Fwd: [discusschineseherbs] Herbs & Things Supplemental

[Guest guest]

My note: This open letter underscores the fact that different parts of a

plant can have different properties and different chemicals. A classic

example of this is Hb (Herbal - " leaves " of) Ephedrae (Ma Huang) which

causes sweating and Rx (Root of) Ephedrae (Ma Huang Gen) which is astringent

and stops sweating. Same plant but different parts of the plant with

opposite effects.

 

This letter also underscores the fact that the way an herb is taken can

change its effects. For example, some herbal teas should be taken hot,

others at room temperature, and sometimes a formula is more effective as a

pill or powder than as a tea. Also, over the centuries TCM has evolved as

new discoveries were made and as new needs arose. This continues today.

The modern Chinese have done a lot of work studying how injecting an herbal

solution can change its effects.

 

This letter is primarily about sloppy " science " . Extremely sloppy

" science " . In order for research to be scientific - and valid - there are

certain ground rules and procedures which must be followed. Chief among

these when it comes to research on herbs is the very basic and very

pertinent knowing which part of the plant is used in a herbal formula and

what the herb and formula are used for. One simply does not study the root

of a plant when it is the seeds which are used in a formula and then make

pronouncements about the formula based on an ingredient which isn't even in

it!

 

Another very basic part of truly scientific research is to first learn what

is already known about the subject. This involves going to the best and

most complete sources of information to date on the subject. In the case of

TCM herbs, this obviously includes what the Chinese have discovered through

the centuries and in recent decades. At least this should be obvious.

 

Another part of well-done research involves spelling out exactly what one

has done so that other researchers can attempt to duplicate the results.

This involves telling others exactly what was studied and how it was

studied. In the case of herbal studies this involves telling others exactly

what part of the plant was studied as well as how it was studied.

 

These are some very, very basic ground rules of proper scientific research.

 

Victoria

 

>Colleen DeLaney <herbdocs

>discusschineseherbs

>discusschineseherbs

>[discusschineseherbs] Herbs & Things Supplemental

>Thu, 26 Apr 2001 15:25:38 -0700

>

>*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^

>HERBS & THINGS: Supplemental Issue

>

>for Students of Learn Chinese Herbs

> & Other " Budding " Herbalists

>

>(copyright futurewavemarketing 2001: all rights reserved)

>

>^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

>APRIL 2001—Supplemental Issue

>*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^

>

>Colleen’s Note:

>

>A few months ago I devoted an issue to the controversy surrounding the

>use of the Chinese herb, aristolochia. Now a new controversy has arisen

>around the use of three very common Chinese herbs used for coughs —Gua

>Lou Zi (trichosanthes seed), Hou Po (Magnolia bark) and Zhe Bei Mu

>(Fritillaria bulb

>

>With permission from the authors, I’m reprinting an open letter from

>Efrem Korngold, L.Ac., OMD and Harriet Beinfeld, L.Ac., authors of TCM

>textbooks and owners of the San Francisco practice known as Chinese

>Medicine Works.

>

>Their letter clearly points out the obstacles we face in keeping Chinese

>herbs available. As in this case, herbs are banned without any evidence

>showing harm and with abundant scientific evidence that they are safe.

>Next time you hear an alarm raised about an herb, remember this article!

>

>If these HARMLESS and EFFECTIVE herbs were removed from my practice, I

>will lose the ability to treat children’s and adult’s coughs with

>herbs….forcing patients to use medications that actually CAN be

>dangerous.

>

>Take a look at the “science” behind the Canadian government’s claims and

>what ACTUAL science proves about these herbs……

>

>^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^

>

>March 6, 2001

>

>Dear Colleagues,

>

>The Canadian Health Products and Food branch issued a warning on

>February 28, 2001 requesting the recall of the Chinese Modular Solution

>pediatric formula Chest Relief. Although THERE HAS NOT BEEN A SINGLE

>COMPLAINT OR REPORT OF AN ADVERSE EVENT, Health Canada alleges that,

>“…the use of or exposure to the product will cause serious or adverse

>health consequences or death.” Health Canada alleges that this formula

>is potentially hazardous not because of any actual harm, but because it

>contains three ingredients: Trichosanthes kirilowii seed (gua lou zi),

>Magnolia officinalis root bark (hou po), and Fritillaria thunbergii bulb

>(zhe bei mu).

>

>Although Health Canada’s objection to this formula is apparently based

>on laboratory research, the science does not support the allegation. We

>do not agree with the decision of Health Canada, nor do we find their

>logic, methodology, and conclusions reasonable or compelling. It is

>critical for the Chinese medicine community to understand the process by

>which such allegations arise and to appreciate how regulatory policies

>are often formulated. An atmosphere of alarm, the public perception of

>risk, and the escalation of regulatory restraints on our access to

>Chinese herbs impacts the practice of Chinese medicine profoundly in

>North America.

>

>To do no harm is our first ethical principle as health care providers,

>regardless of the kind of medicine we practice. As formulators of

>herbal products, we are exquisitely sensitive to the quality and safety

>of our formulas. Kan herb company diligently insures that the highest

>manufacturing standards are met and exceeded. Raw materials are

>examined for botanical identity and assayed for heavy metal, microbial,

>pesticide, fungicide, and herbicide contamination.

>

>We are stunned that Chest Relief, a formula that has benefited many

>hundreds of children since it was introduced in 1994, is now banned in

>Canada. Let’s examine the evidence upon which this determination was

>made.

>

>A Health Canada agent informed Kan Herb Company that several physicians

>who advise that agency determined Trichosanthes, Magnolia, and

>Fritillaria to be toxic ingredients based on references that she

>declined to cite. Chest Relief contains Trichosanthes seed (not

>Trichosanthes root), which contains no toxic compounds. Clearly, the

>Canadian physicians were unaware of the distinction between

>Trichosanthes seed and root. The root contains a protein called

>trichosanthin with a variety of established therapeutic uses. The pure

>compound, when administered by injection, stimulates uterine

>contractions (similar to oxytocin) and is used in China to facilitate

>mid-term abortion. Under the name Compound Q, trichosanthin was used by

>American physicians as an alternative to anti-viral drugs during the

>1980s to treat HIV/AIDS. Overdoses of trichosanthin can cause liver and

>kidney damage as well as damage to the placenta and fetus.

>

>Weidong Lu, M.D., L.Ac., Chairman of the Chinese Herbal Medicine

>Department at the New England School of Acupuncture, explains that

>trichosanthin is a type of protein that is inactivated by digestive

>enzymes or by decocting the herb in boiling water. He contacted two

>scientists in China who were in charge of a study of the trichosanthin

>protein from 1970 to 1980. They confirmed that Trichosanthin cannot be

>absorbed as an active protein by the intestine from either the crude

>herbal material or the water extract. They emphasized that

>trichosanthin ONLY has an abortifacient effect when injected. Dr.

>Weidong Lu further states that trichosanthin can only exert toxicity via

>intravenous or intramuscular injection, and that overdoses of injected

>Trichosanthes root may cause allergic reactions that include malaise,

>sore throat, headache, swelling, itching, or rashes. He maintains that

>Trichosanthes root is non-toxic when consumed orally in appropriate

>doses. Trichosanthes seed, however, contains primarily fatty acids,

>saponins, and resins that have no known toxicity. Trichosanthes seed

>contributes mucolytic and anti-tussive properties and comprises 4% by

>weight or 11 mg of the Chest Relief formula.

>

>Dr. Weidong Lu concludes, “Gua lou ren, the seed of tian hua fen

>(Trichosanthes root) does not contain trichosanthin protein. My guess

>is that those doctors in Canada who decided to ban the product did not

>know that trichosanthin is only found in the root of the herb, not in

>the seed. What a mistake! "

>

>The root bark of Magnolia is known to contain several alkaloids,

>including magnocurarine and turbocurarine. When administered by

>intravenous or intraperitoneal injection to laboratory animals, these

>compounds can cause semi-paralysis of skeletal muscles as well as

>respiratory paralysis. Respiratory muscular paralysis occur in animals

>when doses of 4-6 g/kg are administered by injection, roughly 600 to

>4,000 times the amount contained in the recommended daily dose

>administered orally to a human child.

>

>In an experimental study, the decoction of Magnolia bark was given to

>mice orally at a dose of 60 g/kg. No abnormal effects were observed in

>the mice during the study. Since magno- and turbocurarine represent

>only 0.07% by weight of the crude herbal material, 11 mg of Magnolia

>root bark (4% of the formula Chest Relief) contains roughly 0.008 mg of

>the alkaloids, a minute quantity. There is no pharmacological

>information to suggest that the crude Magnolia root bark or its extracts

>will produce toxic effects via oral administration in humans. Magnolia

>root bark contributes anti-spasmodic and anti-tussive properties to the

>Chest Relief formula.

>

>Fritillaria bulb is known to contain sixteen different alkaloids that

>comprise up to 0.4% of the herb by weight. When administered by

>intravenous injection to rabbits or cats, these alkaloids will produce

>respiratory depression in doses of 8-12 mg/kg. Fritillaria comprises

>11% by weight or 30 mg of the orally administered Chest Relief formula.

>This equals 0.1 mg of alkaloid per tablet, only 1/80th to 1/120th the

>amount injected into laboratory animals. Fritillaria bulb contains

>mucolytic and anti-tussive properties to the Chest Relief formula.

>

>Even the highest daily dose of Chest Relief recommended to children

>could not produce the adverse effects observed in laboratory animals.

>In fact, none of the reference literature suggests that oral

>administration of these herbs, in commonly prescribed dosages, poses any

>health risk. To the contrary, these three herbs are among the most

>commonly used for effectively treating a wide spectrum of respiratory

>ailments. To allege that the presence of miniscule quantities of

>proteins or alkaloids confer a high risk of producing harmful effects in

>humans is without corroborating scientific evidence.

>

>There is always risk. Some children have an anaphylactic reaction to

>peanuts. Many foods are sprayed with carcinogenic and teratogenic

>chemicals. Strawberries are sprayed with methyl bromide, a toxin that

>can trigger severe and chronic respiratory distress. It has been

>virtually a losing struggle to convince the regulatory agencies mandated

>to protect our health to remove thousands of household chemicals and

>food contaminants from our homes and markets, despite clear scientific

>evidence of harm. Our water, air, and soil often harbor contaminants.

>Safety and risk are always relative, never absolute.

>

>According to a study by Bruce Pomeranz et al published in JAMA (1998),

>adverse events associated with prescription drugs were the fourth

>leading cause ofg death in the United States. The results of 39 studies

>of harmful drug reactions suggest that they could affect as many as 2.2

>million hospital patients a year, causing 106,000 deaths. This is

>equivalent to 4.6 % of all recorded deaths. An average of 6.7% of all

>hospitalized patients experience a fatal drug reaction each year,

>according to the study. These figures are probably conservative, since

>the study did not include patient outcomes linked to errors in drug

>administration, overdoses, drug abuse and therapeutic failures.

>

>Compared to FDA approved over-the-counter (OTC) drugs for children,

>Chinese herbal medicine is extremely low risk and possibly more

>effective. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), there

>are no well-controlled scientific studies that support the efficacy and

>safety of narcotics and cough suppressants in children. Recognized

>harmful effects of over-the-counter cough remedies for children include:

>rapid heart beat, abnormal heart rhythms, sleeplessness, high blood

>pressure, vomiting, and seizures from decongestants; breathing problems,

>sedation, excitability, upset stomach, rapid heart beast, abnormal heart

>rhythms, seizures, dry mouth, and blurred vision from antihistamines;

>respiratory inhibition from cough suppressants; and upset stomach,

>sleepiness, headache, and rash from expectorants.

>

>Those who evaluate issues of herb safety for governmental agencies

>appear to have little or no training in herbal pharmacology,

>pharmacognosy, or the clinical practice of herbal medicine, yet they

>wield the hammer of scientific authority to condemn it. The formula

>Chest Relief has not provoked a single complaint or report of an adverse

>reaction – neither is it compromised by a litany of possible side

>effects like those listed for OTC respiratory medicines. Based on the

>evidence, or lack thereof, it appears that Chest Relief is being

>inappropriately banned.

>

>We have limited power to modify the restrictive policies of regulatory

>agencies, so we must comply with their decrees. But to allow ourselves,

>through fears, to accept alarmist distortions, unsubstantiated

>allegations, and misinformation published by those agencies is a fatal

>error.

>

>It is our duty as Chinese medicine professionals to become articulate,

>knowledgeable, and skillful advocates for our own medicine. This means

>that in addition to educating ourselves and our patients, we must reach

>out to the public and health care community through concerted and

>persistent efforts or provide the best information possible. We must

>support, initiate, and evaluate bone fide efforts to investigate and

>illuminate the safety and effectiveness of Chinese medicine through

>laboratory and clinical studies. While waiting for data, it is

>imperative that we learn to respond quickly and aggressively to negative

>reporting, overcoming defensiveness and gloomy resignation, We must

>believe in ourselves along with the evidence, all the more so when

>others doubt us.

>

>Respectfully,

>

>Efrem Korngold, L.Ac., OMD

>Harriet Beinfield, L.Ac.

>

>*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

>Want to learn more about Chinese herbs?

>For our FREE newsletter, or info about our self-paced

>home-study course visit http://www.herbdocs.com

>To join our discussion group, send a blank e-mail to

>discusschineseherbs-

>*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^

>

>

>

>To Post a message, send it to: discusschineseherbs (AT) eGroups (DOT) com

>

>To Un, send a blank message to:

>discusschineseherbs- (AT) eGroups (DOT) com

>

>