Will it never end? Not only are people using dangerous chemical drugs such as steroids, to enhance physical prowess, but people are now also taking prescription and non-prescription drugs, allegedly to sharpen their minds. Why? Why introduce synthetic mind altering chemicals, which often produce unknown side effects, to do something more simply accomplished using good diet, exercise and natural food supplements? For your own good, why not try a tonic first? Visit http://www.earthpower.com for more information.
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Thursday, January 03, 2008
Friday, December 21, 2007
Lycium, the New Superfood. New?
Although big marketers and the popular press have been hyping goji berry (aka lycium berry and wolfberry) only recently, we at Phyto-Tech have long known its health benefits and have been using it for over 10 years in our own and our clients’ products.
For accurate non-hype information, check out what Dr. Leung wrote about Lycium 12 years ago: Lycium page.
Friday, October 26, 2007
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.
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.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
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)
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.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
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.
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!
Thursday, October 18, 2007
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.
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.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
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.
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.
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