Anti Cancer Effects of Maitake Mushroom

From my colleague Marty Eisen, LAc:

Research by Hiroaki Nanba, Ph.D., a professor of microbial chemistry at Kobe Pharmaceutical University in Japan, shows that one powerful mushroom can be used to treat cancer. Dr. Nanba administered Maitake mushroom to cancer patients. The patients took no anticancer drugs. Yet the mushroom helped to halt the cancer’s progression. Memorial Sloan-Kettering is one of the world’s premier cancer centers. Their experts are also recognizing the anticancer effects of this mushroom. They’ve completed trials that show it helps breast cancer patients.
 
Researchers found that this mushroom had anti-tumor effects also enhances immune function. Maitake also contains a highly-concentrated cancer-fighting compound known as D-Fraction. According to a 2009 study published the Journal of Cancer Research and Clinical Oncology, Maitake D-Fraction activates cells that help fight cancer and other health dangers. This includes T-helper cells, which direct your immune system to focus exactly where it’s needed most, macrophages, which engulf and consume cellular debris while keeping cells healthy, and natural killer (NK) cells that target tumor cells and destroy them.

Among the cancer patients Dr. Nanba treated, 86.4 percent saw an increase in NK cells. Maitake D-Fraction also suppresses production of other immune cells and so brings your immune system into perfect balance. Dr. Nanba says this potent substance is most effective against breast, liver and lung cancer.

Maitake can be found in health food stores. Look for formulas that combine Maitake powder and D-fraction.  Maitake D-fraction is available in both liquid and tablet form. A recommended formula yields at least 15 mg of D-fraction and 500 mg of Maitake powder.  You can also try the dried mushroom itself. Experts suggest a daily dose of 3-7 grams.



Photo: frakenstoen, Flickr Creative Commons 2.0

Remedies for Burns, Sunburns & Radiation

Here's a few ideas for burns, including those from radiation:

In my recent post on scar treatment, i discussed Ching Wan Hung burn ointment . It's wonderful for burns of any kind, including radiation. It contains many blood moving herbs with heat clearing properties, to keep the blood circulating in the area, and menthol to clear the heat. It also treats insect bites and hot, red rashes and hives. My patients love it for all of these uses. 

In A Handbook of Traditional Chinese Dermatology,Liang Jian-Hui recommends decoction 60g of licorice root and applying it topically to the area with cold compresses. In Dermatology in Traditional Chinese Medicine Xu Yihou suggests making licorice oil by soaking 10g of licorice root in 100ml of vegetable oil for 24h. then cook on a low heat until the herb turns dark yellow. remove the licorice and use the oil. TCM herbalists often use sesame oil for topical balms, pastes and salves. In my Flying Dragon Liniment for muscle and joint pain, i use a combination of organic sesame, olive, castor and peach seed oils.

For radiation burns some practitioners suggest calendula gel or ointment, or honey. Manuka honey is highly regarded for its anti-bacterial properties. Tai Lahan's, author of Integrating Conventional and Chinese Medicine in Cancer Care: A Clinical Guide uses Spring Wind Burn Creme, citing successful case studies of it's use in her book. Spring Wind Burn Creme is being clinically studied by hospitals to document it's effectiveness in treating radiation burns.

Xu Yihou suggests making aloe cream by first pounding 45g of aloe to extract the juice. Gradually add 10g of gum arabic until the solution becomes milky. Lastly stir in 4.5g of eucalyptus oil. The creme can be applied 2-3x/day.


For ulcerating legions, Xu suggests making egg yolk oil, by heating 10-15 hard boiled egg yolks in a pan over low heat with 1t vegetable oil until a black oil separates. Apply the oil 2-3x/day. 

A colleague, Carrie Denaro, LAc of Blue Lotus Center for Health in San Diego, created this essential oil blend for a patient with favorable results. She says "It greatly relieved the pain and healed the skin":

Blend of 50% emu oil and 50% coconut oil in a 2-ounce jar (+)
10 drops of Blue Tansy essential oil
10 drops German Chamomile essential oil
10 drops Helichrysum essential oil
10 drops Niaouli essential oil
15 drops Lavender essential oil

It will stay solid if the room temperature is fairly cool.  If not keep it in the fridge to keep it solid and it becomes a nice cool soothing balm.

I would add that tamanu oil could be substituted for the emu oil, to avoid using an animal substance.


Xu says mild cases of radiation burns have a favorable prognosis with treatment, but severe cases are difficult to cure.

For sunburns, in Dermatology in Traditional Chinese Medicine Xu Yihou suggests decocting up dandelion (pu gong ye), purslane (ma chi xian), licorice, and a Chinese chrysanthemum (ju hua, flos chrysanthmi indici) applying as a compress 3-5x daily for 15-30 minutes. Manual of Dermatology in Chinese Medicine suggests a similar formula: ju hua, purslane, wormwood (qing hao, herba artemisiae annuae) and a Chinese herb long kui (herba solani).                    


TCM herbalists use a combination of topicals and internal formulas to treat burns. for first degree (redness) and superficial second degree burns (blistering), external treatments may suffice, depending on the intensity of pain. for more severe burns, internal formulas will also be required.     KB

Herbal Poison Ivy Remedy

I learned a couple of herbal poison ivy remedies in a Kitchen Herbs class I took a few years back. I don't have any feedback as to efficacy, so please add comments with your experiences.

There are two easily accessible Chinese herbs that treat poison ivy. Both are weeds that are ubiquitous in the summer. The first is Ge Gen, or Kudzu powder. You will find this in the macrobiotic section of natural foods stores. Ge Gen is the root of the kudzu vine, which grows over everything in the Southeastern United States: trees, bushes, signs and telephone poles.

You'll find the second in your backyard lawn: dandelion.

You can take dandelion and kudzu internally as a tea. Kudzu is a white powder, and can be used to thicken sauces. Use a tablespoon or so in a tea made with dandelion leaves. Drink several times a day. You can also use kudzu as a skin wash for legions (rash).

Dandelion can be steeped as a tea and added to bath water to sooth the skin. In Chinese herbal theory, dandelion clears heat and toxins, and hones to the Lung, which rules the skin. Poison ivy rashes are red and itchy, indicating heat toxins. You'll want a strong tea for this purpose. Fill the pot with the leaves, cover with water and steep for 30 minutes or so.

Ge Gen, or kudzu releases the exterior. Chinese herbalists also use Ge Gen to relieve neck and shoulder pain, especially associated with colds or cold weather.



Jewel weed grows in the Southeast and is also used to treat poison ivy, though not a Chinese herb. Mash the stems and rub the juice on the skin to sooth outbreaks, or as a preventative before or after possible exposure, as demonstrated in this You Tube video. KB







photo: Muffit, flickr creative commons 2.0

Why Gou Ji Berries?

Gou Ji berries have become a health trend in the past few years. These small red berries were plucked out of Traditional Chinese Medicine's (TCM) Materia Medical (catalogue of herbs and other medicinal substances, like shells and animal products). I've seen it included in a range of products and snack foods, such as smoothies and trail mix. Their popularity has shot up the price and reduced its availability. Lately I have discovered that several of the natural food stores in Asheville, NC are not able to obtain it for their shelves. But contrary to popular belief, this tonic herb should not be used for general consumption.

In Chinese herbal medicine, Gou Qi Zi, Lycii Fructus (lycii berries) tonifies Liver and Kidney yin and blood and brightens the eyes. Yin and yang are polar opposites and in Chinese medicine we use the concept of yin and yang to help explain and treat disease processes in the body. Yin refers to female, quiescence, cool, darkness, earth, feminine, night, moon and water. In the body, substance and blood are yin.

The kidney organ system in Chinese medicine house the root of yin and yang in the body. It also rules the aging process, from conception, through puberty and maturation, as well as decline until eventually we die because the kidney energy has exhausted itself.



The liver in TCM stores blood. For women, at the time of the menses it sends the blood down to the uterus to be expelled. The liver channel begins at the big toe and travels up the inside of the leg, through the genitalia, up the side of the torso to the chest. Then it goes internally up to the eyes and top of the head.

Gou Qi Zi nourishes the qi (energy) and blood of the liver and kidneys. We use it for gyn issues involving deficiency and to tonify the liver and kidney systems when they are weak. It is a commonly used herb for those undergoing radiation and chemo therapy, which burns yin and blood.

In Chinese herbal medicine, we classify herbs according to their temperature. Cinnamon, cardamon, nutmeg, cloves and Sichuan pepper are all warming herbs. Mint and watermelon are cooling. Generally speaking Gou Qi Zi is considered a neutral herb: neither warm nor cold. Of interesting note is a personal antidote mentioned by Zhang Zi-Chun in Essays on Medicine Esteeming the Chinese and Respecting the Western. As a neutral herb, Gou Qi Zi is not considered to have the ability to clear heat. However Zhang disagrees, citing a personal experience when he was waking up feeling hot and drinking a pitcher of water throughout the night. He began chewing 30g of Gou Qi Zi before bedtime. He continued to waken during the night, but didn't feel warm and he reduced his water intake by 50%. (1)

This scenario is commonly seen in perimenopausal women. Traditional Chinese herbalists often include Gou Qi Zi in formulas when treating perimenopause to tonify the kidney yin. This example may show some ability of Gou Qi Zi to clear heat for these women. I frequently use the root of this plant, Di Gu Pi, Lycii Cortex to clear heat for hot flashes.

Because it goes to the eyes, Gou Qi Zi is commonly used for eye problems due to deficiency, such as weakness, floaters and blurred vision. For this purpose, a tea can be made with Gou Qi Zi and chrysanthemum flowers (Ju Hua), using a 10-25 berries and a few dried blossoms. Gently simmer in filtered or deionized water for 10-20 minutes and drink 1-2 cups daily.

Ron Teeguarden notes that good quality berries are thick, bright red, sweet and tender. If they are brownish or dry and crunchy they have been stored too long. (2) The berries can be added to soups, stews and grains, up to a handful per day. Be sure you have blood and yin deficiency before using, by checking first with a traditional Chinese herbalist. KB

______________________________________________________________

1. Bensky, Clavey & Stoger, Chinese Herbal Medicine Materia Medica, 3rd Edition, 2004 Eastland Press, p760.

2. Teeguarden, Ron, Chinese Tonic Herbs, 1985 Japan Publications. p.97.

Vinegar & Acids Help Lower Blood Sugar

The "Really?" column in today's Science Times (NY Times) reports on studies showing that including vinegar in a meal will help lower blood sugar. One Italian studies showed including vinegar as salad dressing with a meal that includes bread and other carbs will reduce blood sugar by 30%. The results were verified in another study by the American Diabetes Association. You can check the results yourself by eating 2 identical carb meals. With one, add 2 teaspoons vinegar with the other do not use vinegar. Check your blood sugar after each meal, and see if there's a drop in the meal eaten with vinegar.


The author's of the ADA study concluded that:

The data indicates that vinegar can significantly improve postprandial insulin sensitivity in insulin-resistant subjects. Acetic acid has been shown to suppress disaccharidase activity (3) and to raise glucose-6-phosphate concentrations in skeletal muscle (4); thus, vinegar may possess physiological effects similar to acarbose or metformin. Further investigations to examine the efficacy of vinegar as an antidiabetic therapy are warranted.

These findings help explain why Dr. Richard Tan's recommendation of drinking lime water throughout the day lowers blood sugar for diabetics.

To do this, juice a lime and pour the juice in a bottle of water and sip throughout the day. Apparently the 'white part' is important, so keep the pulp. Dr. Tan says that within 3 months blood sugar levels will drop. I have a current patient who is using key limes and after 3 weeks has been noticing lower blood sugar levels.

Reporter Anahad O'Connor astutely points out in the aforementioned Really? column that amongst other perils of the Holiday Madness season, are the difficulties diabetics face navigating social gatherings and work place break rooms during the last 6 weeks of the year.


Here are a few abstracts of other studies relating to vinegar and blood sugar levels by the authors of the cited study. KB

J Am Diet Assoc. 2005 Dec;105(12):1939-42.

Vinegar and peanut products as complementary foods to reduce postprandial glycemia.

Johnston CS, Buller AJ.

Department of Nutrition, Arizona State University, Mesa 85212, USA. carol.Johnston@asu.edu

Diabetes Res Clin Pract. 2009 May;84(2):e15-7. Epub 2009 Mar 9.

Preliminary evidence that regular vinegar ingestion favorably influences hemoglobin A1c values in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Johnston CS, White AM, Kent SM.

Common Cold Remedy

Dr. Tan, with whom I study, recommends this implausible remedy for common cold. I'm assured it is effective. You must do it early, when you first notice symptoms:

1 clove garlic
1 lemon, juiced
1 shot hard alcohol

You eat the clove of garlic, mix the lemon juice into a glass of water and drink it and the shot of alcohol. You can do this in any order, but you might want to do the garlic first, and follow it with the lemon water. Or you could chop the garlic into small pieces, and then swallow it like a pill using the lemon water. Go directly to bed, and when you wake the cold symptoms should be relieved or gone. You must do this in the early stage.

This NY Times Really? column may explain just why this implausible remedy works: the garlic. Anahad O'Conner sites a 2001 British study of 146 volunteers where 2 groups were given garlic capsules or a placebo during cold season (November-February). the control group (no garlic) had 75% more colds, lasting longer (5 days vs 1.5 day average for garlic group) and 3x as many virally challenged days as the garlic group. (This study was preformed by Peter Josling, who runs a website promoting garlic supplements).

Garlic has many purported virtues. Odes could be written extolling the virtues of garlic, from warding off vampires to a boon for longevity. Yogis love it and devouring it daily. The Delany Sisters of NY, who both lived to be over one hundred (you may recall their book, and subsequent Broadway play Having Our Say) attributed their longevity in part due to daily garlic, yoga practice and remaining single. (Women live longer if they don't get married, men live longer if they do).

I welcome a review of your experiences using this remedy. KB