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Jing is the Chinese word for “essence”. Jing is the primordial energy that is stored in the kidneys. Along with Qi and Shen, it is considered one of the Three Treasures. Qi is the day-to-day energy that enlivens and animates the body. Shen is our spirit, which resides in our heart and can be seen as the light in someone’s eyes. We are said to be born with a set amount of Jing (pre-natal Jing) which comes from our ancestors. Jing determines our constitution, strength, and vitality. We can also acquire Jing from food and various activities (exercise, study, meditation).

Jing is like our reserve battery and it can be consumed through the ordinary process of living. Ongoing stress, illness, substance abuse, and sexual overindulgence, all can deplete Jing essence. The way to conserve Prenatal Jing is by striving for balance in all life activities. Balance meaning moderation in diet, work/rest, sexual activity. Irregularity or excess in these areas wastes Prenatal Jing. At the end of the day, when you run out of Jing, you run out of life, so it’s important that we learn to conserve and replenish this vital energy.

Jing is considered fundamental for longevity in traditional Chinese medicine. Many disciplines including qigong and Tai Chi are devoted to the replenishing “lost” Jing by restoring post-natal Jing. Additionally, and perhaps more conveniently, one can also take herbs and certain foods to help replenish Jing essence.

There are two ways a person can become deficient in Jing. In Chinese medicine the person is either born with sub-optimal Jing or else the body became Jing deficient through illness, ongoing stress, or major Type A behavior. Jing is a very precious substance, and it should be guarded and not wasted. Deficiency of Kidney Jing can result in problems such as impotence, chronic lower back pain, weak knees, tinnitus, urinary incontinence, deafness, loose teeth, etc.

The state of Kidney Essence also influences our strength and resistance. If the Essence is “wasted” or poorly stored, a person may have lowered immunity to outside pathogens and constantly be unwell with a cold, influenza, allergies, etc. Tonifying Jing in Chinese medicine is a long term strategy due to the need for deeply nourishing the body.

The way to conserve Prenatal Jing is by striving for balance in all life activities. Balance meaning moderation in diet, work/rest, sexual activity. Irregularity or excess in these areas wastes Prenatal Jing.

Certain Chinese herbs have been used for thousands of years as remedies for weak JIng, to help rebuild and replenish this all-important energy of one’s vital essence. Among the best known Jing herbs are: Cordyceps, He Shou Wu, Ginseng, Eucommia, Cistanche and others. One of the very best herbs for building Jing that is growing in popularity is Deer Antler extract. Taking these herbs regularly can make a significant difference in your life, particularly if you are affected by the loss of Jing from your lifestyle.

Today, many people believe that herbal medicines are safe and effective for health. In addition, many of them also believe in several impractical myths relating to herbs. However, you need to know that herbal products are not necessarily safe and effective just because they are natural. Accordingly, in this article, I want to discuss why people still have misconceptions, and why use of herbal medicines could be harmful to you.

What is Herbal Medicine?

Herbal medicine can be described as the medical knowledge practice that uses herb or herb extracts for therapeutic purposes. This medical practice is also known as “traditional medicine”, “botanical medicine”, “phytomedicine” and “natural medicine”. In addition, this medical practice is the oldest but most widely used in all cultures and societies.

Why People Still Have Misconceptions About Herbal Medicines?

One of the main reasons is that still there are many believers in herb myths, and most of these people have a common misconception that herbs are natural ingredients, not drugs. In addition, as these medicines are prepared from herbs or herbal extracts, many of them also believe that they possess magical therapeutic properties with no side effects. However, you need to know that not just some myths, several other reasons are also playing a large part for creating these misconceptions. Poor regulatory administration, limited scientific studies, availability as over the counter (OTC) products in pharmacies and huge advertising from marketers as natural with no adverse effects are the major reasons for developing these misconceptions.

Why Use of Herbal Medicine Could Be Harmful to You?

If you are thinking of taking herbal medicines, it is necessary for you to know that these products can cause risky and serious adverse reactions to the user’s body. According to a published article of World Health Organization (WHO), herbal product or supplement could be risky and dangerous, if it is administered inappropriately, or in combination with other medicines or the therapy or product lacks desired quality. In addition, according to several studies, many of these medicinal products can cause dangerous drug-drug interactions with modern allopathic medicines as well as with other herbal remedies. Further, these herb-drug interactions could alter the efficacy and bioavailability of the prescribed medications.

Moreover, you need to know that, with only a few exceptions, most of these medicines are not experimented for safety, efficiency and effectiveness through clinical trials or studies. As a result, many researchers said that these medicines could cause serious health hazards. In addition, according to the scientific and medical community, these medicines may danger the life or well-being of the consumer when administered instead of allopathic medicines.

In conclusion, you need to know that WHO recommends consulting with physicians before taking herbal medicines. Because, you need to make sure that the medicine or herb you are taking into consideration is safe for use, or will not cause any side effects and is safe to use in combination with other allopathic drugs.

Acne responds well to Herbal Medicine and is comparatively easy to treat.

To get proper treatment you are going to have to visit a Medical Herbalist because there are quite a few combinations of herbs that may be suitable for any one individual, but this article will give you a general idea of what needs to be done for acne sufferers.

Basically it is an internal cleansing job, possibly some hormone balancing, and dietary advice

As usual I’ll start with the dietary advice:

* No sugary foods

* No fizzy drinks

* Eat a balanced diet containing, meat, veg, some carbohydrates, and some fruit.

* However there are fruits which are very acidic and need to be avoided and these are: oranges, tomatoes, apples and plums.

* Yogurt 2-3 times a week is ok and cheese no more than twice a week is ok.

* Drink at least two pints of water a day and keep tea and coffee intake to no more than three a day (of both not each).

I think it would be most interesting for you if I give you a typical tincture mix I would make up for an Acne sufferer and talk you through the whys and wherefores.

Herbal Medicine

Burdock: – liver and gall bladder cleansing and makes sure the digestive system is working efficiently and eliminating waste products. To add to this it also has lymphatic system cleansing properties, is antibacterial, and is an adaptogen and alternative. The last two properties mean it helps body tissue to adapt back to normal.

Echinacea: – this is antibacterial and anti-inflammatory as well as being an excellent lymphatic system cleanser. The lymphatic system removes all the waste from cells and ensures no bacteria are floating around.

Red Clover has traditionally been used as a skin cleanser which it does via the lymphatic system. It is also an alternative which means it helps restore body tissue to normality.

Heartsease is anti-inflammatory and again an alternative

Celery seed, I use a lot as it is such a good urinary system cleanser. I put it into all mixes where general body cleansing is necessary.

That gives you an idea of the aim of an herbal mixture for Acne sufferers. I have left out the hormonal bit as that depends on whether you are male or female.

Having traveled to India after graduating with my Masters degree in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine and becoming a newly licensed acupuncturist in Boston, I know enough about Indian food to get me in trouble. I can still smell the fragrant dishes I ate while I was there and remember being amazed at the different textures and colors that were present in many of the dishes. One of the more unique colors in Indian cuisine is orange and a key ingredient of these dishes is the spice turmeric. But did you know that it is an important herb in Chinese herbal medicine as well? Recent press on the use of turmeric has focused on its anti-inflammatory properties. Let’s take a closer look at this common kitchen spice.

Turmeric is called Jiang Huang in Chinese herbal medicine. It is bitter, warming and has an acrid nature to it. Bitter and acrid substances are very effective Qi and Blood movers. When Qi or Blood becomes stagnant, pain arises, hence the anti-inflammatory nature of turmeric root. It travels most often to the Stomach, Spleen, and Liver organs. The Stomach and Spleen are the organs most involved in digestion of food which explains turmeric’s use as a treatment for ulcerative colitis and indigestion. The Liver is involved in the free flow of Qi through the body and when boosted by the actions of turmeric, could work more effectively at relieving the stagnation that causes pain.

Western scientific research focuses on the active ingredient of turmeric, curcumin, a powerful anti-oxidant which has been shown to lower levels of inflammatory enzymes and inhibit platelet aggregation in the body. It is a popular supplement added to joint health remedies and anti-oxidant supplements. Besides joint health, turmeric can treat systemic inflammation found in inflammatory bowel disease. Research on the ability of the herb to maintain remission in patients with ulcerative colitis that were also taking conventional medications showed that only 5% of the patients taking curcumin relapsed versus 21% in the placebo group suggesting it may be an effective supplement for the treatment of this condition. Early research using test tube and animal experiments has shown that curcumin may even be effective in preventing or treating different types of cancers. As always it is important to discuss any herbal supplement with your doctor before taking it as some interactions can occur. In particular, due to curcumin’s platelet inhibiting properties, it may be unsafe for patients taking blood thinning medication.

Turmeric is considered food safe and has been utilized in cuisine around the world for thousands of years. It is a very tasty spice and is great in eggs, soups, stews, and curries. Of course, while you enjoy your next Indian curry dish, it is also nice to know that you might be easing your pain a little bit as well.

Oral administration of the medium in which G. lucidum mycelia were grown (but not the mycelia alone) had marked beneficial effects, as assessed by lower serum AST and ALT activities at 96 hours postinjury. No decrease was seen in the actual damage caused, as transaminase activities at 24 hours were not different from levels in control animals, implying that the mycelium medium may have promoted recovery in some way. The release of a hepatoprotective component from G. lucidum mycelium was also reported by Song et al. (1998). In this study, an extracellular peptidoglycan (a polysaccharide/amino acid complex named WK-003) produced during mycelium fermentation was administered orally to rats for 4 days prior to CCl4 intoxication.

The increase in serum ALT levels was significantly decreased (by 70%; P < .01) at 24 hours postinjury compared with untreated, intoxicated rats. The AST levels decreased by 27%; however, this was not statistically significant. These studies of a possible mycelial product with hepatoprotective activity being extruded into the culture medium are of interest because the mycelia of G. lucidum are much easier and less costly to cultivate than the fruit body. Polysaccharides extracted from G. lucidum and given orally to rats for 28 days were found to ameliorate cirrhosis induced by biliary ligation. In addition, collagen (measured by hydroxyproline) content in the rat liver was lowered and improved liver morphology was found in comparison with control animals. The treatment significantly decreased ligation-induced increases in serum biochemical markers of liver damage (AST, ALT, ALP, and total bilirubin). Similar results were noticed in a study conducted by Wu, Fang, and Lin (2010) in which a decrease in hepatic hydroxyproline content and an improved liver histology were found in mice. In this study, liver fibrosis was induced by the administration of thioacetamide (TAA) for 12 weeks, which was followed by 4 weeks of treatment with G. lucidum extract (0.5 and 1.0 g/kg/day, per oral administration).

The RT-QPCR analysis showed the extract treatment decreased mRNA expression of collagen (α1), smooth muscle α actin, and the enzymes metalloproteinase-1 and metalloproteinase-13. In addition, the TAA-induced decrease in total collagenase activity was reversed by the extract treatment, indicating that G. lucidum protection against injury may be related to the enhancement of collagenase activity. Apart from its effects on chemical-induced liver injury, the effects of lingzhi on gastric injury have also been investigated. Gastric ulcers were induced in rats by acetic acid (Gao, Tang et al. 2004), and treatment with GL-PS fractions of 0.5 and 1.0 g/kg for 14 days significantly accelerated the ulcer healing by 40% and 56%, respectively. Treatment with 1.0 g/kg extract significantly restored mucus and prostaglandin levels compared with the control group.

Hot water and water–ether extracts of the fruit body of G. lucidum were found to have a potent hepatoprotective effect on liver injury induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) given orally and intraperitoneally to rats. The measured markers for liver injury included aspartate and alanine transaminases (AST and ALT) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). One active compound of the extract was separated and identified as ganoderenic acid A. This was found to have a potent inhibitory effect on β-glucuronidase, and the authors suggest that this inhibitory effect may have mediated the hepatoprotection seen when this isolated compound was given. Protection was also reported in a study in which a hot water extract of G. lucidum was given orally to mice 30 minutes before administration of ethanol. The extract was found to have an inhibitory effect against the formation of malondialdehyde (MDA), a degradation product of lipid peroxides, in mouse liver and renal homogenate, with evidence of a dose response seen.

The MDA effect was also reported by Shi et al. (2008) when the extract was given orally to mice (at 60, 120, and 180 mg/kg/day) for 2 weeks prior to treatment with D-galactosamine, which induced hepatic injury. In addition, pretreatment with G. lucidum maintained normal values of AST, ALT, SOD, and GSH. Alcohol and CCl4 toxicity is associated with increased oxidative stress and free-radical-associated injury. Therefore, hepatoprotection may also be mediated by the radical-scavenging properties of G. lucidum. Lin et al. (1995) reported that hot water extracts of G. lucidum showed significant radical-scavenging activity against both superoxide and hydroxyl radicals. Further, G. lucidum methanolic extract was reported to show hepatic protection. The extract was given orally to rats (500 mg/kg/day) for 30 days before hepatic damage was caused by benzo(a) pyrene. The extract prevented the increase of serum AST, ALT, and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activities that result from benzo(a)pyrene challenge, and enhanced the levels of GSH, SOD, GpX, CAT, and glutathione S-transferase (GST). Protection of liver injury induced by CCl4 was also observed in mice treated with ganoderic acid (from G. lucidum) at 10 mg and 30 mg/kg/day given by intravenous injection for 7 days. The medium in which G. lucidum was grown was also proved to have liver-protective effects in an animal study of CCl4- induced liver damage.

Components of G. lucidum have been proved to have a hypoglycemic effect in animals. The administration of ganoderans A and B (dose of 100 mg/kg), two polysaccharides isolated from fruitbody water extracts, by i.p. injection to normal and alloxan-induced diabetic mice significantly decreased (by up to 50%) the plasma glucose concentrations, and the hypoglycemic effect was still evident after 24 hours. Using a mouse model, ganoderan B was also reported to increase plasma insulin, decrease hepatic glycogen content, and modulate the activity of glucosemetabolizing enzymes in the liver. The same group reported that a third polysaccharide (ganoderan C) isolated from G. lucidum also showed significant hypoglycemic effects in mice, and that ganoderan B increased plasma insulin levels in both normal and glucose-loaded mice. In a more recent study, oral administration of G. lucidum hot water extract (0.03 and 0.3 g/kg BW) for 4 weeks was found to lower the serum glucose levels in obese/diabetic (+db/+db) mice, with effects seen after the first week of treatment.

However, the glucose levels were still higher in these animals than in the control animals, and insulin levels were not altered. The extract markedly reduced levels of phosphoenol-pyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK), which are usually high in obese/diabetic mice. The suggested mechanism, according to the authors, is that of lowering the serum glucose levels through suppression of the hepatic PEPCK gene expression. In another study, a polysaccharides-rich extract showed beneficial effects in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. The diabetic rats were treated with G. lucidum for 30 days.

Following the treatment, serum insulin levels increased (compared with the nontreated diabetic group) and glucose levels decreased in a dose-dependent way. Treatment with streptozotocin also elevated levels of lipid peroxidation markers (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances [TBARS]), lipid hydroperoxides, and conjugated dienes); decreased levels of nonenzymic antioxidants (vitamin C, reduced glutathione [GSH] vitamin E); and decreased activities of the antioxidant enzymes, SOD, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase (Gpx). Following treatment with GL-PSs, levels of nonenzymic and enzymic antioxidants increased and lipid peroxidation levels decreased. Therefore, in addition to its glycemic modulation, treatment with G. lucidum helped to decrease oxidative stress. In one study reported in the literature, 71 adult patients with confirmed type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) were supplemented with Ganopoly (polysaccharide fractions extracted from G. lucidum). The patients received either Ganopoly or placebo orally at 1800 mg, three times daily for 12 weeks. Glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1C) and plasma glucose decreased significantly after 12 weeks, indicating a hypoglycemic effect of the extract. Overall, the data from different studies suggest that G. lucidum intake helps in modulating blood glucose levels. However, the studies were performed mostly in animals. More support from well-planned human clinical studies is needed with and without combination with conventional medicines.

Some small studies in human patients have also reported beneficial effects of lingzhi intake. A dried hot water extract of G. lucidum taken orally (equivalent to 36 or 72 g of dried mushroom per day) was used as the sole treatment for postherpetic (varicella zoster virus) neuralgia in 4 elderly patients. This treatment was reported to dramatically decrease pain and promote the healing of lesions, without any toxicity even at very high doses. In another study, a mixture of G. lucidum with other herbs improved recovery time in patients with herpes genitalis and herpes labiallis. For evaluating the antibacterial effects of the mushroom, several in vitro and in vivo animal studies using G. lucidum were performed. Mice injected with G. lucidum extract (2 mg/mouse) 1 day prior to injection with Escherichia coli showed markedly improved survival rates (>80% compared to 33% in controls). In an in vitro study that used the disk assay, a chloroform extract of G. lucidum was investigated for its antibacterial effect on gram-positive bacteria (Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis) and gram-negative bacteria (E. coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa).

Results showed that the extract had growth-inhibitory effects on two of the gram-positive bacteria with a minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 8 mg/mL for S. aureus and B. subtilis. In another in vitro study, the direct antimicrobial effect of a G. lucidum water extract was examined against 15 species of bacteria alone and in combination with 4 kinds of antibiotics. G. lucidum was found to be more effective than antibiotics against E. coli, Micrococcus luteus, S. aureus, B. cereus, Proteus vulgaris, and Salmonella typhi, but less effective against other species tested. The antimicrobial combination of G. lucidum with four commonly used antibiotics resulted in an additive or synergistic effect in most, but not all, instances, with apparent antagonism against cefazolin and ampicillin effects on P. vulgaris. To date, the antimicrobial components of the tested crude extracts have not been identified, although antimicrobial polysaccharides have been identified in other fungi and plant terpenes have been reported to have antimicrobial activity. In addition, the bioavailability of putative antimicrobial components of G. lucidum has not been established. Nonetheless, G. lucidum offers a potentially effective therapy. There is also the implication that combination therapy may be more safe and cost effective, as lower amounts of cytotoxic antiviral and antibacterial drugs could be used with a concomitant decrease in the risk of side effects. However, this needs further investigation in terms of in vitro studies and well-designed clinical trials.

The goal of research in the treatment of viral and bacterial infections is the discovery of agents that specifically inhibit viral and bacterial multiplication without affecting normal cells. The undesired side effects of antibiotics and antivirals and the appearance of resistant and mutant strains make the development of new agents an urgent requirement. This has led researchers to investigate the antibacterial and antiviral activity of medicinal plants and fungi. Isolation of various water- and methanol-soluble, high-molecular-weight PBPs from G. lucidum showed inhibitory effects on herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2), and vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) New Jersey strain in a tissue culture system. Using the plaque reduction method, a significant inhibitory effect was seen at doses that showed no cytotoxicity.

In addition, there was a marked synergistic effect when PBP from G. lucidum was used in tissue culture in conjunction with antiherpetic agents, acyclovir or vidarabine, and with IFN-α. Similar results were shown in HSV-1 and HSV-2 with a GLPG isolated from the mycelia of G. lucidum. The cells were treated before, during, and after infection, and viral titer in the supernatant of cell culture 48 hours postinfection was determined. The antiviral effects of the GLPG were more remarkable before viral treatment than after treatment. Although the mechanism was not defined, the authors concluded that GLPG inhibits viral replication by interfering with early events of viral adsorption.

Some triterpenes from G. lucidum have also been reported to have an inhibitory effect against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 protease activity, with IC50 values ranging from 20 to more than 1000 μM; however, not all of the examined triterpenes showed anti-HIV activity. In another study, a ganoderic acid isolated from G. lucidum showed inhibitory effects on the replication of hepatitis B virus (HBV) in HepG2215 cells (HepG2- HBV-producing cell line) over 8 days. Production of HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) and HBV e antigen (HBeAg) were, respectively, 20% and 44% of controls without ganoderic acid treatment.

Agents that enhance the functioning of the host immune system could be expected to enhance health in terms of improved resistance and, thus, removal of malignant or premalignant cells. Many G. lucidum products on the market are labeled or promoted as immunomodulating agents. There is considerable evidence to support the immunostimulating activities of G. lucidum via induction of cytokines and enhancement of immunological effector. Different components from G. lucidum were proved to enhance the proliferation and maturation of T and B lymphocytes, splenic mononuclear cells, NK cells, and dendritic cells in culture in vitro and in animal studies in vivo. In normal BALB/c mice, a polysaccharide-rich extract of G. lucidum promoted the proliferation of splenocytes and enhanced the activities of macrophages and NK cells, which resulted in the increase of IL-6 and IFN-γ.

Although a commercial G. lucidum extract did not stimulate proliferation of lymphocytes, it activated the gene expression of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α. A polysaccharide fraction (F3) was shown to enhance both adaptive and innate immunities by triggering the production of cytokines IL-1, IL-6, IL-12, IFN-γ, TNF-α, and colony stimulating factors (CSFs) from mouse splenocytes. It was reported also that TNF-α and IL-6 production were stimulated in human and murine macrophages by G. lucidum mycelia. This effect might be due to increased synthesis of nitric oxide (NO) induced by β-D-glucan. These polysaccharides were also found to be highly suppressive to tumor cell proliferation in vivo while enhancing the host’s immune response.

Wang et al. (1997) found that a polysaccharide-enriched fraction from G. lucidum activated cultured macrophages and T lymphocytes in vitro, which led to an increase of IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-6 in the culture medium. In another study, incubation of macrophages and T lymphocytes with a polysaccharide resulted in an increase in TNF-α and INF-γ levels in the culture medium. This “conditioned” culture medium was found to inhibit cell growth and induce apoptosis in sarcoma 180 and HL-60 cells. Furthermore, serum-incorporated treatment with a polysaccharide peptide fraction from G. lucidum markedly inhibited the proliferation of human lung carcinoma (PG) cells, whereas the pure fraction by itself did not induce similar effects (Cao and Lin 2004). In addition to polysaccharides, a lanostane triterpenoid, ganoderic acid Me, inhibited tumor growth and metastasis of Lewis lung carcinoma in “T helper 1 responder” C57BL/6 mice by enhancing immune function in terms of IL-2 and IFN-γ expression and NK cell activity (Wang et al. 2007). Zhu and Lin (2006) used cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cells to investigate the interaction between GL-PSs and cytokines, which mediated cell proliferation and antitumor activity. The cytotoxicity of CIK cells was correlated well with the expression of perforin and granzyme B induced by IL-2 and anti-CD3.

Results indicated that GL-PSs enhance IL-2 and TNF-α production as well as protein and messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) expression of granzyme B and perforin in CIK cells culture, and thus decrease the doses of IL-2 and anti-CD3 without affecting the killing effects on NK-resistant mouse P815 mastocytoma cells and NK-sensitive mouse YAC-1 lymphoma cells.