Alan R. Gaby, M.D., Jonathan V. Wright, M.D., Forrest Batz, Pharm.D. Rick Chester, RPh., N.D., DipLAc. George Constantine, R.Ph., Ph.D. Linnea D. Thompson, Pharm.D., N.D.
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 In herbal medicine, mallow is classified as a demulcent—a soothing agent that counters irritation and mild inflammation. Both mallow leaf and flower preparations are approved by the German Commission E for relief of sore throats (page 129) and dry coughs (page 139).4 Mallow is typically used as a tea or gargle for these indications.
In test tube studies, one carbohydrate in mallow has been shown to inhibit a component of the immune system known as the complement cascade. |
John A. McDougall
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 Other herbal treatments, such as the Chinese Jianpi
Wenshen recipe and the Japanese herbal medicine Sho-saiko-to, have reportedly been effective in the treatment of infectious hepatitis.
The most commonly used herb for liver disease, including mushroom poisoning, alcoholic liver disease, and viral hepatitis, is milk thistle. It appears to protect the liver cells against a variety of toxins, as well as help detoxify the liver and promote regeneration of liver cells. |
David Wolfe
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 To make this happen, cooked food needs to be understood for what it is, its consumption minimized, and its use eventually removed or specialized in the human diet (for purposes of dietary balance, herbal medicine, etc.).
The assumption behind cooking is that the original form of Nature, as it exists, must be altered in order that it may be reformed to a new artificial form. The truth is that the original state is always superior. The beauty and taste sensation of a wild blueberry cannot be improved upon! |
Michael T. Murray
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 Dear Doctor,
We have written the book Beat Diabetes Naturally as a guide that includes valuable and sensible information on how to incorporate diet, nutritional supplements, herbal medicine, and other strategies such as acupuncture into their diabetes treatment. |
Michael Friedman, ND
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 An Illustrated Guide to Antineoplastic Chinese herbal medicine. Hong Kong: Commercial Press, 1990.
Wang Qi and Dong Zhi Lin. Modern Clinic Necessities for Traditional Chinese Medicine. Beijing, China: China Ocean Press, 1990.
Dong Zhi Lin and Yu Shu Fang, Modern Study and Application of Materia Medica, Beijing, China: China Ocean Press, 1990.
Keisetsu Otsuka. 30 Years of Kanpo. Long Beach, CA: Oriental Healing Arts Institute, 1984.
Zhang Dengbu. Acupuncture Cases from China. London: Churchill Livingstone, 1994.
Pan Mingji. Cancer Treatment with Fu Zheng Pei Ben Principle. |
Minor Hypertension
Hypertension of any sort can be well treated with herbal medicine. For minor hypertension, herbal combinations, such as the following, work very well with no side effects.
Formula for Minor Hypertension
Hawthorne Berry Valerian
Hawthorne berry (Craetagus oxycanthus): Hawthorne berry helps not only with hypertension but also hypotension due to its adaptogenic effects. It tones the heart. Hawthorne berry is a rich source of bioflavonoids, which are also important in preventing lipid peroxidation of LDL. |
Moderate to Severe Hypertension
Severe hypertension can be also very well treated with herbal medicine. Unlike the herbs mentioned in moderate hypertension, these herbs should not be taken as foods. High doses should not be taken.
Formula for Severe Hypertension:
Snakeroot Jamaican dogwood |
| Selected Clinical Studies and Literature Reviews
For a full discussion of successful Chinese herbal treatments for thyroid disease, see Subhuti Dhar-mananda, "Treatments for Thyroid Disease with Chinese herbal medicine," in Selected Clinical Studies and Literature Reviews, pp. 317.
Hypothyroidism
Clinically serious low thyroid function will exhibit oral temperature as low as 93°F on rising from sleep, with symptoms of sluggishness and mild depression. |
| Some examples cited in the Chinese literature published during 1981 to 1986 (formulas cited in An Illustrated Guide to Antineoplastic Chinese herbal medicine) are given below.
Luffa Decoction: luffa (30 g), prunella (30 g), licorice (10 g). [An abstract of the research article was also published in Abstracts of Chinese Medicine]. This formula was given to 30 patients with thyroid adenoma, in the form of decoction, in two divided doses daily for 2 to 3 months. Itwas claimed that 70% were cured, 20% improved, and 10% failed to respond. |
Dr. Michael Heinrich, Joanne Barnes, Simon Gibbons and Elizabeth M. Williamson
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 OtsukaY 1985 Herbal medicine: Kampo. past and present. Tsumura Juntendo Inc., Tokyo
Vogellehner D 1987 Jardines et verges en Europe occidentale
(VIII-XVIII siecles). Flaran 9:11-40 Waller F 1998 Phytotherapie der traditionellen chinesischen
Medizin. Zeitschrift fur Phytotherapie 19:77-89
SECTION 2
Basic plant biology
3
General principles of botany: morphology and systematics
The chapters in this section provide a short introduction to the bioscientific basis for all aspects of the use of plants in pharmacy required for understanding phytomedicines and pure natural products. |
Josef A. Brinckmann and Michael P. Lindenmaier
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 U.K.: herbal medicine in the General Sale List, Table A (internal or external use) of Schedule I (requiring full Product License).
U.S.: Dietary supplement. Natural extractives of mate (§ 182.20) are Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS).
Authentication: Macroscopic (see: Description). Microscopic features include the leaf epidermis covered with a thick and striated cuticle (Fig. 3) as well as the porous mesophyll with occasional calcium oxalate clusters (see also DAC). Microsublimation yields characteristic caffeine needle crystals. |
Mark Blumenthal
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 Some legislators and industry leaders are looking to countries with established herbal medicine regulatory systems. The Commission E in Germany is one such system frequently proposed as a potential model for consideration. |
Richard P. Brown, M.D., and Patricia L. Gerbarg, M.D.
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 The discovery of Rhodiola rosea's ability to enhance mental and physical performance under stress may be among the most intriguing sagas in herbal medicine. In part 2, we will share more of this herb's fascinating history. In addition, we will present cases studies from our clinical practices of patients who have experienced Rhodiola rosea's remarkably wide-ranging benefits. (We've changed names and other identifying information to safeguard our patients' privacy.) Perhaps you're dealing with one or more of the health problems that we address. |
Mark Blumenthal
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| Of the 123 CAM courses reported in a survey, 68% were stand-alone electives and 31% were part of required curriculum (Wetzel et ai, 1998). herbal medicine is usually included in the complementary medicine courses in these curricula, but the herb information is often relegated to cursory reviews and basic but incomplete information on only the most popular herbs in the market.
Nearly half of British medical schools offer some courses in complementary medicine and some postgraduate medical centers offer a basic introduction to complementary disciplines (Zollman and Vickers, 1999). |
Textbook of Natural Medicine 2nd Edition Volume 2Michael T. Murray, ND
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| Effects of Chinese herbal medicine "Saiko-Keishi-To" on intracellular calcium and protein behavior during pentylenetetrazol-induced bursting activity in snail neuron. Planta Med 1985; 2-6
83. Sugoya A, Tsuda T, Yasuda K, Onozuka M. Effects of Chinese herbal medicine "Saiko-Keishi-To" on transmembrane ionic current of snail neurons Planta Med 1985; 60-61
84. Nagakubo S, Niwa S, Kumagai N et al. Effects of TJ-960 on Sternberg's paradigm results in epileptic patients. Jpn J Psychiatry Neurol 1993; 47: 609-620
85. Narita Y, Satowa J, Kokubu T, Sugaya E. |
Dr. Michael Heinrich, Joanne Barnes, Simon Gibbons and Elizabeth M. Williamson
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| Missionary doctors translated Western medical journals into Chinese, and Chinese doctors who had studied abroad turned against traditional herbal medicine. However, after the 1949 communist revolution, the government of the new People's Republic of China reinstated TCM and set up new medical colleges, intended to break China's dependence on the West. The 3rd (or Cultural) Revolution of 1966-1976 brought culture to a standstill, and 'barefoot doctors' with no more than 6 months of training were sent to rural areas to replace the denounced 'intellectual' Westerners. |
Bradley J. Willcox, M.D., D. Craig Willcox, Ph.D., Makoto Suzuki, M.D.
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 As a traditional herbal medicine, the leaves of obako have been used to treat stomach troubles, kidney ailments, inflammation of the bladder and urinary tract, and coughs. The seeds have a mild laxative effect, similar to the seeds of another plantain, psyllium (Plantago ovata). Indeed, Metamucil and similar products use psyllium husks to treat constipation. Studies have found that psyllium is a useful addition to weight-loss regimens because the bulk it creates helps contribute to feelings of satiety. |
Dr. Michael Heinrich, Joanne Barnes, Simon Gibbons and Elizabeth M. Williamson
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| A history of herbal medicine.
Norman & Hobhouse, London Humboldt A von (Beck H, Hrsg.) 1997 Die Forschungsreise in den Tropen Amerikas [Studienausgabe Bd 2, Teilband 3].
Wissenschaftliche Buchsgesellschaft, Darmstadt Leibrock-Plehn L 1992 Hexenkrauter oder Arznei: die
Abtreibungsmittel im 16 und 17 lahrhundert. Heidelberger
Schriften zur Pharmazie- und Naturwissenschaftsgeschichte,
Bd 6. Wissenschaftliche Verlagsgesellschaft, Stuttgart Leroi-Gourhan A 1975 The flowers found with Shanidar IV, a
Neanderthal burial in Iraq. |
Dianne Onstad
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 Tea made from the seeds is used in modern herbal medicine as a hair tonic and growth stimulant as well as an antidandruff shampoo. An old practice to abate gout and rheumatism was to thrash afflicted joints with nettle shoots; the possible improvement was a result of the increased blood flow to that region. Pressing the boiled leaves against a wound will stop the bleeding and at the same time purify the blood. |
Dr. Michael Heinrich, Joanne Barnes, Simon Gibbons and Elizabeth M. Williamson
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| THE DEVELOPMENT OF TCM
Shen Nong, the legendary Chinese Emperor, is credited with the discovery of herbal medicine in around 2800 BCE, and he is also reputed to have defined the opposing yet complementary principles eventually known as yin and yang. Confucius (551^-79 BC) is celebrated as China's greatest sage. He established a code of rules and ethics based on the premise that there is an order and harmony of the Universe resulting from a delicate balance of Yin and Yang forces. |
| In modern Indian herbal medicine the Ayurvedic properties are described together with the conventional pharmacological and phytochemical data. Drugs are prepared as tinctures, pills, powders and some formulae unique to Ayurveda (see Table 11.6). Ayurveda is very metaphysical, too much so for many Westerners to grasp, and practitioners view it as a way of life as opposed to a career.
Rcisayana
Table 11. |
Mark Blumenthal
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| Tyler, the former Dean and Distinguished Professor of Pharmacognosy Emeritus at the School of Pharmacy and Pharmacal Sciences at Purdue University:
Rational herbal medicine is conventional medicine. It is merely the application of diluted drugs to the prevention and cure of disease. The fact that the constituents and, sometimes, even the mode of action of these drugs are often incompletely understood and that instruction in their appropriate application is not a significant part of standard medical curricula does not in any way detract from their role in conventional medicine. |
| Pycnogenol®, and 12 multi-herb products representing various herbal medicine traditions. The review of each product includes a table of clinical studies. The editors have included these proprietary products because monopreprations are the exception rather than the rule in most systems of traditional and indigenous medicine. Additional information is provided in the introduction to the proprietary products section on page 366.
References
AHPA. See: American Herbal Products Association.
American Herbal Products Association (AHPA). |
| Treatment of irritable bowel syndrome with Chinese herbal medicine: a randomized controlled trial. J Amer Med Assn 1998;280:1585-9.
Bent S, Tsourinas C, Romoli M, Linde K. Kava for anxiety disorder. In: The Cochrane Library 2001:1.
Birks J, Grimley Evans J, Van Dongen M. Ginkgo Biloba for Cognitive Impairment and Dementia (Cochrane Review). In: The Cochrane Library, Issue 4, 2002. Oxford: Update Software.
Blendon RJ, DesRoches CM, Benson JM, Brodie M, Altman DE. Americans' views on the use and regulation of dietary supplements. Arch Int Med 2001;161:805-810.
Blumenthal M. |
Ralph W. Moss, Ph.D.
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 Kampo (or kan po) refers to the Japanese version of traditional Chinese herbal medicine. Chinese herbal medicine has deep roots in ancient history. Asian scientists have now begun to purge non-scientific elements from this extremely valuable tradition.
Herbs in kampo medicine are never taken alone, but usually involve complicated prescriptions of ten plants, or more. Such herbs are said to work synergistically.
Many constituents of kampo prescriptions have been found to have significant biological effects. Scientific studies in this area are vigorous and promising. |
Dr. Michael Heinrich, Joanne Barnes, Simon Gibbons and Elizabeth M. Williamson
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| For example, the foxglove, a source of the cardiac glycoside digoxin, has no historical documentation as a herbal medicine, and it was not until the 1800s that Withering used it for cardiac dropsy (congestive heart failure). Due to the narrow therapeutic index of the drug, it was necessary to develop a standardized preparation, which was powdered leaf, assayed biologically, and compressed into a tablet, before the drug gained widespread acceptance. |
Dianne Onstad
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| Arrowroot is used in herbal medicine in much the same manner as slippery elm, as a soothing demulcent and a nutrient of benefit in convalescence, and for easing digestion. It helps to relieve acidity, indigestion, and colic, and is a mild laxative. It may be applied as an ointment or poultice mixed with other antiseptic herbs, such as comfrey.
Asafoetida
(Ferula assafoetida, F. |
Heather Boon, BScPhm, PhD and Michael Smith, BPharm, MRPharmS, ND
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 With the exception of the practice of naturopathic medicine in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and British Columbia, no federal or provincial regulations exist regarding the practice of herbal medicine. This results in little uniformity between herbal practitioners. Cases in which a patient self-medicates inappropriately would also fall in this category.
Intrinsic Procedural Risks
Intrinsic procedural risks are those arising as a direct result of the administration of the therapy. |
| This includes a variety of herbal medicine categories, including: anti-microbials, digestive or hepatic tonics.
Astringent
An agent, normally rich in tannins, that can precipitate proteins resulting in a contraction of tissues.
Bitter
An agent that aids and supports the digestive process, promoting salivation and the secretion of stomach acid and digestive enzymes.
Carminative
A primarily digestive agent that supports and soothes the digestive system relieving gas, spasm and distention. |
| Irrespective of the amount of evidence for a particular herbal medicine, many conditions can only be treated safely and effectively after consulting with an appropriately trained healthcare provider. |
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