Qi Spot

“Researcher Warns on Herbal Medicines”

(http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/02/08/2813236.htm)

Looking at the above headline, what thoughts enter your head?  Obviously it is an attempt to ingrain into the public mind that herbal medicines are dangerous per se.  Sadly, that’s not what the article says.

A forensic pathologist thinks some people’s embarrassment about taking herbal medicines can leave them vulnerable to taking a lethal cocktail of drugs.

Professor Roger Byard of Adelaide University has published a research paper on the dangers of herbal medicines when taken in large quantities, injected or combined with use of prescription drugs.

He has found it can lead to serious illnesses, worsen pre-existing conditions or cause death.

Professor Byard says people are often reluctant to tell their doctor they are taking herbal medicines for fear of ridicule, but it can be a fatal mistake.

“Although obviously a number of herbal substances are quite safe, you don’t know what’s in the package sometimes and there may be interactions, so it is important to talk to your doctor,” he said.

He says his research was sparked by the death of a young man who had injected a Chinese medicine chan su, which contains a toxin from toads.

“The materials that can be added include heavy metals, there’ve been cases of mercury poisoning and arsenic poisoning, lead poisoning, also sometimes the manufacturers will add western pharmaceutical agents, so they’ll add drugs that we manufacture to the herbal medicines to actually increase their effect,” he said.

What is so special about Cordyceps? A recent Indian news article says that smugglers attempting to bring Cordyceps sinensis samples into Kashmir have been arrested.  USD 300,000 worth of the materia medica was found – about 90 kg.

Here is the article from bbcnews <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8375276.stm>

Indian Police Arrest “Caterpillar Mushroom” Smugglers

Police in Indian-administered Kashmir have arrested four people trying to smuggle the rare medicinal herb, caterpillar fungus, to China.

The fungus – known as caterpillar mushroom – is used in Chinese medicine and is believed to be an aphrodisiac.

Police say about 90kg (200lb) of the fungus was seized in the Ladakh region near China. It is worth about $300,000 (£180,000) on the black market.

Caterpillar fungus is found about 5,000m (16,500ft) above sea level.

It must be harvested in freezing monsoon rains in the alpine pastures of the Himalayan mountains around Tibet.

Infertility cure

The fungal parasite – Cordyceps sinensis – infects the larvae of a butterfly and grows inside the body of the insect.

The parasite eventually kills the insect when it becomes a caterpillar and then the fungus grows out of the head of the dead caterpillar.

The power of the fungus was discovered some 1,500 years ago and was used by Ming Dynasty rulers as an aphrodisiac and a cure for infertility.

Recent Chinese studies suggest it also has cancer-fighting and cholesterol-lowering properties.

So far so good – talking about the life cycle.  However, I feel a bit more information is needed, especially to explain why this materia medica is so valuable.  I mean, yeah, it’s hard to find in nature (although it’s not rare and endangered like the tiger)

According to http://tcm.health-info,org, Cordyceps is sweet in flavor and warm in nature.  This means that it is nourishing in general and mildly stimulates the immune system.

strengthen kidneys, tonify yang – impotence, sore/weak back

-tonify kidney yang, nourish lung yin, transform phlegm

-cough, wheezing, bleeding, Xiao Ke

The “aphrodesiac” function stated by bbcnews isn’t right on the dot.  Cordyceps is used to strenghten the kidneys.  The Kidneys in Chinese medicine house Essence, and control reproduction.  Deficient kidneys result in menstrual problems or sperm problems.  I can see how it can be considered an “aphrodisiac” but to label Cordyceps as ONLY that is doing it an injustice.

“Xiao ke” is actually the Chinese term for diabetes, which at stages can be considered as problems of the Lung and Kidneys (and Spleen), which are collectively in charge of water metabolism.

Cordyceps sinensis

Also Used For:

Orally, Dong Chong Xia Cao / Cordyceps is used for strengthening the immune system, for reducing the effects of aging, promoting longevity, treating lethargy, and improving liver function in people with hepatitis B. It is also used to treat coughs, chronic bronchitis, respiratory disorders, kidney disorders, frequent nocturia, male sexual dysfunction, anemia, heart arrhythmias, high cholesterol, liver disorders, dizziness, weakness, tinnitus, wasting, and opium addiction. It is also used as a stimulant, a tonic, and an adaptogen which is used to increase energy, enhance stamina, and reduce fatigue.

Cordyceps was actually mentioned in a 4th season episode of House, MD.  Dr. House mentions that it can treat cancer “in monkeys”.

I consider cordyceps a wonderful herb – if you can get it wholesale.  As I said, it’s relatively hard to find and is often smuggled.  I had heard that people would increase its weight by inserting paper clips into the caterpillar, therefore increasing product weight and thus, selling price.  Pretty darned sneaky.

However, there are other, long term, cheaper ways to tonify Spleen, Lung and Kidney.  I personally recommend mixing shan yao (chinese yam) into congee.  Bai he (lily bulb), almonds and lotus seeds are also a personal favorite.

It has been reported in the media that Dr. Andrew Weil, MD has been critiqued by the US Food and Drug Administration for promoting astragalus root (huang qi) in general and his “Immune Booster” formula against Swine Flu.  My opinions on Whine, er Swine Flu aside, I would like to take this opportunity to discuss Huang Qi in general and it’s use against flus in particular.

But first I have to correct the online article as it showed the astragalus stem and leaves on the page.

Leaves of the astragalus plant

Actually the Huang Qi often used is the astragalus ROOT

Astragalus root sliced and ready for use

Some excerpts from the article:

In a stern warning letter, the Food and Drug Administration and Federal Trade Commission told Weil Lifestyle LLC to stop marketing a dietary supplement called “Immune Support Formula” as a product that could “diagnose, mitigate, prevent, treat or cure the H1N1 Flu Virus in people.”

…The regulators go on to call out several other statements on the Web site about studies and scientific evidence to back the antiviral and immune-boosting power of the herb astragalus, an ingredient in Immune Support Formula.

…The NIH’s National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine says, “The evidence for using astragalus for any health condition is limited.” Data from small and preliminary studies suggest the herb may help the immune system fight infections, the NCCAM says, and researchers funded by the center are studying astragalus’s effects on the immune system.

…On “Larry King Live” last month, Weil recommended some “interesting strategies” to combat swine flu, including taking capsules of astragalus, which he called “perfectly safe.”

Offhand, I must say that while I admire Dr. Weil for having the courage to stand up for traditional medicine, I believe it is irresponsible to call astragalus, or any other medicinal plant “perfectly safe” and on Larry King Live yet!

I know that what he probably meant was that the amount of astragalus in his formulations were within accepted safety levels, but I believe that ordinary laymen who hear such statements as “perfectly safe” would interpret that to mean “I can take it like candy.”  Not the case.  Sure, it has a high theapeutic index, with a dosage range from 9-30 grams (relatively high) but still there is an UPPER LIMIT.

But what is Astragalus Root all about?  It’s common english name is milkvetch and it’s scientific name is Astragalus propinquus or Astragalus membranaceus according to some.  The component used in Chinese Medicine is the root and thus the herbal component is called Radix Astralagi.

It is considered one of the 50 fundamental herbs in Chinese medicine.  According to tcm-healthinfo.org it can be used:

Orally, Huang Qi/Astragalus is used for treating the common cold and upper respiratory infections; to strengthen and regulate the immune system; and to increase the production of blood cells particularly in individuals with chronic degenerative disease or in individuals with cancer undergoing chemotherapy or radiation therapy. It is also used orally for chronic nephritis and diabetes. Astragalus is also used orally as an antibacterial and antiviral; a tonic; liver protectant; anti-inflammatory; antioxidant; and as a diuretic, vasodilator, or hypotensive agent.
Topically, Huang Qi/Astragalus is used as a vasodilator and to speed healing.
In combination with Ligustrum lucidum (glossy privet), astragalus is used orally for treating breast, cervical, and lung cancers.

Let’s take a sampling of research articles about the effects of Astragalus

Shen et al.  “Differential Effects of Isoflavones, from Astragalus Membranaceus and Pueraria Thomsonii, on the Activation of PPAR-alpha, PPAR-gamma, and Adipocyte Differentiation In Vitro“  American Society for Nutrition J. Nutr. 136:899-905, April 2006

Our data suggest the potential value of isoflavones, especially biochanin A and their parent botanicals, as antidiabetic agents and for use in regulating lipid metabolism. – from abstract.

Here’s an article so good I have to quote the whole thing with some points highlighted…

Could an herbal therapy that’s been used for centuries in Chinese medicine to strengthen the immune system hold the key to an effective treatment for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, better known as AIDS? A new study by scientists at the UCLA AIDS Institute says that’s possible.

The research, set to be published in the Journal of Immunology November 15th (available on-line now at http://www.jimmunol.org/cgi/content…), concludes astragalus root contains a substance that could make it a powerful weapon in the fight against the HIV virus that causes AIDS. “This has the potential to be either added to or possibly even replace the HAART (highly active antiretroviral therapy), which is not tolerated well by some patients and is also costly,” co-author Rita Effros, a professor of pathology and laboratory medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and member of the UCLA AIDS Institute, said in a press statement.

So what specifically appears to make astragalus effective in treating HIV infection? The key finding in the UCLA study shows a substance in the herbal therapy prevents or slows down the progressive shortening of a part of immune system cells called telomeres.

A telomere is a region found at the end of each cell chromosome. It does not contain genes but does contain repeated DNA sequences. As immune cells age, telomeres gets shorter and shorter when the cells divide. Eventually, the cells change, can no longer divide and their ability to fight infections is compromised. This phenomenon is dubbed replicative senescence.

For a strong immune system to function correction, a great deal of cell division has to take place. For example, when a virus invades the body, killer T-cells (known as CD8 T-lymphocytes) have receptors that recognize the invader and begin to create versions of themselves to fight the virus — through division, they create more and more of an immune system “army” to knock out the virus. In most healthy people, the telomeres in cells are long enough to allow cells to divide many times without a glitch. What’s more, T-cells can switch on an enzyme called telomerase to prevent the telomeres from shortening and to boost the ability of the cells to divide.

“The problem is that when we’re dealing with a virus that can’t be totally eliminated from the body, such as HIV, the T-cells fighting that virus can’t keep their telomerase turned on forever. They turn off, and telomeres get shorter and they enter this stage of replicative senescence,” Dr. Effros explained in a statement to the press.

Previous studies have shown that injecting the telomerase gene into T-cells can keep the telomeres from shortening so they fight HIV longer than they normally would be able to. However, this complicated and expensive gene therapy isn’t a practical way to treat the millions of people infected with the HIV virus. Good news: the current study shows that treatment with a natural substance called TAT2 found in astragalus could be a far better approach.

The reason? Not only did the researchers find that the astragalus-derived TAT2 slowed the shortening of telomeres, but it also boosted the CD8 T-lymphocytes production of soluble factors called chemokines and cytokines. And these substances have been shown in other research to shown to block the replication of the HIV virus.

“The ability to enhance telomerase activity and antiviral functions of CD8 T-lymphocytes suggests that this strategy (using TAT2 from astragalus) could be useful in treating HIV disease, as well as immunodeficiency and increased susceptibility to other viral infections associated with chronic diseases or aging,” the researchers wrote in their research paper.

According to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center web site (http://www.mskcc.org/mskcc/html/691…), astragalus has no reported adverse effects. It has been used in traditional Chinese medicine to support and enhance the immune system and for heart disease. Currently, the herb is widely used in China for chronic hepatitis, colds and upper respiratory infections and as an adjunctive therapy in cancer. The remarkable herbal therapy has also shown promise in animal experiments as a way to prevent dementia.

WOW.  “Possibly replace HAART”.  THIS is the Huang Qi that is they doubt has an effect against a FLU?

Some other research cited by this article from the University of Maryland Medical Center website

Chen KT, Su CH, Hsin LH, et al. Reducing fatigue of athletes following oral administration of huangqi jianzhong tang. Acta Pharmacol Sin. 2002;23(8):757-761.

Duan P, Wang ZM. [Clinical study on effect of Astragalus in efficacy enhancing and toxicity reducing of chemotherapy in patients of malignant tumor]. Zhongguo Zhong Xi Yi Jie He Za Zhi.2002;22(7):515-517.

Hao Y, Qiu QY, Wu J. [Effect of Astragalus polysaccharides in promoting neutrophil-vascular endothelial cell adhesion and expression of related adhesive molecules]. Zhongguo Zhong Xi Yi Jie He Za Zhi. 2004;24(5):427-430.

Hei ZQ, Zhang JJ, Lin SQ, et al. [Effects of Astragalus membranaceus injection on nitric oxide and endothelin concentration of intestinal mucosa after hemorrhage shock-reperfusion in rats]. Zhongguo Zhong Yao Za Zhi. 2004;29(5):444-447.

Kim SH, Lee SE, Oh H, et al. The radioprotective effects of bu-zhong-yi-qi-tang: a prescription of traditional Chinesemedicine astragalus. J Chin Med. 2002;30(1):127-137.

Mao SP, Cheng KL, Zhou YF. [Modulatory effect of Astragalus membranaceus on Th1/Th2 cytokine in patients with herpes simplex keratitis]. Zhongguo Zhong Xi Yi Jie He Za Zhi. 2004;24(2):121-123.

Shao BM, Xu W, Dai H, et al. A study on the immune receptors for polysaccharides from the roots of Astragalus membranaceus, a Chinese medicinal herb. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2004;320(4):1103-1111.

Shi FS, Yang ZG, Di GP. [Effect of Astragalus saponin on vascular endothelial cell and its function in burn patients]. Zhongguo Zhong Xi Yi Jie He Za Zhi. 2001;21(10):750-751.

So the evidence IS there.  But why the need to bash it?  Like I said, if properly used, the commonly found and inexpensive Astragalus root (btw, it’s also used in contemporary asian cooking) can REPLACE expensive drugs that are money-makers for Big Pharma… maybe.

Sources:

Hensley, Scott.  “FDA and FTC Slam Swine Flu Claims For Dr. Weil Supplement” http://www.npr.org 16 October 2009.  20 October 2009 <http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2009/10/fda_and_ftc_slam_swine_flu_cla.html>

tcm.health-info.org “Huang Qi – Astragalus Root”. 20 October 2009 <http://tcm.health-info.org/Herbology.Materia.Medica/huangqi-properties.htm>

Shen et al.  “Differential Effects of Isoflavones, from Astragalus Membranaceus and Pueraria Thomsonii, on the Activation of PPAR-alpha, PPAR-gamma, and Adipocyte Differentiation In Vitro“  American Society for Nutrition J. Nutr. 136:899-905, April 2006

University of Maryland Medical Center. 20, October 2009 <http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/astragalus-000223.htm>

Baker, Sherry. NaturalNews.com 13 November 2008. 20 October 2009 <http://www.naturalnews.com/024799_HIV_astragalus_AIDS.html>