Menopause Treatment Food Options

Posted by Cathy on with 1 Comment

natural menopause supplementsMenopause symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, irritability, brain fog and other symptoms seem to be considered the norm for women over the age of 50, yet this is not true for women around the globe. Researchers from the Department of Integrated Health at Westminster University polled 1,000 British women ages 45 to 55 and compared their answers to those of women from the U.S., Canada, Japan and China. The conclusion was that Japanese and Chinese women suffer the least amount of menopause symptoms. British women suffer the most and Americans are somewhere in between.
If you want to know how to turn down your body’s internal “thermostat” you are in the right place. Alternative medicine, including food therapy, is a viable option for managing menopause symptoms.

What causes this disparity between menopausal women in the East and West? In Japan, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Taiwan and China women do not generally seek medical attention for menopause symptoms.9 The reasons for these cultural differences are complex. Certainly diet and lifestyle choices play a key role. The question is why don’t women in these cultures need Hormone Replacement Therapies (HRT) or medical treatments the way that the majority of Western women do?

 

The last year has been a confusing time with medical flip-flops on the benefits and dangers of artificial hormones. I see more and more women who are giving up on trusting research produced by the health care establishment and looking to alternative medicine for answers.

 

Not only is it difficult to stay keep up with the latest menopause drug treatment information, but much too often this advice is influenced by drug companies or doctors who fail to disclose their ties to study outcomes. One truth every doctor knows is that medicines have risks. Medicines should be prescribed only when the benefits outweighs the risks, including the risks of side effects which may not show up until years later. Healthy diet and lifestyle therapies have no risks. Cooking with Chinese herbs and incorporating food therapy have been done for centuries and have absolutely no known risks.

 

This article is part two on the subject of alternative medicine for menopause. Part one (see it here) explained how Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) views menopause. TCM recognizes menopause as part of the natural aging process and is often termed Kidney Yin Deficiency. The manifestations of aging include gray hair, dryness and the end of menstruation — in other words, signs the kidney energy is waning.

TCM views the kidney energy as sustaining the metabolic process and decreases naturally as we age. When the balance of kidney yin and yang energy is “upset,” symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweats may appear. Throughout Asia it is Chinese herbs and food that are most commonly used to gently tonify the kidney energy and restore the balance between yin and yang. Acupuncture is also used to restore this balance and studies have proven its effectiveness.10 The role of herbal medicine was discussed in part one and I now want to address the roll diet plays in menopause.

 

It seems Asian cultures understand Hippocrates, the father of medicine’s credo, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” Asian cultures blend four important principals into every meal.

1.    Meals consist of varying food temperatures, i.e. peppers are a hot food, seaweed is cold and black beans are warm.

2.   A large variety of foods with five flavors are eaten in every meal. The five flavors are sour, sweet, pungent, bitter and salty.

3.   Organic (Non-GMO) freshly prepared soy products are eaten nearly every day.

4.   An old Chinese Proverb says, “He that takes medicine and neglects diet, wastes the skill of the physician.”
Food Temperatures
Since our goal here is to turn down the thermostat, let’s start the discussion with “cold” foods — or foods that cool us off. This is the same principle applied to eating watermelon on a hot summer day. Asian cultures use food temperatures to balance the body’s needs.

Cold herbs and foods simply cool you off. But the principal is best practiced in combination. Mixing cold foods and warm foods is best. Too much cold food inhibits digestion and may lead to diarrhea. A few of the best cold foods are: cucumber, diakon radish, mung bean, dandelion greens, cabbage, bok choy, cauliflower, celery, carrots and romaine lettuce. Eat a least two servings of these a day for your internal air conditioner to kick into action. Cold fruits include lemon, cantaloupe, grapefruit, mulberry, apples, pears, watermelon, apricots and persimmons.

 

Five Flavors
Incorporating the five flavors into your meals may be a new concept but is not all that difficult. There are several good books on this subject. One of my favorites is The Tao of Nutrition by Ni and McNease. Bitter foods will help the most for those suffering with menopause symptoms. They operate as an internal air conditioner, because bitter foods disperse heat. Examples of bitter foods include kale, green tea, watercress, turnips, asparagus and tangerine peel. Tangerine peel is used in Chinese herbal medicine and in TCM food therapy. Adding tangerine peel to meat or vegetables helps by promoting the circulation of stomach Qi, (energy) thereby improving digestion. Its bitter and acrid flavor not only helps digestion but relieves indigestion. Tangerine peel strengthens the stomach and works like a carminative to clear excess mucus. (More herbs for menopause here.)

 

Soy Foods
One interesting cultural advantage for menopausal women in Asia may be the amount of soy or tofu eaten daily. Soy is full of protein, rich in vitamins and enzymes. It’s an isoflavone, a class of phytoestrogen (plant derived compounds) with estrogenic activity.11 Soy has been part of the Asian diet for thousands of years. Unprocessed tofu is made fresh and sold in nearly every market. Soy tofu is eaten in small amounts daily from the time children are very young to the end of their lives.

But, the key here is the soy and tofu they eat is made from “unprocessed and non-gmo” soy beans. Sadly, this is increasingly difficult to find in American stores and nearly all American soy beans are derived from genetically modified organisms (GMO). Not a healthy choice to start with and unfortunately most of our tofu is manufactured through a highly refined process. For this reason, I would not consider soy tofu a healthy food in the U.S. right now.

Refined food products almost always lose their nutritional value after being heated to extreme temperatures. This process kills all of the nutrients and all of the important enzymes which the body needs to digest them. As a result, eating processed American soy tofu can give you terrible gas, bloating and indigestion and even worse, it’s becoming a common allergen. A small serving of soy a couple of times a week won’t harm you, but I recommend eating only fermented and non-GMO soy. Products such as miso, sprouted tofu, soy yogurt and tempeh are my first choice. A little organic soy sauce is also ok . If you can be certain your tofu is organic and unprocessed I would consider it a healthy choice.

 

Changing the way you look at food according to temperature and taste takes some time. Maybe this is a new concept for you and maybe you’ve never seen some of the foods listed above. Although you may not choose to eat everything on this list, you can certainly eat some.

 

Tapping into your body’s internal thermostat doesn’t work exactly likethe thermostat on your wall. So, be patient. Be consistent with dietary changes and enjoy the food you eat. Find some recipes you like and bring variety to your diet every day. Incorporate the five flavors of salty, bitter, sour, pungent and sweet into your lifestyle. Chinese medicine uses food therapy full of phytochemicals, vitamins and nutrients to restore vibrant health and balance to the entire person. This therapy has been adopted for thousands of years without any side effects.

What part of your diet will you change to help your menopause symptoms?

 

References:

1. Women of UK study http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2233879/

2. Lock M. Menopause in Japanese women. Womens Health Iss. 1995;274(16):12-65.

3. Kagawa-Singer M., Kim S., Wu K., Adler S.R., Kawanishi Y., Wongvipat N. Comparison of the menopause and midlife transition between Japanese American and European American women. Med Anthropol Q. 2002;16(1):64-91.

4. Haines C.J., Rong L., Chung T.K.H., Leung D.H.Y. The perception of the menopause and the climacteric among women in Hong-Kong and Southern China. Prev Med. 1995;24(3):245-248. [PubMed]

5. Lam P.M., Leung T.N., Haines C., Chung T.K.H. Climacteric symptoms and knowledge about hormone replacement therapy among Hong Kong Chinese women aged 40-60 years. Maturitas. 2003;45(2):99-107. [PubMed]

6. Chen Y.L.D., Voda A.M., Mansfield P.K. Chinese midlife women’s perceptions and attitudes about menopause. Menopause. 1998;5(1):28-34. [PubMed]

7. Tsao L.I., Chang W.Y., Hung L.L., Chang S.H., Chou P.C. Perimenopausal knowledge of mid-life women in northern Taiwan. J Clin Nurs. 2004;13(5):627-635. [PubMed]
8. Ismael N.N. A study on the menopause in Malaysia. Maturitas. 1994;19(3):205-209. [PubMed]

9. Chim H., Tan B.H.I., Ang C.C., Chew E.M.D., Chong Y.S., Saw S.M. The prevalence of menopausal symptoms in a community in Singapore. Maturitas. 2002;41(4):275-282. [PubMed]

10. Acupuncture for Menopause hot flashes and http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20060667

11. Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/phytochemicals/soyiso/

Flax Out – Chinese Herbs In For Hot Flashes

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hot flashes gone with Chinese herbsWe understand women are looking for natural products for as menopause treatment options.  Unfortunately,  flax seeds do not significantly lessen hot flashes according a study done at the Mayo Clinic and reported today in the American Society of Clinical Oncology conference in Chicago.

Researchers enrolled 178 women who had at least 28 hot flashes per week.  About half were breast cancer survivors.  

The women were given snack bars with or without flax seed to eat once a day. After six weeks, only a third of each group reported 50 percent fewer hot flashes, and all reported more bloating, diarrhea and nausea.”This we suspect was due to the fiber content in the bars,” According to Dr. Sandhya Pruthi of the Mayo Clinic in Minneapolis.

If flax seeds don’t help hot flashes what does help? Chinese herbs have been used for over two thousand years successfully throughout Asia and help women naturally go through the change in life without severe hot flashes and night sweats.  

Chinese herbs such as Rehamniae, Discorea, Horny Goat Weed, Moutan and others have a long history of helping women balance their energy and bring their bodies back to homeostasis.  Herbal medical products for the treatment of menopausal symptoms have been studied and used continuously throughout Asia. Most American’s are familiar with a few Chinese herbs such as Ginseng, Dang Gui and Ginger.  Yet, hundreds of herbs have been  time tested and are safe and effective. These Chinese herbs may be new to the Western woman for menopause treatment, but Asian women have known the power in natural herbs by being raised in a culture which accepts and treasures their history, culture and learned knowledge that has been pasted down through generations.  

For more information on Chinese herbs for menopause hot flashes click here.

You may also be interested in this blog post: A Natural Alternative to Hormones and Hot Flashes.

Pain Killers & Drug Overdoses Now Higher Than Gun Shot Cases

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Drug abuse treatment with herbsOnce upon a time we were a nation where statistically more people died of gunshot wounds than from legal drugs.   This statistic has now been turned upside down.  Whether it's from sleep aids or pain killers, legal drugs can lead to death.

Drug Abuse… make that "Legal Drug Abuse"… is now our nations fastest drug problem.

Seems ironic because legal drugs can only be obtained by prescription. Doesn't that make the doctors the problem?  I can't answer that, either way the FDA has a new action plan as of April 18th, 2011, a plan to fight the prescription drug abuse epidemic.

The Obama Administration now urges "education on opioid risks and benefits" to educate doctors on proper pain management.  Isn't this something doctors should already know? 

Approximately 38,000 (drug-induced deaths) people died UNINTENTIONALLY from drug overdoses in 2007 according to the Center for Disease Control. (Numbers  are not yet available for the last couple years.)  

More people died of legal drug overdoses unintentionally than from gunshot wounds in 2007. 

When looking for a statistic on how many people die from herb overdoes in 2007 the number is ZERO.  Just to compare apples to apples, we won't look at other years (where the number of herb deaths from unintentional overdoses are also zero.) Zero drug overdoses from herbs or herbal remedies.

Zero deaths from herbs, whether they are Chinese herbs, Ayurvedic herbs, Western herbs any herbal remedies or herbal supplements, deaths are zero. Yet, approximately 27,000 people died because doctors prescribe to many pain killers.  I would more aptly call them people killers.  

The drugs that kill include all those extended-release and long-acting opioid medications hydromorphone, oxycodone, morphine, oxymorphine, morphone, methadone, and transdermal fentanyl.  In addition, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration reports that hospital emergency department visits involving prescription drug abuse have doubled just over the past 5 years.

Overdoses from crack cocaine and others illegal drugs, are not even close to the same problematic level.

I for one and happy to see attention being brought to this national health crisis.  We need a healthcare system that delivers preventative medicine.  Natural medicine such as herbs that can treat the root causes of pathologies,  not drugs that cover up symptoms while creating mass havoc in the body with side-effects, including the unintentional side-effect of death.

No Monthly Cramps, No Kidding

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No cramps & PMS - Herbs work fast for PMS Relief Be the envy of all your friends because you don't get PMS and cramps anymore.  Yes it's possible!!

The herbs used in PMS Relief Herb Pac are safe, natural and work fast for monthly cramps and PMS moodiness.  There are 14 herbs in PMS Relief that have all been used by generations of women to regulate and relieve monthly period pains. 

Why haven't you heard of this before?  If you lived in just about any part of Asia, you would have heard about these herbs.  In fact, everyone there uses Chinese herbs all the time.  Whether it's in pills, packets or boiled at home, herbs are just regular medicine.  Nothing really out of the ordinary.  I suppose similar to taking Vitamin C here or packets of Emergen C.

Once you try a packet you won't believe the results and you will be the envy of all your friends. Stop suffering in pain, there is an answer, it's all natural, safe and available. 

More info on PMS Relief Herb Pac here.

Concern about Canned Food and Breast Cancer Risks

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Prevent Breast cancer with Chinese herbsWe are telling canned food manufacturers to stop using BPA's.  We want this toxic chemical Bisphenol A, out of food.

More than 15,000 people so far have asked Campbell Soup Co., Del Monte Foods and General Mills (maker of Progresso, Cascadian Farm and Muir Glen) a simple question: What are they doing to get BPA out of their food packaging and out of our bodies?

Here's what the companies that wrote us back to you had to say:

"Muir Glen continues to believe BPA is safe. However, we know that some of our consumers have wanted us to pursue alternatives" –General Mills

"Scientific and governmental bodies worldwide have examined the science many times and have concluded that the weight of evidence supports the safety of BPA" –Progresso Soup

This sounds more like corporate talking points instead of concern for the health and well being of consumers.

More than 200 scientific studies have shown that there is reason for concern about BPA, which is plenty to convince these "consumers" that it doesn't belong in food. But are these companies really taking our concerns seriously? It sure doesn't sound like it.  BPA's are endocrine disrupting chemicals.  What this means is they effect your hormone levels.  When hormone levels are disrupted over long periods of time, i.e. estrogen dominance can result in excessive PMS, extreme menstrual cramps, dysmenorrhea and high estrogen levels can feed cancer cells. 

We're keeping up the pressure on these companies to move quickly and safely to replace BPA in their products.

Canada has already banned the product and other countries are about to follow.

With your help we can make a difference. 

Tell the food manufacturers you have stopped buying canned food and ask your friends and family to take action.  Start today!

As Margaret Mead so appropriately said:   "A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has".

For more information on the studies associated with BPA's and breast cancer please check  the Breast Cancer Fund website.

Breastcancerfund.org

BreastCancerFund.org

Acupuncture for Menopause Hot Flashes and Night Sweats

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By Jennifer Dubowsky

A new study shows the benefits of acupuncture for relieving menopausal symptoms. The report, published in the journal Acupuncture in Medicine, found that acupuncture reduced the psychological and physical effects of menopause.

The research included 53 postmenopausal women and assigned 27 of them to a five-week course of acupuncture, twice a week. The rest of the women got sham treatments. Those who received acupuncture showed more relief from their symptoms than the placebo group. Both their hot flashes and mood swings were less severe.  Plus the estrogen levels were significantly higher for the women in the acupuncture group compared to the control group.

The researchers suggested that acupuncture may offer an alternative for women who can’t or don’t want to use hormone replacement therapy to ease menopause symptoms.

Check out Menopause Relief Herb Tea for a healthy way to bring your body back into balance and be free from those annoying hot flashes and night sweats. 

What’s Curcumin Got to Do With Breast Cancer?

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Breast Cancer has been spreading faster than wildfire for over three decades.  A new discovery recently published explains how the Chinese herb Curcumae Radix, can possibly help prevent breast cancer and can be used for breast cancer therapy.

Top doctors are studying breast cancer treatments around the clock and yet there is little  in the way of PREVENTIVE strategies.  The reasons are complicated but it may be partly due to the fact the breast cancer is not one disease.  There are several different types of cancer cells which all cause breast cancer, some are more aggressive while others spread slower.   To understand which cancer cells a patient has, doctors must analyze the cells individually. Once this is determined, treatment options can be customized, including herbal treatments for breast cancer.

The recent study from the University of California, San Diego,  published in the British Journal, Nature, has discovered a molecule called RANKL, found in aggressive breast cancer cells that predicts more deadly, lethal and life threatening disease.  The findings from these recent studies suggests that herbs with the correct chemicals can block RANKL and may be effective in preventing both the early stages of breast cancer and the advanced progression of the disease. Research has also shown the active ingredient in the Chinese herb, Curcumae root  (small quantities found in the spice Turmeric) has properties that also reduce the expression of these deadly molecules within cancer cells and can potentially slow the spread of breast cancer.

This new research demonstrates that when a  protein molecule called RANKL (Receptor Activated Nuclear Factor Kappa Ligand) is present in breast cancer cells in high amounts, these tumor cells are more activated, more aggressive, more likely to spread and more likely to kill.  RANKL is produced by regulatory T-Cellsthat modulate our immune response.  High levels of these T-cells means high levels of RANKL, high levels of inflammation and aggressive high risk disease.

Dr. Bharat Aggarwal, Ph.D. Professor, Department of Experimental Therapeutics, Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX is one of many respected researchers and experts who has published many studies on the effects of curcumin on cancer cells.  According to Dr. Aggarwal

“Curcumin has a very special nature which will work both for cancer prevention as well as for cancer therapy.”

Turmeric (Curcuma longa or Curcumae radix) is one of the most potent cancer fighting foods. Curcumin, the active ingredient in this common medicinal and culinary herb has been widely studied.  It is recognized as a potent cell protectant, anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory agent.  Turmeric has been used for centuries to support cancer patients in Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine and Indian Ayurvedic Medicine.  Now modern science demonstrates why it works.  Curcumin has been shown to influence many cellular factors, including lowering RANKL.

Blocking tumor promoting RANKL can block the spread of breast cancer cells to other parts of the body.  This new information gives women hope that using the natural substance, Curcumin can be used as a preventative, and can lower inflammation, lower RANKL, thereby lowering breast cancer risk.

As with any potent botanical medicine or Chinese herbal medicine, the use of curcumin should be used under the supervision of a knowledgeable licensed Acupuncturist and herbalist or other licensed professional.  Countries such as India use turmeric  frequently in their daily diet and have lower rates of many cancers including prostate cancer, breast cancer and colon cancer.  Turmeric can be safely added to your food as a cooking spice to add anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and anti-cancer properties to your daily diet.

Disclaimer: Please consult a physician before making any decisions regarding breast cancer treatment.

See the study at the link below.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16219905  Curcumin (diferuloylmethane) down-regulates expression of cell proliferation and antiapoptotic and metastatic gene products through suppression of IkappaBalpha kinase and Akt activation.

Also check out this link at the Linus Pauling Institute research on curcumin for breast cancer.   http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/phytochemicals/curcumin/

More helpful links on Curcumin: ” Curcumin for Prevention of Colorectal Neoplasia”   American Botanical Council               http://cms.herbalgram.org/herbclip/442/091152-442.html


Contact Us  if you need help finding a Licensed Acupuncturist or herbalist in your neighborhood.


Natural Herbs and Supplements for Radiation

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Natural herbs and supplements for radiation exposureDo you know how much radiation affects us everyday?  Do you ever get x-rays, CAT scans or dental x-rays?  Do you use a laptop, microwave or sleep in a building that has wi-fi?  Do you have power lines near your residence, do you breath air?

Do you… do you??  Radiation is pretty hard to avoid these days.  As you’ve probably heard small amounts won’t really hurt.. it’s the accumulation of radiation that can be damaging to our cells. 

So what’s a person to do and still stay sane (and healthy) in the 21st century when living in a cave is not an option?

Here’s two of my favorite experts, with advice on how to reduce the effects of radiation.  

1.  Lu Chih-hong, president of the Sheng Te Tang Chinese Medical Hospital in Taichung City, central Taiwan, suggests more GREEN TEA!!    Tea, is a common medicinal drink in Asia,  it contains a variety of substances including Camaellia sinensis, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and lipo-polysaccharide, that can help people combat the effects of radiation. According to Lu, Camaellia sinensis is the main substance that helps human bodies discharge radiation contamination. C. sinensis can absorb as much as 90 percent of the radioisotopes in the human body and discharges it before it reaches the bone marrow. He added that C. sinensis also helps human bodies take up Vitamin C more effectively, creating more blood and making capillary blood vessels more resilient. This reduces the possibility of getting Jod-Basedow syndrome, a hyperthyroid disease one can acquire after taking potassium iodide to combat radiation poisoning.  Master Sheng Lun, who has dedicated many of his years to organic farming, said drinking tea is even more helpful than taking potassium iodine tablets, because tea prevents radioactive materials from being absorbed into the body and accelerates the body’s metabolism of such substances.  Go for the organic green tea, to avoid and pesticide residues.

2.  Dr. Tieraona Low Dog is an MD at the Center for Integrative Medicine at the Univ. of Arizona who works with Dr. Andrew Weil.  She recommends foods and herbs to help protect us. She said that there is reason to believe that taking two to four grams of curcumin, the active compound in turmeric, can help protect a number of body tissues. In addition, reishi and cordyceps mushrooms can protect bone marrow from toxic assaults, and antioxidants can help the body defend itself from radiation damage.

Other notable foods to include in your diet are:

  • Garlic (one Indian tribe living in the desert of Nevada used to eat bulbs of raw garlic to help protect against radiation from the above-ground nuclear tests)
  • Foods rich in beta-carotene ie carrots, Kale, green leafy vegetables.
  • Ginger
  • Curcumin – the active ingredient in turmeric which, in turn, is in yellow curry (available in Indian and Thai dishes).
  • Many types of seaweed 
  • Miso (The longer the fermentation the better)
  • Vitamin D3
  • Vitamin E 
  • American Ginseng (studies have found American Ginseng helped prevent damage from cesium-137)
  • Rhodiola, a Chinese herb and  adaptogen
  • Holy Basil
  • Chlorella, a blue-green algae
  • Spirulina, a blue-green algae available at health food stores
  • Ginko Bilboa
  • Tomato extract (Lycopersicon)
  • Sesamol (an extract from sesame seeds, just eat sesame seeds)
  • Beta-glucan (a yeast derivative)


Because we live in a world with radiation around us 24/7 adding these foods and supplements to your diet at any time will help your cells cope with the onslaught of radiation that we live with everyday. 

Diabetes Research Uses Chinese Herbs Effectively

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Chinese herbs for diabetesIn a recent study published in the Feb. 2011 World Journal of Gastroenterology, a combination of Chinese herbs known Yi Qi Zeng Ming Tang, (YQZMT) has been found effective for insulin resistance in type 2 diabetic rats. The Chinese herbs in the formula were found to ameliorate insulin resistance and did not cause an increase in body weight. This may make a suitable adjunct therapy for the treatment of type 2 diabetes in humans.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has a long history in the treatment of type 2 diabetes. In comparison to Western medicine, the use of traditional Chinese medicine and botanicals has less side-effects and proven efficacy. According to the Cochrane Library, an international organization that evaluates medical research, when they examined 16 clinical trials of 15 different Chinese herbal medicines, they found that the herbs generally helped lower blood sugar levels in people with “pre-diabetes” that can progress to type 2 diabetes.

Yi Qi Zeng Min Tang (YQZMT) is a traditional Chinese herbal formula whose chief herb is  Radix Astragali or Astragalus (Huang qi) and has been shown to alleviate glucose intolerance and insulin resistance.[1]

When Astragalus has been used in conjunction with other herbs, it proves more valuable for glucose homeostasis for diabetics and pre-diabeties.

The 10 Chinese herbs in the formula are: Radix Astragali, (Huang Qi)  mung bean seed,  Perillae (zi su ye) , Phellodendri (Huang Bai), Pollen Typhae (Pu Huang), Serissa foetida, Cinnamomi (gui zhi), Radix Aconiti Lateralis Preparata (fu pian, fu zi), Coptis (huang lian) , and Rhizoma Alismatis (ze xie).

The prevalence of type 2 diabetes is dramatically increasing throughout the world. The pathogenesis of the disease involves abnormalities in glucose and lipid metabolism, including inadequate insulin secretion from pancreatic β-cells and insulin resistance. The results from this study  showed the diabetic rats had reduced serum glucose levels, lower body weight and lipid levels than the control group of  rats who were not given the YQZMT formula. The results suggests this TCM herbal formula can produce marked improvement and  is a viable treatment for diabetes mellitus and its complications.

Related posts:

1.        Astragalus – The Ultimate Immune Booster

2.     Herbal Sugar Options You Should Know

3.   New Diabetes Drug From A Chinese Herb

See World Journal of Gastroenterology study here:   http://www.wjgnet.com/1007-9327/full/v17/i8/987.htm

1. Hoo RL, Wong JY, Qiao C, Xu A, Xu H, Lam KS. The effective fraction isolated from Radix Astragali alleviates glucose intolerance, insulin resistance and hypertriglyceridemia in db/db diabetic mice through its anti-inflammatory activity. Nutr Metab (Lond). 2010;7:67.[PubMed]

Rheumatoid Arthritis Responds Well To This Herb

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thunder-god-vine Chinese herbsIf your suffering with Rheumatoid Arthritis or know someone who is, this should interest you. 
 
A study was published in the Annals of Internal Medicine in August 2009 on a Chinese herb used for rheumatoid arthritis, (RA). This study found that after six months of taking this herbal remedy  more patients in the Chinese herb group had improved, than the group taking a sulfasalazine.   
 
The Chinese herb used in this study was a single herb known as Lei Gong Teng or Thunder God Vine. Herbal remedies such lei gong teng or in latin Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F (TwHF) have been used and documented for treating inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis.   It’s understandable that people with RA are looking to treat their disease with herbal remedies such as Chinese Medicine and Chinese herbs because Western medicine has no cure for RA, only symptomatic relief with many side effects to the medications.  
 
The only limitation to this study was it’s duration. The studies time frame was too short to show whether lei gong teng helped to prevent joint destruction.
 
Reference
http://www.annals.org/content/151/4/I-36.full

Dr. Oz And Dr. Weil Talk About Herbs for Menopause

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Menopause treatment Dr. Andrew Weil, founder of the Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona  recently appeared on The Dr. Oz Show.  The topic of supplements and herbs was discussed, especially those for menopausal hot flashes and night sweat flair-ups. Dr. Weil suggested  eating fresh ground flax seed, which is high in omega-3 and fiber, sprinkled on cereal or otherwise taking 20 mg of black cohosh twice daily in supplement form or as tea.  I agree with Dr. suggestions but….

What if black cohosh worked better when combined with a few other herbs?  (Kind of like chicken soup.  You add the chicken but if you add spices, carrots and celery it just taste a little better.)

What if the herbs for menopause symptom relief had been proven effective by hundreds of clinical studies?

What if a herbal tea that relieved hot flashes and night sweats was available in the U.S.?

What if you knew this menopause relief herbal tea was completely safe to take long term and has been used my millions of people?

What if  you knew the herbs in menopause relief herb tea has been used for one thousand years, continuously throughout parts of the world. 

What if you knew this menopause relief herb tea was included as part of the health insurance prescription coverage in Japan?

What if  you could drink this blend of herbs as a tea that taste delicious?

What if this menopause relief tea cost  less than $1.00 per day?

What if all the was true and you could buy it right here?

For less than the cost of a cup of coffee you can stop suffering from night sweats and hot flashes. We guarantee it. As do the governments of Japan, Germany, and China which all include it as part of the national health insurance programs.  Why are these countries so far ahead of the U.S.?  I believe Dr. Weil and his team ask the same question.  

Thank you Dr. Weil and his team of doctors Russell Greenfield, Jim Nicolai and Victoria Maizes which have brought Integrative Medicine front and center stage on shows like Dr. Oz.   I whole heartedly applaud  them for embracing integrative medicine in the U.S.  In other parts of the world, particularly China, Taiwan, Germany and Japan and Australia, Integrative medicine is more universally practiced  and taught in the medical schools.

Dr. Oz went on to say that Dr. Weil had a secret supplement that he couldn’t live without. It turned out to be a supplement that Dr. Weil highly recommended taking once a day containing containing acetyl L-carnitine (1000 mg) and alpha-lipoic acid (300 mg) daily.  Dr. Weil said that the benefits of the supplement will also help reduce aging.

Chinese Medicine and Insomnia Symptoms

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no insomnia with chinese herbs

Insomnia, whether for a prolonged time or a short duration is a dreaded cycle that can drive us to the brink of insanity. There nothing worse than being so tired all day long that we just can’t think straight. When you finally hit the pillow you sleep only a few hours  and can’t get back to sleep. People cope with insomnia in different ways, some start their day at 4 AM  because “there is just no sense in staying in bed” others rely on prescription drugs. Regardless of how you decide to cope with the lack of sleep here’s a quick look at insomnia from the Chinese medicine perceptive. This little insight or different perspective,  may help you change whatever is going on in your life that’s affecting your sleep patterns

 

Chinese Medicine, practiced continuously now for over 2000 years, categorizes insomnia into 4 main groups.  

1.       Insomnia due to over-thinking or disharmony between work and rest. When it’s time to sleep your mind should not be thinking of all the days plans, all that worries you or what needs to be done tomorrow. Your mind should simply not be talking to you. Your mind should be active during daytime hours and quiet at night.  There are many techniques in Chinese medicine to help you quiet your mind such as Tai Qi, meditation, exercise and other stress reducers.  A proper discussion of these techniques will be addressed in another article. Herbal medicines can help stop these over thinking habits and help quiet your mind without being addictive. 

2.      Insomnia due to sickness or advancing age. When we are extremely weak and/or recovering  from an illness it is not uncommon to have sleeping difficulties. During this time both qi and blood are deficient which nourish our heart, kidney and spleen channels of Chinese medicine. Rebuild and replenish yourself with a proper diet and supplements and this pattern will subside.

3.        Insomnia due to panic, anger and excessive worry will gradually lead to chronic insomnia. This pattern is especially worrisome because of  it’s chronic, (ongoing) nature. Emotions that are buried and not addressed during the daytime hours may in a sense, haunt us at night. These emotions cause a deficiency of heart qi  and transform and flare up disturbing the mind at night. Dealing with emotional problems during waking hours will prevent this type of insomnia.

4.    Insomnia due to spicy, fatty, raw and even cold food late at night. This type of insomnia is the easiest to change. Simply stop eating 3-4 hours before going to bed. Over eating from a Chinese Medicine perspective  leads to phlegm and  heat and both interfere with restful sleep. The body cannot optimize digestion late at night. Your body needs time to process the foods eaten during the day and clean itself out.

These four patterns cover the gamut of sleeping problems in Chinese medicine. Some people suffer from just one pattern, (typically # 1)  others suffer from a combination of them. Once you identify your pattern you can take steps in your life to make the necessary changes to give your body and your mind the rest it needs.