March 2010 [Volume 9, Issue 3]

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In this issue of To Your Health:

• Green Tea Reduces Stress
• Herb of the Month – Knotweed (bian xu)
• Ask an Acupuncturist

Green Tea Reduces Stress

It may seem rather self-evident that a hot cup of tea would be the perfect de-stresser. Now, a group of researchers from the University of Tokyo has tested the idea that tea – specifically green tea – reduces stress, and found some surprising results.

The researchers found an inverse association between green tea consumption and psychological distress. In other words, people who drank five or more cups of green tea per day were at lower risk of psychological distress than those who consumed one cup or less per day.

So the next time you are feeling yourself getting frazzled, brew up some green tea. It will do you a world of good.

For more information on the many benefits of Oriental medicine, visit www.acupuncturetoday.com

Reference

• Niu K, Hozawa A, Kuriyama S, et al. Green tea consumption is associated with depressive symptoms in the elderly. Am J Clin Nutr 2009 Dec;90(6):1615-22.

Herb of the Month – Knotweed (bian xu)

Knotweed is a member of the polygonum family, similar to fo ti. It is known by several names, including bird's tongue, cow grass and pigweed. Knotweed contains a variety of compounds and active ingredients, including quercetin, salicylic acid (which is also found in aspirin) and lysine, and an assortment of sugars. The herb is gathered during its flowering season and dried before being used.

In traditional Chinese medicine, knotweed has bitter and cool properties, and is associated with the Bladder meridian. It is taken internally to treat respiratory conditions such as bronchitis, cough, and inflammations of the mouth and throat, and has been approved by the German Commission E for those conditions. It is also used to treat certain skin disorders and parasites, and may help stop bleeding. Animal studies have shown that injections of knotweed decoctions can have a diuretic effect, which is more pronounced with increased dosages.

The typical dose of knotweed is between 9 and 15 grams per day, taken internally as a decoction or powder. Concentrated extracts are also available; for a 5:1 extract, the recommended dose is 2-3 grams per day. Knotweed can also be ground into a tea for both internal and external applications. Knotweed is available in pill, powder and decoction forms. Some herbal shops also sell concentrated knotweed extracts, which can be diluted in water.

As of this writing, there are no known side effects associated with knotweed, nor are there any known drug interactions with knotweed. However, it should be avoided by patients with spleen and stomach deficiencies, or patients with yin deficiency. As always, make sure to consult with a licensed health care provider before taking knotweed or any other herbal remedy or dietary supplement.

Ask an Acupuncturist

Question: My mother-in-law fell through a skylight 10 years ago and broke her scapula and arm in multiple places. She still has a lot of pain radiating from three places, according to a pain clinic that gave her two nerve blocks and a lot of oxycontin. It has been five months and the nerve blocks have worn off and she is still taking the oxycontin. From what little I understand, the electrical shock was to stimulate new nerve pathways that didn't include the damaged nerves. Is this a situation that an acupuncturist could help with? Or is the fact that there are several pain points a problem? Thanks in advance for your help.

Answer: The fact that she suffers from several painful spots is not a problem for acupuncture treatment. The goal of acupuncture treatment will be to lessen the sensitivity to the painful impulses. Because it is a chronic or long-standing problem, it may require regular treatments for maintenance. She should definitely have a series of treatments to find out how she is able to respond. In general, she would want to plan on 12 to 15 treatments to evaluate her ability to respond. It is best to start with three treatments a week. After this initial series, the acupuncturist will be able to tell if treatment is effective.

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