What Is The Chinese Herb Hange Koboku To?

Hange Kobuku To is not a single herb; rather, it is an herbal formula containing five Chinese herbs. In traditional Chinese medicine, the formula is referred to as Ban Xia Hou Po Tang or Magnolia and Pinelliae Formula. When called Hange Koboku To, it is a Japanese Kampo formula using the same herbs.

Kampo Formulas

According to an article in Acupuncture Today, Kampo means "Han method" in Japanese. The Hans were what the Chinese were once known as, and Kampo is used in Japan to refer to Chinese medicine in general. The Kampo herbal formulas are based on formulas used in traditional Chinese medicine. In 1875, the Kampo system of medicine stopped being used in favor of Western medicine. However, in the last 50 years or so, Kampo has experienced a resurgence. The formulas are now used in hospitals and most Japanese pharmacies also carry them.

Formula Ingredients

As detailed on the Lotus Sacred Arts website on traditional Chinese medicine, the Ban Xia Hou Po Tang formula---also known as Hange Koboku To---consists of five herbs: Ban Xia, or Rhizoma Pinelliae Ternatae; Hou Po, or Cortex Magnoliae Officinalis; Fu Ling, or Sclerotium Poriae Cocos; Sheng Jiang, or Rhizoma Zingiberis Officinalis Recens; and Zi Su Ye, or Folium Perillae Frutescentis. The common names of these herbs are Pinellia, Magnolia Root, Poria Fungus, Fresh Ginger and Perilla Leaf.

Traditional Uses

According to Sacred Lotus Arts, the symptoms and conditions that this formula are used for include chronic laryngitis, cough, profuse phlegm, a feeling of something stuck in the throat, vomiting, a feeling of fullness in the chest and some gastrointestinal disorders. As with all Chinese or Kampo herbal formulas, they will be prescribed for these symptoms only when the diagnosis indicates it is appropriate.

Modern Research

As detailed in in the journal "Phytomedicine," a study done in 2005 at the Kitasato Institute of Tokyo on Hange Koboku To showed that gastrointestinal symptoms of patients with functional dyspepsia improved with the formula. That same year, a study conducted by the Graduate School of Medicine in Tokyo suggested that the formula's effect on the brain made it useful in treating depression, anxiety and swallowing disturbances. In 2000, "Phytomedicine" also published a study done at the Tohoku University School of Medicine in Sendai, Japan, that found the formula to show promise in helping sufferers of Parkinson's Disease with the symptoms of aspiration pneumonia. This can often be a cause of death in this disease.

Cautions

Sacred Lotus Arts details cautions regarding the individual herbs included in this formula. Ban Xia can be toxic. It is prepared in such a way that these toxic properties will be mitigated. The inclusion of ginger in the formula also helps to mitigate the toxicity. However, it is always best to take this and other herbal formulas under the guidance of a trained herbalist. People who are taking anticoagulants should use Hou Po with caution as it contains a substance which is a mild anticoagulant. Fu Ling and Sheng Jiang, which is simply fresh ginger, are considered to be food grade herbs and are not known to have any side effects. Zi Su Ye likewise has no known side effects.