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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 Ligustrum is often combined with astragalus (page 631) in traditional chinese medicine. Although used for long-term support of the immune system in people with depressed immune function or cancer, more research is needed to demonstrate the optimal length of time to use ligustrum.
How much is usually taken?
Powdered, encapsulated berries, 1—3 teaspoons (5—15 grams) per day, are sometimes recommended.4 A similar amount of berries can be made into tea by adding lA—\ teaspoon (2—5 grams) of powdered or crushed berries to 1 cup (250 ml) of boiling water and steeping for ten to fifteen minutes. |
| Epilepsy (page 183)
Hepatitis (page 220) (viral) Irritable bowel syndrome (page 280) (Chinese herbal combination formula containing wormwood [page 762], ginger [page 680], bupleurum, schisandra [page 744], dan shen, and other extracts) Liver cirrhosis (page 290)
þftft HIV/AIDS (page 239)
Historical or traditional use (may or may not be supported by scientific studies)
Bupleurum has been used in traditional chinese medicine for thousands of years to help relieve numerous conditions. |
Phyllis A. Balch, CNC
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 According to traditional chinese medicine, this type of exercise wards off illness. It has been linked to reduced blood pressure and increased levels of endorphins, natural body chemicals that relieve pain and maintain mental health. Work with a trained professional to begin with, and in a half-hour you will be able to practice qi gong on your own. You will not find the exercises too strenuous. They are done as if in slow motion.
This particular discipline not only improves your mind, but also tones the muscles and joints and improves your balance. |
David Winston, RH(AHG), and Steven Maimes
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 Chinese medicine to stop bleeding. Panax japonicus is used as an adaptogen in traditional Japanese medicine (kampo), and in Cherokee medicine the leaves of Panax trifolium are used as a strengthening tonic herb.
Dosage and Safety
Tincture (1:5): 20-40 drops, up to three times per day.
Decoction: Take 1-2 tsp. of the ground herb or one root, slowly decoct
(in a nonmetal pot) for lh hour. Let steep an additional hour. Take up to two cups per day. Capsules: Powdered herb in capsules, two 400-500 mg capsules, two to three times per day; powdered extract, one 400-500 mg capsule, twice per day. |
Joe Graedon, M.S. and Teresa Graedon, Ph.D.
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 Any diabetic who chooses to try traditional Chinese herbs needs two doctors, though: one skilled in traditional chinese medicine and the other up-to-date on endocrinology, especially diabetes treatment. It might be challenging to organize their close collaboration, but it is essential.
BITTER MELON
Bitter melon, or Momordica charantia, is a plant in the cucumber/squash family that is used as a vegetable as well as a medicine in much of China.244 It does not increase insulin production, but it seems to improve sugar uptake by the cells. |
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 traditional chinese medicine, burdock root in combination with other herbs is used to treat sore throats (page 129), tonsillitis, colds (page 129), and even measles (page 307).2 In Japan, it is eaten as a vegetable.
Burdock root has recently become popular as part of a tea to treat cancer (page 87). To date, however, research is insufficient to promote burdock for this application.3
Active constituents
Burdock root contains high amounts of inulin and mucilage. This may explain its soothing effects on the gastrointestinal tract. |
Amarjit S. Basra
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 The most commonly used drugs for clinical application in traditional chinese medicine are Lonicerae (flower), Forsythiae (fruit), Taraxaci (herb), Violae (herb), Isatidis (leaf), Houttuyniae (herb), Dictamni (bark), Rhapontici seu Echinopsis (root), Baptisia, Pulsatillae (root), Por-tulacae (herb), and Andrographitis (herb).
Drugs for Clearing Heat Caused by Yin Deficiency
Drugs that clear heat caused by deficiency of yin are indicated for syndromes of interior heat due to deficient yin, such as afternoon tidal fever. |
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 traditional chinese medicine, it has been used to treat bleeding disorders and wounds (page 319).
Active constituents
The three main constituents of myrrh are the resin, the gum, and the volatile oil. All are thought to be important in myrrh's activity as an herbal medicine. The resin has reportedly been shown to kill various microbes and to stimulate macrophages (a type of white blood cell) in test tube studies.2 Myrrh also has astringent properties and has a soothing effect on inflamed tissues in the mouth and throat. |
| In traditional chinese medicine, dong quai is often included in herbal combinations for abnormal menstruation, suppressed menstrual flow, dysmenorrhea (page 171) (painful menstruation), and uterine bleeding. It is not used in TCM for treating symptoms associated with menopause (page 311), such as hot flashes. It is also used in TCM for both men and women with cardiovascular disease (page 98), including high blood pressure (page 246) and problems with peripheral circulation. |
| Garlic has been cultivated in the Middle East for more than 5,000 years and has been an important part of traditional chinese medicine. The region with the largest commercial garlic production is central California. China is also a supplier of commercial garlic. The bulb is used medicinally.
Garlic has been used in connection with the following conditions (refer to the individual health concern for complete information):
Rating Health Concerns
þ** Atherosclerosis (page 38)
þ? |
Ben-Erik van Wyk
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 Notes Chinese chive is also used in traditional chinese medicine and is thought to be a remedy for fatigue. Another species from Southeast Asia, A. scorodoprasum (sandleek) has edible bulbs but is rarely used commercially.
Aloysia triphylla lemon verbena • vervain
Lemon verbena
Lemon verbena leaves and flowers
Description Lemon verbena is a woody, perennial shrub growing to about 1 m high. It has oblong, leathery and markedly fragrant leaves characteristically arranged in groups of three or four at each node. |
Amarjit S. Basra
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| PART II:
THE USE OF MEDICINAL PLANTS THROUGHOUT HISTORY
CHINESE MEDICINAL PLANTS
Chapter 2
History of Application of Medicinal Plants in China
Chang-Xiao Liu
INTRODUCTION
The Chinese materia medica is an important part of traditional chinese medicine and Chinese civilization. Chinese traditional medicine rose from mythical medicine to a system of drugs and herbal drugs. The first book on materia medica, Herbal Classics of the Divine Plowman (Shennong Bencao Jing), known as "the canon of materia medica," was composed in the first century B.C. and the first century A.D. |
Michael T. Murray
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 The
Acupuncture for Diabetic Neuropathy
Acupuncture is a perhaps the most well-known treatment used in traditional chinese medicine. It involves the use of extremely fine stainless steel needles inserted into points along what are traditionally believed to be energy channels known as meridians to direct the flow of energy. The scientific investigation of acupuncture in diabetes includes both experimental and clinical studies. |
The Life Extension Editorial Staff
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 The modality of acupuncture as practiced by conventional allopathic practitioners is vastly different from the traditional chinese medicine (TCM) approach. For example, generally, a physiotherapist who practices acupuncture will base the selection of his acupuncture points on neuroanatomi-cal pathways and conventional medical models. However, a TCM practitioner will use the pulse to make a TCM diagnosis and treat from the perspective of the TCM system. Most of the research on acupuncture on this continent has been done with a North American neuroanatomical model as its base. |
Kevin Trudeau
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 Chinese medicine, the use of chi gong, cranial-sacral therapy, high-dose nutritional therapy, chelation, ozone therapy, oxygen therapy, energetic rebalancing, radionics, thought field therapy, ayurvedic medicine, rainforest medicine, and the hundreds if not thousands of other technologies and therapies used by doctors around the world with miraculous results!
M.D.s have the arrogance to believe that the two things they are trained in, drugs and surgery, are the only things on planet earth that are successful in the prevention, treatment, and curing of disease. How wrong they are. |
David Hoffman, FNIMH, AHG
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 Among other AChE inhibitors under development is the alkaloid huperzine A, from Huperzia serrata, a club moss used in traditional chinese medicine.
Fig. 9.1. Huperzine A
The club moss Huperzia serrata is the Chinese folk medicine qing ceng ta. This herb is found chiefly in southern China, where it grows in moist places in hilly regions. A decoction of the dried whole plant has been used to treat trauma, fractures, scalds, hematuria, and infections of the skin and subcutaneous tissues. The herb is a component of a tea administered to elderly patients in China. |
The Life Extension Editorial Staff
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| Practitioners of traditional chinese medicine generally do not recommend daily use of Asian ginseng in people under 40, unless they are in a stressful occupation or environment ot are debilitated. Indeed, the only teseatch. examining the potential benefit of ginseng in depression has focused on older women. Specifically, two studies have found that Asian ginseng (Panax ginseng) reduces depression and generally improves well-being in menopausal women (Tode et al. 1999; Wiklund et al. 1999).
CAUTION
Panax ginseng, but not eleuthero, has mild estrogenic effects. |
| Patients initially received up to 6 courses of classical acupuncture analgesia over a period of 10 weeks, using traditional chinese medicine acupuncture points; 44 patients completed the study with 34 (77%) showing significant improvement in their primary and/or secondary symptoms. These patients were followed up for a period of 18-52 weeks with 67% being able to stop or reduce their medications significantly. During the follow-up period, only eight (24%) patients required further acupuncture treatment. |
| The first study using North American acupuncture is based on anatomical acupuncture point recognition, and the second study that used traditional chinese medicine is based on historical descriptors and pulse diagnosis. Both approaches are often combined with herbs and other treatments.
@ SUMMARY
Neuropathy can cover a wide variety of disorders that range from mild to life-threatening, diagnosed by recognition of signs and symptoms upon physical examination and nerve conduction velocities. |
David Hoffman, FNIMH, AHG
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| There is a wealth of knowledge and experience in the traditional chinese medicine (TCM) community, but not all herbalists who use these insights have the necessary training in the principles of TCM. For example, consider the widely held idea in North American herbalism that, according to TCM, dang gui (Angelica sinensis) is a woman's herb and ginseng (Panax ginseng) is a man's herb. This is nonsense! The assumption is a gross simplification of the TCM concept that dang gui is one of the most yielding yin tonics and ginseng is the strongest yang tonic. |
| Plant treatments are at the core of many of the diverse medical systems of the world, including Indian ayurveda, traditional chinese medicine, and Islamic unani medicine. Among Western therapies, homeopathy, aromatherapy, and the Bach flower remedies also make extensive use of herbs. Many drugs currently used in orthodox medicine were either derived from plant constituents or are actual plant products.
As affirmed by the WHO, all medicine is modern as long as it is directed toward the goal of providing health care. |
Dianne Onstad
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 Note: Germany's Commission E recommends that dried, powdered ginger not be taken for morning sickness during pregnancy; traditional chinese medicine also recommends against using ginget during pregnancy.
Ginseng
(Panax ginseng, P. quinquefolius, Eleutherococcus senticosus)
The genus name Panax, like the word panacea, is derived from the Greek words pan (all) and akos (remedy); thus panakeia means "all-healing," in reference to the miracu-lous virtue ascribed to it by the Chinese, who consider it a sovereign remedy in almost all diseases. |
David Hoffman, FNIMH, AHG
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| My minimal grasp of the profundities of traditional chinese medicine tells me that Panax is the strongest yang tonic, while A. sinensis is the most yielding yin tonic. This leads to entirely different therapeutic implications.
It is also extremely challenging to build bridges between traditional phytotherapy and the abundance of scientific data flowing from the field of immunological research. It is too easy to discard the insights of traditional approaches in favor of research published in peer-reviewed journals. |
| Herbs have different therapeutic indications depending upon the system within which the practitioner is working, whether ayurveda, the Western biomedical approach, or traditional chinese medicine.
Biochemical. This type of classification groups plants according to their content of chemical constituents, such as saponins, alkaloids, or flavones. The many limitations of such an approach stem from the tendency of some scientists to perceive plants merely as organic drug sources.
Biogenetic. |
The Life Extension Editorial Staff
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| Dong Quai
Dong Quai extract is a female tonic in traditional chinese medicine. It has been used successfully to alleviate PMS (premenstrual syndrome) and menopausal symptoms (Hardy 2000). Dong Quai extract has been shown to have a muscle relaxant effect and has been used as an analgesic and anti-inflammatory agent. Scientists believe that one mechanism of action of Dong Quai is to promote natural progesterone synthesis. Progesterone (to be discussed in more detail later) is another hormone whose production declines at menopause. |
Heather Boon, BScPhm, PhD and Michael Smith, BPharm, MRPharmS, ND
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 Traditional Use
Although ginkgo has been used in traditional chinese medicine (TCM) for such indications as 'benefiting the brain', as an astringent to the lungs, and for the relief of asthma symptoms and coughs,79 it is not generally regarded as a particularly important herb in TCM. However, ginkgo is considered a conventional drug in Europe, where annual sales are estimated at over US $500 million.
Current Medicinal Uses
Ginkgo biloba is one of the most widely used and best researched herbal medicines. |
Ronald L. Hoffman, M.D.
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 Our new understanding of the interface of the nervous system with other parts of the body resonates in an interesting way with the principles of traditional chinese medicine, which suggest a close exchange between the mental and emotional and the somatic and physiological. For example, traditional chinese medicine looks at excess anger as arising out of an unbalanced liver function. This allows "liver energy" to rise into the upper reaches of the body, where it is thought to cause eye problems and dry skin as well as emotional imbalance. |
volker schulz and Rudolf Hansel
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 Therapeutic uses of the ginkgo seed have been described in China and other parts of eastern Asia for 2000 years and the therapeutic use of ginkgo leaves in traditional chinese medicine for pulmonary complaints dates to the Ming dynasty in 1436 [Ref: Foster S. Ginkgo, Ginkgo biloba. Botanical Booklet Series No. 304. Austin, TX: American Botanical Council, 1996.]. A major traditional Chinese use of ginkgo is in the treatment of bronchial asthma, presumably owing to its PAF-inhibiting properties (Schmid and Schmoll, 1994). |
Heather Boon, BScPhm, PhD and Michael Smith, BPharm, MRPharmS, ND
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| Traditionally, garlic was used to treat diabetes in Norway and Central Europe, and it was considered to be a heart remedy in traditional Ayurvedic medicine.1 In traditional chinese medicine (TCM), garlic was used in controlling dysentery, as an anti-parasitic, antifebrile and stomachic.2
More than 1300 papers have reported on the chemical constituents, mechanisms of action and clinical applications of garlic over the last 100 years,3 making it one of the most extensively researched medicinal plants. Fenwick and Hanley (1985) provide an excellent review of many of these.4 |
Ronald L. Hoffman, M.D.
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| A Non-Western Alternative: Traditional Chinese Medicine
One of the alternatives that many Americans are turning to these days is traditional chinese medicine, a practice often abbreviated as TCM. I have a real interest in this myself, and find it fascinating to explore the alternate views of illness and health that TCM offers, and compare them with our own medical tradition. Female disorders of a non-life-threatening nature are often good candidates for treatment by TCM, including PMS, painful or irregular menstruation, and certain menopausal symptoms. |
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