Chinese natural herbal remedies have been around for thousands of years. Today, clinical trials and laboratory testing have given some of these herbal remedies a green light for use in over-the-counter treatments and prescription medications, while some have been shown to be at best a sham and at worst toxic to the body. Before taking any herbal medication, arm yourself with knowledge as to what has and has not been shown to be effective.
Ginseng
Roots of the ginseng plant have been used for over 2,000 years in Chinese medicine. While there is a Siberian ginseng (Eleutherococcus senticosus), it is not of the genus Panax as other ginsengs and does not contain "ginsenosides," the active ingredients in ginseng that are clinically tested. According to Wellness.com, ginseng shows promising results for type 2 diabetes and mental performance. Mixed results from clinical tests for cancer prevention and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) call for further testing to determine its effectiveness. Side effects include skin rash, loss of appetite, itching, diarrhea, headache, vertigo, insomnia, fever and depression.
Gan Cao
Gan cao is one of the 50 fundamental Chinese herbs in medicine. Used as a sweetener for foods, it also is considered second only to ginseng in medicinal importance. It functions as an antibacterial, antispasmodic, expectorant and an anti-inflammatory. It works for asthma, cough, Addison's disease relief and peptic ulcers. Pregnant women, high blood pressure patients and kidney disease patients should not use gan cao.
Cang Zhu
A widely used herb in Chinese medicine, cang zhu functions as an expectorant and antibacterial. Cang zhu works to relieve diarrhea, rheumatoid arthritis, night blindness and abdominal distension. It is made into a tonic for digestive system ailments, and the roots are baked for that purpose. Cang zhu is usually found in compounds with two other herbs, Glycyrrhiza uralensis and Codonopsis tangshen.
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