Edometriosis: Chinese medicine superior to conventional medication?

Chinese herbal medicine following laparoscopic surgery in Endometriosis patients achieved better symptom controll compared to conventinal medication danazol and was comparable to gestrinone. Furthermore, it the patients taking Chinese medicine reported fewer side-effects. The pregnancy rate was similar with either treatment.

Andrew Flower, PhD, of Southampton University in Ringmer, England, reported the findings in the Cochrane Reviews.

Chinese medicine superior to drugs easing menstrual cramps

Chinese herbal medicine provides significant pain relief for women with menstrual cramps, researchers from University of Western Sydney show.

Women with period pains are often offered either non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or oral contraceptives. Both of the options have drawbacks including the short and long term side-effects. Many women find these treatments don't work or that they would prefer a natural alternative.

A review of 39 controlled trials in 3,475 women found that Chinese herbal medicine was superior to pharmaceutical drugs providing significant pain relief. It relieved overall symptoms even better than acupuncture.

There was no indication that Chinese herbal medicine caused any adverse events, making it the first choice for relieving menstrual cramps. (image by)

Chinese medicine relieves eczema in children

Researchers from Hong Kong confirmed that Chinese medicine effectively relieve eczema in children. 42 kids who took the Chinese medicine had their eczema improved and their use of corticosteroids was reduced. Other 43 kids suffering from eczema took a placebo did not observe the same effect.

The paper was published in the August issue of the British Journal of Dermatology.
The Chinese medicine (five herbs) used to relieve eczema were Flos lonicerae (Jinyinhua), Herba menthae (Bohe), Cortex moutan (Danpi), Rhizoma atractylodis (Cangzhu) and Cortex phellodendri (Huangbai).

Diabetes - bitter mellon increases insulin secretion by 160%

Bitter melon, a delicacy, which I enjoyed so much, when I lived in China has many healing properties. It is known to lower blood sugar it is also known for its' anti-cancer properties.

Now a team of Chinese scientists discovered that prepared in traditional way extract can increase the insulin production by 160% and has repairing effects on pancreatic β-cells, responsible for insuline production. Good news for diabetes sufferers. But don't necessarily expect these effects from fresh bitter melon. To have these properties the melon has to be dried and decocted (cooked) traditional way.

Schizophrenia? Use Chinese herbs!

Researchers from Cochrane Collaboration reviewed 7 studies on use of Chinese herbs for schizophrenia:

• The overall response favoured combining herbal medicine plus antipsychotic drugs vs using antipsychotic drugs alone.
• Significantly fewer people getting combined treatment left the study early compared with those given antipsychotics alone.
• Combined treatment group had reduced side effects (like constipation) of the anipsychotic drugs.

Conclusions?
Results suggest that combining Chinese herbal medicine with antipsychotics is beneficial.

Chinese medicine holds hope preventing polycystic kidney disease

There was increasing evidence that Lei Gong Teng (Radix Tripterygii Wilfordii) treats arthritis effectively. It has been used to treat cancer, inflammation, and auto-immune diseases and, more recently, also has been tested in Phase I clinical trials as an anti-tumour agent. This new study found that this Chinese medicine also may stop cyst formation in polycystic kidney disease.

The research holds out hope for what would be the first treatment for the disease other than kidney transplant or frequent dialysis.

The study was conducted by a team of researchers led by researcher Dr. Craig Crews at Yale University.

"If we were able to slow the rate of cyst formation by even 10 percent a year, compounded annually, patients would not die from this disease. A relatively small effect would have an enormous clinical benefit," Crews said.

Chinese herbs may ease chemotherapy

Chinese herbal medicine can protect the immune systems of breast cancer patients and reduce the side effects of chemotherapy,  a group of Cochrane Collaboration scientists said yesterday.

Scientists analysed data from seven studies involving 542 women with breast cancer.

They concluded that Chinese medicines may safely reduce the immuno-suppressive side effects of powerful anti-cancer drugs.

A number of Chinese medicinal herbal mixtures and compounds are prescribed to counteract the unwanted effects of chemotherapy.

Three of the studies showed improvements to white blood cells, key elements of the immune system. Two appeared to have had a general positive effect on quality of life.

In their paper published by the Cochrane Library, the researchers said: "The results suggest that using Chinese herbs in conjunction with chemotherapy or CHM alone may be beneficial in terms of improvements in bone marrow suppression and immune system, and may improve overall state of quality of life."

The researchers also said further trials were needed before the effects of traditional Chinese medicines on women with breast cancer could be evaluated with any confidence.

In a separate study, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh found that an extract of triphala, the dried and powdered fruits of three plants, caused pancreatic tumours to die in mice.

Diabetes :: type 2 :: Traditional Chinese Medicine Has Scientific Backing

Traditional Chinese medicine for diabetes has scientific backing Reports of a traditional Chinese medicine having beneficial effects for people suffering from type 2 diabetes now has some scientific evidence to back up the claims.

A collaboration between Chinese, Korean, and Australian scientists at Sydney's Garvan Institute, has revealed that the natural plant product berberine could be a valuable new treatment. Berberine is found in the roots and bark of a number of plants used for medicinal purposes including wound healing and treatment of diarrhoea.

It has also been documented in Chinese literature as having a glucose lowering effect when administered to people with diabetes; yet, until now, its mode of action was unknown.

Garvan scientist Dr Jiming Ye says: "Our studies in animal models of diabetes show that berberine acts in part by activating an enzyme in the muscle and liver that is involved in improving sensitivity of the tissue to insulin – this in turn helps lower blood sugar levels. In addition, it seems berberine can help reduce body weight". Current medicines for treating type 2 diabetes include metformin and the TZD group of drugs.

However, a large number of patients cannot tolerate metformin and the TZDs can cause undesirable weight gain. Therefore, it is critical to develop new therapies to treat type 2 diabetes, which is a growing health problem.

"Berberine has been used for decades, if not centuries, with few reported side effects. Given the limitations of existing medicines we are excited to have evidence that berberine may be a helpful new treatment for type 2 diabetes; however, despite its widespread use in traditional medicine practices, it will still have to be evaluated properly following the defined clinical trials process", said Professor James, head of the Garvan's Diabetes & Obesity Research Program and co-author of the Diabetes paper.

The next step is to investigate how berberine activates the enzyme that mediates these 'insulin-sensitising' effects.

NOTES: This study will be published in the August issue of 'Diabetes'. The title is: Berberine, a natural plant product, activates AMP-activated protein kinase with beneficial metabolic effects in diabetic and insulin resistant states. Yun S. Lee, Woo S. Kim,Kang H. Kim, Myung J. Yoon, Hye J. Cho, Yun Shen, Ji-Ming Ye, Chul H. Lee, Won K. Oh, Chul T. Kim, Cordula Hohnen-Behrens, Alison Gosby, Edward W. Kraegen, David E. James, and Jae B. Kim

More on Chinese Medicine (Gardenia fruit) and diabetes.

Another proof that Chinese medicine is effective. This time for type 2 diabetes.

A gardenia fruit extract used in Chinese medicine for
centuries to treat diabetes is effective, scientists confirmed.

Researchers from the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School found a chemical from the fruit blocks the action of an enzyme which stops the production of insulin.

Insulin is made in the pancreas, and stimulates cells to
take up as much glucose as they need for energy, thereby regulating
blood sugar levels.

But in people with diabetes, there is too little insulin, which causes blood sugar concentrations to rise.

The research was published in Cell Metabolism.

My comment:

We've been using gardenia for ages and never needed any confirmation it to be effective. The pharmaceuticals will obviously try to find a way to excrete and isolate the compound which inhibits UCP2 and make a huge profit selling the medicine. Nothing wrong with that.

However, any Chinese medicine herbalist will tell you that gardenia alone does not treat diabetes. We need a formula of a few herbs to achieve the best effect. When the chemicals form Chinese medicines are excreted and purified, the amount of that particular chemical has to be increased for it to be effective. This can lead to undesirable side-effects and adverse events.

Chinese medicine as a treatment for sperm genetic abnormalities

Many infertile man have an increased proportion of genetically abnormal sperm. Normally this is not an issue, because the sperm number is so small, that it fails to fertilise an egg. But in case of ICSI, the potentially genetically abnormal sperm is injected directly in to an egg. This increases the risk risk for ICSI failure as well as the risk of transmitting diseases such as Klinefelter's syndrome, Down's syndrome, congenital heart defects, etc.

Scientists from university of Kent conducted research on six men who had very high levels of chromosome abnormalities in their sperm. After a course of traditional Chinese medicine each of the six men participating in the study showed a significant reduction in the proportion of sperm genetic abnormalities.

This research offers promise to male infertility patients. However more research is needed to convince the skeptics.

Ref:
"Significant reduction of sperm disomy in six men: effect of traditional Chinese medicine?" Darren Griffin, Helen Tempest, Sheryl Homa and Xiao-Ping Zhai
"Asian Journal of Andrology"

IVF and acupuncture :: vitalis.co.nz

Chinese medicine and bird flu

Chinese medicine may offer hope in the bird flu fight.
As conventional medicine currently does not offer any solutions, Chinese Medicine may be the only hope when the bird flu hits the world.
It was successfully used by a university in Hong Kong to prevent SARS.

Current laws do not allow to patent herbs, so Roche, a Swedish pharmaceutical company developed Tamiflu, a medication extracted from one of Chinese medicines star anise. The company uses 90% of the world supply of this herb to transform it into Tamiflu pills. Lucky we still have many other varieties of Chinese antiviral herbs that can be used should the need arrise.

Chinese Medicine - a future treatment for Alzeimer's

MONDAY, June 20 (HealthDay News) -- Future treatments for Alzheimer's disease may run the gamut from calisthenics combined with singing, Chinese herbs, immune-boosting therapies and insulin delivered to the brain via the nose.

Research in these areas and more was presented Monday at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference on Prevention of Dementia, held in Washington, D.C.

A study conducted in China, found that an herbal extract improved cognitive function in people with mild cognitive impairment, often a precursor to Alzheimer's. The extract, known as GETO (for ginseng, epimedium herb, thinleaf milkwort root and two other herbs), has been used for centuries in traditional Chinese medicine.

Read more here

It works for me: Chinese herbal medicine

Cecilia Conrad gave up all hopes of a cure for her chronic urinary infections until she discovered a Chinese remedy

Read the story on Times online

Chinese Medicine needs more research

"If Chinese herbal medicine underwent scientific tests, it could spread to international use..."

Freid Murad, the 1998 Nobel prize winner of physiology and medicine

Read here

The best medicine - Financial times

Lu Xinhua looks like somebody's aunt. Her short, wavy black hair, freckles and sweater set give her a kindly demeanour. So I did not mind when she took my wrist with three fingers the other day at lunch.

"You have had a cold recently, haven't you?" she says after a moment. "You tire easily," she concludes, after asking me to stick out my tongue and pressing her fingers into my other wrist.

It was an unsettling way to start a meal but that is how many at Clifford Herbal Cuisine begin. The restaurant, which opened two years ago in a hospital in Guangzhou, the southern Chinese city formerly known as Canton, serves a menu designed to adhere to the principles of traditional Chinese medicine.

Diners can opt to consult an on-site doctor of Chinese medicine, as I did, who will suggest certain dishes to help fix whatever ailments they might have. Or they can navigate the menu of more than 100 surprisingly tasty dishes, each labelled with its health benefits, on their own.

Read the story here

Chinese herbal medicines for Polycystic Ovary Syndrome PCOS

Japanese doctors use Chinese herbal medicine to treat infertility

Dr. Takahisa Ushiroyama and colleagues at Osaka Medical College in Japan conducted a trial of treating polycystic ovary syndrome and non-polycystic ovary syndrome with herbal medicine. The medicine is Unkei-to (Chinese name Wen-Jing-Tang), which combines 12 herbal drugs, including ginseng, cinnamon bark, angelica root, evodia fruit and ginger stem. One hundred women participated in the experiment. Fifty-two of these women were given a daily dosage of 7.5 gram Unkei-to while the other women remained untreated. The study shows that more than half of the women treated with Unkei-to saw improvement in their menstrual cycle and successful ovulation. It is further discovered that the treatment can reduce the levels of luteinizing hormone (LH), a symptom characteristic of polycystic ovary syndrome. Still, the mechanism of the treatment remains unclear.

Read the story here

More on PCOS and acupuncture

IVF and acupuncture :: vitalis.co.nz

Chinese medicine bears hope for childless women

March 2, 2005

A combination of Chinese medicine and conventional in-vitro fertilisation treatment is showing promising results in helping infertile couples, reports Hester Lacey -The Independent

Read the story here

To read more about fertility and acupuncture on vitalis.co.nz IVF and acupuncture :: vitalis.co.nz

Chinese medicine eases dementia

Japanese researchers confirm the benefits of Chinese Herbal Medicine Baweidihuang.

Read the story on Reuters website

BaWeiDiHuang BWD is available through our clinic. Visit www.vitalis.co.nz

Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine in the treatment of allergic rhinitis

Ingenta: article summary -- Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine in the treatment of patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis: a randomized-controlled clinical trial


World Health Organisation: "Acupuncture is more effective than antihistamine drugs in the treatment of allergic rhinitis"

Chinese herbs significantly inhibit the growth of gastric tumor, pharmacological study

Read the article on medicalnewstoday.com

Chinese medicine & SARS: HK researchers

Read the article on Xinhuanet

Hong Kong Baptist University announced here Thursday that traditional Chinese medicine with herbs can help patients with SARS sequelae.

Chinese medicine

SciDev.Net

[BEIJING] Chinese health authorities yesterday launched a nationwide programme to build up 161 traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) hospitals, each specialising in the treatment of a particular condition, such as different types of cancers, heart and vascular diseases and hepatitis.