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This herb is one of the oldest and most widely used chinese herbs, having been employed for thousands of years in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) as a primary component of multi-herb formulas prescribed to treat bronchial asthma, cold and flu, cough and wheezing, fever, chills, lack of perspiration, headache, and nasal congestion. Listed in the oldest comprehensive materia medica, Shen Nong Ben Cao fing (ca. 100 C.E.

The Pharmacology of chinese herbs, 2nd edition. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press; 1999;209-13. Imai K et al. Cancer-preventive effects of drinking green tea among a Japanese population. Prev Med 1997;26:769-75. Imai K, Nakachi K. Cross sectional study of effects of drinking green tea on cardiovascular and liver diseases. BMJ 1995;310:693-6. International Organization for Standardization (ISO). International Standard ISO 11286: Tea—Classification of grades by particle size analysis. Geneva, Switzerland. ISO Technical Committee ISO/TC 34, Agricultural food products, Subcommittee SC 8, Tea; 1997.

Textbook of Natural Medicine 2nd Edition Volume 1 Michael T. Murray, ND See book keywords and concepts

History of use in the West Yeung's Handbook of chinese herbs and formulas6 and Bensky & Gamble's Chinese herbal medicine7 are major English works which provide basic Chinese herbal information. The introduction of Chinese prepared medicines and the books describing them have increased Western interest in chinese herbs. The authors hope this growing interest in the prepared medicines will lead the serious student to closely study the history and development of the entire traditional Chinese materia medica.

Fundamentals of Pharmacognosy and Phytotherapy Dr. Michael Heinrich, Joanne Barnes, Simon Gibbons and Elizabeth M. Williamson See book keywords and concepts

In the West, the most important chinese herbs are ginseng, ginkgo, astragalus, shizandra, reishi mushroom, baical scullcap and tea. In Ayurveda, some rejuvenating and tonic herbs are called 'rasayanas' and are considered to have a beneficial effect, balancing the tridosha. In Asian medicine, ashwagandha and Centella asiatica are very widely used. Many of these herbs contain saponins or steroidal compounds of some kind and it has been suggested that they act in a similar way to corticosteroids or enhance the effect of naturally occurring steroid hormones in the body.

The ABC Clinical Guide to Herbs Mark Blumenthal See book keywords and concepts

Alteration of pulse in human subjects by three chinese herbs. Am J Chin Med 1994;22(2): 197-203. Wenkui L., Chungang G., Hongjie Z. et al. Use of High-Performance Liquid Chromatography—Tandem Mass Spectrometry to Distinguish Panax ginseng CA. Meyer (Asian Ginseng) and Panax quinquefolius L. (North American Ginseng). Anal Chem IQm-Jl-MU—^All. Wood G, Bache F. Panax, U.S. In: The Dispensatory of the United States of America, 11th edition. Philadelphia, PA: J.B. Lippincott and Co; 1858;575-6. Wood H, La Wall C, Youngken H, et al. The Dispensatory of the United States of America, 21st edition.

Earl Mindell's Supplement Bible: A Comprehensive Guide to Hundreds of NEW Natural Products that Will Help You Live Longer, Look Better, Stay Heathier, ... and Much More! Earl Mindell, R.Ph., Ph.D. See book keywords and concepts

HerbaSway, a producer of standardized chinese herbs, notes that many herbs with proven health benefits, such as ginkgo biloba, actually contain chemicals that if used alone can be toxic. However, when combined with other chemicals found in the plant, these "bad" chemicals are neutralized and may even be helpful. True Chinese healers do not use herbs individually, but combine them in formulas with other herbs. Until very recendy, chinese herbs were available only from Chinese herb shops, usually known only to other Chinese healers.

Today, it is much easier to use chinese herbs. In fact, there are several brands of Chinese herbal products available at natural food stores. Herbs may be sold individually, or in combination with other herbs designed to treat specific symptoms. There have been a few distressing reports of herbs imported from China that were of poor quality or even contaminated. To ensure quality, look for standardized products that assure purity and potency, preferably from well-established companies. Here is a list of some popular chinese herbs that can be found at your natural food store.

The Constituents of Medicinal Plants: An Introduction to the Chemistry and Therapeutics of Herbal Medicine Andrew Pengelly See book keywords and concepts

The Pharmacology of chinese herbs, CRC Press, Boca Raton. Johri, J. K, Banerji, R., Chaurasia, R. S., Misra, G, Siddigni, S. A., Balasubrahmanyam, V. R. and Nigam, S. K. 1992, 'Coumarins as potent biocides', Fitoterapia LXIII: 78-80. Kashiwada, Y., Nonaka, G. I., Nishioka, I., Chang, J. J. and Lee, K. H. 1992, 'Antitumor agents, 129. Tannins and related compounds as selective cytoxic agents', Journal of Natural Products 55: 1033. Kong, Y. C, Lau, C. P., Wat, K. H., Ng, K. H., But, P. P. H., Cheng, K. F. and Waterman, P. G.

There are also numerous examples linking polysaccharides from chinese herbs with protective effects on the digestive system. In one study ginseng—Panax ginseng (Araliaceae)—showed anti-ulcerogenic activity against induced ulcers (Sun, Matsumoto and Yamada 1991). The pectin-like bupleuran 211 from Bupleurum falcatum (Apiaceae) also exhibited significant anti-ulcer activity (Yamada et al. 1991). Polysaccharides from dang gui—Angelica sinensis (Apiaceae)— demonstrated protection of the gastrointestinal mucosa against ethanol and indomethacin (Cho et al.

The Pharmacology of chinese herbs, CRC Press, Boca Raton. Kako, M. M., Miura, T., Nishiyama, Y., Ichimaru, M., Moriyasu, M. and Kato, A. 1996, 'Hypoglycaemic effect of rhizomes of Poly gala senega in normal and diabetic mice and its main component, the triterpenoid glycoside senegin-II', Planta Medica 62: 440^443. Kim, H., Shim, M. and Kim, B. 2001, 'Biological active lanostane-type triterpenoids from Ganoderma lucidum', Proceedings International journal of Ganoderma Science, Auckland. Komoda, Yasuo, Sonada, Y. and Sate, Y.

The Pharmacology of chinese herbs, CRC Press, Boca Raton. Klaas, C. A., Wagner, G., Laufer, S., Sosa, S., Delia Loggia, R., Bomme, V., Pahl, H. L. and Merfort, I. 2001, 'Studies on the anti-inflammatory activity of phytopharmaceuticals prepared from Arnica flowers', Planta Medica 68: 385-391. Lenaz, L. and De Furia, M. D. 1993, 'Taxol: a novel natural product with significant anticancer activity', Fitoterapia LXIV: 27-36. Mata, R., Rivero-Cruz, J. F. and Rojas, A. 1997, 'Smooth muscle-relaxing constituents of Dodonaea viscosa (Sapindaceae) and Conyza filaginoides (Asteraceae).

Indian Herbal Remedies: Rational Western Therapy, Ayurvedic and Other Traditional Usage, Botany C. P. Khare See book keywords and concepts

A compound preparation, Equillence (Ragina), a combination of royal jelly and eight chinese herbs including Chinese jujuba, is available over-the-counter for menstrual irregularities. Classical Ayurvedic References Charaka, Sushruta and Vagabhatta composed three Samhitaas, collectively known as Brihatrayee. These treatises belonged to the period till the 7th century. Thereafter, in the medieval period from the 8th to 16th century, a number of Nighantus were composed.

Heinerman's Encyclopedia of Healing Herbs and Spices John Heinerman See book keywords and concepts

Our session dealt with "Chinese Herbs and Natural Products," and I gave a special lecture on the "Integration of chinese herbs with American Herbal Products: Several Case Studies,'" which received widespread media coverage in the local Taipei newspapers. Following this, he and I were special guests of the Mayor of this capi-tol city. Along with several other foreign guests, I was driven to a farm on the outskirts of Taipei and shown mushroom cultivation in progress.

Alternative Cures: The Most Effective Natural Home Remedies for 160 Health Problems Bill Gottlieb See book keywords and concepts

CHINESE HERBS: Reduce Redness and Swelling The remedy Hua Tuo is a cream containing a number of chinese herbs that can reduce the redness and swelling of dermatitis, says David E. Molony, Ph.D., a licensed acupuncturist and director of Lehigh Valley Acupuncture Center in Catasauqua, Pennsylvania. Apply as needed until symptoms disappear. Breakthroughs in Treating and Preventing Diabetes (Type 1) To conventional doctors, Type 1 diabetes is a classic example of an autoimmune disease.

H5N1 avian strain expected to become next viral pandemic Mike Adams, the Health Ranger See article keywords and concepts

A tremendous number of anti-viral vitamins, minerals, Amazon herbs, chinese herbs, and nutritional supplements are available right now to boost immune system function and fight off viral infections (including the H5N1 strain). As far as vitamins and minerals go, the two best defenders against viral infections are vitamin C and zinc. In the world of herbs, echinacea and astragalus have earned a strong reputation as virus fighters. A wide assortment of foods also help boost immune system function: foods like garlic, ginger and onions.

Gary Null's Power Aging Gary Null See book keywords and concepts

Pine bark extract and grape seed extract (generally between 100 to 500 mg a day) are also good because they fortify the capillaries that furnish the eyes with fluid, and aid in the prevention of lens impairment. Two chinese herbs useful for healing dry and inflamed eyes are daigaku eyedrops and shehu. If you have cataracts, the following are important: acetyl-L-carnitine at 1,000 mg, alpha-lipoic acid at 500 mg, vitamin E at 800 units, N-acetyl-cysteine at 1,000 mg, the bioflavonoids at 2,000 mg, and reduced glutathione at 500 mg. Various vision therapies are available. Dr.

Cancer & Natural Medicine: A Textbook of Basic Science and Clinical Research John Boik See book keywords and concepts

A wide variety of chinese herbs contain beta-sitosterol. These include Magnolia liliflora (xinyi), Cassia tora Que ming zi), Rehmannia glutinosa (shu di huang), andIsatis indigotica (da qingye) (Hsu et al., 1985; Bensky and Gamble, 1993). chinese herbs that contain saponins include Glycyrrhiza uralensis (gan cao), Dioscorea opposita (shanyao), Pseudostellaria heterophylla (tai zi shen), Codonopsis pilosula (dang shen), Bupleurum chinense (chai hu) and many others (Bensky and Gamble, 1993). 14.

Optimal Wellness Ralph Golan, M.D. See book keywords and concepts

Enhance (gano-derma, isatis extract, and twenty-eight other chinese herbs) along with Clear Heat (isatis extract and eight other chinese herbs): protocol ayailable to your health practitioner from Health Concerns. Immune Enhancing Astra 8 (astragalus, codonopis, ligustrum, licorice, ganoderma, atractylodes, eleuthero ginseng, schizandra): two to three capsules twice a day between meals (Health Concerns). Power mushrooms (ganoderma, shiitake, tre-mella or silver tree mushroom, poria, polyporus): three tablets once or twice a day between meals (Health Concerns); can use with Astra 8.

Rational Phytotherapy: A Reference Guide for Physicians and Pharmacists volker schulz and Rudolf Hansel See book keywords and concepts

Although astragalus has emerged as one of the more important chinese herbs on the American market, its purported use is based primarily on folklore and in vitro or animal experiments. The few existing clinical studies have involved parenteral administration of the extract (a mode not possible with herbs sold as dietary supplements that are not approved as drugs in the United States) or oral use in combination with other herbs. This renders evaluation difficult.

The ABC Clinical Guide to Herbs Mark Blumenthal See book keywords and concepts

The Pharmacology of chinese herbs, 2nd edition. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press; 1999;363-9. IHP. See: Indian Herbal Pharmacopoeia. Indian Herbal Pharmacopoeia (IHP Volume I). Jammu-Tawi, India: Regional Research Laboratory, Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR). 1998;89-98. Indian Pharmacopoeia (IP), Vol. I (A-O). Delhi, India: Controller of Publications, Government of India, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare; 1996;440-2. Inoue H, Saito K, Koshihara Y, Murota S. Inhibitory effect of glycyrrhetinic acid derivatives of lipoxygenase and prostaglandin synthetase.

The Way of Herbs Michael Tierra See book keywords and concepts

Strain if you don't want to encounter pieces of chinese herbs in your soup broth. Add two to four ounces of lean pork, beef, or a whole chicken to the broth and continue cooking. Add some whole grains, vegetables and salt to taste. One or two bowls of this soup mixture should be taken daily for chronic deficiencies. For maintenance, serve this delicious soup to the family on a weekly basis. Following is a combination of herbs that utilizes elements from both the Yang and Yin tonics: Ginseng—2 grams Astragalus—2 grams Dong Quai—2 grams Fu Ling—2 grams Aconite—1.

This is only a brief introduction to the use of chinese herbs. I hope it will give the lay person the confidence to purchase and use these centuries-old health aids on a regular basis. In Appendix 2, "Sources for Herbs and Herb Products," I have listed possible sources for some of the herbs mentioned in this text.

Tierra and associates • An online forum where one can comment or ask questions regarding herbs, health, and healing • A cyberstore where one can safely purchase online a number of hard-to-find specialty products, including Planetary Formulas, products, magnets, Nikken magnets (along with information on distributorship opportunities), Barefoot Doctor tools, chinese herbs, Ayurvedic herbs, soy extract, and much more • Video on the use of escharotic pastes and the botanical treatment of cancer.

Healing with Whole Foods: Asian Traditions and Modern Nutrition Paul Pitchford See book keywords and concepts

One of the most common chinese herbs used in the West, dang gui is available through most herb and health food stores in several forms, including convenient tablets. Small amounts (500-700 mg. in tablets, or one cup of tea) can be taken three to five times per week as a prevention against calcium loss due to hormonal deficiency. A plant known to directly stimulate the production of estrogen is the Brazilian herb "Suma™" (Pfaffia paniculata [Martius] Kuntze).

The Way of Herbs Michael Tierra See book keywords and concepts

Cinnamon—4 grams (warms; helps circulation) One can see from the above examples the principle of using chinese herbs according to symptoms and constitution. There are hundreds of tried and tested herbal formulas which are studied and prescribed according to individual requirements by Chinese herbalists. The Western methods of herbal prescribing are not as well developed in this scientific way as the Chinese. However, many of these same principles are followed in the Western formulas and prescriptions given in this book.

Viral Immunity J. E. Williams, O.M.D. See book keywords and concepts

If you use steroids, antiviral drugs, or pharmaceutical interferon, certain chinese herbs may be used concurrently to reduce the side effects of those drugs. For example: ginseng and wu jia pi/radix acan-thopanax (Acanthopanax senticosus) have been used to protect against damage to the immune system caused by radiation treatments during cancer therapy. Formulas containing Chai Hu/'radix bupleuri (Bupkurum falcatum) have been used to enhance the effects of steroids and at the same time reduce the immune-damaging side effects of these drugs.

Individual chinese herbs used for influenza include isatis (Isatis tinctoria); andrographis (Andrographis paniculata); bupleurum root (Bupleurum falcatum); wild chrysanthemum flowers (Chrysanthemum indicum); honeysuckle flowers (Lonicera japonica); and houttuynia (Houttuynia cordata). Unlike Western herbology, which uses individual herbs or a mixture of herbs with similar functions, in Chinese medicine herbs are combined into formulas that exert synergistic effects.7 Two commonly used formulas for influenza are yin chao san and zhong gan ling (discussed in part 2).

The One Earth Herbal Sourcebook: Everything You Need to Know About Chinese, Western, and Ayurvedic Herbal Treatments Alan Keith Tillotson, Ph.D., A.H.G., D.Ay. See book keywords and concepts

The dose would translate into about 9-12 grams per day of concentrated 4:1 granulated chinese herbs. Using complex formulations of herbs based upon signs and symptoms, including a triphala-based tonic formula from Nepal (called trifola), we have worked with Dr. Abel's group to successfully reduce eye pressures and preserve visual field in numerous patients since 1998, including patients sensitive to steroid eyedrops.

Viral Immunity J. E. Williams, O.M.D. See book keywords and concepts

These herbs also have antiviral activity and are discussed in step 7, the chapter on natural antiviral medications. Many chinese herbs have immune-enhancing and adaptogenic properties, such as astragalus and ginseng, and are included in step 8, the chapter on Chinese medicine. Many nutrients also have immune-modulating effects, such as coenzyme Q10, selenium, zinc, and vitamin B6, and have already been discussed in the chapter on antioxidants.

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