Chinese Herbal Medicine
An introduction to Chinese Herbal Therapy
-- The herbal tradition of China is valued scientifically, as well as being a
fascinating and popular tradition.
Scientists working in China and Japan during the past four decades have
demonstrated that the herb materials contain active components that can explain
many of their claimed actions. Modern drugs have been developed from the herbs,
such as treatments for asthma and hay fever from Chinese ephedra, hepatitis
remedies from schizandra fruits and licorice roots, and a number of anticancer
agents from trees and shrubs. Several popular formulations produced in China,
called "patent medicines," are relied upon daily by millions of Chinese (in
China and abroad).
More than three hundred herbs that are commonly used today have a history of use
that goes back at least 2,000 years. The herb materials used in all the herbal
preparations are gathered from wild supplies or cultivated, usually in China
(some come from India, the Mid-East, or elsewhere). There are an estimated 6,000
species in use, including nearly 1,000 materials derived from animal sources and
over 100 minerals, all of them categorized under the general heading "herbs."
Herbs are processed in various ways, such as cleaning, soaking, slicing, and
drying, according to the methods that have been reported to be most useful.
These materials are then combined in a formulation; the ingredients and amounts
of each item depend on the nature of the condition to be treated. In some cases,
a practitioner of Chinese medicine will design a specific formulation for an
individual patient, which might be changed frequently over a course of
treatment. In other cases, one or more formulas already prepared for ingestion
without modification are selected for use. The outcome is monitored, and the
determination of whether to continue the current formula, change to another, or
discontinue use is made on the basis of actual versus desired outcomes and the
obvious or subtle effects of using the herbs.
The main reason that more Westerners are turning to Chinese herbs rather than
local herbs is because of the vast scope of experience in using the Chinese
materials. In every province of China, there are
large schools of traditional Chinese medicine, research institutes, and teaching
hospitals, where thousands of practitioners each year gain training in the use
of herbs. The written heritage of Chinese medicine is quite rich. Ancient books
are retained, with increasing numbers of commentaries.
Negative interactions with Western drugs have not been noted for any of the
common herb materials when used in the normal dosage range. A few people
experience allergic reaction to individual herbs, a problem that often cannot be
predicted in advance since these are idiosyncratic responses. A more common
reaction is a gastro-intestinal response, which might include constipation or
diarrhea, nausea or bloating. Such reactions may occur if the individual has
poor digestive functions, or if the herbal formula is not quite right for the
needs of the individual. Taking the herbs at a different time in relation to
meals may be helpful in resolving some of the gastro-intestinal reactions.