From Cancer Monthly:
Herbal Remedy May Help Combat Endometriosis and Cancer
The Chinese herb Prunella vulgaris (PV) may prove an effective treatment for women with endometriosis and certain types of cancer because of its anti-estrogen properties, according to research published in the November 5 issue of the journal, Biology of Reproduction.
Although the female hormone, estrogen is crucial to reproduction, it can have some negative side effects, fueling the abnormal cell growth that occurs in diseases such as endometriosis and cancer. To treat these diseases, doctors have turned to tamoxifen and other anti-estrogen medications, but these drugs can have significant side effects.
In their search for an alternative to anti-estrogen medications, researchers in Greenville, South Carolina focused their attention on several possible herbal remedies.They had 20 herbs in the lab that included Prunella vulgaris, says Bruce Lessey, MD, PhD, vice chair of Research, and director of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at Greenville Hospital System. PV is found in Europe and Asia and is often used to treat painful periods. "There had been one study previously suggesting that a related herb, Prunella stica, had anti-estrogen properties. So we screened the herbs, and this one really jumped out."
When Dr. Lessey and his colleagues tested the herb on endometrial cancer cells, they discovered that it significantly reduced the cancer cells growth. In mice implanted with human endometriosis, PV also reduced the number of abnormal endometrial tissue growths. The herb was just as potent as a synthetic anti-estrogen drug used in the study. The only side effect researchers have noted in ongoing human studies of PV has been an increase in headaches in some women....
For full article see:
http://www.cancermonthly.com/iNP/view.asp?ID=231
Here's a source of Prunella (Chinese: Xia Ku Cao):
http://eastearthtrade.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=840
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Chinese Scientists use Herbs to Treat Cows
BEIJING, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Chinese scientists are attempting to keep milk free of chemical residues by using herbal medicines, rather than antibiotics or hormones, to treat bacterial infections in cows and increase their milk production.
Liang Jianping, a leading veterinary pharmacist with the Institute of Modern Physics under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said on Wednesday that his research team produced zero-residue milk at an experimental dairy farm by using herbal medicines to treat mastitis (an inflammation of the udder) and endometritis (an infection of the uterus).
"The milk was supplied to yogurt manufacturers, and the yogurt produced was sold to restaurants and hotels at a price about twice that of regular yogurt," said Liang.
Researchers used the anti-bacterial herbal medicine Liu Qian Su, which is extracted from the plant genus madder. It can be metabolized in a few hours and leaves no harmful residues in milk or other food, according to Liang.
Instead of using female hormones, they used puerarin extracted from the herb kudzu (a member of the pea family native to southeast China) to raise cows' milk production. Puerarin, usually used to treat coronary heart disease and angina, can achieve the desired effect by expanding the blood vessels of cows.
The next step was to provide the technique to dairy manufacturers in the northwestern Gansu Province, where the institute is based, said Liang, also member of a Ministry of Agriculture committee overseeing veterinary drug residues in food of animal origin.
"Overdoses of antibiotics in cows can leave chemical residues in milk, which pose a risk of drug resistance and allergic reactions in humans," said Liang.
Liang noted that overuse of antibiotics is common in China as dairy farmers flout dosage regulations.
Liang, who also led a state-level research program on commercializing safe veterinary drugs in 2002, said that China doesn't currently test for antibiotic or hormone residues in milk.
Stricter standards are urgently needed, according to Liang, whoadded that supervision over the production process is just as important as the product-testing process.
***
Kudzu, which is mentioned in this article, is also good to reduce cravings for alcohol
See: http://eastearthtrade.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=498
Liang Jianping, a leading veterinary pharmacist with the Institute of Modern Physics under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said on Wednesday that his research team produced zero-residue milk at an experimental dairy farm by using herbal medicines to treat mastitis (an inflammation of the udder) and endometritis (an infection of the uterus).
"The milk was supplied to yogurt manufacturers, and the yogurt produced was sold to restaurants and hotels at a price about twice that of regular yogurt," said Liang.
Researchers used the anti-bacterial herbal medicine Liu Qian Su, which is extracted from the plant genus madder. It can be metabolized in a few hours and leaves no harmful residues in milk or other food, according to Liang.
Instead of using female hormones, they used puerarin extracted from the herb kudzu (a member of the pea family native to southeast China) to raise cows' milk production. Puerarin, usually used to treat coronary heart disease and angina, can achieve the desired effect by expanding the blood vessels of cows.
The next step was to provide the technique to dairy manufacturers in the northwestern Gansu Province, where the institute is based, said Liang, also member of a Ministry of Agriculture committee overseeing veterinary drug residues in food of animal origin.
"Overdoses of antibiotics in cows can leave chemical residues in milk, which pose a risk of drug resistance and allergic reactions in humans," said Liang.
Liang noted that overuse of antibiotics is common in China as dairy farmers flout dosage regulations.
Liang, who also led a state-level research program on commercializing safe veterinary drugs in 2002, said that China doesn't currently test for antibiotic or hormone residues in milk.
Stricter standards are urgently needed, according to Liang, whoadded that supervision over the production process is just as important as the product-testing process.
***
Kudzu, which is mentioned in this article, is also good to reduce cravings for alcohol
See: http://eastearthtrade.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=498
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Indigo Ointment Relieves Psoriasis
From WebMD Health News
Psoriasis Improves With Indigo Naturalis Chinese Herbal Ointment
By Daniel J. DeNoon Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD
Nov. 17, 2008 -- Psoriasis patients showed dramatic improvement after 12 weeks of treatment with an ointment containing indigo naturalis, a Chinese herbal remedy.
The findings come from a study by Yin-Ku Lin, MD, of Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Taipei, Taiwan, and colleagues. For more than five years, the researchers have been using the indigo ointment to treat psoriasis patients who do not respond to standard Western drug therapy.
"We anticipate that indigo naturalis ointment can be an alternative or complementary therapy for psoriasis and believe it will be a great benefit to this patient population," Lin and colleagues suggest.
Indigo naturalis is a traditional Chinese medicine derived from the plant Strobilanthes formosanus Moore. It's typically taken orally, but long-term use has been linked to stomach and liver problems. So Lin's team mixed the indigo powder with a base made of petroleum jelly, yellow wax, and olive oil.
In their study, the researchers gave the indigo ointment to 42 patients whose chronic plaque psoriasis did not improve despite at least two different medical treatments.
All of the patients had bilateral psoriasis -- that is, they had equally severe psoriasis plaques on both sides of their body. The patients spread the indigo ointment on the plaques on one side of the body and the base alone on plaques on the other side of the body.
The dark indigo powder stained the patients' skin but came off after washing. Before regular checkups, the patients washed all the ointment away so that their doctors would not know which side of the body had received the real treatment and which received the base alone.
The soothing ointment base, all by itself, did offer a bit of relief. But the indigo ointment worked much better. After 12 weeks of indigo treatment, 31 of the 42 patients' psoriasis plaques cleared or nearly cleared.
No harmful side effects were seen, although patients were not happy that the ointment stained their skin and clothing, even though it washed off and there was no permanent change in skin color. Also, the ointment has a disagreeable odor. Lin and colleagues suggest that researchers should look for a more potent, more convenient form of indigo ointment than their "crude herb" ointment.
"Indigo naturalis ointment treatment has neither adverse effects, such as those found with corticosteroid treatment, or other toxic effects based on our past five years of clinical observation. Furthermore, it costs much less," Lin and colleagues note.
The researchers report their findings in the November issue of Archives of Dermatology.
******
Need a source of Indigo? Try:
http://eastearthtrade.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=600
Psoriasis Improves With Indigo Naturalis Chinese Herbal Ointment
By Daniel J. DeNoon Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD
Nov. 17, 2008 -- Psoriasis patients showed dramatic improvement after 12 weeks of treatment with an ointment containing indigo naturalis, a Chinese herbal remedy.
The findings come from a study by Yin-Ku Lin, MD, of Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Taipei, Taiwan, and colleagues. For more than five years, the researchers have been using the indigo ointment to treat psoriasis patients who do not respond to standard Western drug therapy.
"We anticipate that indigo naturalis ointment can be an alternative or complementary therapy for psoriasis and believe it will be a great benefit to this patient population," Lin and colleagues suggest.
Indigo naturalis is a traditional Chinese medicine derived from the plant Strobilanthes formosanus Moore. It's typically taken orally, but long-term use has been linked to stomach and liver problems. So Lin's team mixed the indigo powder with a base made of petroleum jelly, yellow wax, and olive oil.
In their study, the researchers gave the indigo ointment to 42 patients whose chronic plaque psoriasis did not improve despite at least two different medical treatments.
All of the patients had bilateral psoriasis -- that is, they had equally severe psoriasis plaques on both sides of their body. The patients spread the indigo ointment on the plaques on one side of the body and the base alone on plaques on the other side of the body.
The dark indigo powder stained the patients' skin but came off after washing. Before regular checkups, the patients washed all the ointment away so that their doctors would not know which side of the body had received the real treatment and which received the base alone.
The soothing ointment base, all by itself, did offer a bit of relief. But the indigo ointment worked much better. After 12 weeks of indigo treatment, 31 of the 42 patients' psoriasis plaques cleared or nearly cleared.
No harmful side effects were seen, although patients were not happy that the ointment stained their skin and clothing, even though it washed off and there was no permanent change in skin color. Also, the ointment has a disagreeable odor. Lin and colleagues suggest that researchers should look for a more potent, more convenient form of indigo ointment than their "crude herb" ointment.
"Indigo naturalis ointment treatment has neither adverse effects, such as those found with corticosteroid treatment, or other toxic effects based on our past five years of clinical observation. Furthermore, it costs much less," Lin and colleagues note.
The researchers report their findings in the November issue of Archives of Dermatology.
******
Need a source of Indigo? Try:
http://eastearthtrade.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=600
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Letha Hadady conducts Midlife Topics Workshop
From Letha Hadady:
You may know me from my walking tours of New York Asian food and herb markets or my articles and books. I am the author of Asian Health Secrets, Personal Renewal, Healthy Beauty, and Feed Your Tiger: The Asian Diet Secret for Permanent Weight Loss and Vibrant Health. I am also the Ayurvedic health correspondent for Heal India, India's premier health magazine.
Next week, November 17, 2008 I will teach an all day Continuing Education workshop covering midlife topics at:
The Renfield Center
Beth Israel Medical Center School of Nursing
776 Sixth Avenue at W. 27th Street - 3rd Floor
Contact: www.nurse-education.orgor Call: 212 614-6177
Recently, I have posted new articles at my website www.asianhealthsecrets.com. They include:
"More Good News About Mushrooms" It covers their anti-cancer and immune-enhancing properties
"Advice for Finger-Tappers" It describes current brain research and several useful brain-foods
"Strontium the Bone Maker" An important health food store supplement that increases bone mass
"Astragalus a Wonderful Tonic" An Asian herb that increases energy, improves memory and sexuality, and reduces chronic back pain
"The Mother of All Colds is Back" Here is an excerpt from that timely article: This year’s cold and flu season threatens to outdo last year’s sore throat, cough, fever, and chronic asthma, which became so widespread we nicknamed it The Mother of All Colds. Now is the time to protect yourself and family from catching and spreading it. Psychic Edgar Cayce (1877-1945) and traditional Asian herbal doctors agree: Clean up your act by eliminating congestion and germs, and you are safer from colds and flu. Cayce recommended fasting, purging, and sweating treatments to reduce excess mucus and improve breathing and digestion. These may be weakening for people who are run-down, tired, and stressed. However a few adjustments in your diet and herbs can accomplish similar protection. . . Continue reading this article at: http://www.asianhealthsecrets.com/letha/?p=432
***To update your email address, subscribe friends and family to receive announcements of my new articles at www.asianhealthsecrets.com (a beneficial, free holiday gift) or to unsubscribe from my private health newsletter, kindly email me at lethah@earthlink.net.
I never share email addresses.
with my best warm wishes for your health and happiness,
Letha Hadady
You may know me from my walking tours of New York Asian food and herb markets or my articles and books. I am the author of Asian Health Secrets, Personal Renewal, Healthy Beauty, and Feed Your Tiger: The Asian Diet Secret for Permanent Weight Loss and Vibrant Health. I am also the Ayurvedic health correspondent for Heal India, India's premier health magazine.
Next week, November 17, 2008 I will teach an all day Continuing Education workshop covering midlife topics at:
The Renfield Center
Beth Israel Medical Center School of Nursing
776 Sixth Avenue at W. 27th Street - 3rd Floor
Contact: www.nurse-education.orgor Call: 212 614-6177
Recently, I have posted new articles at my website www.asianhealthsecrets.com. They include:
"More Good News About Mushrooms" It covers their anti-cancer and immune-enhancing properties
"Advice for Finger-Tappers" It describes current brain research and several useful brain-foods
"Strontium the Bone Maker" An important health food store supplement that increases bone mass
"Astragalus a Wonderful Tonic" An Asian herb that increases energy, improves memory and sexuality, and reduces chronic back pain
"The Mother of All Colds is Back" Here is an excerpt from that timely article: This year’s cold and flu season threatens to outdo last year’s sore throat, cough, fever, and chronic asthma, which became so widespread we nicknamed it The Mother of All Colds. Now is the time to protect yourself and family from catching and spreading it. Psychic Edgar Cayce (1877-1945) and traditional Asian herbal doctors agree: Clean up your act by eliminating congestion and germs, and you are safer from colds and flu. Cayce recommended fasting, purging, and sweating treatments to reduce excess mucus and improve breathing and digestion. These may be weakening for people who are run-down, tired, and stressed. However a few adjustments in your diet and herbs can accomplish similar protection. . . Continue reading this article at: http://www.asianhealthsecrets.com/letha/?p=432
***To update your email address, subscribe friends and family to receive announcements of my new articles at www.asianhealthsecrets.com (a beneficial, free holiday gift) or to unsubscribe from my private health newsletter, kindly email me at lethah@earthlink.net.
I never share email addresses.
with my best warm wishes for your health and happiness,
Letha Hadady
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Corrupt Ex-mayor Gets Death Penalty
Liu Zhihua, a former vice mayor of Beijing who supervised the construction of Olympic venues, has been sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve on charges of bribery.
The first-instance court concluded Liu's case on October 18, 2008 accusing him of accepting bribes worth 6.97 million yuan ($1 million) in 1999-2006.
Liu was removed from the post of vice mayor of Beijing in June 2006 and was axed from the Communist party of China at the end of the year. (Beijing Review, October 30, 2008).
In contrast, Wall Street investment bankers who have brought near-total economic collapse to the US and damaged the world banking system have been given a $700 billion bail-out by the Bush Administration. People may suffer in the economic turmoil that follows but not the culprits who caused the problem. People should contact their congressmen and ask them to follow China's lead on taking a stronger stance when dealing with corruption.
The first-instance court concluded Liu's case on October 18, 2008 accusing him of accepting bribes worth 6.97 million yuan ($1 million) in 1999-2006.
Liu was removed from the post of vice mayor of Beijing in June 2006 and was axed from the Communist party of China at the end of the year. (Beijing Review, October 30, 2008).
In contrast, Wall Street investment bankers who have brought near-total economic collapse to the US and damaged the world banking system have been given a $700 billion bail-out by the Bush Administration. People may suffer in the economic turmoil that follows but not the culprits who caused the problem. People should contact their congressmen and ask them to follow China's lead on taking a stronger stance when dealing with corruption.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Beginner's Chinese
Because I live in an area that does not offer any formal training in Chinese language I have, over the years, bought many books to study on my own. Two books that I've picked up recently that I like a lot and would like to recommend to you are the Beginner's Chinese and Intermediate Chinese books by Yong Ho (published by Hippocrene Books, Inc.)
The first book, Beginner's Chinese, comes with two audio CD's. Each chapter starts with sentence patterns, such as saying hello (Ni3 hao3 [I've put numbers in for tone marks]), then a conversation,, vocabulary and supplementary words, language points, which are an explanation of the grammar, exercises, and finally a brief introduction to certain aspects of Chinese culture.
I think what I like most about the textbook is the Language Points and Exercise sections.
The Language Points give clear explanations of the grammar and examples of use - which I find extremely helpful. The exercises are very good too because they give answers to the questions - something that also is very helpful if you are studying on your own.
The book isn't perfect though. The type is too small for my liking but in the intermediate level book they have corrected this problem. Also, the CD's would be more helpful if they slowed down the pace. The spoken sentences or dialogues are too fast for a beginner. For its minor faults though I still highly recommend this book.
The second book, Intermediate Chinese, as mentioned, has corrected the problem of the small type. Its strengths though, lie in the clear explanations of grammar and usage. Other books explain grammar but for some reason Yong Ho does a better job. Over the years I have had several Chinese people tutor me but unfortunately they were not trained language teachers and did not explain the grammar to me so this book is very helpful. And as in the first book the exercises do have answers which is very helpful also. A CD also comes with this book but I still feel the conversations are too fast on it - at least for me at my level of learning.
Look for these books at your bookstore. Once again, they are:
Beginner's Chinese by Yong Ho (published by Hippocrene Books, Inc.)
and
Intermediate Chinese by Yong Ho (published by Hippocrene Books, Inc.)
The first book, Beginner's Chinese, comes with two audio CD's. Each chapter starts with sentence patterns, such as saying hello (Ni3 hao3 [I've put numbers in for tone marks]), then a conversation,, vocabulary and supplementary words, language points, which are an explanation of the grammar, exercises, and finally a brief introduction to certain aspects of Chinese culture.
I think what I like most about the textbook is the Language Points and Exercise sections.
The Language Points give clear explanations of the grammar and examples of use - which I find extremely helpful. The exercises are very good too because they give answers to the questions - something that also is very helpful if you are studying on your own.
The book isn't perfect though. The type is too small for my liking but in the intermediate level book they have corrected this problem. Also, the CD's would be more helpful if they slowed down the pace. The spoken sentences or dialogues are too fast for a beginner. For its minor faults though I still highly recommend this book.
The second book, Intermediate Chinese, as mentioned, has corrected the problem of the small type. Its strengths though, lie in the clear explanations of grammar and usage. Other books explain grammar but for some reason Yong Ho does a better job. Over the years I have had several Chinese people tutor me but unfortunately they were not trained language teachers and did not explain the grammar to me so this book is very helpful. And as in the first book the exercises do have answers which is very helpful also. A CD also comes with this book but I still feel the conversations are too fast on it - at least for me at my level of learning.
Look for these books at your bookstore. Once again, they are:
Beginner's Chinese by Yong Ho (published by Hippocrene Books, Inc.)
and
Intermediate Chinese by Yong Ho (published by Hippocrene Books, Inc.)
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Sifu Lew's Cloud Hand Workshop
Sifu Share K. Lew's Cloud Hand workshop had a warm reception in Redding. Even though there was only a short notice that Sifu Lew would give a workshop, the class was quickly filled. Some students came from as far as San Francisco, Red Bluff, and Weaverville to attend. Sifu Lew taught several workshops in Redding over 10 years ago when longtime students and friends, John and Janet Price hosted the seminars and introduced many of us to Sifu Lew's teachings.
Despite the outside temperature hovering at 102 degrees and the inside temperature about 90 degrees in the studio, Sifu Lew and his wife, Juanita, generously shared their knowledge with over 30 men and women who attended the workshop.
We all look forward to Sifu Lew and Juanita hopefully returning to Redding when the weather cools down and helping us refine what we have learned and teaching us more.
Top Right: Sifu Share K. Lew (center), Sifu John Price (right), Michel Czehatowski (left)
Below (left to right): Michel Czehatowski, Steve Lauderdale, Sifu Lew, Juanita Lew, John Garland.
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