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Chinese Herbal Medicine
Other common name(s): traditional
Chinese medicine, Chinese herbs
Description
Chinese
herbal
medicine
is
a
major
aspect
of
traditional
Chinese
medicine,
which
focuses
on
restoring a balance of energy, body,
and spirit to maintain health rather than treating
a particular
disease or medical
condition. Herbs are used with the goal of
restoring balance by nourishing the
body.
Overview
Because
of
the
large
number
of
Chinese
herbs
used
and
the
different
uses
recommended
by
practitioners,
it
is
difficult
to
comment
on
Chinese
herbal
medicine
as
a
whole.
There
may
be
some individual herbs or
extracts that play a role in the prevention and
treatment of cancer and
other diseases
when combined with conventional treatment.
However, more research is needed
to
determine the effectiveness of these individual
substances.
How is it promoted for
use?
Chinese herbal medicine is not
based on Western conventional concepts of medical
diagnosis and
treatment. It treats
patients
聮
main
complaints or the patterns of their symptoms
rather than
the
underlying
causes.
Practitioners
attempt
to
prevent
and
treat
imbalances,
such
as
those
caused
by cancer and other diseases, with complex
combinations of herbs, minerals, and plant
extracts.
Chinese herbal
medicine uses a variety of herbs, in different
combinations, to restore balance to
the
body (see Astragalus, Ginkgo, Ginseng, Green Tea,
and Siberian Ginseng). Herbal preparations
are said to prevent and treat hormone
disturbances, infections, breathing disorders, and
a vast
number
of
other
ailments
and
diseases.
Some
practitioners
claim
herbs
have
the
power
to
prevent
and
treat
a
variety
of
cancers.
(see
Astragalus,
Ginkgo,
Ginseng,
Green
Tea,
Siberian
Ginseng).
Most
Chinese
herbalists
do
not
claim
to
cure
cancer.
They
use
herbal
medicine
along
with
conventional treatment
prescribed by oncologists, such as radiation
therapy and chemotherapy.
They claim
that herbal remedies can help ease the side
effects of conventional cancer therapies,
control
pain,
improve
quality
of
life,
strengthen
the
immune
system,
and
in
some
cases,
stop
tumor
growth and spread.
What does it
involve?
In
China,
there
are
over
3,200
herbs,
300
mineral
and animal
extracts,
and
over 400
formulas
used. Herbal formulations may consist
of 4 to 12 different ingredients, to be taken in
the form of
teas, powders, pills,
tinctures, or syrups.
Chinese
herbal
remedies
are
made
up
of
one
or
two
herbs
that
are
said
to
have
the
greatest
effect on major aspects of the problem
being treated. The other herbs in the formula
treat minor
aspects of the problem,
direct the formula to specific parts of the body,
and help the other herbs
work more
efficiently.
With the increase in
popularity of herbal use, many Chinese herbs are
sold individually and in
formulas. In
the United States, Chinese herbs and herbal
formulas may be purchased in health
food stores, some pharmacies, and from
herbal medicine practitioners.
Before
choosing a mixture of herbs for a patient, the
traditional Chinese practitioner will typically
ask
about
symptoms
and
examine
the
patient,
often
focusing
on
the
skin,
hair,
tongue,
eyes,
pulses, and voice, in order to detect
imbalances in the body.
What is the
history behind it?
Native
cultures
all
over
the
world
have
traditionally
used
herbs
to
maintain
health
and
treat
illnesses. Chinese herbal medicine
developed with Chinese culture from tribal roots.
By 200 BC,
traditional
Chinese
medicine
was
firmly
established,
and
by
the
first
century
AD,
a
listing
of
medicinal herbs and herbal formulations
had been developed.
The classic
Chinese book on medicinal herbs was written during
the Ming Dynasty (1152-1578) by
Li
Shi-Zhen.
It
listed
nearly
2,000
herbs
and
extracts.
By
1990,
the
latest
edition
of
The
Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic
of China listed more than 500 single herbs or
extracts
and nearly 300 complex
formulations.
As Western conventional
medicine spread to the East, some traditional
Chinese medical practices
began to be
regarded as folklore. However, since 1949, the
Chinese government has supported
the
use
of
both
traditional
and
Western
medicine.
Chinese
herbal
medicine
first
came
to
wide-
spread
attention
in
the
United
States
in
the
1970s,
when
President
Richard
Nixon
visited
China.
Today,
at
least
30
states
license
practitioners
of
Oriental
medicine
and
more
than
25
colleges of Oriental
medicine exist in the United States.
What is the evidence?
Some
herbs
and
herbal
formulations
have
been
evaluated
in
animal,
laboratory,
and
human
studies
in
both
the
East
and
the
West
with
wide-
ranging
results.
Research
results
vary
widely
depending on the
specific herb, but several have shown activity
against cancer cells in laboratory
dishes and in some lab animals.
There is some evidence from randomized
clinical trials that some Chinese herbs may
contribute
to longer survival rates,
reduction of side effects, and lower risk of
recurrence for some cancers,
especially
when
combined
with
conventional
treatment.
Many
of
these
studies,
however,
are
published in Chinese, and some of them
do not list the specific herbs that were tested.
Some of
these
journal
articles
do
not
describe
how
the
studies
were
conducted
completely
enough
to
determine
whether
they
use
methods
comparable
to
those
used
in
Western
clinical
research.
However,
there
are
some
notable exceptions,
such
as
the
PC-SPES,
a mixture
including
several
Chinese
herbs
that
has
been
studied
in
considerable
detail
in
US
clinical
trials
(see
PC-
SPES)..
More controlled research is
needed to determine the role of Chinese herbal
medicine in cancer
treatment and
prevention.
Are there any possible
problems or complications?
Because of
the variety of herbs used in Chinese herbal
medicine, there is a potential for negative
interactions with prescribed drugs.
Some herbal preparations contain other ingredients
which are
not always identified. The
FDA has issued a statement warning diabetics to
avoid several specific
brands of
Chinese herbal products because they illegally
contain the prescription diabetes drugs
glyburide and phenformin. FDA warnings
have been issued for PC-SPES and production of
that
product
stopped
because
the
Chinese
herbal
products
also
contained
prescription
drugs
(indomethicin,
diethylstilbestrol and warfarin).
Similar concerns have been raised about
Chinese herbal products for other diseases, which
have
been
found
to
contain
toxic
contaminants
and
prescription
drugs
such
as
diazepam
(Valium).
Tests of Chinese
herbal remedies by the California Department of
Health found that nearly one
third
contained
prescription
drugs
or
were
contaminated
with
toxic
metals
such
as
mercury,
arsenic, and lead. Concerns about
Chinese herbal products have been raised in other
countries as