February 2011 Archives

            By: Billy Shonez Singh, M.S., L.Ac., Dipl. C.H. (NCCAOM)

                                                    ©2011

Cinnamon is used worldwide as a culinary additive and used in herbal medicine.  Today I will talk about how it is used in promoting health based on East Asian medicine and Western pharmacology.  You have two different kinds of cinnamon; you have the twigs (known in Mandarin as Gui Zhi) and the bark (known in Mandarin as Rou Gui). 

The properties of the cinnamon twig (Gui Zhi) are different from cinnamon bark (Rou Gui).  Gui Zhi is described as being sweet, pungent, and warm.  Its functions are:

1. Adjusting the ying (constructive) and wei (defensive) levels of the body.  Therefore, it treats wind-cold deficiency which is characterized by
• Light sweat
• Weak pulse
• Fatigue
• Pale tongue
• Chills that are stronger than the fever
2. It also treats wind-cold excess which is characterized by:
• Lack of sweating
• Floating and slow pulse
• Pale tongue
• Scratchy throat
• Aching muscles in the upper back and occiput
• Chills that are stronger than the fever
3. Promote urination thus making it useful in treating mild edema.
4. Opening of the pores to induce diaphoresis to promote sweating.
5. Warming the channels and collaterals of the body to treat Feng Bi Zheng (Wind Impediment Syndrome) and Han Bi Zheng (Cold Impediment Syndrome).
• Wind Impediment syndrome is seen as pain in the body that move from one location of the body to the other.
• Cold Impediment syndrome is seen as pain that stays fixed entirely in the joints and is exacerbated with cold foods, drinks, and the environments.
6. Invigorates heart yang and increases the yang qi of the heart.
• Therefore it treats chest pain
7. Promotes blood circulation to the uterus.
• Treats masses and fibroids, amenorrhea and dysmenorrheal due to blood stasis due to cold.

Next, the western pharmacological actions of Gui Zhi are:

1.      "Antibiotic: Gui Zhi has both antibacterial and antiviral effects.  It exerts an inhibitory effect against Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhi, some dermatophytes, and influenza viruses (pgs.41-42, Shen)."

2.      "Diruetic: The essential oil of Gui Zhi has a mild diuretic effect to reduce edema (pg.42, Shen)."

3.      "Diaphoretic and Antipyretic: The essential oil of Gui Zhi induces perspiration and lowers body temperature through dilation of the blood vessels at the peripheral regions of the body (pg.42, Shen)."

4.      "Analgesic: It exerts analgesic action (pg.42, Shen)."

5.      "Circulatory: Gui Zhi dilates blood vessels and promotes blood circulation to the uterus (pg.42, Shen)."

6.      "Other: Gui Zhi has cardiotonic, sedative and hypnotic, and anti-tussive effects (pg.42, Shen)."  

The properties of the cinnamon bark (Rou Gui) are stronger and potent than Gui Zhi. Rou Gui is considered to be more hot than Gui Zhi.  Therefore the functions:

1. warming the body and dispelling cold
1. this means its good for treating abdominal pain exacerbated by cold foods and drink.
2. promoting blood circulation.
1. Good for joint pain (Bi Zheng) exacerbated by cold foods, cold drinks, and cold weather.
2. Also good for dysmenorrheal and menstrual pain.
3. increasing the metabolic functions of the body described as the ming men huo ("the life gate fire").
1. In other words, it helps with low back and knee weakness, impotence, polyuria, and loose stools.

The pharmacological actions of Rou Gui have effects on the cardiovascular and immune systems.  According to John K. Chen's text Chinese Medical Herbology and Pharmacology:

1.      "intravenous administration of Rou Gui is associated with a marked reduction in blood pressure, a decrease in heart rate, peripheral vasodilation, decreased vessel resistance (pg. 448)."

2.      "Subcutaneous injection of a Rou Gui preparation for 5 days increased the white blood cell by 150 to 200% in dogs (pg. 449)."

Bibliography

McCrea, L.Ac., Mary Anne "Tish" Chinese Materia Medica 1, Lecture Notes 2002.

McCrea, L.Ac., Mary Anne "Tish" Chinese Materia Medica 2, Lecture Notes 2004.

Chen, John K., Chinese Medical Herbology and Pharmacology, ©2001, 2004 pgs. 41-42, 448-449 Art of Medicine Press, City of Industry, CA 91715.

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Correct Your Eating Habits

We have our eating habits but we are not sure if they are good or bad for our health.  I would like to correct our bad eating habits.

Drinking cold water in the early morning.

Commonly many people have a habit of waking up in the morning and drinking a cup of cold water. They do not want to drink cold water early the morning, but they believe that it helps to their health. If we drink cold water in the early morning, it damages the Yang energy of your body.

If you have lots of heat on your stomach, such as dryness of the body fluid, it will help to drink cold water in the morning. These people drink cold water when they have constipation; it works for this symptoms.

In the morning, our body's yang energy is directed upward. So if you drink cold water, it might make you catch the flu easily during fall and winter because cold water directs the energy downward or expels yang energy from the body.

What about Salt?

I have heard about two theories about salt for health.  One is that reducing salty food is good for our health, and the other is that bamboo salt is a good medicine.  Which one is better for health? What do you think?

Bamboo salt has a salty taste, and works to reduce inflammation, and relieve or expel the body heat.

When you have lots of heat symptoms-in oriental medicine we say Stomach Fire- such as swelling and pain in the gums, or a sore throat from a cough, the bamboo salt helps to relieve these symptoms.

The salty taste is based on five elements of oriental medicine: goes to the Kidney, it flows downwards and softens hardness so that it is used to treat constipation and swelling. But it can also injure the body fluids if too much is consumed.

What kinds of Green tea do you like?

Which one do you prefer to drink, coffee or green tea?

Green Tea has a cold character.  If you have lots of heat in your body, I suggest drinking green tea over coffee. However it is not good for a cold abdomen or body, because it creates dampness in the body. 

When you drink green tea, you have to know about your body's conditions. 

I would like to say Bo He (박하. Menthae Herb. 薄荷) and Ju Hua (국화. Chrysanthemum flower. 菊花) tea are the same as green tea. Their nature is cool and slightly cold.  Bo He and Ju Hua are good for dispersing wind heat.  They help to clear the eyes, clear heat from the head, and relieve a sore throat from heat.  On the other hand, if you have cold symptoms or are cold hypersensitive, you have to avoid these kinds of tea.

We have cold or hot characters on our body, I would like to say food is the same as a human. They have cold characters or hot characters.  I suggest that you discover which foods are good or bad for your body before eating.

Julie Lee, L. Ac.

Unique Acupuncture at Elixir Day Spa

Beaverton, Oregon