Note: This is the fifth and final post in this week's series of basic herbal remedies, using mainly food herbs. Today's post comes as we begin to think about cold and flu season, so it is appropriately focused on colds and flu. The other posts in the series included an excellent introduction with lots of background from various TCM herbals, a post on sterility/infertility, an entry dealing with kidney stones, a piece on shingles, and a brief piece on migraine. All of these were originally published together as an article in Dr. Leung's newsletter in June of 1997.
Colds and Flu. There are no truly effective modern antiviral drugs currently available. Most drugs for treating colds and flu are for symptomatic relief. Here is such a simple and safe treatment that it is downright unbelievable![8] Vinegar or Sodium Bicarbonate Solution (5%) - Simply prepare a 5% solution of either vinegar or sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) in boiled and cooled water. Use either one but not both. Apply 2-3 drops into each nostril every 3 hr, 6 times a day. Best results are obtained if started as soon as symptoms appear. The alkaline solution is superior to the vinegar solution.
This method was developed by researchers at the China Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Beijing who had reportedly obtained 92-97% efficacy rates over many years of use. It was first reported in 1980 at a national pharmaceutical conference, and later published in national pharmaceutical and health journals, as well as reported over national radio in 1990. The journal, Zhongguo Zhongyao Zazhi (Chinese Journal of Chinese Materia Medica), tried to publicize it in 1990 as a public service.[8] However, since then, I have not heard anything more about it. Given such an easy and cheap way to beat the common cold and the flu, why has this method not been widely used by now? Could it be more than meets the eye? I will keep you posted when I find out.
[8] Anon., “Acid/Alkaline Therapy of Colds and Flu,” Zhongguo Zhongyao Zazhi, 15(5): 5(1990).
In traditional Chinese medicine, colds, flu, their associated symptoms (fever, headache, etc.), and what we now know as allergies (tearing eye, runny nose, etc.), are considered to be caused by exogenous “evils” such as “wind evil.” There are numerous herbs that have the properties of removing exogenous “evils.” These include fangfeng [Saposhnikovia divaricata (Turcz.) Schischk. root], zisuye [Perilla frutescens (L.) Britt.leaf], xinyihua or magnolia flower bud (Magnolia biondii Pamp. & other Magnolia spp.), niubangzi (Arctium lappa L. fruit), bohe or mint (Mentha haplocalyx Briq. herb), juhua or chrysanthemum flower (Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat. flower head), jinyinhua or honeysuckle flower (Lonicera japonica Thunb.), lianqiao or forsythia fruit [Forsythia suspensa (Thunb.) Vahl], chuanxinlian (Andrographis paniculata (Burm. f.) Nees herb], and others. Most of these herbs have also been shown to have antibacterial and/or antiviral activities. There is definitely a correlation between modern antimicrobial effects and traditional exogenous “evils.” Hence, if you want to search for new antiviral compounds from natural sources, look into Chinese herbs that have “wind-evil-removing” as well as “toxin-removing” and “heat-removing” properties. Chances are preliminary reports of such effects are already in the Chinese literature. You just need to know where to look. Remember, it’s your money; watch out for self-promoting consultants (see this Newsletter, Issue 1, p. 1)!
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 # 8 from the drop down list.
Showing posts with label flu. Show all posts
Showing posts with label flu. Show all posts
Friday, September 14, 2007
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
Eleven Remedies Using Tea
Originally published in issue #14 (May/June 1998) of Dr. Leung's newsletter, this post provides several remedies using tea. -ed
Tea (Camellia sinensis) has been consumed in China for several thousand years. Besides being a beverage, it is often used as a medicine. Its general health benefits (especially antioxidant effect) have recently been attributed to its flavanoids (catechin, epicatechin, etc.). These compounds are also present in abundance in black catechu (2-20%) and pale catechu (30-35%), the former from the heartwood of Acacia catechu while the latter from the leaves and twigs of Uncaria gambir. They are also present in the wood, root, leaf, and bark of many other plants. Consequently, “standardized” tea extracts artificially high in these polyphenols may not be tea extracts at all. Hence, such extracts should not be called tea extracts but should more accurately be called “tea flavanoids” or “catechin concentrates.” The reason is that the benefits of tea are not due to these polyphenols alone. Billions of people over the centuries have benefited from tea drinking, and not from ingesting these chemical units of condensed tannins! In any case, let’s get back to the wholesome tea.
The following are a few folk remedies for some common conditions from a compilation of mostly folk medicinal uses of tea, with some from classic herbals [Luo, Q. F. and G.Y. Yang, Zhongguo Yao Cha Da Quan (Compendium of Chinese Medicinal Teas), Lin Yu Cultural Enterprise Co., Ltd., Taipei, 1995]:
Flu and associated symptoms (fever, dry mouth, runny nose, etc.): (1) Heat 3 g of green tea with 6 g of gypsum in an oven or pot until crispy dry. Grind together to a fine powder. Disperse the fine powder mixture in warm boiled water, add a little honey and drink the mixture. (2) Boil 6 g of black tea with 20 g of honeysuckle flower buds (available in Chinese herb shops or food markets) for 20-30 min. Strain and add an adequate amount of sugar. Drink the tea once daily. Do this for 2 to 3 days. (3) Break up 30 g of mung bean into small pieces. Add 1 big bowl of water. Cook down to half a bowl along with 9 g of black tea wrapped in muslin or cheesecloth. Remove the tea bag. Add adequate amounts of red sugar (in thin brick-like form, available from Chinese grocers) and eat the mung bean soup. (4) Briefly boil 7 g of black tea with 10 slices of fresh ginger. Drink the tea after meals. This is also reportedly good for coughs that accompany cold and flu.
Dry cough: Steep 2 g each of black tea and dried chrysanthemum flower in boiling water for 6 min. Drink the tea after meals.
Herbal tea pillow for hypertension, dizziness, and neurasthenia: This pillow is made with used tea leaves that have been oven or sun dried. Add a small amount of jasmine tea, mix together thoroughly and stuff into a pillow case. Simply use this pillow on a regular basis. It is said to prevent or relieve hypertension. It appears that the jasmine tea is added here only as a fragrance because in another remedy for the same purposes, only spent tea is used.
Diarrhea: Soak 30 g of lotus seeds (available from Chinese grocers or food stores) in warm water for a few hrs. Add an adequate amount of rock candy and simmer until the lotus seeds are well done. To this thick soup add a cup of tea made by steeping 5 g of black tea in boiling water. Eat the soup/tea.
Insomnia: Make tea with 15 g of green tea and drink it all before 8 A.M. Grind 10 g of sour jujube kernel (available in Chinese herb shops) to a fine powder and take it with water at bedtime. Be sure not to drink any water or tea (e.g. black tea) after 8 P.M.
Hyperthyroidism: Boil 12 g of dried chrysanthemum flower in 600 ml of water for 5 min. Add 1 g of green tea and 25 g honey. Let steep for a few min. and drink the resulting tea over a period of several hrs. More boiling water can be added and the resulting tea again drunk during the rest of the day. Do this on a daily basis.
Sprained back muscles: (1) Mix 200 ml of a strong black tea (e.g., from 3-5 American/English brand tea bags) with 100 ml rice vinegar. Heat it up and drink it all at one time while warm. (2) Mix 5 g of cooked black sesame seed powder (can be prepared by baking the seeds in an oven at medium heat until dried and then ground to a powder) and 25 g red sugar in 400-500 ml hot tea prepared from 1 g green tea. Stir well and drink the thin soup while still warm in 3 portions. Do this once daily. (3) Bring to a boil 300 ml of tea made from 1 g green tea. Add 2 eggs and 2.5 g honey. Continue to simmer until the eggs are cooked (a few min). Drink the tea and eat the eggs once daily in the morning.
Shingles (herpes zoster): Simply use a very strong tea (e.g., several times stronger than the usual American tea) to wash the afflicted areas. This is also recommended for contact dermatitis, eczema, and painful inflammations.
Contact dermatitis, erythema, blisters, itching, etc.: Soak 60 g each of black tea and alum in 500 ml of water for 30 min and then boil the mixture for another 30 min. Use the resulting tea to wash afflicted areas.
Reduced vision, dizziness, and night blindness: Stir fry equal amounts of salt and lycium fruit (heating the salt first), until the fruit swells up. Remove the fruit and discard the salt. Save the fruit for later use. When ready to take this recipe, place 1 g of black tea and 10 g of chrysanthemum flower in a teapot. Add boiling water and let steep for 5 min. Pour the tea into a cup with 10 g of the stir-fried lycium fruit. Drink the tea and eat the fruit.
Garlic breath: This folk remedy calls for simply chewing black tea leaves or gargling with a strong black tea.
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 # 14 from the drop down list.
Tea (Camellia sinensis) has been consumed in China for several thousand years. Besides being a beverage, it is often used as a medicine. Its general health benefits (especially antioxidant effect) have recently been attributed to its flavanoids (catechin, epicatechin, etc.). These compounds are also present in abundance in black catechu (2-20%) and pale catechu (30-35%), the former from the heartwood of Acacia catechu while the latter from the leaves and twigs of Uncaria gambir. They are also present in the wood, root, leaf, and bark of many other plants. Consequently, “standardized” tea extracts artificially high in these polyphenols may not be tea extracts at all. Hence, such extracts should not be called tea extracts but should more accurately be called “tea flavanoids” or “catechin concentrates.” The reason is that the benefits of tea are not due to these polyphenols alone. Billions of people over the centuries have benefited from tea drinking, and not from ingesting these chemical units of condensed tannins! In any case, let’s get back to the wholesome tea.
The following are a few folk remedies for some common conditions from a compilation of mostly folk medicinal uses of tea, with some from classic herbals [Luo, Q. F. and G.Y. Yang, Zhongguo Yao Cha Da Quan (Compendium of Chinese Medicinal Teas), Lin Yu Cultural Enterprise Co., Ltd., Taipei, 1995]:
Flu and associated symptoms (fever, dry mouth, runny nose, etc.): (1) Heat 3 g of green tea with 6 g of gypsum in an oven or pot until crispy dry. Grind together to a fine powder. Disperse the fine powder mixture in warm boiled water, add a little honey and drink the mixture. (2) Boil 6 g of black tea with 20 g of honeysuckle flower buds (available in Chinese herb shops or food markets) for 20-30 min. Strain and add an adequate amount of sugar. Drink the tea once daily. Do this for 2 to 3 days. (3) Break up 30 g of mung bean into small pieces. Add 1 big bowl of water. Cook down to half a bowl along with 9 g of black tea wrapped in muslin or cheesecloth. Remove the tea bag. Add adequate amounts of red sugar (in thin brick-like form, available from Chinese grocers) and eat the mung bean soup. (4) Briefly boil 7 g of black tea with 10 slices of fresh ginger. Drink the tea after meals. This is also reportedly good for coughs that accompany cold and flu.
Dry cough: Steep 2 g each of black tea and dried chrysanthemum flower in boiling water for 6 min. Drink the tea after meals.
Herbal tea pillow for hypertension, dizziness, and neurasthenia: This pillow is made with used tea leaves that have been oven or sun dried. Add a small amount of jasmine tea, mix together thoroughly and stuff into a pillow case. Simply use this pillow on a regular basis. It is said to prevent or relieve hypertension. It appears that the jasmine tea is added here only as a fragrance because in another remedy for the same purposes, only spent tea is used.
Diarrhea: Soak 30 g of lotus seeds (available from Chinese grocers or food stores) in warm water for a few hrs. Add an adequate amount of rock candy and simmer until the lotus seeds are well done. To this thick soup add a cup of tea made by steeping 5 g of black tea in boiling water. Eat the soup/tea.
Insomnia: Make tea with 15 g of green tea and drink it all before 8 A.M. Grind 10 g of sour jujube kernel (available in Chinese herb shops) to a fine powder and take it with water at bedtime. Be sure not to drink any water or tea (e.g. black tea) after 8 P.M.
Hyperthyroidism: Boil 12 g of dried chrysanthemum flower in 600 ml of water for 5 min. Add 1 g of green tea and 25 g honey. Let steep for a few min. and drink the resulting tea over a period of several hrs. More boiling water can be added and the resulting tea again drunk during the rest of the day. Do this on a daily basis.
Sprained back muscles: (1) Mix 200 ml of a strong black tea (e.g., from 3-5 American/English brand tea bags) with 100 ml rice vinegar. Heat it up and drink it all at one time while warm. (2) Mix 5 g of cooked black sesame seed powder (can be prepared by baking the seeds in an oven at medium heat until dried and then ground to a powder) and 25 g red sugar in 400-500 ml hot tea prepared from 1 g green tea. Stir well and drink the thin soup while still warm in 3 portions. Do this once daily. (3) Bring to a boil 300 ml of tea made from 1 g green tea. Add 2 eggs and 2.5 g honey. Continue to simmer until the eggs are cooked (a few min). Drink the tea and eat the eggs once daily in the morning.
Shingles (herpes zoster): Simply use a very strong tea (e.g., several times stronger than the usual American tea) to wash the afflicted areas. This is also recommended for contact dermatitis, eczema, and painful inflammations.
Contact dermatitis, erythema, blisters, itching, etc.: Soak 60 g each of black tea and alum in 500 ml of water for 30 min and then boil the mixture for another 30 min. Use the resulting tea to wash afflicted areas.
Reduced vision, dizziness, and night blindness: Stir fry equal amounts of salt and lycium fruit (heating the salt first), until the fruit swells up. Remove the fruit and discard the salt. Save the fruit for later use. When ready to take this recipe, place 1 g of black tea and 10 g of chrysanthemum flower in a teapot. Add boiling water and let steep for 5 min. Pour the tea into a cup with 10 g of the stir-fried lycium fruit. Drink the tea and eat the fruit.
Garlic breath: This folk remedy calls for simply chewing black tea leaves or gargling with a strong black tea.
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 # 14 from the drop down list.
Friday, July 06, 2007
Bell Flower for Coughs, also as Vegetable
Jiegeng is the root of Platycodon grandiflorum. It is also called balloon flower and Chinese bell flower, of the bell flower family. It has a documented use history of close to 2000 years, being first recorded in the Shennong Ben Cao Jing or Shennong Herbal (circa 200 B.C. to 100 A.D). It is most well known for its expectorant and antitussive properties. The herb is commonly used in colds and flus, sore throat, bronchitis, cough with much phlegm, hoarseness of voice, and suppuration. It is a major ingredient in many anti-cough medicines. When ingested orally, at normal doses (3-10 g), it seldom causes any toxic side effects. At elevated doses, however, one may occasionally experience nausea and vomiting, and low blood pressure. Jiegeng contains saponins (platycodin A, C, D, D2 and polygalacin D, D2, etc.), polysaccharides (inulin, platycodonin, etc.), triterpenes (platycogenic acid A, B, C), sterols, sterol glycosides, and others. The saponins have been the most studied, which exhibit various pharmacological activities, including antitussive, expectorant, hypoglycemic, diuretic, anti-ulcer, hemolytic, local irritant, sedative, analgesic, antifebrile, anti-allergergic, corticosterone secretion, and vasodilation.
Earlier in the same issue, I wrote about a discovery on a business trip to China - finding jiegeng being prepared fresh and served as a vegetable:
During lunch in the village near the growing areas, I again learned something new. One of the dishes served was fresh jiegeng (Platycodon grandiflorum root). It tastes like a crunchy and firm root vegetable and not unpleasant. I always knew jiegeng to be an excellent expectorant and antitussive, but I never knew it is commonly eaten as a vegetable in northeastern China.
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 # 11 from the drop down list.
Earlier in the same issue, I wrote about a discovery on a business trip to China - finding jiegeng being prepared fresh and served as a vegetable:
During lunch in the village near the growing areas, I again learned something new. One of the dishes served was fresh jiegeng (Platycodon grandiflorum root). It tastes like a crunchy and firm root vegetable and not unpleasant. I always knew jiegeng to be an excellent expectorant and antitussive, but I never knew it is commonly eaten as a vegetable in northeastern China.
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 # 11 from the drop down list.
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