was told. “That’s why you must keep learning throughout your life, and even then you will only learn just a small fraction.” Western medicine should be no different: not only are there new medical advances all the time, doctors need to continually improve their skills in the art of medicine.

 

#6. Evidence is in the eyes of the beholder. Evidence-based medicine was my mantra in Western medical training, so I was highly skeptical of the anecdotes I heard. But then I met so many patients who said that they were able to get relief from Eastern remedies while Western treatments failed them. Could there be a placebo effect? Sure. Is research important? Of course. But research is done on populations, and our treatment is of individuals. It has taken me a while to accept that I may not always be able to explain why—but that the care should be for the individual patient, not a population of patients.

“In a way, there is more evidence for our type of medicine than for yours,” a TCM teacher told me. “We have four thousand years of experience—that must count for something!”

 

There is so much I have not covered about TCM. Its practices vary regionally, and no doubt, there are more and less capable practitioners (as there are in Western medicine). More research into TCM methods will be important. However, regardless of whether we Western doctors want to prescribe TCM treatments, we should recognize there is much to learn from Eastern medicine, including what it means to be a physician to really care for our patients. Upon my return from China, I, for one, have a new found appreciation for Eastern medical practice a renewed understanding of holistic medical care.

Yale Says Chinese Herbs Help Chemotherapy Effectiveness

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Chinese herbs in the Wall Street Journal?  Undoubtably not the place you would expect such a story.  

 

Since the research was done at Yale University, why not?  Turns out a combination of four herbs used for about 1800 years in Chinese Medicine has been studied through Yale University and is reported to “enhance the effectiveness of chemotherapy in patients with colon cancer”.

 

The formula/combination of herbs is called Huang Qin Tang (Scutellaria Decoction). In early trials this four herbs  have been found effective at reducing the side-effects of chemotherapy, including diarrhea, nausea and vomiting.   (I think everyone knows a cancer patient that would love to get rid of those side-effects.)   The herbs are also being reported to “bolster colon-cancer treatment”.1

 

Will this study, help hurdle Traditional Chinese herbal medicine into mainstream American cancer therapy?  Time will tell.  Chinese herbs have been used for centuries safely and effectively and are the first medicine given before drugs throughout Asia.

 

 

 

The scientific team led by Yung-Chi Cheng, an oncology researcher at Yale University was funded in part by the National Cancer Institute, is planning to begin Phase II clinical trials. Many conventional medications are derived from individual chemical agents originally found in plants. In the case of Huang Qin Tang, however, scientists so far have identified 62 active chemicals in the four-herb combination that apparently need to “work together” to be effective.

 

Josephine Briggs, head of the National Center for Complementary

and Alternative Medicin (CAM) said about this herbal combination,

“It’s polypharmacy,” or the equivalent of several drugs being administered at once.

Dr. Cheng began his research on Huang Qin Tang about a dozen years ago when he sought a better way of dealing with the chemotherapy’s side effects.  Dr. Cheng, who grew up in Taiwan, and turned to Traditional Chinese Medicine, (TCM) which often uses herbal combinations for gastrointestinal problems. He decided to test whether it could help cancer patients without compromising the effectiveness of the chemotherapy.

 

The Chinese herb formula Huang Qin Tang contains:  Huang Qin 36%, Da Zao 16%, Bai Shao 24%, and Zhi Gan Cao 24%. Scientists have found over 62 chemicals when these four herbs are cooked in an aquaous solution, boiled in water.

The potential in Chinese herbal medicine is vast indeed.  

What will they find next?

 

Note:

Chinese herbs in places like Japan, Taiwan and China have been used for centuries and their reputation in the healthcare system is undeniably successful. Chinese herbal medicines health insurance coverage is part of the national health insurance in these Asian countries

Nestle Ventures into Chinese Medicine and Chinese Herbs

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          Nestle is moving into Traditional Chinese Medicine TCM  by joining forces with Chinese pharma group Chi-Med.  Nestle also just announced they are acquiring Pfizer Nutrition for $11.85 billion dollars.

Nestle is growing in leaps and bounds.  Chinese herbs already have thousands of years of proven use and it makes sense that a giant like Nestle would see the value in looking to Chinese herbs for the newest drugs. The new company, called Nutrition Science Partners (NSP), is to be owned equally by the two parties, Nestle said, without revealing any of the financials behind the deal.  NSP will research, develop, make and sell nutritional and medicinal products derived from botanical plants, it said.

When I think of Nestle, I think of the chocolate chips cookies I use to make as a kid with Nestle chocolate chips.  Yup, same company.  In fact they own too many brands to mention and are the worlds largest food company.

The new herbal joint venture will hand Nestle's Health Science division access to Chi-Med's traditional Chinese medicine library, which includes more than 50,000 extracts from more than 1,200 different herbal plants is one of the world's largest, the statement said.

"Botanical are in the forefront in our view in the search for new medicines," the Chi-Med chief said.

Traditional Chinese plant-based medicines represented between 30% and 40% of all pharmaceutical sales in China, he added.

“This joint venture provides Nestlé Health Science with an opportunity to develop and commercialize truly innovative and scientifically validated botanical-based nutrition for personalized healthcare in gastro-intestinal health,” Nestle Health Science head Luis Cantarell said.

Nestle established the health science business early last year to develop personalized nutrition treatments for conditions such as diabetes, obesity and heart disease.

What do you think, good for the Chinese medicine world or not?