Summertime Thirst Quencher Herb Teas

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Chinese herbs for summertime teaSummertime is upon us and it’s heating up out there.  Forget the lemonade and the passion fruit ice tea, here’s two recipes with natural herbs for real thirst quenching. These are great for anyone who wants a cool, refreshing drink that’s packed with vitamins and heat relieving properties. These thirst quencher ice teas are healthier than sports drinks and vitamin waters and yet still taste good. 

This tea is also greener!! Instead of  buying and tossing those plastic (BPA ridden) bottles  into landfills,  you’re making a healthy fitness beverage.  You may not know these Chinese herbs but you can easily find them in Asian markets or on the Internet.  These teas have cooling properties to help keep you comfortable on those hot and humid  summer days. If you’re exercising in the heat these teas are perfect to rehydrate the minerals you’re losing.  It’s what you need in your water bottle for a bike ride,  after a workout and in the refrigerator all summer long.

Regarding sweeteners, we know high fructose corn syrup and  cane sugar is not so good for us.  High fructose corn syrup is  prevalent in juice drinks, sports drinks and processed foods so here’s some natural herbal options to sweeten these teas. These sweeteners will help diabetics control their blood sugar and won’t contribute to your kid’s cavities.

Naturals Sweeteners:

I love how easy it is to use Lo Han Sweet. Add a few teaspoons to a pitcher of tea for a healthy, low calorie sweetener.  It’s  made from ½ Xylitol and ½ Chinese herb extract called Longevity fruit.  It looks a little like Splenda’s consistency but much safer.  My other sweetener choices would be Stevia or pure Xylitol.   Be sure to  buy Xylitol, a sugar extract, that  is made from non-gmo corn.  It resembles sugar but has a third less calories and is great for diabetics.  Another option is boiling 1 Longevity fruit, (lou han guo) in a quart of water.  The water will be super sweet and you can add this to your tea to taste.

Mint & Chrysanthemum Tea –   Makes 10-15 cups

1 cup – Mint leaves – Dried or fresh. In Traditional Chinese Medicine mint is used to clear heat from the head and eyes.  It’s cool nature helps relieve heat rashes and headaches. This Chinese herb you are sure to know and recognize but you probably didn’t know it also relieves  irritability and but not recommended for nursing mothers.

1 cup – Dried Chrysanthemum flowers (Chinese grocery stores sell this or buy on line.)  Chrysanthemum, another popular Chinese herb,  has been used throughout Asia for centuries to reduce fevers, headaches and red swollen dry eyes.

Directions:

Boil 4 cups of water.  Remove from heat and place herbs in water to steep for at least 10 minutes. Strain out herbs and add a few extra mint leaves for taste. Add additional 6 cups of water or ice.  Use above sweetener to your desired taste. You may want to use 1 cup of the Longevity fruit sweetener water to taste.   

Pink Berry Cooler Tea –  Makes 10-15 cups

1 cup – Gou Ji Berries and/or Red dates  – Both of these can be found at most Chinese markets and now some health food stores. Use about 1 cup of either or ½ cup of both.  Both are great blood tonics , packed with vitamins and minerals and add a nice natural sweet flavor to any tea.   

1-2 cups Watermelon – You can use both the melon and the white rind.  But what you really need here is only the white rind. But, don’t cut too close to the green skin because the taste will get more bitter the closer you get. You’ll want to puree the watermelon with a little of the warm water from cooked berries above, before adding it to the other ingredients. Watermelon rind has the best cooling properties of just about any melon and has been used in Chinese medicine for generations.

2 cups – Aloe Vera Juice  – Buy it by the gallon. It’s cheaper and goes a long way.  This is an herb used for centuries and is well known for it’s cooling properties.  It’s great for constipation, irritability and red eyes. Add the aloe to the mixture at the end. I find aloe to be fairly bland tasting so it can be hidden with other flavors easily.

Directions:

Boil 3 cups of water.  Turn to a simmer and add gou ji berries and red dates.  Simmer for 15 -20  minutes.  Allow to cool. Strain out herbs.  Add the aloe juice and watermelon juice. Add additional 5 cups of water or ice.  Use above sweetener to your desired taste.

For a little zing add some sparking water before drinking to either tea or a splash of rose water.  (You can usually find rose water in glass bottles in most ethnic markets as well as the Chinese herbs listed above.)

You can see Chinese herbs are not really all that exotic and foreign.  5 out of  6 Chinese herbs mentioned here you have probably heard of before.  A little understanding about what to eat and drink when the weather is too cold or too hot can make a big difference in your health.

CAUTION ADVISED When using Acetaminophen, Herbs are a safer alternative

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Usually I write about Chinese herbs, but today’s a brief diversion on a compelling topic.Herbs are safer alternative to OTC medicines

If you’re like most Americans your medicine cabinet is stocked full of over-the-counter medicine (OTC) and probably at least a few prescription medications. But did you know that taking OTC acetaminophen can be poisonous and can cause serious liver damage.  UCLA experts warn that combining many pharmaceutical drugs such as vicodin and percocet for pain with an OTC cold and flu medicine can be a deadly liver cocktail.  New data is just surfacing because liver transplants are hitting an all time high in the U.S. Turns out the number one cause of liver damage  is acetaminophen poisoning from long term overdosing. 

We know you didn’t mean to overdose but did you realize more than two extra strength tablets or 650 milligrams daily is the U.S. FDA recommended dose? This lower and safer dosage was recommended by the FDA’s own advisory board in June 2009, but this recommendation has yet to be acted on as of this publishing date.

Are you using Tylenol®PM as a  sleep aid or Tylenol® extra strength for menstrual cramps? You may be causing liver damage. It’s seems negligent of the manufacturers to withhold this information, it certainly has not been widely publicized.  Labeling laws have been slightly modified (if you read the extra small print on packages) but you are not going to hear this information on TV or a radio commercial.

If your prescription drugs have the abbreviation “APAP” on the label, the medicine contains acetaminophen, and may cause liver damage. (But not all drugs are marked so check with you pharmacist.)  If your taking any combination of over-the-counter drugs and prescription drugs containing acetaminophen, you may cause liver damage. If you add alcohol to this mix you are certain to cause liver damage and your poor liver will need to check into a rehab facility for some serious down time. 

Not to be flippant about the very serious side effects of acetaminophen but if you combine any OTC sinus caplet, cold and flu formula, a pain reliever, Sudafed®, Excedrin®, Tylenol®, Pamprin®, Benadryl®, Premsyn®, CVS® decongestant, Eckerd® Pain relief, Thera flu ®cold packets, Vicks® DayQuil or NyQuil, arthritis pain relief caplets (just to name a few) together on any given day your most likely going over the recommended/safe zone for acetaminophen. You guessed it, more liver damage.

Take a vacation from the OTC medicines and get yourself some all natural 100% safe Chinese herbs. You’ll feel better and your liver will thank you.

Wisconsin Ginseng Crop Damaged Due to Snow in May

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The best American Ginseng Typically, May weather in Wisconsin is wet, but not below freezing.  This was not the case on May 7, 2010 in Marathon County when it snowed 3-4 inches in 24 hours. The freezing temperatures have likely killed all the newly planted Ginseng. 

American Ginseng, also known as Panax quinquefolius, is a highly sought after Chinese herb used for centuries.   It is the root of this herb that is used medicinally.  Wisconsin depends on American Ginseng for over 15 million dollars each year and the freakish weather is estimated to have killed or damaged up to 80% of the new crop.  The cold weather snap effects the recently planted seedlings the hardest and may seriously drive up prices.

Much of the harvest is exported to Asia where it fetches higher dollar values than in America.  Asian cultures  have used Ginseng for it's medicinal values for over 2000 years.  Used commonly to ward off colds & flu's, ginseng is also known for it's anti-cancer properties and research shows it reduces blood sugar in people with diabetes. The Ginseng Board of Wisconsin has a very nice website with more information. 

The crop normally takes 4 years to mature.  Chinese herbs like American Ginseng are also grown in other parts of the U.S., mainly the woods of Kentucky and North Carolina. So, depending on how much Wisconsin Ginseng can be salvaged, the supply in the coming years may or may not be severely effected by Mother Nature's temperament. Many Chinese herbs grown in China have seen price increase due to Mother Nature.  An ongoing drought in China has effected another specie of Ginseng, and has already driven up prices as much as 300% this year alone.  

China quake ripple effect on Chinese herbs

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The 7.1 earthquake that hit China April 14 now has a rippling effect on the most famous of Chinese herbs, cordyceps. Families are depending on this acclaimed herb not just for their health but now, more than ever before, for income.  Cordyceps is one of most sought after Chinese herbs which grows in the mountains near the region heavily hit by the quake.
The twig like fungus that grows from a caterpillar shell is found in the mountainous region near where the quake crumbled the regions small villages.   Because of over harvesting today it’s found only at high altitudes. Families traditionally start to hunt in late May for this fungus which is known for its miraculous healing properties.  More locals are hoping to recover some of their loses by digging and selling more cordyceps.
But the fungus has become more difficult to find and often the mountain slopes are steep. The plateau’s of Tibet can be a harsh environment for these families. Many pitch tents at high altitudes and live on the bluffs for a whole month. The fungus is more plentiful after a season of wet weather and this year has been noticeably drier which worries many who have come to depend on the harvesting of dong chong xia cao, as it’s known in Chinese. The literal translation is “winter worm, summer herb.”
Cordyceps is known for it’s cancer fighting abilities and it’s ability to boost the immune system. The plant already faces extinction even as China produces 200 tons of fungi every year. 70% of dong chong xia cao is from the region of Qinghai, the hardest hit by the quake.
Wealthy Chinese consume cordyceps for their health while the impoverished farmers risk their health to harvest it. Sadly, many in the region now have no other choice but to dig for the fungus to rebuild their lives from the earthquake and hope for a good harvest.
To learn more about the miracle herb/fungus check out this article.

Bitter Melon to Ward Off Breast Cancer Cells

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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

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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

Study Shows Chinese Herbs Help Sleeplessness

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iSleepherbpac.comAsian countries commonly treat sleeplessness with Chinese herbs more affordably and without the side-effects associated with prescriptions. A study done in Taiwan showed patients complaining of  insomnia were successfully treated with Chinese herbs.  

 

This study included 16,134 participants who received a total of 29,801 Chinese Herbal Medicine prescriptions. This large-scale study which used data assembled by the National Health Insurance of Taiwan, evaluated the frequency and patterns of Chinese herbs in treating insomnia. 

What’s unusual about this study is not just the sheer numbers of participants but the amount of data collected. Read the full study here.

The reason the study has such a large group of participants is simply that Taiwan has instituted a unique computerized data entry system as part of its health care system.  Patients can choose to visit either a Western hospital or a Traditional Chinese Medicine hospital. All data from patient visits are recorded in a national computer database. Because data is readily available in electronic form, large scale analysis is easy. Data in this study covers the course of one year.  The numbers reflect the patients who, according to diagnostic codes for insomnia, were treated with Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine in 2002.

Included in this data are the following:

  • How many patients complained of insomnia, demographics on age, sex, etc?
  • How many patients were prescribed various Chinese herb formula combinations in packets? (herbal packets are the preferred delivery method of Chinese herbs in Taiwan hospitals and clinics.)
  • How many patients were prescribed single Chinese herbs in packets?
  • Which Chinese herb formula was the most prescribed?
  • Which individual herbs were often added to the prescribed Chinese herbal medicine formula?

Conclusion:

The data concluded the most common individual Chinese herbs prescribed for insomniawere Polygonum multiflorum used 23.8% of the time, followed by Ziziphus spinosa (18.3%) and Poria cocos (13.3%). Suan Zao Ren Tan was the most commonly prescribed formula.  These are the same Chinese herbal ingredients found in iSleep Herb Pack.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________ PUBLISHED IN:   EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY & ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE CAM Advance Access published online on April 1, 2009 eCAM, doi:10.1093/ecam/nep018 © 2009 The Author(s). This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/uk/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Prescriptions of Chinese Herbal Medicines for Insomnia in Taiwan during 2002 Fang-Pey Chen1,2, Maw-Shiou Jong1,2, Yu-Chun Chen2,3, Yen-Ying Kung1,2, Tzeng-Ji Chen2,3, Fun-Jou Chen4 and Shinn-Jang Hwang2,3 1Center for Traditional Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, 2National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei, 3Department of Family Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital and 4Graduate Institute of Integration Chinese and Western Medicine, Chinese Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan

Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) has been commonly used for treating insomnia in Asian countries for centuries. The aim of this study was to conduct a large-scale pharmaco-epidemiologic study and evaluate the frequency and patterns of CHM use in treating insomnia.

We obtained the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) outpatient claims from the National Health Insurance in Taiwan for the year 2002. Patients with insomnia were identified from the diagnostic code of the International Classification of Disease among claimed visiting files.

Corresponding prescription files were analyzed, and an association rule was applied to evaluate the co-prescription of CHM. Results showed that there were 16 134 subjects who visited TCM clinics for insomnia in Taiwan during 2002 and received a total of 29 801 CHM prescriptions. Subjects between 40 and 49 years of age comprised the largest number of those treated (25.3%). In addition, female subjects used CHMs for insomnia more frequently than male subjects (female: male = 1.94:1). There was an average of 4.8 items prescribed in the form of either an individual Chinese herb or formula in a single CHM prescription for insomnia. Shou-wu-Teng (Polygonum multiflorum) was the most commonly prescribed single Chinese herb, while Suan-Zao-ren-tang was the most commonly prescribed Chinese herbal formula.

According to the association rule, the most commonly prescribed CHM drug combination was Suan-zao-ren-tang plus Long-dan-xie-gan-tang, while the most commonly prescribed triple-drug combination was Suan-Zao-ren-tang, Albizia julibrissin, and P. multiflorum.

For reprints and all correspondence: Prof. Shinn-Jang Hwang, Department of Family Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, No. 201, Sec. 2, Shih-Pai Road, Taipei 112, Taiwan, ROC. Tel: +886-2-287-57460; Fax: +886-2-287-37901; E-mail: sjhwang@vghtpe.gov.tw

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National Institute of Health – PubMed study abstract on Suan Zao Ren Tang

J Biomed Sci. 2007 Mar;14(2):285-97. Epub 2006 Dec 7.

Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor mediates suanzaorentang, a traditional Chinese herb remedy, induced sleep alteration.

Yi PL, Tsai CH, Chen YC, Chang FC.

Department of Medical Technology, Jen-Teh Junior College of Medicine, Nursing and Management, Miaoli, Taiwan.

Abstract

The sedative-hypnotic medications, including benzodiazepines and non-benzodiazepines, are the most common treatments for insomnia. However, concerns regarding patterns of inappropriate use, dependence and adverse effects have led to caution in prescribing those sedative-hypnotic medications. On the other hand, a traditional Chinese herb remedy, suanzaorentang, has been efficiently and widely used in clinic for insomnia relief without severe side effects in Asia. Although suanzaorentang has been reported to improve sleep disruption in insomniac patients, its mechanism is still unclear. The present study was designed to elucidate the effects of oral administration of suanzaorentang on physiological sleep-wake architectures and its underlying mechanism in rats. We found that oral administration of suanzaorentang at the beginning of the dark onset dose-dependently increased non-rapid eye movement sleep (NREMS) during the dark period, but had no significant effect on rapid eye movement sleep (REMS). Our results also indicated that intracerebroventricular (ICV) administration of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor type A antagonist, bicuculline, significantly blocked suanzaorentang-induced enhancement in NREMS during the dark period, but GABA(B) receptor antagonist, 2-hydroxysaclofen had no effect. These results implicated that this traditional Chinese herb remedy, suanzaorentang increases spontaneous sleep activity and its effects may be mediated through the GABA(A) receptors, but not GABA(B) receptors.

Herbal Aphrodisiacs

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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”. 

Needless to say, perfecting Chinese herbal formulas for sexual enhancement, has been a high priority for  over 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 also known as Epimedium, (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

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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

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New treatments for oral cancer with chinese herbsChinese 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  &    

2 Department 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

 

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

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red herbs blue herbs all chinese herbs for PMS Relief & sleep 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 Am Skeptical

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Chinese herb for weight loss, pms and insomnia

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

Posted by Cathy on
CAM therapies include Chinese herbs, Chinese Medicine both of which help insomnia and give PMS ReliefAnother 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.

The findings were published online Jan. 20, 2010  in Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine.