new study

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I have the complete article which was sent to me by an allergist friend of

my father's. The formula was

 

di huang (probably sheng di, latin lists only rehmannia glutinosa)

huang qin

huang jing

bai guo

yin yang huo

bu gu zhi

wu wei zi

wu mei

fang feng

bai zhi

huang qi

 

the authors made of point of noting that they used a potent 10:1 extract

that delivered the equivalent of 46 g per day if taken in tea.

 

this formula supplements qi and yang, astringes the lung qi, releases the

exterior and clears lung heat. the inclusion of huang qi and fang feng

makes one think of yu ping feng san. it is quite supplementing a formula,

which suggests the researchers were concerned about the chronicity of the

illness in these patients. a good reminder than one can safely supplement

and even strongly so, in patients with recurring nasal congestion.

 

Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 2002 May;88(5):478-87 Related Articles, Books,

LinkOut

 

The Chinese herbal formulation biminne in management of perennial allergic

rhinitis: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 12-week clinical

trial.

Hu G, Walls RS, Bass D, Ramon B, Grayson D, Jones M, Gebski V.

Department of Medicine, University of Sydney, Australia.

BACKGROUND: Herbal therapies have been widely used in allergic rhinitis

(AR), but none have been shown to be effective in controlled scientific

clinical trials. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to test the effects

of the Chinese herbal formulation Biminne in patients with moderate to

severe perennial AR. METHODS: In a randomized, double-blind,

placebo-controlled clinical trial, 58 patients were randomized to receive

either Biminne capsules (n = 26) or placebo (n = 32) in doses of five

capsules twice a day for 12 weeks. Main outcomes were measured by changes

in symptom diaries, quality of life scores, patients' evaluations of

improvement on visual analog scores, and physicians' overall evaluation.

Total serum immunoglobulin E was measured in all patients without

knowledge of which group they were in. After 1 year we performed a

randomized, double-blind, dose-response study in 22 patients who had

previously received placebo. RESULTS: The trial outcomes evaluated by four

instruments showed a statistically significant improvement in some of the

symptoms of AR, whereas others exhibited a positive trend that did not

reach statistical significance. Followup 1 year after completion of the

trial suggested that benefit of the treatment persisted. A pilot

dose-response study showed both half and full strengths were effective.

Total serum immunoglobulin E was reduced after the herbal treatment.

CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest the Biminne formulation is effective in

treatment of perennial AR. Its mode of action is unknown.

 

 

 

Chinese Herbs

 

 

" Great spirits have always been violently opposed by mediocre minds " --

Albert Einstein