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.
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Chinese herbal medicine is unique in that the diagnosis and treatments are based on the theories of traditional Chinese medicine. The common cold, for example, may be diagnosed as “wind-cold invasion” and herbs, which dispel wind, and warm cold may be prescribed. Herbs administered within Chinese herbal medicine are usually raw and cooked into a tea, in a powder form and taken with hot water or in a pill form.
While a Western doctor sees a cold as a cold, a CTM practitioner looks at his overall and well-being. The latter finds out if his patient’s Yin and Yang and his other vital forces are in balance, or if he is deficient in one or the other. In CTM theory, Yin and Yang are the two opposing principles in nature, the former female and negative, the latter male and positive.
Chinese herbal medicine is a health care system that has been around since ancient times. It is also known by the acronym CHM. As the causes of illness that afflict mankind have evolved in time, CHM has also undergone developments continuously. Along with modern medicine, state hospitals in China use herbal medicine for various ailments and diseases.
All forms of diseases can be treated by Chinese herbal medicine. The traditional view in Chinese herbal medical system is to prevent diseases before they occur.
The majority of the world population uses Chinese herbal medicine since ancient times and it still is the most extensively used medical system. In comparison to commonly produced pharmaceutical drugs, Chinese herbal medicine rarely gives an adverse reaction.
Depending upon the disease’s severity the duration of the medication is expanded to get the best results and cure. Allergies, digestive disorders, respiratory conditions pertaining to respiratory tracks, immune system disorders, pain, problems due to psychological disorders, children’s diseases and gynecological problems can be effectively treated using Chinese herbal medicines.
A popular saying about Chinese herbal medicine answered the question “What to Expect from a Doctor of Chinese Medicine” with “Above all else, do no harm”
Among all the medical systems of the world, Chinese herbal medicine is the most highly developed. Over thousands of years, the experience of countless administrators of the system ensured its popularity.
Chinese herbal medicine consists of animal, mineral materials and plant species. They are prescribed in the form of formulae – a combination of herbs – than individually. The combination of herbs enhances the medicinal effects. Combining different herbs also neutralizes unwanted side effects. The formulae in a Chinese herbal medicine consist of herbs of principal, assisting and directional functions, which are combined, with herbs to reduce the side effects and induce the digestion of the principal herb.
In an open clinical trial of 16 men with advanced metastatic prostate cancer, the herbal combination PC-SPES improved quality of life and caused significant reductions in pain and levels of prostate specific antigen (PSA), with no major side effects (Pfeifer et al., 2000). The researchers decided to test PC-SPES in patients whose hormone therapy had failed and whose disease was progressing after receiving "numerous anecdotal reports" of benefit from the supplement.
The PC-SPES formula is a dietary supplement composed of eight herbs: Chrysanthemum flowers (Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat., Asteraceae); reishi mushroom (Ganoderma lucidum [Leyss. ex Fr.,] P. Karst. Ganodermataceae); licorice root (Glycyrrhiza glabra L., Fabaceae); dyer's woad (Isatis indigotica L., Brassicaceae); sanchi ginseng (Panax pseudoginseng Wallich, Araliaceae); Rabdosia rubescens (Blume) Hassk., Lamiaceae; baikal skullcap root, or huang qin (Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi., Lamiaceae); and saw palmetto fruit (Serenoa repens [Bartram] Small, Arecaceae).
In the study, the supplemental PC-SPES therapy consisted of three capsules three times a day (total 2.88 grams daily) of the herbal formula for five months. Hormone therapy was continued throughout the trial. Urologists and anesthesiologists at three different clinics in Germany and the United States evaluated the effects of PC-SPES on pain, quality of life, and PSA levels. Clinical testing at all clinics included physical exams, blood chemistry, and blood cell count, plus assessment of PSA level, pain, quality of life, and toxicity.
The results were positive. Pain scores for each category of pain decreased significantly, and those who were taking narcotics or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for pain control before the study were able to reduce their pain relief medication by around 40 percent after 20 weeks of treatment with the herbal supplement. Quality of life was evaluated with a standard questionnaire that assesses physical, emotional, social, and functional well-being. PC-SPES was associated with significant improvements in functional, emotional, and physical well-being, although there was no significant change in social well-being. Finally, PSA levels - a marker for prostate cancer activity - dropped dramatically after PC-SPES supplementation. Compared with the control level, the decrease in PSA level was more than 50 percent in 13 of 16 patients, a result that the researchers believe "indicates that PC-SPES is effective."The investigators were also especially impressed with "the highly significant reduction in reported pain." The product itself was tested and found to be free of any non-herbal pain-relieving substances. In addition, there was a decrease in the spread of bone lesions in three patients, which could indicate that PC-SPES has a direct anti-tumor effect. In terms of side effects, half of the participants experienced breast tenderness, and one patient developed mild stomach upset, which, according to the authors, "suggests that PC-SPES has a low side-effect profile."
As researchers often do, the authors recommended that more research is needed, especially in light of the fact that eight of the original patients "are still enjoying the beneficial effects of PC-SPES, long after the 20 week follow-up." They concluded, "...PC-SPES significantly reduces PSA levels and the pain of metastatic disease, thereby improving patients' quality of life without the detrimental side-effects seen with other drug regimens. With no cure currently available for these patients, maintaining a good quality of life is a realistic therapeutic goal that can be achieved with the dietary supplement PC-SPES."
- Rob McCaleb, Herb Research Foundation [Pfeifer BL, Pirani JF, Hamann SR, Klippel KF. PC-SPES, a dietary supplement for the treatment of hormone-refractory prostate cancer. BJU International 2000; 85: 481-483.]
Adjunctive treatment with standardized ginseng extract G115® increased the speed of bacterial clearance in patients undergoing treatment with antibiotics for chronic bronchitis. The study participants were 75 Italians with acute attacks of chronic bronchitis who received treatment with 875 mg amoxicillin and 125 mg clavulanic acid twice daily for 9 days and were then randomized into two groups. One group (37 patients) received only the antibiotic treatment, and the other (38 patients) took the antibiotics in combination with ginseng extract at a dose of 100 mg twice daily. In the 44 patients who were evaluable at the end of the study, the time to complete clearance of bacteria was significantly shorter in the group receiving the combination treatment (median 6 days/mean 5.9 days vs. median 7 days/mean 6.7 days). The researchers suggest, "Patients in whom the elimination of bacteria from the bronchial system is particularly difficult may benefit from the use of ginseng." Scaglione R, Weiser K, Alessandra M. Effects of the standardised ginseng extract G115 in patients with chronic bronchitis. Clin Drug Invest 2001; 21(1): 41-45. source: herbs.org