Why Staying Current On Menopause News Matters

Posted by Cathy on

On the same day that I received a wonderful testimonial from a woman taking Menopause Relief Herb Pack, I read the news announcement from the Annals of Internal Medicine, that  HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy) creates significant health risks, including stroke and breast cancer.  

 

Wow, what a day!

 

This news is not really a shocker to alternative medicine practitioners like myself. The  Complementary and Alternative Medicine community understands the risks of artificial hormones because we are taught to look at the body from a different point of view than Western medicine doctors.  We don't try to cover up menopause symptoms with a drug rather we look for the root cause of the disease and treat the whole body.  

 

Holistic minded doctors have always known that HRT is not the miracle drug it was once made out to be. Yesterdays announcement that risks outweigh the benefits is something we've known all along.

 

"In this case, the harms – the risk of blood clots, gallbladder disease, those types of things – led us to conclude that, on balance, the harms outweigh any potential benefit" said Dr. Bibbins-Domingo.

 

She added that for conditions such like heart disease and dementia, there was no evidence of any benefit.

Dr. JoAnn Manson, chief of preventive medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital and a professor at Harvard Medical School who worked on the WHI study, said the latest recommendations track with current medical practice.

 

Manson said it is important to distinguish between hormone therapy used for prevention of chronic disease and short-term use of hormone therapy to treat menopause symptoms, which the guidelines do not address.

 

She said many of the same professional societies that caution against use of hormone therapy for prevention endorse its use in healthy women whose lives are being disrupted by symptoms of menopause.

 

"That is the really key point here," she said.

Because of the potential risks, doctors prescribe hormone therapy for menopause symptoms at the lowest possible dose for the shortest period of time.  "We understand that there is a different balance of benefits and risks when hormone therapy is used for short-term symptom management versus long-term disease prevention," Manson said.

 

The task force said more study is needed on the effects of hormone therapy in younger women.

 

Fascinating Lecture On Chinese Herb Discoveries

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A lecture I attended today was revisiting history, the history of Chinese herbs.  What I found most interesting is the fact that hospitals in the U.S. are doing clinical trials using Chinese herbs.

This is truly re-inventing Western medicine.

The drugs of the future are herbs that are proving (once again) their effectiveness. These herbal drugs are made from Traditional Chinese herb formulas written down over one thousand years ago, so we can say this medicine is truly based on historical information.

Chinese herbal medicine is being studied at places like Yale University where Yung Chi (Tommy) Cheng, PhD. is the chairman of the Consortium for Globalization of Chinese Medicine. He is an innovative pioneer in herbal drug research and internationally renowned for his significant role in the advancement of pharmacology.

Using a Traditional Chinese Herb four herb formula, Dr. Cheng is working on FDA approval for a patented drug to alleviate side effects of chemotherapy induced nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.  The unfortunate side effects of chemotherapy make it difficult for patients to tolerate and chemotherapy damages the immune system. This Chinese herb formula is proving it can eliminate the side effects by healing the gut and improving the immune system without reducing the effects of the chemo.
This is exciting work and we hope the FDA will give swift approval as so many patients are in need of this holistic, herbal medicine.

Chinese Herbs Now In Skin Moisturizers

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Chinese botanicals are going mainstreamI saw this in the store the other day. It is one of the just a handful of main stream products I’ve seen in the U.S. that is advertising “Chinese Botanicals”!

 

Very Cool!! Kiss My Face is not just a trend setter they see the writing on the wall. Chinese herbs can and do make your products better. They are used all over Asia in various drinks, hand creams, shampoo’s and cosmetics, it’s about time we start seeing them on American store shelves.

 

American’s are getting exposed to Chinese herbs slowly but surely. Whether it’s ginseng in energy drinks or goji berries packages we are starting to see greater use of Chinese herbs in everyday products. Kiss Your Face uses both Chinese botanicals, and Chinese herbs on their packaging label.

 

Here are the three main reasons why Chinese herbs are different than Western herbs and why you're going to start seeing much more of these Chinese botanicals in everyday products.

 

1. Firstly, most of them have been used for thousands of years so evidence of use is simply much, much longer than Western botanicals that have only been documented for only a few hundred years.

 

2. Chinese botanicals don’t necessarily grow exclusively in China today. Many grow around the world, including America. All are part of a system of medicine called Traditional Chinese medicine that is thousands of years old and today this system of medicine keeps billions of people alive and well.

 

3. The third most important difference in Chinese herbs vs Western herbs is their use in combinations or formulas. Western herbs are often used one at a time. For example the use of chamomile for trouble sleeping. But in Chinese Herbal medicine, one herb alone would never be used to help with sleep. A combination of herbs, or formula of herbs would be used because over the centuries people have found formulas or groups of herbs work much better than just using one herb along.

 

Of course there are many other differences between Western herbs and Chinese herbs,  But that's a good start and it's great to see the system of herbal medicine being incorporated into more mainstream products in the United States and around the world.

Drinking This Is Not The Best Way To Get Energy

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Generally speaking caffeine is the most popular drug in the United States. Depending on where you are in the world, the Chinese herb ginseng, or the herb sugar cane or green tea may be the drug of choice. Even though these stimulants all have botanical origins, they can work just as well as a modern pharmaceutical drug.   However, our cells produce mitochondria energy as a result of many, many chemical interactions. Caffeine stimulate our adrenals but does not source real mitochondria energy

 

Why then, are the energy drinks that contain caffeine considered a food, and not a drug?

 

This is the questions the City of New York is about to answer? Senators are also asking the FDA to clarify this issue. New York City is considering regulating the caffeine in energy drinks and requiring accurate labeling so consumers know how much caffeine they are getting in each can or energy shot.

 

Another issue is what happens when you start mixing these herbal stimulants with other ingredients. Adding sugar to caffeine and a wide mix of amino acids and other substances becomes outright dangerous. In fact, investigations are beginning to look into these combination products, often labeled energy drinks because their stimulating qualities have caused alarm.

 

Kids, teens and young adults are the most drawn to these energy drinks for their quick uppers and stay up all night, side effects.

 

But, why is anybody looking to a canned drink for energy?

 

Consider the simple answer, energy begins with sleep. Everybody knows this!  Everybody knows how you feel when you miss a night of sleep.  Bottom line, you're tired, you have no energy.  When you don't get enough quality sleep, the first drug of choice is caffeine.

 

I've argued before, drugs should not be masquerading as food. Energy drinks do this every day, they are not food.  They should be labeled with all the same information required on a dietary supplement. We should understand not to substitute good food  for a drink in a can. Caffeine is a drug.  A useful drug like so many botanicals, including so many of the Chinese herb botanicals I talk about here.

 

The Benefits of Caffeine blog here

 

 

Chinese Herb Research Now Includes GlaxoSmithKlein Pharmaceuticals

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What's new in Traditional Chinese Medicine? 

Well for starters, bigger players want a piece of what they see as a huge potential profit maker.  Chinese herbs, have become the latest interest for drug companies.

The pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline is opening a new research unit in China to look at traditional Chinese medicine.

 

"Traditional chinese medicine is a well-established system of medical practice developed through thousands of years of empirical testing and refinement of herbal mixtures, and relies generally on clinical experience," said Zang Jingwu, senior vice president Glaxo and head of R&D China.

 

The relatively new R&D unit is working with academic TCM experts in China to develop new TCM products for the benefits of patients in China and the rest of the world. The strategy is to integrate the existing TCM knowledge of diseases with modern drug discovery.

 

"We are developing novel therapeutic TCM mixtures as prescription medicines through innovative extraction methods and combinations, and we use clinical data/evidence to differentiate from existing TCM products on the market," he said.

 

The company's R&D China center was founded in 2007 with a focus on neurosciences. So far, the center has developed into a fully integrated global R&D organization in China to deliver medicine globally and for China.

 

Only one question:  what will it cost us consumers?  Right now Chinese herbal products are cheap compared to drugs!  What can we expect once the big drug companies want a share of the market?

 

Reference:

ChinaDaily.com

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/business/2012-09/07/content_15743913.htm

Is Goji Berry The Best Chinese Herb For The Elderly?

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Chinese herbs for energyIt really doesn't matter what your age, goji berries are a healthy food for everyone. But, if you are over 65, goji's could be extremely beneficial by enhancing your immune system, according to a recent study.  

 

Goji berries are also know as Wolf berries and they taste great and are such an easy snacking food or drink, how can anyone ignore them today?  

A new study done by Nestle and some scientists in China decided to test out a milk based formulation of goji berries. They studied healthy Chinese people age 65 to 70 and gave them a "lacto-wolfberry" supplement to improve their immune system. The same group was also given a seasonal influenza vaccine. The study was recently published in the scientific journal called Rejuvenation Research.  

  

The results showed that while all the participants had increased levels of influenza-specific antibodies after being vaccinated, those who had consumed lacto-wolfberry had a higher increase in antibodies than those in the control group. This means that the people who had consumed lacto-wolfberry could fight infection better and their immune system was working better. “People’s natural ability to fight infection often declines as they age, as does their capacity to develop effective vaccine response,” says Dr Karine Vidal, the scientist from the Nestle Research Center in Switzerland who led the study.

 

Goji berries have become popular in the U.S. and throughout Europe in the last few years.  The small red berries have been eaten and used in Chinese herbal medicine in Asian cultures for centuries.  Today research has established high antioxidant properties and energy enhancing properties in these small little red fruits.  We add goji berries to our Energy Booster Herb Pack for exactly this reason.  They also help make our Energy Booster taste great!  Try some today! Not only will you feel the nice energy boost, but you will also be enjoying several immune boosting herbs including ginseng.  

 

Bone Density Improved With Chinese Herbs

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Worried about your bone density?   As woman age, they are more susceptible to bone fractures. Bone mineral density is something every woman over 50 should have checked. 

 

In Asia, a Chinese herb formula call Fufang has been studied for over five years on post-menopausal women.  The results of this 194 person study of women ages 47 to 70 years, was significant.  Fufang, a blend of several Chinese herbs used twice daily (10 grams each serving) were found to improve the bone density of the study participants.

 

All the women were given an oral blend of the herbs used which included Epimedium,  The Fufang contained several herbal compounds including Epimedium, Rehmannia, Dioscore,Cornus, Cinnamomum cassia, Drynaria fortunei, and Morinda.  You will find these and other herbs in

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Both the control group and the treatment group were also given 600 mg of calcium and 400 iu of Vitamin D daily.  There were no notable adverse events in either group.

 

As women age they are more suseptible to hip fractures and other bone problems.  Hip replacement surgery has become all too common. 

Maintaining healthy bones is part of healthy aging.

 

 

The study concluded, in addition to the beneficial effects of oral herbal Fufang for the prevention of postmenopausal bone loss, this 5-year multi-center clinical study demonstrated for the first time its potential for reduction in fragility fracture incidence.

References:

 

1. Journal of Bone Mineral Metabolism. 2012 Jun 22 PMID: 22722637 PubMed

 

2. J Bone Miner Res. 2007 Jul;22(7):1072-9.

 

3. Epimedium-derived phytoestrogen flavonoids exert beneficial effect on preventing bone loss in late postmenopausal women: a 24-month randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled trial. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17419678

 

4. Effects of epimedium total flavonoids phytosomes on preventing and treating bone-loss of ovariectomized rats]. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12774407

 

5. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1757-7861.2011.00129.x/abstract

 

6. Phytomedicine. 2010 May;17(6):414-23. Epub 2009 Sep 10. Icariin isolated from Epimedium pubescens regulates osteoblasts anabolism through BMP-2, SMAD4, and Cbfa1 expression.  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19747809

 

Chinese Herbs Growing in Los Angeles

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China has given us so many incredible jewels of nature in the form of medicinal herbs.  Chinese herbs such as Ginseng,  Cordyceps and this amazing beauty.   Not exactly a Chinese herb, but I was impressed with this redwoods story, I had to add it here. 

This amazing jewel lives in Los Angeles. Her name is Dawn Redwood or Metasequoia. Her grandparents were only known as a fossil until her parent was found in central China in 1944.

In 1948, Dawn was brought to Los Angeles as a seed. She has been living by this stream at UCLA ever since.   She is most probably the tallest of her kind in North America. Don't you love her stately pose with the sun shinning through her?

Amazing to think she came from just a tiny seed. 

Tomorrow I will post the Chinese herbs growing in Los Angeles.

 

Curcumae, A Chinese Herb Proves To Be Cardio-Protective

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From the American Journal of Cardiology, April 2012

 

More great research results on the Chinese herb curcumae!

 

This herbal remedy was yet again put to the test, this time in a study on patients who had coronary artery bypass grafting.

Chinese herbs for osteoarthritis

 

Also known as Yu Jin or Tuber Curcumae, (curcuma), this remarkable herbal supplement has been used in Chinese medicine for centuries. Curcumae, found in tumeric, has been extensively studied for its blood moving abilities. 

 

It is well established that myocardial infarction, (heart attacks) are associated with a coronary artery bypass grafting procedure.  As a result of the poor outcomes of patients who have this grafting procedure, a study on the Chinese herb curcumae was undertaken to  evaluate whether this Chinese herbal remedy for blood stasis could be considered a cardio-protective therapy. 

 

"Previous studies have shown that curcuminoids decrease proinflammatory cytokines during cardiopulmonary bypass surgery and decrease the occurrence of cardiomyocytic apoptosis after cardiac ischemia/reperfusion injury in animal models."

 

The aim of this study done was to evaluate whether curcuminoids, one of the chemical constiuients in curcumae could prevent heart attackes compared to a placebo. 

 

The conclusion:  4 grams of curcumin per day demonstrated a significant decrease in heart attacks after bypass grafting, compared with a placebo.   Postoperative C-reactive protein, levels were also lower in the curcuminoid than in the placebo group.

 

The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of curcuminoids may account for their cardioprotective effects shown in this study

 

Reference:   Study Evaluated Effects of Curcuminoids on Acute Myocardial Infarction

Wongcharoen W, Jai-aue S, Phrommintikul A, et al. Effects of curcuminoids on frequency of acute myocardial infarction after coronary artery bypass grafting. Am J Cardiol. April 3, 2012;[epub ahead of print]. doi: 10.1016/j.amjcard.2012.02.043.

Magnesium Stearate, The Dirty Little Secret of Supplements

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We believe quality products should NOT have fillers. 

The dirty little secret of the supplement industry is:

a filler is known as Magnesium Stearate.  Nearly every supplement contains it.

I often get questions about the most commonly found additives and filler, magnesium stearate.

Here are a few answers to the most common questions.

What is Magnesium Stearate?    An inactive filler, also known as magnesium salt,  used in most of the natural health supplements and herbal remedies on the market today. 

Where does Magnesium Stearate come from?  Magnesium Stearate is a bi-product of fatty acids, both animal and vegetable sources.  Stearic acid and calcium stearate are made by hydrogenating cottonseed or palm oil.  These fatty substances coat every particle of the nutrients, so the particles will flow rapidly.

 

Cottonseed oil has the highest content of pesticide residues of all commercial oils; cotton crops are heavily sprayed. In the hydrogenation process, the oil is subjected to high heat and pressure in the presence of a metal catalyst for several hours, creating a hydrogenated saturated fat. Hydrogenated vegetable fats contain altered molecules derived from fatty acids that may be toxic.

 

The metal catalyst used in the hydrogenation process may also contaminate the stearates produced (see Erasmus, Fats, and Oils). While toxicity is one problem, decreased absorption is another.

 

In a study published in the Journal of Pharmaceutical Technology, the percent dissolution for capsules after 20 minutes in solution went from 90% without stearates to 25% with stearates. This delays the absorption of nutrients. Individuals with impaired digestion may have particular difficulty absorbing nutrients coated with stearates.

Another problem with stearates: concentrated doses of stearic acid suppress the action of T-cells, a key component of the immune system. The article “Molecular basis for the immunosuppressive action of stearic acid on T cells” appeared in the journal Immunology in 1990. Thus, prolonged administering of magnesium stearate at a high dosage weakens the immune system over a period of time.

 

Why do companies use it?  Magnesium Stearate is used as a lubricant so ingredients in supplements and vitamins don’t stick to the machinery during compression and mixing. When machines are working optimally, without clogging, production schedules and profitability can be controlled.   

 

Who regulates Magnesium Stearate?   The subcommittee of Codex Alimentarius, the world authority on international food standards has regulated magnesium stearate as a food additive. NO  Exposure limits have been established for Magnesium Stearate by OSHA or ACGIH.

Are regulations changing?   Yes, various committees on food additives are now looking for toxicity data on magnesium stearate.  Data has yet to be collected.

At the time of this writing, there is no clinical study data on how much magnesium stearate is too much and what constitutes a toxic load for human consumption.

Your healthiest choice is a herbal supplement and vitamin supplement without magnesium stearate.  Pacific Herbs uses no fillers or stearates in any of our products.   We package everything in airtight, moisture tight packets to preserve our natural herbal extracts and avoid the use of fillers, binders, and other unnecessary chemical ingredients.

Harvard Unlocks Secrets of Chinese Herbs

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Harvard School of Dental Medicine has discovered the secret behind an herb used in Chinese herbal medicine.  The herb commonly known as Chang Shan, is a type of hydrangea with a bioactive ingredient that can treat autoimmune disorders.  This is not the first time a Chinese herb has been found to have chemical constituents with significant health benefits.  Most drugs today have their origins in phyto or plant chemicals.  

Chinese medicine has been using plants, insects, fish and shell fish for more than 2,000 years to treat mankind’s illnesses.  Learning the secrets behind the power of these herbs is still an emerging field and scientists are continually learning how various herbal compounds in plants block or stimulate pathways in the body, triggering other reactions.  

In this case, the hydrangea plant contains halofuginone (HF) a compound which blocks the development of a harmful class of immune cells called TH17 cells. These cells have many implications in autoimmune disorders.

“HF prevents the autoimmune response without dampening immunity altogether,” said Malcolm Whitman, a professor of developmental biology at Harvard School of Dental Medicine and senior author on the new study. “This compound could inspire novel therapeutic approaches to a variety of autoimmune disorders.”

Traditional Chinese Medicine is proving more amazing everyday.

This study involved an interdisciplinary team of researchers at Harvard-affiliated and Massachuetts General Hospital and published in Nature Chemical Biology, Febuary 2012.

Prior research had shown that HF reduced scarring in tissue, scleroderma (a tightening of the skin), multiple sclerosis, scar formation, and even cancer progression. “We thought HF must work on a signaling pathway that had many downstream effects,” said Keller.

Recognized only since 2006, Th17 cells are “bad actors,” implicated in many autoimmune diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBS), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), multiple sclerosis (MS), and psoriasis. The researchers found that minute doses of HF reduced multiple sclerosis in a mouse model. As such, it was one of a new arsenal of drugs that selectively inhibits autoimmune pathology without suppressing the immune system globally.

Click here to browse our line of natural and traditional Chinese Herbs.

This research was funded by the National Institutes of Health and Harvard University.

Reference:  http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2012/02/secrets-of-ancient-chinese-remedy-revealed/

 

Fascinating Facts On Chinese Herbs

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Chinese herbs for sleep and menopauseWhat do I find most fascinating about Chinese medicine and Chinese herbs?  Maybe its because Chinese herbs are the oldest medicine on earth.  Practiced for nearly 5000 years. 

One of the oldest Chinese herbal text is the Shen Nong Ben Cao translated it is, “The Divine Farmers Materia Medica”.   This foundation book in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is the book from which all others are derived.  

I love history.  The ability to read a 2000 year old book on the pharmacologocial activities of more than 365 plant, mineral, fish, shell fish, animal and insects is simply, AMAZING to me.   (This ancient herbal medicine text was written circa 30 AD.)  The use of plants and other pharmacologocial agents found in nature was explained with three key statements from the Shen Nong Ben Cao:

 

The highest level physician helps the patient fulfill their destiny.   “The upper class of medicines…..govern the nourishment of destiny and correspond to heaven…., If one wishes to prolong the years of life without aging, one should” use these. Sheng Nong Ben Cao 

Upper Class or superior drugs:

Superior drugs at the time of the Sheng Nong Ben Cao were those found to be nontoxic, and could be safely taken in large amounts for extended periods.  Today we know them as tonics. (Approximately 120)  Well-known superior drugs include:  ginseng, licorice, di huang (root of Rehmannia), huangqi (root of Astragalus), wu wei zi (fruit of Schisandra), gan cao, (licorice) sesame seed, magnolia flower, ling zhi (Ganoderma), fu ling or poria, Chinese date (fruit of Ziziphus jujuba.), Job’s tears [seed of Coix.) and duzhong (bark of Eucommia).  All of these superior herbs can be found in one or more of Pacific Herbs products.

“The mid-level physician treats constitution and helps the patient nourish their original nature.” Sheng Nong Ben Cao    

“The middle class of medicines govern the nourishment of one’s nature and correspond to man. …If one wishes to prevent illness and to supplement depletions and emaciations, one should” use these.

Middle Class Drugs:  (120 drugs) Middle class drugs are those that could be toxic or nontoxic, depending on usage. This included:  ginger, mahuang or ephedra herb (Ephedra), danggui (Angelica sinensis), jixuecao or gotu kola, kuandonghua or coltsfoot flower (flower of Tussilaqo), yinyanghuo (herb of Epimedium spp.), haizao (Sargassum), hehuan (bark of Albizzia julibriss), gaoben, and zhuling or polyporus [sclerotium of Polyporus umbellatus.

The lowest level physician treats symptoms only.

“The lower (class of) medicines….govern the treatment of illness and correspond to earth. If one wishes to remove cold, heat and (other) evil influences (from the body), to break accumulations, and to cure illnesses, one should base (one’s efforts) on (drugs listed in) the lower (class of this) manual.” Sheng Nong Ben Cao 

Inferior drugs are toxic, and are used for treating diseases and should not be used for extended periods  .Inferior drugs (approx 125  include fu zi and wu tou, which are roots of aconite (Aconitum carmichaeli), rhubarb root (root and rhizome), bai tou weng (root of Pulsatilla chinensis), lian qiao or forsythia fruit (Forsythia), qing hao, croton seed (fruit of Croton), guan zhong (rhizome of Dryopteris), and lang dang zi (Hyoscyamus niger).

 

Many of the drugs in the Shen Nong Ben Cao are still being used today for the same medicinal reasons as the time the information was first written down.  Two thousand years, their rationale can be scientifically justified.  For example, the use of haizao (Sargassum) for the treatment of swelling of the neck (goiter) can be explained by its high content of iodine.  There are endless examples. More than enough for another blog.

Some things never change.  Even after a few thousand years.