Posts tagged 'Herbs'

Fakes, reconditioned and counterfeit herbs. Take a look into the shadier side of herb sourcing and learn what you can do to avoid it. Chinese herbs are commodities, and traded in the billions of dollars.In 2016, the value of Chinese herbs traded totaled US$6.3 billion, of which US$2.3 billion was exported. China itself uses a staggering US$4 billion dollars’ worth of herbs each year.

The concept of an herbal adaptogen is a relatively recent one and its origin dates back to 1947 to a Soviet scientist, Nikolai Lazarev. Lazarev was searching for substances that would improve human health and performance over the long-term, without causing dependence or negative effects.

Recently, one of our staff who is a homebrewer, and another who is our chief herbalist collaborated on a brewing experiment using Chinese herbs. After much discussion and some decoction sampling, we decided on a 3-ingredient simple Qi & Yin tonic formula. Sheng Mai San seemed appropriate both for its tonifying action and because we hoped would give the beer a lovely rose color from the Wu Wei Zi.

The first known mention of herbal tonic wine is from the Wu Shi Er Bing Fang (Prescriptions for 52 Ailments), which was unearthed at Ma Wang Dui tomb, an archaeological site located in Changsha, China. It is believed to have been written around 200 BC, although the prescriptions are thought to be much older.

Traditional Chinese medicine gynecologists have known for thousands of years that regulating the menstrual cycle promotes fertility. Modern practitioners have begun to incorporate the knowledge we have of the biological stages of the menstrual cycle to focus on specific fertility issues and increase effectiveness.

Moxa is an excellent way to deeply warm the body, more important now, as we head into fall and winter. In fact, between the change of seasons, there is a two to four week period referred to as “Moxa Season.” During this interval, it is said that the “Life Gate is open.” 

Many practitioners wonder what the differences are between these two very popular formulas to prevent and treat common wind-heat invasion. One main difference is that Yin Qiao is exclusively for wind-heat invasion, whereas Gan Mao Ling, likely due to its ability to strengthen the immune system, can also be used for the initial stages of wind-cold. Therefore, Gan Mao Ling may be safely taken by a patient before a determination is made as to the etiology of an early stage wind invasion, as well as for short term prevention of a wind invasion. However, if Gan Mao Ling does not work in the first couple of days...

Autumn is the season of metal, and pertains to the Lung and Large Intestine organs. It is the season of dryness in Chinese medicine, and as we have experienced here in California, it is also the season of wildfires. With colder weather coming, burning leaves and smoking chimneys can cause patients across the country to react to the change in air quality.

On June 22, fifty-foot tall red banners celebrated the transition to next level teapill manufacturing in Lanzhou. Lanzhou Foci, the maker of Min Shan® and most of our Plum Flower® teapills, reached another milestone in its nearly 90-year storied history, opening a state of the art production facility which will increase teapill quality.

The primary pathological triad is three patterns of pathology that frequently occur simultaneously, are tightly interlinked and mutually engendering. The triad comprises Spleen yang qi deficiency, Liver qi stagnation, and Heat of some type, usually Damp Heat or Heat derived from constrained qi. In addition to the basic triad of pathology, there may be further complication by Blood and/or yin deficiency, Blood stagnation, shen disturbances, and Phlegm.

Cozy teas made with Pang Da Hai seeds and raw honey are a simple way to support your lungs and respiratory system. Pang Da Hai seeds open the Lungs and simultaneously clear phlegm and protect Lung fluids.

This delicious sauce is a great twist on the old Thanksgiving favorite. Shan Zha/Hawthorn fruit blends well with cranberries both in color and in taste, and is a great addition to prevent potential food stagnation arising from the heavy meal. Shan Zha’s strong ability to resolve food stagnation will enable your guests to more easily digest the big Thanksgiving meal and be ready for dessert!

One of the common questions to our consultants from clinicians is regarding the recommended dosages for our extract powder formulas and single herbs. What is the extract powder dosage equivalent of single herb compared to a raw herb (or formula)?

A light yet earthy soup for nourishing and moistening the Lungs as the seasons change, Bei Sha Shen (glehniae root) combines here with Yu Zhu (Solomon’s seal root) and Bai Mu Er (tremella fungus) to support both Lung and Stomach Yin.

Just outside of Olympia, WA Colleen Hayes is growing some crops that may seem unusual to some. She started growing Chinese and other Asian medicinal herbs 5 years ago after wondering where the herbs her acupuncturist gave her came from. She has trialed over 35 species and is now growing larger quantities of herbs like Ju Hua, Hong Hua and ashwaganda. Mayway asked her some questions about what it’s like to grow and process Chinese herbs here in the US.