Got Acne? Try Bletilla

Today's post on acne treatment with bletilla (bai ji) compound originally appeared in issue # 15 of Leung's Chinese Herb News, in 1998.

The formula consists of the following herbs: 6 g each of bletilla [rhizome of Bletilla striata], Dahurian angelica (Angelica dahurica root), and xin yi (flower bud of Magnolia spp.), and 3 g of huang qin or Chinese skullcap (Scutellaria baicalensis root). These are all readily available from any Chinese herb shop. Pick off any dirt or extraneous matter and discard. Cut the herbs into small pieces and place them in a blender and chop them into a very fine powder. A better way is to pass them through a coffee mill a couple of times until a very fine powder is obtained. Then store the powder in a small sealed bottle so as to leave minimal amount of headspace to avoid oxidation. For prolonged storage, leave it in the freezer.

This remedy is for pimples “all over the face.” Every night before going to bed, place an adequate amount of the bletilla compound powder on the center of the palm, add an adequate amount of water, and make a paste. Gently rub this paste on the pimpled areas. [The author does not tell us whether to leave the paste on overnight or wash it off right away. But I assume you would want to leave it overnight.] According to this report, the pimples will disappear 7 to 10 days after treatment starts. After 7 to 15 days, the blackheads will also come off. The author recommends that even after pimples disappear, one should continue with this treatment 1 to 2 times during the week that follows, so as to “protect and nourish the skin and to prevent recurrence.” Sounds good to me! Looks like it’s a simple treatment for another common and often difficult to treat problem.

All the herbs in this formula have been shown to have antimicrobial activities; some also antiinflammatory (magnolia flower bud. Dahurian angelica, Chinese skullcap), and healing (bletilla). Dahurian angelica contains sizable amounts of furocoumarins that can be photosensitizing. However, since this remedy is to be used at night, this would be an unlikely problem. Still, be alert to allergic skin reactions.

References:
F.H. Zhao, “Acne Treatment with Bai Ji Powder,” Zhongguo Kexue Meirong, (5): 17(1998); Leung, A.Y., and S. Foster, Encyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredients Used in Food, Drugs and Cosmetics, Wiley-Interscience, New York, 1995, pp. 362-364, 530, 532-533, 554-555.

These and more herbal remedies are available from the volumes of Dr. Leung’s newsletter, of the same name as this blog (Leung’s Chinese Herb News). This newsletter was published and sent to subscribers (most were industry-insiders) from 1996 to 2004. The collected works now serve as an excellent reference work, created with Dr. Leung’s frank, honest opinions and down-to-earth communication style.

For more information about Dr. Leung and his writings, visit www.earthpower.com. To order the newsletter containing the remedies mentioned above, visit the bookstore, click “Buy Now” on the newsletter, and select Issue # 15 from the drop down list.

Fresh ginger and vinegar for treating hand and foot ringworm

Note: This information is from issue # 15 of Dr. Leung's newsletter, originally published in 1998.

Simply cut a fresh ginger root crosswise. Dip the exposed surface in vinegar and gently rub it on the afflicted areas for 3-5 min. Do this once in the morning and once at night. This method should not be used on ringworm that has a cracked or broken surface. It is especially recommended for hard-to-treat ringworm. A case is described of a 62-year-old male with ringworm on his hands for over 1 yr. He had been treated unsuccessfully with several types of both traditional and western antifungal medications, including clotrimazole and 10% salicylic acid tincture. After ginger and vinegar treatment for 10 days, his ringworm was healed. This is such a simple way to deal with an often nasty and difficult problem. It certainly is worth a try, since one can now buy ginger in most supermarkets.

X.X. Wang, “Highly Effective Treatment of Hand and Foot Ringworm with Ginger and Vinegar,” Shizhen Guoyao Yanjiu, 9(2): 178(1998)

These and more herbal remedies are available from the volumes of Dr. Leung’s newsletter, of the same name as this blog (Leung’s Chinese Herb News). This newsletter was published and sent to subscribers (most were industry-insiders) from 1996 to 2004. The collected works now serve as an excellent reference work, created with Dr. Leung’s frank, honest opinions and down-to-earth communication style.

For more information about Dr. Leung and his writings, visit www.earthpower.com. To order the newsletter containing the remedies mentioned above, visit the bookstore, click “Buy Now” on the newsletter, and select Issue # 15 from the drop down list.

And Now These Messages

Forgive us for a brief "meta-post". We wanted to let everyone know a little more about the widgets we have recently added to the blog. You'll find our widgets in the right-hand margin of the blog.

Our search widget from Lijit is functional and fast, and it will help you find what you are looking for. Just type in your search term or click on one of the previously searched terms displayed in the ever-changing list. Once you've received your results, the Lijit widget also suggests some "re-searches" of related material for you to try.

The "You Might Like This" widget will follow your browsing habits and let you find content related to whatever you are looking at on Leung's Chinese Herb News, as well as a couple of other related sites. Smart and helpful, this widget will guide you to related content that we also trust.

Last but not least, check out the cool-looking RSS Reader widget featuring our own trademark "friendly dragon". This will display the latest posts from Leung's Chinese Herb News along with a preview of each. Best of all, you can get this one for your own web page, as an addition to your blog, or even as a desktop widget!

We encourage you to use these widgets. Let us know if you have any difficulty in getting them to work. Just post a comment telling us the issues, and we will do our best to resolve them!

Dr. Leung on Skin Care with Herbs - Part 3 of 3

The following information was originally published in Dr. Leung's newsletter in 1997. Today's post concludes the series with Dr. Leung's discussion of a report on using Sanqi (Panax notoginseng) in treating severely chapped skin.

Note: Contains material derived from Sanqi (Panax notoginseng) powder for treating severely chapped skin [Jiangxi Zhongyiyao, 23(1): 35(1992)].

In addition to other effects (immunomodulating, antiinflammatory, antioxidant, etc.), sanqi is well known for its hemostatic and wound-healing properties. In this report, results of treating 68 patients with chapped skin are presented. Thirty-six patients were complicated with ringworm of the feet and 41 experienced different degrees of pain or bleeding. Duration of illness ranged from 6 months to 15 years. Method: Mix 30 g of sanqi powder well with an adequate amount of sesame oil to form a uniform paste, place it in a sealed clean container, and reserve for later use. Soak the afflicted areas with hot but tolerable water for 10-20 minutes before applying the oily paste. Do this 3-4 times daily for 30 days. Results: After treatment, 45 patients were healed, with no recurrence after more than 1 year; and 23 showed improvement, with longer periods between recurrences, which again responded to the same treatment. The fastest response was 3 weeks and the longest 7 weeks, with an average of 3.7 weeks. It is recommended that the paste be also used as a preventive by applying it to affected areas once every 1 to 2 days.

Sanqi or tienchi ginseng is readily available in any Chinese herb shop. It comes in spindle-shaped whole roots, 2-4 cm long and 1-3 cm in diameter, and is very hard. Unless you have a Chinese bronze mortar and pestle with a lid, it is not easy to powder this herb. You may have to break it up with a hammer first and then grind it in a sturdy coffee mill.

These and more herbal remedies are available from the volumes of Dr. Leung’s newsletter, of the same name as this blog (Leung’s Chinese Herb News). This newsletter was published and sent to subscribers (most were industry-insiders) from 1996 to 2004. The collected works now serve as an excellent reference work, created with Dr. Leung’s frank, honest opinions and down-to-earth communication style.

For more information about Dr. Leung and his writings, visit www.earthpower.com. To order the newsletter mentioned above, visit the bookstore, click “Buy Now” on the newsletter, and select Issue # 10 from the drop down list.

Dr. Leung on Skin Care with Herbs - Part 2 of 3

The following information was originally published in Dr. Leung's newsletter in 1997. Today's post includes Dr. Leung's discussion of a report on using hawthorn in treating facial brown patches (melasma).

Note: contains material derived from Chinese hawthorn (shanzha) for treating facial brown patches (melasma) [Hubei Zhongyi Zazhi, 16(5): 47(1994)].

Results are described for shanzha treatment of 12 patients with melasma, afflicting mostly the forehead and cheeks, and less so the nose and upper lip. Patients’ ages ranged from 23 to 45 years. Shortest duration of illness was 5 months and longest 12 years. Method: Grind 300 g of dried raw shanzha to a fine powder and reserve for later use. Wash face with warm water and wipe dry with towel. Mix 5 g of shanzha powder with an adequate amount of fresh egg white to form a paste and apply it to the face to form a thin film. Let it sit for 1 hour, during which time the face can be massaged to help the herb’s absorption. Do this once in the morning and once at night. Sixty (60) applications constituted one course of treatment. Results: After treatment, pigmentation disappeared in 6 patients, whose skin color had returned to normal; it turned lighter in 4 patients; and 2 did not respond. A case example was described for a 23-year-old single woman with melasma on her cheeks, which had been unsuccessfully treated for 6 months and had started to spread to her forehead and bridge of the nose. After 2 courses of shanzha treatment (120 applications; 2 months), the patient’s melasma was completely resolved.

In western medical practice, melasma is usually treated with bleaching agents such as hydroquinone, which is rather harsh. Chinese hawthorn fruit has never been known to be toxic and is a common food and medicine. If it doesn’t work, it certainly won’t hurt. You can buy shanzha from any Chinese herb shop and probably many food markets in Chinatown. But be sure to get the dried raw kind (usually in twisted slices of 1-2 cm in diameter and about 0.5 cm thick), and not the shanzha candy that comes in thin wafers stacked 3-4 cm high and wrapped in paper. If the raw shanzha is not dry enough for grinding, you can dry it in the oven at low heat until it is brittle.

These and more herbal remedies are available from the volumes of Dr. Leung’s newsletter, of the same name as this blog (Leung’s Chinese Herb News). This newsletter was published and sent to subscribers (most were industry-insiders) from 1996 to 2004. The collected works now serve as an excellent reference work, created with Dr. Leung’s frank, honest opinions and down-to-earth communication style.

For more information about Dr. Leung and his writings, visit www.earthpower.com. To order the newsletter mentioned above, visit the bookstore, click “Buy Now” on the newsletter, and select Issue # 10 from the drop down list.

Dr. Leung on Skin Care with Herbs - Part 1 of 3

The following information was originally published in Dr. Leung's newsletter in 1997. Today's post includes Dr. Leung's introductory comments on TCM in general, and skin care in particular.

Chinese herbs are an excellent source of modern drugs and treatment cosmetics, provided one knows where and how to look. To those who are not familiar with it, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is mysterious and full of “mumbo jumbo,” as its theory and practice are steeped in esoteric terminology. Terms such as qu feng (wind dispelling), qing re (heat removing or dispersing), xie (evil), and yi qi (replenishing vital energy) are certainly difficult to comprehend, though others such as jie du (removing toxins), sheng ji (growing muscles/flesh), ming mu (brightening vision), and an shen (calming the spirit) are more obvious. The terminology may seem archaic and sometimes downright superstitious, but the TCM system has evolved over many centuries in a logical way. One just has to view it from another perspective. Then it will make sense. Although I never had formal training in TCM, my research over the past 20 years has enabled me to figure out a few things, especially in the correlation between traditional properties and modern scientific findings, as well as in predicting an herb’s pharmacological activities by analyzing its traditional properties. Thus, an herb with qu feng properties most likely has antiinflammatory activity, such as Job’s tear, wu jia pi (bark of several Eleutherococcus spp.), ginger, du huo (Angelica pubescens root), and many other less commonly known ones. And herbs with qing re jie du (heat dispersing and detoxifying) properties generally have antimicrobial and febrifuge effects. Examples include honeysuckle (flower and vine), forsythia fruit, purslane herb, chuan xin lian (Andrographis paniculata herb), yu xing cao (Houttuynia cordata herb), etc.

Many herbs are beneficial to the skin and are used both internally and externally for this purpose. They normally have one or more of the following traditional properties: benefits/improves complexion, removes heat, removes toxins, removes swelling, invigorates/nourishes blood, lightens skin, moistens the skin/removes dryness, prevents scar formation, promotes flesh growth, etc. The following are some common ones: lycium fruit, ligustrum, astragalus, licorice, Chinese hawthorn, sanqi (Panax notoginseng), reishi (ganoderma), common jujube, red and white peony root, luffa, safflower flower, Sichuan lovage (Ligusticum chuanxiong rhizome), gaoben (Ligusticum sinense root/rhizome), etc.

Astragalus, licorice, and sanqi are well known for their healing properties. Either alone, or in combination, they can be used in various forms (extracts, powder, etc.) for treating wounds, chapped skin, bruises, dry skin, skin peeling, and other minor skin irritations. You could also add to the formulation one or two of the antiinflammatory and antimicrobial herbs, such as xinyi (magnolia flower bud), purslane herb, honeysuckle flower, or forsythia fruit.

In TCM, Sichuan lovage, gaoben, ligustrum, and Chinese hawthorn are used topically to treat brown patches on the skin. The former two have been demonstrated to have tyrosinase inhibitory activity, scientific evidence indicating that these herbs can block excessive pigmentation of the skin.

Be sure to read parts 2 and 3 later this week. We will cover two different skin remedies using Chinese herbs.

These and more herbal remedies are available from the volumes of Dr. Leung’s newsletter, of the same name as this blog (Leung’s Chinese Herb News). This newsletter was published and sent to subscribers (most were industry-insiders) from 1996 to 2004. The collected works now serve as an excellent reference work, created with Dr. Leung’s frank, honest opinions and down-to-earth communication style.

For more information about Dr. Leung and his writings, visit www.earthpower.com. To order the newsletter mentioned above, visit the bookstore, click “Buy Now” on the newsletter, and select Issue # 10 from the drop down list.

More on Astragalus

Note: The following appeared in issue # 23 of Dr. Leung's newsletter, originally published in 1999.

Astragalus is the root of Astragalus membranaceus and A. mongholicus as well as other Astragalus species. Despite specific labeling, few astragalus products sold on this continent or elsewhere can be traced to the particular species labeled. Which is not new, as TCM uses the roots of these Astragalus species interchangeably. This makes labeling anything more precise than the plant genus of little practical value and is used basically to appease the "scientific" minded or federal regulators who are accustomed to dealing with single-chemical drugs. To them, even a well-defined plant species is already a little difficult to accept, let alone a genus that may include one of several species. Hence those involved in writing specifications or monographs of Chinese herbs either are of the same mentality or simply adopt it to make things easier for all, even though they are well aware of the impracticability of specifying a particular plant source in many commercial products. On the contrary, herb labeling in commercial products has been quite different in China. For example, astragalus in China is simply labeled as huang qi in Chinese, sometimes accompanied by its Latin pharmaceutical name, radix astragali, which we all understand to be the root from 1 of at least 2 related plants. However, things are changing. In order to comply with US regulations, some Chinese manufacturers and suppliers are starting to label herbs with Latin binomials. While this is great for simplistic justification and documentation purposes, it is often inaccurate or at best, misleading, as in the case with astragalus. The fact is this. In commerce, there is no way to tell the source of astragalus in a product, no matter how it is labeled. One can only be reasonably sure that it is either from A. membranaceus or A. mongholicus.

I have written about astragalus in most previous issues of this Newsletter as well as in my books. The beneficial biological activities of astragalus (as powdered herb, decoction, and various extractives) have been well documented. They include the following activities: immunostimulant, antiviral, antioxidant, cardiovascular, memory improving, antifatigue, etc. However, when we make these statements, we frequently forget to clarify and specify what form(s) of astragalus exhibits these activities. Is it the decoction, the powdered root or some highly purified chemical fraction (e.g., saponins, polysaccharides) [See issue 19, pp. 2-3 for criteria for evaluating herb research]? We often use "astragalus" as if it were a well-defined chemical entity, but in fact, it is not. When I see the word "astragalus" without any qualifier, I would take it, though without certainty, to mean huang qi (astragalus root) normally used as a powder, decoction, or total alcoholic extract. It definitely should not be used to describe a specific "injectable liquid" or a saponin or flavonoid fraction. Yet this is often the case, even in so-called "professional reviews" intended for health practitioners.

I have just read such a "Professional Review" on astragalus by MediHerb (#67, February, 1999), published in Australia. The word "astragalus" without qualifier was used more than 2 dozen times in this 4-page review. A few of these, when used in the traditional context, seem clear enough. However, when I looked up a few of the original references quoted, I discovered that many instances of the "astragalus" used were for describing modern findings. Some of them represented undisclosed proprietary preparations (including combinations) and modern "injectables" or "oral liquids" containing astragalus. It appears that the authors might have based their information primarily on abstracts from the National Library of Medicine. The reason is that, as far as I know, only the Library of Congress, the NLM and Taiwanese institutions still use the archaic Wade-Giles transliteration system, which predominates in the literature cited in this review. Hence, it is highly possible that the authors never saw the original references and would not know what was actually being used in the studies reported. They had two strikes against them: (1) Chances are that the original reports never clearly identified the nature of the herbs used in the study; and (2) Even if the herbal materials used in the studies were clearly identified in the reports, chances are that NLM abstractors, who are not trained in the intricacies of natural products, did not recognize the importance of specificity and failed to carry it over into the abstracts. The result is that more useless or ambiguous information is generated, cluttering the NLM database, which is spread like a virus to other databases and print media.

This and more herbal information is available from the volumes of Dr. Leung’s newsletter, of the same name as this blog (Leung’s Chinese Herb News). This newsletter was published and sent to subscribers (most were industry-insiders) from 1996 to 2004. The collected works now serve as an excellent reference work, created with Dr. Leung’s frank, honest opinions and down-to-earth communication style.

For more information about Dr. Leung and his writings, visit www.earthpower.com. To order the newsletter referenced above, visit the bookstore, click “Buy Now” on the newsletter, and select Issue # 23 from the drop down list.

Astragalus to improve memory and intelligence?

Note:  Below is an article on astragalus originally appearing in Issue # 24 of Dr. Leung's newsletter, Leung's Chinese Herb News, published in early 2000.

Astragalus root is one of my favorite tonic herbs. I have written about it often in previous issues of this Newsletter. It has a wide variety of traditional properties and modern pharmacological activities. When traditionally used as a tonic, it imparts many of the benefits of Asian ginseng, but few of the latter’s adverse side effects (e.g., hypertension, agitation). Its traditional extracts, if properly prepared and used, can deliver many of its well-known traditional benefits, such as healing (wounds, ulcers, etc.), promoting tissue regeneration, removing toxins, disease prevention (especially cold and flu), and strengthening body qi (vital energy), etc. Biological activities discovered in astragalus root and its extracts include: antioxidant, immunomodulating, antimutagenic, hypoglycemic, antiviral, liver protectant, cardiovascular (hypotensive, vasodilating, etc.), and many others. These effects are not due to a single compound or a single class of compounds but rather, to different types of components, with saponins (triterpene glycosides), polysaccharides, and flavonoids playing a key role, due to their predominance. Other compounds, such as choline, betaine, and amino acids, if selectively extracted, also play a role in the biological activities of astragalus.

The ability of an aqueous extract of astragalus root to improve memory and learning in mice is reported in an article published in the Chinese Journal of Traditional Chinese Drugs by researchers at the Guangxi Research Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Chinese Drugs.3 The root used was identified as that of Astragalus membranaceus by Prof. Luo Jin-Yu of the Department of Chinese Materia Medica. The extract was prepared by boiling the herb 3 times, 30 min each time. The combined extracts were filtered and the filtrate evaporated to a syrupy consistency, which was then refrigerated. Although the dosages of the extract used are reported as 35 g/kg and 50 g/kg, administered ig, there is no indication whether these amounts were based on the raw root or the actual weights of the water extract (of undefined strength). But at least we know the researchers used a hot water extract, unlike many publications in reputable journals, which do not specify what were used in the reported studies [see Issue 18, pp. 1-2; HerbalGram 48, pp. 63-64]. Using the foot-pad-electrical-shock-avoidance method and after conditioning, 4 groups of mice (10 each) were subjected to the following treatments: The control mice, Group A, were given 10 ml/kg distilled water; Group B were given either 10 ml/kg of 40% ethanol or 8 mg/kg of anisodine; Group C were given simultaneously 35 g/kg of the astragalus water extract (extractives) and one of the above drugs; and Group D, as in C, were given simultaneously 50 g/kg of the extract along with one of the drugs. The mice were observed, during a 5-minute period, for the number of times they forgot to remain on the safety pad and leapt to the electrified pad. Compared to the average number of mistakes (100%) made by Group B animals with drug-induced memory loss in both experiments, the astragalus extract reduced the error rate to 80% and 70%, respectively, in alcohol- and anisodine-treated animals (Group C). A higher dose of astragalus extract (Group D) redued the error rate further to 40% in alcohol-treated animals and 50% in anisodine-treated animals. In comparison, the control mice (Group A) had an error rate of 20% in both experiments.

Although this report is flawed, especially in the ambiguity of the amounts of extract administered and the fact that the experiments were only performed once, I find the results rather interesting. If the authors had used the dosage of 50 g/kg to mean 50 g of “extractives from the root”/kg, then, when extrapolated to a person of 60 kg (132 lbs), he/she would have to ingest a concentrated water extract of 3 kg (6.6 lbs) of astragalus, which, depending on the concentration, can be up to 4 l (4 qt) of liquid! This would be equivalent to drinking a gallon of a syrupy brew! Although bulky, it probably may not be deadly, because the authors also report no fatalities in an acute toxicity test using twice the amount. Thus, after mice were administered ig 100 g/kg of the same extract daily for 7 days (accumulative dose, 700 g/kg) and observed for 12 more days, no fatality was observed. There were also no obvious toxic side effects, with the exception the mice were rather calm within an hour after administering the extract! Poor mice! After ingesting even a gallon of that stuff (not to speak of 2 gallons), I would be stuffed and calm too!

(3) G.X. Hong et al., “Studies on Memory-improving Effects of an Aqueous Extract of Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch.) Bge.,” Zhongguo Zhongyao Zazhi, 19(11): 687-688 (1994); Leung, A.Y., and S. Foster, Encyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredients Used in Food, Drugs and Cosmetics, Wiley-Interscience, New York, 1995, pp. 50-53.

For more information about Dr. Leung and his writings, visit www.earthpower.com. To order the newsletter containing the remedies mentioned above, visit the bookstore, click “Buy Now” on the newsletter, and select Issue # 24 from the drop down list.

Licorice

Licorice comes from Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fish. (Chinese licorice) and Glycyrrhiza glabra L. (European licorice) [Family Leguminosae]. The root and rhizome is used. Licorice has the following properties: demulcent, expectorant, antitussive, mild laxative, detoxicant, antioxidant, anti-allergic, antiinflammatory, healing. The most common tradtional uses of licorice relate to gastrointestinal ulcers, sore throat, cough, bronchial problems, food poisoning, abdominal pain, insomnia, sores, and abscess.

Licorice is perhaps the most widely used herb in the world. Its water extract is extensively used in flavoring foods (especially licorice candy) and tobacco, particularly in Western countries. Licorice is present in many Chinese herbal formulas, most of the time as an adjuvant to bring out the good effects of major herbs or to mitigatet some of their undesirable effects. Considering the fact that there are about 100,000 herbal formulas published in Chinese books (64,000 in one work alone), there must be at least another 100,000 not published but used by over 1 billion of the world's population. Just imagine how much licorice is being consumed daily in China alone!

One of the best known uses of licorice is in treating ulcers (e.g., gastric and duodenal). Unfortunately, prolonged use leads to such undesirable effects as potassium depletion, sodium retention, fluid retention, and high blood pressure. Up until recently, the active principle was believed to be glycyrrhizin, which is also a sweetening agent; it is also responsible for the above-mentioned side effects. It turns out, however, that glycyrrhizin is not the only active principle in licorice. After removing glycyrrhizin from licorice, researchers found that the deglycyrrhizinated licorice extract is still effective in treating ulcers, but without the toxic side effects of whole licorice. Japanese and Chinese scientists have determined the active principles in the deglycyrrhizinated licorice to be flavonoids. Scientists at the Chinese Academy of Sciences have also found these flavonoids to have very strong antioxidant properties. Thus, in one experiment measuring oxygen free radical scavenging, they found that weight to weight, one part of the flavonoids removed almost twice the amount of free radicals that were removed by 100 parts of vitamin E. Based on this single experiment, licorice flavonoids are certainly the strongest antioxidants I have ever come across.

Licorice extracts in glycerin or water have very good healing properties which can be used beneficially in skin care cosmetics.

Dr. Albert Leung’s book, Better Health with (mostly) Chinese Herbs and Food discusses the use of 60 different herbs as healing foods, including licorice on pages 56-57.
For more information about Dr. Leung and his writings, visit www.earthpower.com.

Ginger - Part 2 of 2

The following is excerpted from Dr. Leung's book, Chinese Healing Foods and Herbs.  This continues the last week's article on ginger.

In Chinese medicine, ginger is used either fresh or dried.  There is no problem for Westerners in identifying fresh ginger since it is the same fresh ginger root used in cooking.  However, the dried ginger or powder on Western kitchen shelves is not the same as the dried ginger (gan jiang) used in Chinese medicine.  For the latter, the rootstock from a different variety of the ginger plant is used.  Hence the Western dried ginger spice should not be considered an equivalent of the Chinese dried ginger used medicinally.

The first recorded use of ginger in Chinese medicine dates back at least 2,000 years.  It is described in the Shennong Herbal as being of medium quality, meaning that it could be toxic after long term use.  Traditionally, ginger (fresh or dried) is considered to have warming, diaphoretic, and antinausea and anti-emitic properties.  It is also said to dissipate phlegm and stimulate the stomach and intestines.  The more common medicinal uses of ginger include treatment of the common cold, nausea, vomiting , wheezing, coughing, nasal congestion, abdominal distention, diarrhea, and adverse effects of aconite and certain other drugs and foods (e.g., crabs and fish).

Perhaps the most widespread folk medicinal use of ginger, in the form of candied or preserved ginger, is in treating motion sickness.  For this purpose, a small piece of ginger is chewed and eaten as often as necessary during a car or boat ride.  I well remember when I was growing up in Hong Kong, our relatives visiting us from the villages used to come armed with preserved ginger and Tiger Balm or White Flower Oil.  Buses used to reek of these medicines.

Although fresh ginger is sometimes used externally along with alum (potassium aluminum sulfate) to treat hemorrhoids and skin sores and boils, its long-term internal use is said to aggravate these conditions instead. Its use is also not recommended for pregnant women, even though they may experience nausea and vomiting.  

The usual internal daily dose for both fresh and dried ginger is 3 to 9 g. (0.1 to 0.3 oz.).  Fresh ginger is generally used in the form of expressed juice, a mash , or boiled in water.  Dried ginger is usually used boiled in water.

The traditional uses of ginger described above have persisted for centuries.  Other uses of ginger described in more modern herbals or Chinese medical or pharmaceutical journals include treatment of skin peeling from the hand, hemorrhoids, baldness, rheumatic pain, painful intestinal hernia, stomach and duodenal ulcers, malaria, acute bacillary dysentery, acute orchitis (inflammation of the testis), and drug poisoning (e.g., aconite and rhododendron).  Some of these uses are reportedly quite effective, especially for malaria, rheumatic pain, and drug poisoning.  The effectiveness of ginger in treating motion sickness has recently been confirmed in The Lancet, a well-known British medical journal.  

Many remedies based on ginger are found in Chinese herbals, both classical and modern.  The following are a few examples.  

To treat coughing, wheezing, and excessive phlegm due to colds, a popoular Cantonese remedy combines the use fo ginger and black beans.  A piece of fresh mature ginger, about 120 g. (4 oz.), is crushed with the flat side of a meat cleaver and placed in a hot frying pan with a small amount of black beans (30 g. or 1 oz.).  The mixture is stir-fried until the ginger turns yellowish brown.  Two cups of water are added and the mixture is boiled down to about one cup.  The liquid, which is pungent, is drunk while hot before retiring.  It will cause copious perspiration, and symptoms are said to disappear by the next day.

To treat weakness after childbirth, especially after the first child, fresh ginger is stewed with sweet vinegar, pigs' feet, and whole eggs.  The meat, eggs, ginger, and soup are all eaten usually over a period of several weeks.  Young ginger roots are generally selected for this purpose, because old roots are too pungent.  This remedy is popular among Cantonese.

For treating long-term unhealed sores and hemorrhoids, ginger, with skin, is cut into large slices, covered with alum and roasted dry.  It is then ground into a fine powder and applied directly to the affected areas.  This powder is also used to treat toothache by applying it directly on the aching tooth.

To treat baldness, a folk remedy from Guizhou calls for mashing fresh ginger, warming the mash, and spreading it directly on the bald area.  Two to three applications are said to do the trick.  I wonder.

Availability: Fresh ginger is sold in Chinese groceries and is also available in many Western supermarkets.  

This information is excerpted from Dr. Albert Leung’s book, Chinese Healing Foods and Herbs. This publication includes further information and home remedies using ginger as well as over 45 other herbs.

Learn more about ginger and read further about Dr. Leung and his writings! Visit www.earthpower.com.