| Chinese Herbal
Medicine Research
Listed below are health
problems for which Chinese Herbal Medicine has been shown to help. For full details,
please click on the health problem.
Chinese
herbal medicine & Liver Disease
A study
conducted at the department of Internal Medicine, Kanazawa
University, Japan found that the Chinese herbal remedy ‘Gegen-Tang’
(TJ-1) may be a beneficial remedy for patients with cirrhosis of the
liver.
Four patients with
cirrhosis of the liver and complaining of painful gynecomastia were
treated with oral administration of the Chinese herbal remedy ‘Gegen-Tang’
(TJ-1) in conjunction with Chaihu (saiko) group drugs for liver
diseases. Pain disappeared in three patients within one week, and in
another patient in 4 weeks.
Although the size of
gynecomastia did not change significantly on mammography, palpable
induration diminished or disappeared. Serum levels of estrogen,
progesterone, testosterone, and other sex hormones did not change
significantly after TJ-1 treatment. The researchers stated that
their results suggest that TJ-1could be used to help treat painful
gynecomastia that is occasionally seen incirrhotic patients.
Motoo Y; Taga H; Su
SB; Sawabu N. Effect of gegen-tang on painful gynecomastia in
patients with liver cirrhosis: a brief report. Am J Chin Med (UNITED
STATES) 1997, 25 (3-4) p317-24
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Traditional
Chinese medicine & Leukaemia
Researchers
have investigated the results of treatment of complications with TCM
after bone marrow transplantation (BMT) in leukaemia patients.
Chinese herbal medicine was taken orally
according to Syndrome Differentiation. Ten patients with long term
fever (9 patients with unknown causes, 1 case with lung infection)
were cured, who were irresponsive to the combinationn of
multi-antibiotics. Out of 3 patients with severe jaundice, it was
cured in 1 case with hepatic veno-occlusive disease (VOD), and
improved after treatment of TCM and deteriorated secondary to severe
infection in the other 2 cases with graft-versus gastro-intestinal
side effects induced by high-dose radio-/chemotherapy, it was cured
in 6 cases, improved in 2 cases and no response in 1 patient.
The report concluded that TCM was showed to
be effective in treating the complications post-BMT in patients with
leukemia, and could accelerate the recovery of patients.
Chung Kuo Chung
Hsi I Chieh Ho Tsa Chih 1997 Oct;17(10):581-3 Li
HY, Qian LS, Feng SZ
Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy
of Medical
Sciences, Tianjin.
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Chinese
Herbal Medicine & Post Menopausal Osteoporosis
T
wo recent studies in China revealing that the Chinese herbal remedy
Bushen Jiangu (BNJ)- traditionally used as a kidney tonic- may in fact offer
a therapeutic aid to prevent postmenopausal osteoporosis.
The first trial, conducted at
the Union hospital, Tongji Medical University in Wuhan, China 34 patients
participated in a double blind, controlled study. Seventeen post-menopausal
women were given BNJ and a further seventeen post-menopausal women were
given calcium treatment and used as a control group.
After three months, the
results showed that 92% of the patients in the BNJ group had improved. Six
months after the treatment the bone density of the lumbar vertebrae of 69%
of the patients was significantly higher than before the treatment and the
bone density of the control group was considerably lower.
The researchers concluded
that Bushen Jiangu could prevent and improve post-menopausal osteoporosis by
improving bone formation and retarding the decline of bone density.
Similar results were found in
a follow-up controlled study at the Tongji Medical University, Wuhan, China
where 43 patients with menopause within a period of 5 years were randomly
divided into two groups; one group to receive the Chinese herbal remedy
Bushen Migu Ye (BSMGY) orally and the other used as a control group. The
participants’ bone metabolism, serum estradiol and forearm bone density
were taken before and after treatment. The results showed that five months
after the treatment, the women in the treatment group showed improved bone
mineral content whereas those women in the control group showed decreased
mineral densities. Furthermore, the ratio of fasting urinary calcium and
hydroxyproline to creatinine was lower than before the treatment and
significantly lower than that of the control group.
The researchers concluded
that the study results indicate that the BSMGY was linked to a declining of
bone mineral loss in post-menopausal women.
(1) Gui-zhi, Zhong-Lan, Zhou
Yong et al. Cathay Herbal laboratories Newsletter Summer 1996. 5-6
(2) Shen Lin, jing-yuan, Yang jiayu et al. Xiehe Hosptial, Tongji medical
University, Wuhan China Cathay Herbal laboratories Newsletter Summer 1996 6
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