Herbalism, Traditional Chinese Health Article

Herbs

Chinese herbs may be used alone or in combination. Relatively few are used alone for medicinal purposes. Practitioners believe that illness can be effectively treated by combining herbs based on their various characteristics and the patient's overall health. Every herb has four basic healing properties: nature, taste, affinity, and effect.

An herb's nature is described according to its yin or yang characteristics. Yang, or warming, herbs treat cold deficiencies. They are frequently used in the treatment of the upper respiratory tract, skin, or extremities. Yin, or cooling, herbs, treat conditions of excessive heat. They are most often used to treat internal conditions and problems with organs. Herbs can also be neutral in nature.

An herb's taste does not refer to its flavor, but to its effect on qi, blood, fluids, and phlegm. Sour herbs have a concentrating action. They are prescribed to treat bodily excess conditions, such as diarrhea, and concentrate qi. Bitter herbs have an eliminating or moving downward action. They are used to treat coughs, constipation, and heart problems. Sweet or bland herbs have a harmonizing action. They are used as restorative herbs and to treat pain. Spicy herbs have a stimulating action. They are prescribed to improve blood and qi circulation. Salty herbs have a softening action. They are used to treat constipation and other digestion problems.

An herb's affinity describes its action on a specific bodily organ. (Note that Chinese medicine does not have the anatomical correlation for organ names. They correspond more closely to the organ's function.) Sour herbs have an affinity for the Liver and Gallbladder. Bitter herbs act on the Heart and Small Intestine. Sweet and bland herbs affect the Stomach and Spleen. Spicy herbs have an affinity for the Lungs and Large Intestine, whereas salty herbs act on the Kidneys and Bladder.

Chinese herbs are lastly classified according to their specific actions, which are divided into four effects. Herbs that dispel are used to treat an accumulation, sluggishness, or spasm by relaxing or redistributing. Herbs with an astringent action are used to consolidate or restrain a condition characterized by discharge or excessive elimination. Herbs that purge treat an obstruction or "poison" by encouraging elimination and detoxification. Tonifying herbs nourish, support, and calm where there is a deficiency.

Treatment of diabetes

The incidence of diabetes has increased quite dramatically in recent years, especially in the United States, where in general people take less exercise, and food is taken in greater quantity with a general reduction in quality. This increase has led to a scramble to find new solutions to the problem, and many researchers have focused their interest on Chinese herbal remedies. In the search for more effective and more convenient treatments, the alkaloid berberine has come under close scrutiny for its many uses, among them the treatment of diabetes. In trials, rats given a mixture of berberine and alloxan showed less likelihood of incurring a rise in blood sugar. Patients suffering from type II diabetes who were given between 300 and 600 mg of berberine daily for between one and three months showed a reduction in blood sugar levels, when the drug was taken in conjunction with a controlled diet.

Treatment of AIDS and cancer

Independent researchers are investigating indications that Chinese herbalism can reduce the toxicity of chemotherapy and other medications, in addition to stimulating immune responses.

Treatment of diarrhea associated with cholera

A team of researchers in Japan has found that some traditional Chinese herbal formulations inhibit the toxin produced by Vibrio cholerae, the microorganism that causes cholera. These preparations appear to be helpful when given in addition to oral rehydration treatment for diarrhea associated with cholera.

Treatment of atopic dermatitis

Some physicians have found Chinese herbal remedies useful in relieving the symptoms of atopic dermatitis, a chronic disorder of the skin that is difficult to treat. Herbal remedies have the advantage of relieving the itching and inflammation associated with atopic dermatitis without the long-term toxic side effects of conventional medications.

Preparations

Those who are unfamiliar with Chinese herbs and their uses should consult a practitioner before starting any treatment. Once a remedy is prescribed, it may be purchased at Oriental markets or health food stores. Most Chinese remedies prepared for Western markets are standardized and sold in ready-to-use formulations, with instructions for dosage. A Chinese herbalist may prescribe herbs to be made into tea or taken as capsules.