DAAN Chinese Herbs and Acupuncture

Traditional Chinese medicine is becoming more popular in the Middle East:

“We’re encountering increased interest from the Middle East market, both from local organizations looking for a dialogue on the properties and benefits of traditional Chinese medicine and from residents who travel to Singapore for treatment,” said Richard Eu, Group CEO of Eu Yan Sang.

“The Arab Health exhibition looks set to provide us with a strong opportunity to discuss our approach to health issues and to network with a range of local healthcare providers,” he added.

EYS has identified that, in the Middle East region, there is both open-mindedness about the potential of these medications co-existing with a number of questions about how they work.

To help manage these perceptions, the company is increasingly looking to raise its profile in the consumer healthcare area, integrating both Western and Eastern approaches to medicines.

Already, it has invested in scientific facilities in Hong Kong and China to conduct original research into the potential benefits of TCM. The company’s products are tested and researched to the same standards as other international medicines.

The rise in interest in Chinese Medicine in the Middle East has been supported by a range of international studies that suggest that TCM can help a number of chronic conditions.”

Dr. Xiaolan Zhao, who practices in Toronto, is the city’s most successful Chinese doctor:

“Dr. Xiaolan Zhao asks me to remove my watch so she can feel my kidneys. Not my actual kidneys, but the pressure point in my wrist that is attached to my kidneys.

“After this,” she says, smiling, “I will know everything about you.”

She presses her fingers gently on the inside of my forearm, and moves her fingers up, inspecting my liver, heart and the rest of my insides as well. According to traditional Chinese medicine, all of my organs (and everything else in my body) are connected by a system of meridians. Through the meridians flows a life-giving energy known as Qi (pronounced “Chi”). When the Qi is blocked, health problems occur. According to Chinese medicine, everything bad, from cancer to infertility, is caused by energy blockages. Theoretically, Dr. Zhao, who turns 50 this year, can tell exactly what is going on in my body just from a simple slap on the wrist. I’m understandably skeptical.

“You had a very restless sleep last night,” she says, correctly. (A good guess, I figure. It’s Monday morning and Sunday night insomnia is common.) Then she adds, “And your period. It comes very soon?”

“Tomorrow,” I admit.

She asks to see my tongue.

“You are healthy,” she says. “Maybe a little bloated. Now I will make you tea.”

In Santa Cruz, California, some pet owners turn to herbal remedies for their pets:

“With the help of local herbalist and acupuncturist Martha Benedict, C.A., O.M.D., you can now help alleviate your pets’ ailments through the use of organic herbal remedies.

Imagine if you or your child came down with a particularly nasty case of the flu. You’d want to find the healthiest available remedy.

“Why would you not do the same thing for the object of your enormous affection as you would for yourself?” asked Benedict, who has more than 35 years experience making herbal formulas for humans and 25 years experience concocting herbal pet remedies.

“There’s no question that herbal remedies can be helpful,” said Dr. Hannah Good, who works at Ocean Animal Clinic and also runs her own house call practice. “The biggest problem is that people sometimes treat their own animals without knowing a diagnosis, and expect immediate results. That’s an inelegant approach.”

Good, who practices an integrative approach to animal medicine, said these herbal remedies are not meant to be a replacement for a visit to the vet, a view that is shared by Benedict.”

Chinese regions are seeking to capitalize on the popularity of Chinese herbs:

“Government officials in Wenshan Zhuang and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, in the far southeastern corner of Yunnan Province, are all too familiar with the old adage, “better late than never”.

The region started to develop its local economy only in the mid-1990s, more than a dozen of years later than other parts of the province. Its neighbours had a bit of a head start, but it has covered a lot of ground over the past decade.

The region developed rapidly after it adopted a patent strategy to encourage the growth of one of its key industries Sanqi.

Also known as ‘Tianqi’, Sanqi is a type of ginseng and one of the most favoured natural herbs in traditional Chinese medicine.

The plant is effective for treating blood diseases and tumours, building immunity, and combating fatigue. All parts of the plant can be used, including its roots, stems and flowers.

The plant is indigenous to the mountainous Wenshan area, which is also the main production base for related medicine. With a planting area of over 5,500 hectares, the region accounts for 95 per cent of the country’s total Sanqi production.

The local government has carried out a series of measures designed to capitalize on this, such as developing patent technologies, applying for legal protection on products of origin, and registering certification trademarks. It is hoped this will make the Sanqi industry more competitive and drive local economic growth, says Ma Liangjie, deputy director of the prefecture.”

Intresting discussion of various herbs used to help ease the symptoms of menopause:

“For some women, the transition from the fertile years into post-menopause can be distressing, painful and an emotional roller coaster and this cannot be under-estimated.
Fortunately, there are a number of natural supplements that offer significant relief.

Agnus Castus
Herbal hormone balancer, offers relief from hot flushes. The basic mechanism of action underlying Agnus Castus is its effect on enhancing corpus luteal development (thereby correcting a relative progesterone deficiency) via effects through the pituitary gland. Agnus Castus has a profound effect on the hypothalamus and on pituitary function, helping normalise other hormones and reducing both prolactin and the oestrogen-to-progesterone ratio.

Black Cohosh
Native Americans valued Black Cohosh for its benefits in many conditions ranging from gynaecological problems to rattlesnake bites. Black Cohosh is one of the main herbs recommended in Germany for menopause, PMS and secondary amenorrhoea.

A recent study suggests Black Cohosh may offer protection from osteoporosis. It is likely that the isoflavone content along with other phytochemical interaction assist with hormonal balance.

Dong Quai
The traditional Chinese herb, Dong Quai has helped with symptoms of the menopause for centuries in China. Dong Quai has phyto-estrogenic activity (plant-based oestrogens), circulatory, analgesic and nerve-relaxing properties. Dong Quai acts to reduce menopausal symptoms including hot flushes, night sweats, palpitations, nervous tension, joint pains and headaches.

Sage
Sage is a silvery-green shrub with very fragrant leaves. The most commonly cultivated species of sage originally came from the area around the Mediterranean but now also grows in North America.
In the UK, herbalists employ sage to treat symptoms of menopause , such as hot flushes. An unpublished, preliminary German study with patients suffering from excessive perspiration (hyperhydrosis) found that either a dry leaf extract or an infusion of the leaf reduced sweating by as much as 50%.

Calcium, magnesium and boron
Both calcium and magnesium are essential to proper bone maintenance. The mineral boron has been shown to raise post-menopausal levels of oestrogen and also to aid in calcium retention and absorption.”

You can find DAAN’s women’s health remedies here.

Ginseng is a great, all-purpose plant that can be used to treat many conditions and improve overall health:

“Ginseng is among the many natural health products that more people are using to manage and improve their health. There are several species of ginseng, all belonging to the Panax genus. The two main species with medicinal qualities are “Panax ginseng,” which refers to Korean ginseng, also known as Asian ginseng or Chinese ginseng, mainly found in China and Korea; and “Panax quinquefolius,” which refers to American ginseng, native to North America.

Siberian ginseng, Eleutherococcus senticosus, a plant indigenous to China, Japan, Korea and Siberia is a different plant.

Ginseng is a deciduous, slow-growing perennial herb that has a light-colored fleshy root and a single stalk with dark green, oval-shaped leaves. The root is the only portion of the plant used in medicinal preparations, which are available in various forms, such as powder, cut and dried roots, tea and liquid extracts.

Written records of the medical use of ginseng first appeared about 2,000 years ago. The word “panax” comes from the Greek “panakeia,” meaning “all healing” or “universal remedy,” indicating the wide belief that ginseng is effective in combating ailments of all kinds.”

Profile of Xiaolan Zhao, a very successful Chinese medicine practioner in Toronto, who treats many celebrities:

“After a brief consultation with Xiaolan (during which she felt my pulse and rightly diagnosed a number of maladies — insomnia, stomach upset and a mad desire to go back to smoking), she had a close look at my puffy kneecap. “Have you ever had acupuncture?” she asked. “No, but one of my horses did,” I said. “Ahh, you take better care of your animals than you do yourself.” Bingo. In one treatment, my knee was better. “One-hundred per cent!” I enthused. “No,” Xiaolan said patiently, “80 per cent.”

It’s this air of kindness and authority that so many rarefied folk find appealing (Budman says Angelica Huston plans to go the next time she’s in town). For Minghella, a big part of the draw is the fact that she’s “at once kind, holistic and wise. She heals with a hug.”

Interesting article discussing Chinese herbs used as aphrodisiacs:

“For centuries the Chinese have associated vibrant health and longevity with both abundant kidney Qi and strong libido. In Chinese medicine your kidney Qi and Essence direct your sexual development and keep your libido healthy; improving the health of your kidneys often means increasing the health of your libido. Some of the most expensive and sought-after kidney-supportive Chinese herbal formulas have become known as aphrodisiacs; they enhance sex drive and performance because they build kidney yin, kidney yang, and kidney Essence.

…

Chinese ginseng is a powerful herb for strengthening your Qi and helping your body adapt to stress. It is used as a sexual tonic because of its modulating effects on your nervous system. If you are lethargic it can give you sexual energy, and if you are tense it can help you relax. Chinese ginseng contains compounds that may have effects on your body resembling those of certain sex and adrenal hormones. It does not act as an immediate sexual stimulant, but when taken long-term it can enhance your sexual vitality. It is usually used in combination with other herbal aphrodisiacs to increase sexual potency, kidney yang, and kidney Essence.”