Combat Colds and Flu with Chinese Herbs

WHAT ARE COLD AND FLU?
The common cold is an acute viral infection that generally causes inflammation of the upper respiratory tract. It is the most common infectious disease in humans and accounts for more time lost from work or school than any other disease. Flu is an acute and contagious infection of the respiratory tract caused by various strains of the influenza virus. Cold and Flu symptoms include runny nose, cough, chills, headache, fever, and severe aching in the muscles and joints. Although flu affects all age groups, schoolchildren have the highest incidence. Although colds and flu are generally of brief duration, they can lead to complications in the very young, the elderly, and those with chronic diseases or compromised immune systems.

ARE YOU TREATING SYMPTOMS OR THE CAUSE?
Because both cold and flu are viral infections, conventional medicine has no cure for them. Antibiotics do NOT cure colds or flu. Aspirin, decongestants and other medications are prescribed to make patients more comfortable and vaccinations are manufactured to prevent some strains of flu.

“In years when the vaccine strains are not well matched to circulating strains, vaccine effectiveness is generally lower.” If your immune system is already compromised, vaccine effectiveness is generally lower. If you have an influenza-like-illness, vaccine effectiveness is generally lower.[1]

Whether you use any of the above remedies or not, bed rest and increased fluid intake are necessary for your body to recover.

Use of herbal formulas to prevent and treat colds and flu is the most successful aspect of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Chinese herbs boost immune response to eliminate viruses faster. Some herbs inhibit viral reproduction and/or relieve symptoms, making a serious infection less debilitating and less disruptive to your lifestyle.

At my clinic, Point-A Place Of Wellness, I see demand for cold and flu formulas, especially among school teachers and parents of young children because of constant exposure to viruses and risk of infection. My patients are pleased by the effectiveness of Chinese herbal formulas and referring their friends.

NOT ONE-SIZE FITS ALL
In TCM, patterns are differentiated according to the imbalances of the body and the causes and stages of the disease. The same virus can manifest differently depending on the patient’s general health. Herbal formulas are recommended by practitioners based on not only the illness type but patient type. This article lists some basic formulas to keep on hand for a well-stocked medicine cabinet but if your symptoms change or increase in severity, contact your local Chinese medicine practitioner.

Wind-Cold Pattern symptoms include: aversion to cold; mild fever; absence of sweat; chest congestion; sneezing; runny nose (clear mucus); itching throat or cough (clear mucus); thin, white tongue coating; and a tight pulse.

• Dispel Invasion is for cold or flu manifested as Wind-Cold Pattern. It can also benefit air-conditioning induced cold symptoms.
  
• Blue Green Lung Clearing Formula also known as Xiao Qing Long Tang is for when the mucus is more excessive and there is tightness in the chest. It can relieve asthma, pneumonia and allergy symptoms.

Wind-Heat Pattern symptoms include: fever; headache; sweating; runny nose (yellow mucus); dry mouth; thirst; sore throat; productive cough (thick yellowish phlegm); thin, yellow tongue coating; and a floating and rapid pulse. Swine flu is a Wind-Heat condition.

• Initial Defense is the most popular herbal formula to treat the Wind-Heat pattern. It combines two traditional formulas: Yin Qiao San and Sang Ju Yin.
  
• Gan Mao Ling and Zhong Gan Ling are similar in function to Initial Defense but are indicated for more severe conditions such as sudden high fever, swollen lymph nodes, and aching limbs.
  

According to Beijing health authorities, TCM has been more effective (and less expensive) than the antiviral drug Tamiflu in curing human infections of swine flu.

“Wang Yuguang , Deputy Dean of the Centre of Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine at Beijing's Ditan Hospital, which specializes in the treatment of infectious diseases, said swine flu patients treated with traditional Chinese medicine improved faster and tended to stay in hospital for a shorter time than patients using Tamiflu… Traditional medicine considers such factors as the level of virus infection, the condition of the body, age, season and climate. Treatment can be adjusted in the dose and types of herbs. Such personalised treatment seldom caused drug resistance, as Tamiflu could, Dr Wang said.”[2]

PREVENTION IS THE KEY
While there are many ways to reduce risk of infection[3] like washing your hands and getting plenty of rest and taking nutritional supplements like Vitamin D[4], here are three additional formulas that can be used as preventatives or treatment if you are concerned about high susceptibility to influenza because of past experience or other risk factors.

Immunity refers to the harmonic interaction of the body's processes, substances, and structural components to create strength, stamina, and adaptability. To bolster immunity is ultimately to strengthen your body as a whole.

• If you are prone to “head colds” or congestion, Head Clear formula supports immune function to efficiently eliminate congestion from the head, sinus, eyes and ears. Chronic congestion can escalate infection of the respiratory system.
  
• If you have a compromised immune system because of chemo, radiation, or an autoimmune disorder (Lupus, MS, HIV), Resilience has different Fungi which contain polysaccharides that exert an activating, corrective influence upon both cellular (macrophages and T-cells) and humoral (antibodies) aspects of the immune system.
  
• Another formula for compromised immune systems, Jade Windscreen, functions much the way Resilience does except it is formulated with herbs instead of mushrooms.

Acupuncture and Chinese herbs restore and maintain optimal health. If you have any imbalance in the body, the various systems will not function properly. Chinese herbs are used to correct the imbalance and restore energy, promote digestion, heal injuries, and enhance general wellness. Consult your local Chinese medicine practitioner to determine the best formulas for your lifestyle.

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Resources:

1. http://www.cdc.gov/FLU/PROFESSIONALS/VACCINATION/effectivenessqa.htm. “Flu Vaccine Effectiveness: Questions and Answers for Health Professionals” Centers for Disease Control
2. http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-05/03/content_11302597.htm “Beijing Ditan Hospital on service to treat influenza A/H1NI” China View (Xinhua News Agency)
3. http://aplaceofwellness.blogspot.com/2009/04/flu-prevention-treatment-swine-or.html
4. http://www.achs.edu/news/news-detail.aspx?nid=189 “American College of Healthcare Sciences “News and Events” Scott Stuart, ACHS Faculty

Eliminate Corn Syrup From Your Diet

In 1970, zero pounds of high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) existed in the United States food chain. By 2008, about 68 pounds of HFCS were consumed per American per year. The cheapest ingredients in the American food chain (profit sector) are air, water, salt and HFCS. HFCS is cheaper due to a combination of corn subsidies and sugar tariffs. Corn, and usually highly processed corn, has become a staple ingredient of the American diet.

In 2006, America imported 80% less sugar than thirty years earlier. The government guarantees producers a fixed price for domestic sugar and sets strict quotas and tariffs for foreign sugar keeping sugar prices in the U.S. at least twice as high as the world average.

HFCS, which is made from cornstarch, is now used to sweeten: Soft drinks (including some sports drinks), fruit juices, baked goods, canned fruits, dairy products, cookies, gum, jams, and jellies.

So what makes corn syrup such an unhealthy fat-promoting product?

Fructose is Metabolized to Fat
Fructose converts to fat more than any other sugar. Research shows that fructose caused a general increase in both total serum cholesterol and in low density lipoproteins (LDL a.k.a "Bad cholesterol"), putting a person at risk for heart disease. Fructos raises serum triglycerides significantly.

Increases Diabetes and Obesity
Fructose is metabolized by the liver so it does not cause the pancreas to release insulin the way it normally does with glucose. Fructose reduces the affinity of insulin for it receptor, the principle characteristic of Type 2 Diabetes.

Contrary to popular belief, corn is a grain, not a vegetable, and is definitely not fit as a dietary staple and mainstay, primarily because of its high sugar content.

If you eat a diet that is high in sugar and grains, the sugar gets metabolized to fat (and is stored as fat). This releases surges in leptin, a hormone involved in appetite regulation. Over time, your body becomes resistant to leptin much the way it can become resistant to insulin.

When you become leptin-resistant, your body can no longer "hear" the messages telling it to stop eating, burn fat, or maintain sensitivity to sweet tastes in your taste buds. When you lose this ability, you remain hungry, crave sweets, and your body stores MORE fat.

Fructose has NO Enzymes, Vitamins, or Minerals
In fact, fructose leeches micronutrients from the body. Unbound fructose, found in large quantities in HFCS, can interfere with the heart's use of minerals. Fructose may alter the magnesium balance in the body, accelerating bone loss. Natural fructose in fresh fruit is not a problem because fresh fruit contain enzymes, vitamins, and minerals needed to assimilate/metabolize the fructose.

Why use Poison to Process Food?
Mercury is a known carcinogen, yet mercury cell chlor-alkali products are used to produce food ingredients such as citric acid, sodium benzoate, and HFCS. A recent study recommended

"...with 45% of the HFCS samples containing mercury... it would be prudent and perhaps essential for public health that additional research be conducted by the FDA or some other public health agency... In 2004, several member states of the European Union reported finding mercury concentrations in beverages, cereals and bakery ware, and sweeteners... FDA does not currently have a mercury surveillance program for food ingredients such as added sugars or preservatives manufactured with mercury grade chlor-alkali products."

Is Your Food Grown or Engineered?
Nearly all corn used to make HFCS is genetically modified (to speed growth, resist pests, increase yield, etc.), a process with its own health concerns and documented side-effects like increasing one's risk of developing a food allergy to corn.

What You Can Do
The simplest way to reduce you HFCS intake is to eliminate sodas, sweetened drinks and bottled fruit juices, as they can easily have 8 teaspoons per serving. Switch to tap water as your beverage of choice and you will be on your way to better health.

The next step is reducing how much processed food you eat. Incorporate more whole (fresh) foods in your diet and if you must eat packaged foods, read the label. Ingredients are listed from highest concentration to lowest and if HFCS is one of the first three ingredients, you can probably find a better option just down the aisle.

Even though corn and corn-based product seem to be used in everything, Los Angeles has many farmer's markets and well stocked grocery stores to help you plan healthy meals and have nutritious snacks.

Food for Thought - Film Review of KING CORN

I just saw the documentary film, “KING CORN” by Ian Cheney and Curt Ellis. Two college graduates leave the city for rural Iowa to grow an acre of the nation’s most powerful crop.

As Ian and Curt discover, almost everything Americans eat contains corn. High-fructose corn syrup, corn-fed meat, and corn-based processed foods are staples of the modern diet: from beef cattle fodder to soda sweetener.

The American dream of cheap food is realized … but at an insidious cost.

“For the first time in American history, our generation was at risk of having a shorter lifespan than our parents.
...................And it was because of what we ate.” (1)

America’s record harvests are supported by a government subsidy system that promotes corn production beyond all market demand.

“The farm bill emerged originally to support farmers during the Great Depression. But over time, it has turned into a system of subsidies heavily favoring five crops: corn, cotton, rice, soybeans and wheat. Between 1995 and 2003, farmers who grew these commodity crops received an average of $14.5 billion in subsidies each year.” (2)

The farm bill offers little support to farmers who produce our nation's fruits, nuts and vegetables, despite the USDA's nutritional guidelines calling for a diet rich in all three.(2) If our families are getting sick and we support farms with our taxes, is our food really “cheap”?

I think the film contains valid information everyone should know. It was a slow journey. It is only when all the pieces have been put together did I understand the full impact of the Farm Bill on our food chain, on what food we get and how we get it.

Watching the film was like going on a meditative journey with them; unfolding information without judgment. They allow us, the viewers, to draw our own conclusions.

I highly recommend viewing it. For more information about the film, go to www.kingcorn.net.
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1. Curt Ellis, KING CORN, 2007
   
2. Alice Waters, “Farm Bill Should Focus on Healthful Foods,”
   Sacramento Bee, June 10, 2007