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.

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.

Ginger - Part 1 of 2

The following is excerpted from Dr. Leung's book, Chinese Healing Foods and Herbs.

Ginger has been used in both Eastern and Western folk medicine for centuries.  Many Westerners who know about ginger probably first came across it by biting into it when eating in a Chinese restaurant and then wondering whether to spit it out or swallow it without further chewing.  To the untrained palate, ginger is no fun to bite into.  Even Chinese do not eat it much, except on special occasions.  They use it mostly in small quantities, mostly as a condiment.  The only time I have seen ginger eaten in any sizable amount is by women after childbirth to rebuild their strength.

What is commonly called ginger root is actually an underground stem.  The plant is known scientifically as Zingiber officinale of the ginger family.  In Chinese, fresh ginger is called sheng jiang and dried Chinese ginger is called gan jiang.  It is a perennial herb with thick tuberous rhizomes (underground stems) from which the aerial stems rise to about 1 m. (3.3 ft) tall.  They bear relatively large leaves that are 15 to 30 cm. (6-12 inches) long and about 2 cm (0.8 inches) wide.  The cultivated ginger plant seldom flowers.

Ginger is believed to be native to the Pacific Islands.  It is now widely cultivated in the tropics and in warm climates.  Major ginger producing countries include China, India, Jamaica, and Nigeria.  

Both fresh and dried ginger roots are used in food and in medicine.  But dried ginger is produced in much larger quantities; it is used for the preparation of ginger oil, extracts, and oleoresins.  These are used widely in flavoring processed foods and soft drinks (e.g., ginger ale and ginger beer) as well as in cosmetic products such as perfumes (especially Oriental types and men's fragrances).

In Western folk medicine, ginger is mainly used as a carminative, appetite stimulant, and daphoretic (promoting perspiration).

Many chemical constituents have been found in ginger.  They include 1% to 3% volatile oil, pungent essences called gingerols, zingerone, and shogaols, about 9% protein, up to 50% starch, 6% to 8% fats, resins, minerals, vitamins (especially A and niacin), amino acids, and other biologicallly active chemicals.  The volatile oil in turn contains dozens of chemical compounds and is responsible for the smell of ginger.  Gingerols, zingerone, and shogaols are responsible for its biting, pungent taste.

A protein digesting enzyme (protease) has recently been isolated from fresh ginger root in relatively high yield (2.26%).  If further research is successful, ginger may some day turn up on your kitchen shelf as a meat tenderizer, which is now made mainly from papain from papaya.

Some Japanese studies have found ginger to contain strong antioxidants, which can keep potato chips, oily and fat foods, and cookies from turning rancid or stale.

Although much of the chemical research on ginger has been done in the West,most of the biological research has been done by Chinese and Japanese scientists. They have found that  ginger has a wide variety of effects on microorganisms, animals, and humans.  The best known is its  ability to stop vomiting in experimental animals (e.g. dogs) and nausea and vomiting in humans.  Shogaols are among its anti-emetic constituents.  The carminative properties of ginger are also well known.

In experiments with rats previously fed cholesterol, scientists found that ginger extracts lowered the cholesterol levels in the blood and liver of these rats.

In one Chinese study, healthy human subjects were given 1 g. (0.04 oz.) of fresh ginger and told to chew it but not to swallow it.  Their blood pressure was found to increase temporarily by an average of 11.2 mm. systolic and 14 mm. diastolic pressure.

To be continued...

Next time, we discuss traditional and modern uses of ginger, and some home remedies.

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.

Dodge a Cold Quickly, Easily, Inexpensively

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.

2 Migraine Remedies

Note: This is the fourth in a series of posts featuring remedies based mainly on food herbs. Originally published as a complete article in Dr. Leung's newsletter in June of 1997, this series has included posts on sterility/infertility, kidney stones, and shingles as well as some excellent background information in an introductory piece. Today's post covers remedies for migraine. Tomorrow's post will be the grand finale and will cover colds and flu, a very appropriate topic as we head into the season.

Migraine. This type of headache can be incapacitating; and modern medicine offers few cures, if any. The following 2 remedies should help. They are from the recent traditional Chinese medical literature.[6],[7]

(1) Chrysanthemum Tea - The flowers usually come in 2 types: Large ones are about 1 inch in diameter while the small ones are half to one-third the size. If you are a migraine sufferer, simply steep 6-8 large or 15-20 small flower heads in 2-3 cups of boiling water in a teapot for 5-10 min. You may screen off the flowers before drinking the tea. Also, you may sweeten it with sugar or honey. Prepare and drink several pots of this tea a day, and make this part of your daily routine on a long-term basis. It not only will help migraine, but also hypertension if you happen to be suffering from this as well (this Newsletter, Issue 1, p. 2). This remedy was successfully used in treating 32 patients (ages 14-51 yr.; 9 males, 23 females) with migraine from 2 mo. to 17 yr. in duration, resulting in a total response (no recurrence after 1-year follow-up) in 23, and partial response (symptoms and recurrence rate reduced) in 9 patients; all responded to the tea between 15 and 60 days. Caution: If you are allergic to chrysanthemums or other flowers of the composite family (e.g., daisies and dandelions), handle the flower heads very carefully. And if you are allergic to sulfites, don’t use this remedy at all, because chrysanthemum flowers may have been treated with burning sulfur to preserve them.

(2) Xue Xie (Dragon’s Blood; Fruit Resin of Daemonorops spp.) on Rheumatism Plaster - This was successfully used on a 32-year-old male with a 6-year history of migraine. The patient’s symptoms (right side of head) and frequency had intensified (4-6 times a month) 6 mo. prior to this treatment. Modern diagnostic techniques (EEG and CT) revealed no abnormal brain functions and modern drugs (ergotamine, propranolol, aspirin, diazepam, etc.) did not help. Three days after treating with above plaster, the severe pain, along with accompanying symptoms (nausea, vomiting, etc.), completely disappeared. No recurrence was observed on a 3-year follow-up. Method: Sprinkle 0.5 g (~1/16 oz) of Dragon’s Blood equally on 2 Rheumatism Plasters. Apply one to the right temple and the other to the most painful spot. Change medicine daily. For someone desperate, this certainly is worth a try. Both xue xie and Rheumatism Plasters (many kinds but basically similar) are common medicines in Chinese communities worldwide. They should be readily available in Chinatown herb shops.

[6] B.F. Liu, “Chrysanthemum Tea Alone in the Treatment of 32 Cases of Migraine,” Henan Zhongyi, 15(4): 234(1995); [7] X.X. Wang and W.P. Yang, “Topical Treatment in Curing a Case of Migraine,” Jiangxi Zhongyiyao, 23(1): 34(1992).

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.

4 Remedies for Shingles

Note: This is the third in a series of posts originally published in 1997 on simple remedies, based mainly on food herbs. The first post dealt with sterility and infertility, while the second addressed kidney stones. Today's post provides recipes for dealing with shingles. Topics yet to be covered include migraine headache and colds/flu. If you haven't read the introductory information, it is definitely worth your time.

Shingles (Herpes Zoster). Shingles is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox. It is painful and itchy. Conventional treatment normally involves a combination of antipruritics (e.g., calamine lotion), analgesics, antibiotics, and antiviral drugs. The following are 4 simple remedies that may work, and only one of which contains a toxic drug:

(1) Job’s Tear Soup - Boil 60 g (2 oz) of Job’s tear in water until tender, which would take about an hour. Eat the grains and drink the soup. Do this twice daily for up to a week. This remedy has been reported to be effective in all 50 patients treated, whose pain and lesions disappeared completely from 3 to 7 days.2

(2) Fresh Xiang Ren Zhang (Chinese Prickly Pear; Opuntia dillenii Haw.) - Prepare a mash from the fleshy inner part of the pads (flat stems) and apply it directly to the lesions. Pain will start to subside in 4 hr, and may even disappear after 6 hr. Continue to use this for up to a week, applying fresh cactus mash daily. It is reported to be effective in healing the lesions in 3 to 5 days.[3] I am sorry I have no idea how you can locate a Chinese prickly pear plant in North America other than to give it a try at your local garden center. If any of you horticulturists or botanists have the information, I will pass it along to the rest.

(3) Yunnan Baiyao (White Medicine of Yunnan) - It is a well-known topical hemostatic in China, which is also used internally. During the Second World War, Chinese airmen, as well as the Flying Tigers, used to carry a vial of it for bleeding wounds. Although it used to be beige or light colored, as the name implies, its color now ranges from light brown to brown, depending on where it is produced, due to certain ingredients now no longer readily available. Yunnan Baiyao is readily available throughout China and in many Chinatown herb shops in North America. Try to get the one from the original Yunnan Baiyao Factory. For treating shingles, make a thin paste of the powder with a small amount of white liquor or dry white wine and apply the paste to the lesions, 3 to 5 times daily. At the same time take 0.3 g of the powder, 4 times a day. It is reported that pain is alleviated and healing starts in 1 to 3 days, resulting in complete healing in 3 to 8 days.[4]

(4) Xionghuang (Realgar) Vinegar Paste - Realgar contains mainly arsenic disulfide and is toxic, not to be used internally for extended periods of time. It is an official drug in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia and traditional Chinese medicine often uses it for topical treatment of insect/snake bites and skin parasites. It has been successfully used in treating 82 patients (ages 5 to 72) with shingles.[5] Simply mix realgar powder with an adequate amount of vinegar to form a thin paste and apply it to the lesions, once a day. Do this for several days. Among the 82 patients thus treated, 75 achieved complete healing in 4 days, and the rest in 5 days. Pain disappeared in most patients on day 2, with lesions starting to heal on day 3. No scars were formed after healing.

[3] Z.J. Chai, “Topical Applications of Fresh Xiang Ren Zhang Stem,” Shiyong Zhong Xiyi Jiehe Zazhi, 9(8): 506(1996).
[4] W. Li, “Clinical Applications of Yunnan Baiyao,” Shizhen Guoyao Yanjiu, 8(2): 121(1997);
[5] S.T. Chen and Q.B. Wang, “Topical Treatment of Herpes Zoster with Xionghuang Vinegar Paste,” Shizhen Guoyao Yanjiu, 8(2): 115(1997).

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 http://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.

2 Recipes for Removal of Kidney Stones

Note: This is the second in a series of posts detailing recipes for basic diet based remedies using Chinese herbs. Yesterday we kicked off the series with a post on sterility and infertility. Today's post deals with kidney stones. These topics are excerpted from an article originally published in 1997 in the hard copy version of Dr. Leung's newsletter, issue #8. Other topics in the series include shingles, cold & flu, and migraine. There is also some excellent information in the introductory material, posted late last week.

Kidney Stones. In traditional Chinese medicine, there are many prescriptions for eliminating urinary stones without surgery. I can locate dozens of such remedies in my data files without much effort. However, they will be of little use to most of you because they usually are quite complicated and consist of numerous to many herbs, some of which would not be easy to obtain. Here are two simple ones:

(1) Job’s Tear (Chinese Pearl Barley; Coix lachryma-jobi Seed) With Sugar - Simply grind up some uncooked Job’s tear to a powder. Twice daily, take 2 tablespoonfuls (30 g) of this along with a small amount of sugar, followed by drinking plenty of water. Physical exercise (especially jumping) is recommended for speeding up the passage of the stone(s). It is reported to take effect in 2 weeks and has a success rate of 80%.[2]

(2) Deep-Fried Walnut Meat With Sugar - Deep fry 125 g (4.4 oz) of walnut meat in vegetable oil until crisp. Remove the walnut and mix in 2-4 tablespoonfuls (1-2 oz) of sugar. Mash the mixture to a paste and eat it over the course of 1 to 2 days. It is reported to relieve the pain in a few days, followed by passage of the stone(s) in the form of milky urine. This and related remedies have appeared numerous times in the Chinese literature, including a major Chinese journal of surgery, as I had previously reported (this Newsletter, Issue 1, p. 2).

[2] L.B. Hua, “Clinical Application of Large Doses of Job’s Tear,” Zhongguo Zhongyao Zazhi, 22(2): 119-120 (1997); Leung, A.Y., “Walnut,” Chinese Healing Foods and Herbs, AYSL Corp., Glen Rock, N.J., 1984, pp. 167-168.

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.

3 Simple Recipes for Sterility/Infertility

NOTE: This is the first in a series of five posts on simple herbal remedies. This post deals with infertility and sterility. Other topics to be covered this week include colds/flu, migraine, shingles, and kidney stones. These were all published in Dr. Leung's newsletter, Issue #8, in June, 1997. There is also some excellent general information in the introduction, posted last Friday.

Sterility/Infertility. A simple treatment for male sterility was reported in the last issue (p. 3) of this newsletter; here are some dishes that could also help in that department:[1]

1) Stirred-Fried Shrimp and Jiucai (Chinese Chives; Allium tuberosum Leaves) - You will need about 8 oz (240 g) of fresh shelled shrimp and 3 oz (100 g) of jiucai (cut in inch-long sections). Stir fry the shrimp briefly in hot vegetable oil. Add condiments (dash of cooking wine, soy sauce, vinegar, fresh ginger, etc.) followed by the jiucai. Continue to stir fry briefly until the shrimp and vegetable are done but not overcooked. This is recommended for both men and women, to be eaten regularly, once or twice a week.

2) Hard-Boiled Egg With Yimucao (Chinese Motherwort; Leonurus heterophyllus Herb) and Danggui (Chinese Angelica) - Place 30 g (1 oz) of yimucao and 15 g (½ oz) of danggui in 2 bowls of cold water in a nonmetallic pan. Boil it down to 1 bowl and strain off the herbs. Remove the shell of 2 hard-boiled eggs, poke several holes in them with a toothpick or fork, and place them in the herbal liquid. Boil the mixture for a few minutes, which is then ready to be served. Drink the soup and eat the eggs. Do this 2 or 3 times a week for a month. It is said to normalize uterine function and ovulation to increase the chances of pregnancy.

3) Rice Foam and Stir-Fried Salt, With or Without Asian Ginseng or Dangshen (Codonopsis pilosula Root) - Prepare a rice soup by boiling 1 cup of rice in several cups of water. When the rice is about done, collect the surface foam along with about ½ cup of the liquid at the surface. Add an adequate amount of salt that has been stir-fried. Drink the foamy soup on an empty stomach. For better results, you can stir in a ½ teaspoonful of ginseng or dangshen powder. If consumed regularly, this recipe is said to help increase a man’s sperm count.

[1] Y. Feng and G.X. Huang, “Diet Therapy of Infertility/Sterility,” Zhongguo Shipin, (2): 10(1987).

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.

Upcoming series on Herbal Remedies

Note: This work originally appeared in Dr. Leung's newsletter in 1997 (Issue # 8). What follows is a brief introduction to the series of remedies that he introduced, all based on mainly food herbs. We will present the series of remedies here next week.

Chinese herbal medicine is probably the only ancient medical culture that has been continuously maintained, updated, and expanded since about 1,100 BC, when it was first documented. Over the past 3,000 years, extensive documentation of herb use has resulted in hundreds of major works (including numerous famous classic herbals) describing the properties and uses of over 13,000 natural drugs as well as over 130,000 prescriptions. The most well-known classic records include the Wu Shi Er Bing Fang or Prescriptions for Fifty-two Diseases (1,065-771 BC), Shennong Ben Cao Jing or Shennong Herbal (100 BC-200 AD), and the Ben Cao Gang Mu or Herbal Systematics by Li Shi-Zhen (1590 AD). The Prescriptions describes 247 drugs and 283 prescriptions for diseases ranging from snake bites, wounds, skin ulcers, and hemorrhoids to male sexual problems and malaria. The Shennong Herbal was the first work devoted exclusively to drugs. It describes 365 drugs that are divided into 3 categories, viz., superior, medium and inferior, with the first composed of mostly tonics suitable for long-term consumption while the last composed of drugs that are generally toxic and are reserved for serious illnesses. Many of the herbs described in these two ancient herbals are still commonly used today; they include astragalus, licorice, ginger, qinghao, and magnolia bud (this Newsletter, Issue 7, p. 3). Li’s Herbal Systematics documents 1,892 drugs and 11,096 prescriptions and is probably the most famous herbal; it has been translated into numerous languages, including Latin, English, German, French, Russian, Korean, and Japanese. In addition to these classic herbals, there are many formularies (formula books) describing thousands of remedies for practically every disease known to mankind. In one famous formulary alone, the Pu Ji Fang (Prescriptions for Healing the Masses), published in the 14th century, close to 62,000 formulas are described. Also, in a recent compilation, titled Zhongyi Fangji Da Cidian (Encyclopedia of Traditional Chinese Prescriptions), over 90,000 prescriptions with formula names will be described. The completed work will be in 11 volumes, with the last volume as index. Up until last year, 4 volumes had been published, documenting 38,876 prescriptions. The information in this compilation is based on about 2,000 published works over a period of 2,000 years. The editors estimate that there are over 130,000 published prescriptions during this period, although only about 90,000 bear formula names, which will be published in this new work. These formulas don’t even include the many thousands that are primarily used in diet therapy. With this brief background information, you can see that it is easy to come up with remedies for various conditions. For obvious reasons, I am only reporting remedies that are primarily food based (those for diet therapy), which will not do harm even if they don’t work, as well as some simple ones consisting of nontoxic or only slightly toxic herbs. I know many of you are not seriously into Chinese herbs. The main reason you subscribe to this newsletter is to keep tabs on recent developments in Chinese herbal medicine, both in China and in America. You are not the ones who would actually take time to obtain the herbs and cook up a storm in your kitchen, unless the herbs I report here are already in your kitchen and you don’t need to do more than boil them in water. For those who are more serious about actually utilizing some of the remedies, I expect you have already found your way around your local Chinatown and are able to obtain the herbs that are not found in your kitchen or major supermarkets. So, here they are:
Note: To be continued next week - ed.

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 http://www.earthpower.com/. To order the newsletter referenced above, visit the bookstore, click “Buy Now” on the newsletter, and select Issue # 8 from the drop down list.

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.

Treatment of syphilis with tufuling (Smilax glabra Roxb. rhizome)

Tufuling or Rhizoma Smilacis Glabrae has been used in China as a detoxicant to treat diseases like syphilis for centuries, with a recorded use history dating back to around the 5th century A.D.

Venereal diseases were seldom encountered in China during its 5-decade closed door communist rule. Then, along with the increased outside contact and trading, these diseases gradually reappeared in recent years. This is a report by a Chinese physician, Dr. Wang Qing-Quan, from the Nanping Second Municipal Hospital of Fujian Province, who treated 30 cases of syphilis with tufuling reportedly with great success.

The patients were all male, 22 to 56 years old. Duration of disease ranged from 6 weeks to 4 years; 18 were primary and 12 secondary. The treatment consisted of a daily dose of 250 g of tufuling decocted and drunk warm 30 minutes before breakfast, lunch and dinner. Each course of treatment lasted 20 days; and efficacy was evaluated after 3 courses of treatment. A blood test for syphilis was performed after each course of treatment and again every 3 and 6 months during the first and second year of follow up respectively. According to Dr. Wang, 27 of the 30 patients (90%) were cured after tufuling treatment, as evidenced by disappearance of symptoms and negative blood tests after a 2-year follow-up. The remaining 3 patients (2 primary and 1 secondary) switched to penicillin midway during the herb treatment due to the inconvenience in decocting and taking the herbal medication (which essentially increased the efficacy rate to 100% for those who received the herbal treatment).

The reason that this report attracted my attention is that I have been aware of tufuling and other Smilax spp. (e.g., sarsaparilla) traditionally being used in treating syphilis in China and in other countries. I am also aware of the fact that there has not been any modern clinical evidence to support this use. Another factor that prompted me to select this article is the herb was used here singly (uncommon in Chinese medicine) along with the employment of modern diagnostic techniques, which confirmed that it was syphilis that Dr. Wang was treating.

This is not the first report on using tufuling to successfully treat syphilis in modern times. Earlier reports appeared in the 1950's and early 1960's. I am sure one can find more cases treated and reported in the past few years if one scans the Chinese literature. Even though, as expected, this herbal treatment is much slower to take effect than modern antibiotic therapy, it can serve as an alternative, especially for those patients who are allergic to antibiotics or others who simply don't want to take any modern antibiotics.

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 http://www.earthpower.com/. To order the newsletter containing the remedies mentioned above, visit the bookstore, click “Buy Now” on the newsletter, and select Issue # 35 from the drop down list.

Use of Latin Drug Names

This story is reprinted in its entirety from the May/June 2002 issue of the hardcopy edition of "Leung's Chinese Herb News". In it, Dr. Leung lays out a simple solution to the complex problem of improper identification of herbal materials used in traditional medicine. -ed

Most of this problem of nonspecific definition of herbal materials can be alleviated, if not eliminated, by returning to the use of Latin pharmaceutical names. I don't know why this fell out of favor during the past few decades in the United States. Could it be because we have been sidetracked by pursuing active principles during this time and found it no longer necessary to specifically name the plant part? After all, as long as one can obtain, say, ephedrine from an Ephedra species, what does one care which part of the plant it comes from? And for that matter, which plant species yields it?

However, natural medicines have recently made a comeback and are here to stay. Unfortunately, most modern scientists trained in botany and pharmacognosy have no training and experience in the practice of traditional herbal medicine. They may be excellent botanists or phytochemists, but they don't have the relevant comprehensive training and knowledge to deal with herbal medicines except using them as raw material sources for pharmacologically active chemicals.

The most relevant modern field appears to be ethnobotany, pioneered by the late Dr. Richard Evans Schultes. Since most of the research and subjects in this field relate to jungle medicines, it is imperative to be able to return to the same location and collect the same plant material, should preliminary chemical and pharmacological results indicate it to be promising as a modern pharmaceutical agent, hence the 'voucher specimen', deposited in a reputable herbarium. This system was pioneered by Dr. Schultes, and, for the past four to five decades, has served us well as the gold standard in phytochemical research. However, this system does not address the needs of traditional herbal medicines of the Old World, such as China and India where the resources of herbal medicines are well documented and a single plant species often supplies two or more drugs that are sometimes very different, or different plant species supplying the same drug. This Latin-binomial-and-voucher-specimen system can only serve as one of several elements for defining a particular herbal drug.

Consequently, in the current scientific research in the validity of traditional herbal medicines, just assigning an herbal drug a Latin binomial and depositing a voucher specimen of the plant in an herbarium is not enough and often is not even relevant. We must specify clearly from what part of the plant and how it has been prepared. It appears that we are the only major country in the world which does not use Latin pharmaceutical names. China does, and so does Germany. It's time we realized the importance of plant parts in modern CAM research and relearned Latin drug names and started to use them in our research and in this field.

More of Dr. Leung's observations and opinions 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 article above, visit the bookstore, click “Buy Now” on the newsletter, and select Issue # 38 from the drop down list.

Herbs for Cardiovascular Health - Part 3 of 3

NOTE: This is an excerpt of an article originally published in 1998 in Dr. Leung's newsletter, "Leung's Chinese Herb News", Issue 12, page 3. It is the third and final in a series of excerpts on cardiovascular health. The first excerpt provided a summary of herbs used in cardiovascular health, while the second excerpt discussed hyperlipidemia. Today's excerpt covers hypertension. The information is as useful today as when it was written. -ed

Chrysanthemum flower, kudzu root, and duzhong are a few of the most commonly used herbs for treating high blood pressure.

Chrysanthemum flower
It is one of my favorite herbs to recommend for hypertension because it is simple to use. Simply place a few flowerheads in a pot of boiling water and let it steep for a few minutes. If you like, you may sweeten the tea with honey or sugar. And you don't need to have high blood pressure to enjoy it either.

Herbal pillow
I am not that up-to-date on aromatherapy, and I don't know what culture started it first. But I know the Chinese for centuries have been using herbal pillows for treating various illnesses, and I keep a file on them. I have never tried any of these remedies myself because I personally would not want my bed to smell (or should I say reek) of herbal medicines. However, in case some of you are into aromatherapy, here is an herbal pillow treatment for hypertension. Fill a small pillow case (about 20 cm x 30 cm) made of loosely knit cloth with the following coarsely ground herbs: 150 g Sichuan lovage (chuanxiong), 35 g chrysanthemum flower, and 85 g mulberry leaf (dried). Sleep on your side with you rear resting on the pillow. Normally, herbal pillows are much bigger and are to be used like normal pillows. But this is specially made for proximity to the ears. You don't need to press your ear directly on the pillow. Rather, you can make an indentation in the middle of the pillow and let your ear sink into this, to avoid a sore ear in the morning. In addition to hypertension, it also helps headache and dizziness. One word of caution: watch for allergies! So far, I have not come across any reported, but you never know. It is better to be safe.

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 #12 from the drop down list.

Change is in the Air

Just a quick post to say that we will be making some editorial and formatting changes to the blog in the next few days.

You may have already noticed the addition of a search widget. It will search our blog only, or the whole internet, and you decide which it will be. Please try this out, as well as our other widgets, all located in the right margin. After you've had a chance to use the widgets, drop a comment to let us know what you think. Can we improve them? Are they "too much"? Do we need more functionality that isn't here already?

You will also notice a new, fresher look in the next few days, as we transition into a "new space". Don't worry, the content isn't changing, but we hope to make it easier for you to access it and share it.

We are very confident you will be happy with the changes we have in store. Keep an eye out for the "new look"!

Herbs for Cardiovascular Health - Part 2 of 3

NOTE: This is an excerpt of an article originally published in 1998 in Dr. Leung's newsletter, "Leung's Chinese Herb News", Issue 12, page 3. It is the second in a series of excerpts on cardiovascular health. The first excerpt provided a summary of herbs used in cardiovascular health. We will publish the last excerpt in the next few days. The information is as useful today as when it was written. -ed

Apart from the ones well known to Westerners (e.g., garlic and hawthorn), there are many common Chinese food/herbs that are effective in reducing blood lipids. Here are a few: lycium fruit, fo-ti (both raw and cured), juemingzi, shanzha, chrysanthemum flower, danshen, tangerine peel, zexie, huzhang, purslane herb, huaijiao, and mung bean. Most of these can be regularly and safely consumed. The following are 3 simple remedies that one can try.

Juemingzi
This herb has been around for a long time, being listed in the Shennong Herbal (circa 200 BC to 100 AD) as a superior herb. It is the seed of Cassia obtusifolia or Cassia tora (syn. Senna obtusifolia or Senna tora). It is not only effective in reducing serum lipids (total cholesterol and triglycerides) and increasing HDL-cholesterol, but also in lowering high blood pressure. The dose levels for this herb range from 4.5 g to 50 g. The higher doses are mainly for treating constipation. For hyperlipidemia, 5 to 20 g per day are used. Simply fry the seeds in a frying pan at medium to high heat until they turn darker and emit an aroma. After cooling, break them into a coarse powder and save for later use. Each day take 5 to 20 g and make a tea with boiling water. Drink this every day for at least 1 to 2 months before you can expect any results. If loose bowel occurs, reduce the dose until bowel movement is normal. If you tend to constipate, you may use a dose on the higher side. Also, you may add an equal amount of tea or chrysanthemum flower to the juemingzi if you prefer. Both juemingzi and chrysanthemum flower are readily available from Chinatown herb shops or groceries.

Cured fo-ti
Place 30 g (~1 oz) of cured fo-ti in 300 ml (~10 oz) water and boil for 20 min. Take the liquid (150-200 ml) and drink it in two portions during the day. It is reported to take effect in 20 days. Cured fo-ti is available in Chinatown herb shops. Be sure to ask for the tonic, and not raw fo-ti, the cathartic. Cured fo-ti normally comes in slices, sometimes quite thin, and should be very dark brown to black; it is breakable by hand.

Lotus leaf and green tea
Place 10 g of each herb in a teapot of boiling water. Let it steep for 10 minutes. Then drink it throughout the day, adding more boiling water if needed. This can be used year round on a long-term basis. Lotus leaf is one of the most commonly used ingredients in Chinese diet formulas. It is available in Chinatown groceries and herb shops. It is used as a wrapping for lotus rice. The best way to prepare it for the tea is to break or cut it into small pieces and save for later use.

Note: To be continued in next post. -ed

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 http://www.earthpower.com/. To order the newsletter containing the remedies mentioned above, visit the bookstore, click “Buy Now” on the newsletter, and select Issue #12 from the drop down list.