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Rehmannia Glutinosa
I was recently reading that about 30% of herbs are "vindicated" by modern medicine. In other words the saponins and terpines and alkaloids and whatever found in the herbs are isolated, studied and proven to be effective in clinical studies. Chinese herbalists love to tell stories, and it was on the same day that I read a story about the pupil of a Chinese herbalist who was sent into the forest to find a plant which had no medicinal value. The pupil returned shamefaced, and admitted that he could not find one, hard as he tried. His teacher laughed and told him that he had passed the test. ...and thanks Modern Medicine (God that Thou Art) for your approval of herbalism. We were doing just fine until you came along. Did you know that after heart disease and cancer that you are the biggest killer? Yes drugs are dangerous, and herbs are relatively safe. All the same it is fascinating how well science and herbalism (based for example on the 5 elements; fire, air, water, earth and wood, and the balance of yin and yang) corroberate each other. Digitalis There is a drug called digitalis prescibed for people with heart failure. Digitalis is a misnomer based on the false identification of the pretty plant Chinese Foxglove with the Foxglove family Digitalis. The whole concept was in fact taken from the traditional Chinese medicine shu di. We call this cooked foxglove, as the root of Rehmannia glutinosa has been cooked in alcohol and dried 9 times. The raw form of the herb is used also but has an opposite effect. A study of the chemicals involved reveals that the medicine contains a sugar, a steroid and an ester. The relative proportions of each are important apparently. In patients suffering from heart failure, the heart pumps faster and faster, while producing less results. Digitalis fixes all this. The lower chamber of the heart fills with blood more completely, and is given a better thrust. The end result? The heart doesn't work so hard, meanwhile pumping more blood - saving the patient. Shu di makes you hypotensive, increasing coronary blood flow. It reduces blood sugar levels, and like many herbs contains several nanaograms/gram of melatonin. And yes you will sleep better! Read more about Chinese Herbs here. Got a crisis in your life? Take the Chinese 8 course tonic! There is nothing like it on this planet. Click Here! for a great helpful book on homemade medicine.
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