Posts Tagged ‘Chinese’

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Does Chinese Herbal Medicine Works ?

Tuesday, September 7th, 2010

Dr. Ting Hung-Leung, Hong Kong’s deputy director for Traditional Chinese Medicine, commented: “The problem in 1997 was we had over 7,000 practitioners of herbal and Traditional Chinese Medicine and anyone could call themselves TCM practitioners.” Now rigid licensing and educational standards have made the study more acceptable to Western standards.


As a result, Chinese herbal medicine and clinics offering acupuncture treatment are opening up in many American medical schools and the ancient treatments are being tested in laboratories for effectiveness. Researchers and patients alike are surprised at the results.


Did you know that emphysema can even be treated by Chinese herbal therapy? First, patients should consider what their diets include. Do’s include: protein (fish, eggs, lean meats), nuts, seeds, legumes, fiber-rich vegetables and soy. Don’ts include: complex carbohydrates, caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, simple sugars and things ending in “-ose.”


Never skip meals, but rather eat small meals throughout the day and have a small snack before bed. The most important Chinese herbal remedy is brewer’s yeast, which stabilizes blood sugar levels.


Chromium picolinate is also necessary for optimal insulin activity. Pacreatin and proteolytic enzymes aid in digestion. Zinc helps control appropriate insulin release. Glutamine will reduce sugar cravings. Many people with hypoglycemia are found to be lacking certain essentials: manganese and vitamin C with bioflavonoids.


Doctors also recommend herbal teas with burdock, dandelion or licorice to stabilize blood sugar levels. Ohiopogon is a powerful tonic that strengthens the lungs and heart and should be taken twice daily, 6 grams at a time. Check with a specialist to see what options are best for you.


“I think acceptance by the mainstream medicine is getting better and better,”said Che Chun Tao, professor and director of the School of Chinese Medicine at Chinese University. “I can tell you, before 1997 there were no doctors in hospitals who were willing to touch any herbal materials in clinical trials, but now there’s quite a number of clinical trials going on and there’s better acceptance from medical doctors.


I believe a combination of traditional Chinese medicine together with western medicine is needed for treating serious diseases and it’s important to offer a choice for patients and the general public,” he said. Currently, clinical trials for Chinese herbal extracts are being tested all around the world to cure some of the world’s most serious diseases.


“If you are taking herbs without experiencing any results after a week or two, then perhaps your formula needs to be changed, unhealthy foods eliminated from your diet, or other changes made,” says Jiang Wind Xiao, one Chinese herbal exhibitor.


“If you are being told to take herbs for long periods of time without seeing any benefits, or are experiencing side effects, then perhaps you need to see another practitioner.” Pharmaceuticals should still be used for emergencies, but for long term care Chinese herbal remedies work best.

Arthritis And Chinese Herbal Medicine

Tuesday, July 27th, 2010

Most people with joint pain are diagnosed with arthritis, which is a general term for a number of different conditions that involve swollen, painful, and/or stiff joints. The two most common forms of arthritis are rheumatoid arthritis, which affects more than 6.5 million people in the United States alone; and osteoarthritis, which is an age-related degeneration of joints. One in seven Americans is afflicted with osteoarthritis, and some are virtually housebound by joint pain. In the West, anti-inflammatory drugs are commonly prescribed for arthritis. In the East, acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine, with their thousand-year-old history, are the major health care modalities used to fight joint and musculo-skeletal disorders including arthritis. These ancient therapies are still used because they are empirically effective, and have stood the test of time. Now they are standing to meet the tests of Western medicine.

In traditional Chinese medicine, the condition that is congruent with arthritis is called “Bi syndrome.” Bi syndrome manifests as pain, soreness, or numbness of muscles, tendons and joints, and is the result of the body being “invaded” by the external climatological factors of Wind, Cold, Heat, and/or Dampness. The symptoms manifested by the individual depend on which external pathogenic factor is strong. Chinese herbal medicine views disease as an imbalance between major forces in our body-organ systems, heat versus cold, and the blockage of the flow of blood, and Qi (pronounced “chee”), the life force. Chinese herbal medicine views arthritis as restriction of the flow of blood and Qi due to an over-abundance of cold.

Arthritis and Chinese herbal medicine remedies are available in extremely complex formulations. The most common formulations are Si Miao Wan, Guan Jie Yan Win, and Du Huo Ji Sheng Wan. Most of these formulations are available as teas, extracts or tablets, which you can purchase online, from supply stores for traditional Chinese medicine, or from Asian grocery stores. Arthritis and Chinese herbal medicine formulations usually include some or all of the following herbs: Yi yi ren (Coix lachrymal jobi/Seeds of Jobs Ears seed), Fang ji (Stephania tetrandra root) , Cang zhu (Atractylodes lancea rhizome),Hai tong pi (Erythrina variegata/coral bean bark),Gui zhi (Cinnamomum cassia/cinnamon twig), Xiang jia pi (Periploca sepium root-bark), Huai niu xi (Achyranthes bidentata root),Qin jiao (Gentiana macrophylla/bitter root) ,Wu zhu yu (Evodia rutaecarpa fruit) ,Huang qin (Scutellaria baicalensis/skullcap root) , Du huo (Angelica pubescens root) , Sheng jiang (Zingiber officinale rhizome/ginger root) , Sang ji sheng (Taxillus chinensis twig/Mulberry twig, Shu di huang (Rehmannia glutinosa roo)t, Dang shen Codonopsis pilosula root), Fu ling (Poria cocos fungus), Du zhong (Eucommia ulmoides bark), Bai shao (Paeonia lactiflora root), Fang feng (Ledebouriella divaricata root), Gentiana macrophylla root, Chuan xiong (Ligusticum wallichii rhizome/lovage root), and Gan cao (Glycyrrhiza uralensis root/licorice root).

You should learn both the Chinese, and where available, the English and the scientific names of the Chinese Medicine remedies for arthritis. This way, you will be able to communicate both with merchants and your health care provider. Of course, your first consultation about your arthritis should be with your health care provider. He or she can insure that any arthritis and Chinese medicine treatments you take are safe and effective and do not interact with any other medications you may be taking. We wish you well on your healing journey.

Immune Herbs: Chinese Herbal Medicines

Wednesday, July 21st, 2010

In this world of pollution, competition and stress, health has become a major concern for us. Most of us fall ill due to our weak immune system. The function of the immune system is to defend the body against invaders. Although the immune system is intricate, its basic strategy is simple: to recognize the enemy like harmful bacteria and viruses mobilize antibodies, and attack. There are many pharmaceutical drugs available in the market which strengthens your immune system but herbal medicines are better alternative. Traditional Chinese herbs are considered as the best medicine to strengthen our immune system without any side effects.

Earlier people were ignorant about the benefits of Chinese herbs but with the advent of internet, people are getting more and more information about the efficacy of Chinese herbal medicine. By logging on to www.longevityherbs.com, you will get to know a lot about the curative power of Chinese medicine. At longevity herbs, there is a range of immune herbs , which are very effective and efficient in dealing with immune related problem. Longevity herb has a team of super specialist who tirelessly research on various herbal remedies which can prove effective in dealing with immune related problem. They also take proper care that the products offered by longevity herbs do not have any side effect. A longevity herb has launched a number of immune herbs that improves body immunity and makes the body able to resist the attack of harmful bacteria and viruses.

The Chinese healing herbs like ginseng, Reishi and Chinese cordyceps are available at longevity herbs, which have proved to be the best Chinese herbal medicine to strengthen the immune system. Ginseng herb available at Longevityherbs is a wonderful herb, which strengthens our immune system, and it helps in detoxifying our body. The other wonderful immune herb is Reishi. It is called the herb of good fortune. It has been used from thousand of years and it instill calmness, improve sleep and it also strengthen and balance the immune system. Probiotics are also available at longevity herbs, which offer immune support vitamins, minerals, and healthy nutrients. The other products offered by Longevityherbs are cordyceps, energy combo and super tonic for giving energy to the body; fola pro, cinnamon poria and zi si fang for fertility related problems; menopause hot flashes and Probiotics for health and longevity; focus combo to sharpen your mind; and traumeel, yunnan baiyao and arnica for pain relief.

Chinese herbal medicines offered by Longevity Herbs are proving a boon for many of the patients, suffering from immunological disorder. The immune herbs offered here are of extremely good quality and are available at most competitive prices in the market. So log onto www.longevityherbs.com to boost your immune system and enjoy a long and healthy life.

Chinese Herbal Medicine – Drug Interactions

Saturday, June 26th, 2010

While mental health is often considered a separate issue from one’s physical well-being, the two have always been linked in the practice of traditional Chinese medicine. In TCM, emotions and thoughts are considered to have a direct impact on the physical health of a person, and furthermore, mental and physical health are equally valued. Because of the importance placed on the mind in traditional Chinese medicine, there are many methods available within the profession that are geared toward the renewal, healing, and upkeep of mental wellness. The use of herbs for medicinal purposes have been around since people began keeping track of illnesses and the effective healing capabilities of several botanicals. Even today Chinese herbal medicine remains as a supplement too many conventional treatments used on Chinese patients. For those without the resources to make western medicines available, Chinese herbal medicine may be the only treatment they receive.

In recent years many studies in various countries around the globe have tested Chinese herbal medicine for it healing affects for a variety of illness. While many of the patients in study groups have experienced improvement over prolonged and controlled test periods, there were often complications with patients taking conventional medicine at the same time. Ironically, the use of Chinese herbal medicine was recommended to be discontinued while the patient was treated with synthetic drugs, even though research showed that the herbal medication alone would not cause the same response. A study confirmed that Chinese herbal medicine was successful in offering relief for rheumatoid arthritis in patients, with the herb performing as an anti-inflammatory. It has been credited with offering the same relief realized by patients taking steroidal drugs, without the side effects.

While debate continues on the safety of many products used in Chinese herbal medicine, there have been cases in which people have suffered serious complications when mixing herbs with conventional medicine. The use of herbal medications is not controlled by the United States government and few cases of the natural products causing problems have been reported. However, studies have shown that Echinacea when used for more than eight weeks could cause toxins in the liver and should not be taken with anabolic steroids. Feverfew is another botanical used in Chinese herbal medicine for migraine headaches but studies indicate a reaction with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs could cause a negative interaction.

St. John’s Wort, often used for anxiety and stress should not be taken with medicines such as Prozac and Paxil, patients taking prescription warfarin should not combine it with herbs that affect bleeding such as feverfew, garlic, and ginseng as unexpected, uncontrolled bleeding could result. These tests and histories show that herbs used in Chinese herbal medicine may have side effects if used with conventional synthetic drugs, but do not indicate their use by themselves pose any danger to the patients. Continuing studies are being conducted to prove their effectiveness as well as their safety.

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