The Scoop on Chinese Herbal Medicine

What is Chinese herbal medicine?

Herbal medicine is the use of non-chemically altered, naturally occurring substances to assist in achieving and maintaining health. The term “herbs” most often refers to plants, but sometimes includes minerals, insect and animal products. It is a belief in Chinese medicine, and in other holistic health care belief systems like Ayurveda, that everything that we need to heal and be well is contained within our natural world, and that it is in our best interest to consume substances in their most natural state. This is what Mother Nature intended.

The History of Aspirin

Did you know that many Western pharmaceuticals were derived from active constituents in plants? For example, the active ingredient in aspirin is acetylsalicylic acid, which was originally isolated from white willow bark, and in 1897, chemists at Bayer figured out how to synthesize it and put it on the market as “Aspirin”. Prior to that, white willow bark extract was widely used for treating fever, pain and inflammation.

“Chinese herbal medicine” vs. “Western” herbal medicine

The largest difference between Chinese herbal medicine and Western herbal medicine is that in Western herbal medicine, a single herb is often taken for a very specific purpose. In Chinese herbal medicine, many different herbs are combined together into what we call a “formula”. Herbs have a synergistic effect when combined with other herbs. Single herbs are rarely prescribed in Chinese medicine.

Chinese herb prescribing can be very complex, and Chinese herbal medicine practitioners have many years of schooling and training.

Herbal medicine vs. Pharmaceuticals

In a nutshell, pharmaceuticals are chemicals produced in a lab for the purpose of treating a very specific function in the body.  For instance, from the aspirin story above, a very specific chemical was extracted from the white willow bark, and then synthesized in a lab in pill form and sold on the market.  Extracted chemicals are often provided in much larger dosages than what they naturally occur in.

Herbs contain the plant, mineral or animal substance in their natural state, which provides all the nutrients, vitamins and active ingredient(s) in its most natural form.  The dosage of the active ingredients are much lower in herbal medicine, so you have to take a larger quantity for therapeutic effect.  Since Americans are used to taking their health products in pill form, this often means that patients have to take 6-10 pills a day when it comes to herbs. The most effective way to take it is to actual cook the herbs into a tea form, but the taste can sometimes be unpleasant and so many patient prefer pills.

Is Chinese herbal medicine safe? And what about the endangered species?

Chinese herbal medicine IS safe IF you consult a practitioner who is trained to administer it.  Chinese herbal medicine practitioners in New York state have Masters and even Doctoral degrees. We all know that products that come from China are not always safe, so at our practice, we only use herbs produced with GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices), so that we are assured that the herbs do not contain pesticides or heavy metals. We also do not use ANY herbs that involve plant or animal species that are endangered.

If you don’t know anything about herbal medicine, it is always recommended that you consult a practitioner who is trained in them, especially if you are also taking pharmaceuticals, as drugs and herbs can interact with one another.

Chinese herbs are contained in many common health products, unbeknownst to most.

How about green tea?  Goji berries? Ginger root? Licorice? Ginseng? Frankincense (aka, boswelia) & myrrh? All contained in the Chinese materia medica!

Have you ever seen a product called Airborne, for immunity boosting?  It contains a very popular Chinese herbal formula, called yin qiao san, which is used for fighting bacteria and viruses.

How do I know if Chinese herbal medicine is right for me?

Chinese herbal medicine can be used to treat a whole variety of issues, including (but not limited to): colds & flu, sinus infections, sleep issues, fatigue, digestive issues and even chronic pain. It can be taken internally or applied topically.  It’s great for kids, too! If you would like to find a Chinese herbal practitioner near you (and you are not near our center), look for a practitioner who is board-certified in herbal medicine at: https://directory.nccaom.org/