Fighting the flu with Chinese herbs
Interesting discussion about Chinese herbs and the flu:
"Winter in the UK brings about the advent of numerous common colds that effect us all to a greater of lesser degree. They are caused by viral infections of the upper respiratory tract and are therefore difficult to treat. There are numerous products available to provide relief of the symptoms caused by these viruses, but none that can cure them. The key to staving off such colds thus lies in prevention rather than cure, knowledge which Chinese medicine practitioners have based their treatment on for millennia.
Chinese medicine advocates that the common cold is caused by an externally contracted pathogen which manifests differently in people. Whilst some may be confined to bed, others may show no or little symptoms. In Chinese medicine, the reason pathogens may infiltrate some individuals systems’ causing symptoms and not others is due to an imbalance in the body’s system. For the body to be balanced it must have adequate rest, food, activity and liquid. People naturally require different levels of these depending upon their own constitution, level of health and fitness and their prior lifestyles. Chinese herbal medicine practitionrs aim to tailor preventive treatment to the individual’s needs, thereby providing the most appropriate supplement to boost their body’s immunity."
"Winter in the UK brings about the advent of numerous common colds that effect us all to a greater of lesser degree. They are caused by viral infections of the upper respiratory tract and are therefore difficult to treat. There are numerous products available to provide relief of the symptoms caused by these viruses, but none that can cure them. The key to staving off such colds thus lies in prevention rather than cure, knowledge which Chinese medicine practitioners have based their treatment on for millennia.
Chinese medicine advocates that the common cold is caused by an externally contracted pathogen which manifests differently in people. Whilst some may be confined to bed, others may show no or little symptoms. In Chinese medicine, the reason pathogens may infiltrate some individuals systems’ causing symptoms and not others is due to an imbalance in the body’s system. For the body to be balanced it must have adequate rest, food, activity and liquid. People naturally require different levels of these depending upon their own constitution, level of health and fitness and their prior lifestyles. Chinese herbal medicine practitionrs aim to tailor preventive treatment to the individual’s needs, thereby providing the most appropriate supplement to boost their body’s immunity."
Chinese red yeast
Chinese red yeast may provide some benefit in lowering cholesterol without the side effects of statin drugs:
"Q. People often complain about the side effects of statin drugs they take for high cholesterol. My former doctor prescribed each of the statin drugs for me. They all caused soreness, muscle weakness, joint pain and an extreme reaction to sunlight.
When I went to a new doctor, he asked why I had been given all five statin drugs. I told him each drug caused bad side effects, but then the doctor would try another.
The new doctor said such reactions are common among fair-haired, fair-skinned people. He suggested red yeast rice capsules instead. It lowered my cholesterol 60 points (220 down to 160), with no side effects.
A. Red yeast rice is a Chinese flavoring agent and botanical medicine. It often lowers cholesterol quite well, in part because it contains statin-like compounds.
Some people experience side effects even with this natural medicine. One reader wrote: "I cannot take conventional statin drugs. I've tried three different brands and got achy muscles from all of them. So I tried red yeast rice. Within a few weeks, I got the same muscle pain, although not quite as severe.""
"Q. People often complain about the side effects of statin drugs they take for high cholesterol. My former doctor prescribed each of the statin drugs for me. They all caused soreness, muscle weakness, joint pain and an extreme reaction to sunlight.
When I went to a new doctor, he asked why I had been given all five statin drugs. I told him each drug caused bad side effects, but then the doctor would try another.
The new doctor said such reactions are common among fair-haired, fair-skinned people. He suggested red yeast rice capsules instead. It lowered my cholesterol 60 points (220 down to 160), with no side effects.
A. Red yeast rice is a Chinese flavoring agent and botanical medicine. It often lowers cholesterol quite well, in part because it contains statin-like compounds.
Some people experience side effects even with this natural medicine. One reader wrote: "I cannot take conventional statin drugs. I've tried three different brands and got achy muscles from all of them. So I tried red yeast rice. Within a few weeks, I got the same muscle pain, although not quite as severe.""
Herbs and chemotherapy
Chinese herbs that contains astragalus may help enhance the effectiveness of chemotherapy:
"Astragalus-based Chinese herbs appear to augment the effectiveness of platinum-based chemotherapy for advanced non-small-cell lung cancer, according to a meta-analysis of 34 randomized trials representing 2,815 patients.
"This meta-analysis was motivated by a large number of published trials of Astragalus-based Chinese herbal medicines combined with platinum-based chemotherapy, and the continuing problems of low efficacy and high toxicity in standard chemotherapy treatment of advanced non-small-cell lung cancer," explain investigators in the January 20th Journal of Clinical Oncology."
DAAN carries many products that contain astragali, including DAAN's Pure Astragali, Extractum Astragali, and DAAN's Immune Booster.
"Astragalus-based Chinese herbs appear to augment the effectiveness of platinum-based chemotherapy for advanced non-small-cell lung cancer, according to a meta-analysis of 34 randomized trials representing 2,815 patients.
"This meta-analysis was motivated by a large number of published trials of Astragalus-based Chinese herbal medicines combined with platinum-based chemotherapy, and the continuing problems of low efficacy and high toxicity in standard chemotherapy treatment of advanced non-small-cell lung cancer," explain investigators in the January 20th Journal of Clinical Oncology."
DAAN carries many products that contain astragali, including DAAN's Pure Astragali, Extractum Astragali, and DAAN's Immune Booster.
