Herbs and Supplements

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…

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Chinese Medicine for Summer: Acupuncture for Sports Injuires & Herbal First Aid

Please join me for an interesting evening learning practical information about herbal first aid and acupuncture for sports injuries. 7p Malaprops - Tuesday June 12th   Receive practical information about herbal first aid and the use of acupuncture for sports injuries. Learn remedies you can do yourself to heal cuts, wounds, scars, burns, hives & rashes, including poison ivy. See an acupuncture demonstration for pain relief, including sprained ankles. Hear why acupuncturists recommend against using ice on injuries, after the first 24 hours.Ask your questions during an informal Q & A and discussion after the presentation. Take home practical knowledge and handouts with directions Enjoy this dynamic, informative & interesting evening.

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Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine for Patients with Blood Cancers

I am giving a talk about acupuncture and Chinese medicine for patients with lymphomas and blood cancers on Monday, September 12 at 5p at the Wellness Resource Center, 50 Doctor's Drive, West Annex, Asheville, 28801.This will be for a family support group for patients with blood cancers and their caregivers, offered through Mission Hospitals Cancer Services and The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.    "This group is for people living with Leukemia, Lymphoma, Multiple Myeloma, Myelodysplastic Syndrome, or Primary Amyloidosis and also their caregivers who live in the Asheville area and surrounding counties of western North Carolina." Group Facilitators:   Leslie Verner, RN, BSN, OCN, CCRP - Cancer Outreach Coordinator                                               Jere Howell, MS -Clinical Psychologist       Date:  Monday, Sept 12, 2011       (Meets the 2nd Monday of every month)       Time:  4:00…

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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.…

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Chinese Herbal Medicine vs Prescription Drugs

Chinese Herbs work differently than prescription medicines. Drugs generally work to suppress a symptom, not cure a disease. An example is diabetes, cholesterol or hypertension medications that control blood sugar, lipids (fats: cholesterol) or pressure only while you take them. If you stop the drug, the symptom persists. In contrast to pharmaceuticals, Chinese medicine works to cure the disease. The herbs are slower acting: often they do not provide the immediate effect people have come to expect from drugs, such as pain killers or mind altering drugs: anti-depressants, anxiety and insomnia medications. This is because Chinese medicine is working at a deep level to change the bodily processes perpetuating the disease. Turning the ship is a longer term process than whitewashing over a symptom. Therefore it commonly…

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The Traditional Chinese Medicine Solution to Flu Prevention

The NY Times reported saturday on the difficulties in developing antibiotics to treat the antibiotic resistant super-viruses which have become common in recent years, causing a serious public health issue. The US is considering subsidies to the pharmaceutical companies to encourage future development. Antibiotics are not typically profitable for the pharmaceutical companies in comparison to drugs for chronic diseases like diabetes, allergies, or HIV. the reason for the lower profit is that antibiotics are only taken for a couple of weeks at which time the disease is cured. Chronic conditions such as high cholesterol, blood sugar disorders, thyroid problems or MS, require lifelong drug therapy as the drugs do not provide a cure. Therefore it is profitable for the pharmaceutical companies to develop drugs to treat these…

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Green Tea Improves Effects of Antibiotics

Taking green tea with antibiotics enhances the effect of the drug, according to Matt Van Benschoten, LAc.Be certain you have a bacterial infection when taking antibiotics. A lab test will show a bacterial process. Antibiotics are useless for viral infections, and you would be taking the drug needlessly. Antibiotics are over prescribed, resulting in super-bacterias which have become drug resistant. Many TCM practitioners (Traditional Chinese Medicine) feel one should only take antibiotics twice in their life: so chose wisely when you decide to take them.Chinese medicine can treat many of the infections for which antibiotics are prescribed. Many Chinese herbs have known antibiotic and antiviral properties. The anti-viral herbs can prevent viral replication. Sinusitis, cold & flu patients are generally surprised at the strong effect of Chinese…

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Chinese Medicine Helps Cancer Patients

Chemotherapy and radiation are treatments of last resort, but for those with cancer these standard western medical treatments may seem to be the only options. Because western medicine does not have a way to target only the cancer cells, both treatment kill off all cells in the attempt to kill the cancer cells. Chemo side effects include nausea, vomiting and loss of appetite, due to the killing of cells in the G/I tract, hair loss (hair follicles cells affected) anemia and blood cell problems due to damage to blood cells and the immune system, and hot flashes. Radiation causes burns to the affected area and dry mouth and throat.Chinese medicine is effective in alleviating these side affects of chemo/radiation therapies, decreases pain caused by tumors, increases immune…

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Cholesterol: Sugar Raises It, Nuts Lower It, Chinese Medicine Treats It

Most associate cholesterol with a high fat diet. Increased consumption of sugary soft drinks combined with more sedentary lifestyle (sitting in front of computers & electronic devices) have caused the rise in obesity seen since the 1970's. The NY Times reports in Vital Signs that sugar and soft drinks also account for high cholesterol.A recent study (funded by the nut industry, but confirmed by results in other independent studies) found that eating nuts lowers cholesterol.In the NY Times Vital Signs column, Roni Caryn Rabin reports: “Nuts are rich in unsaturated fats, and that is a main driver in lowering cholesterol,” said the lead author, Dr. Joan Sabaté, a professor of nutrition at the School of Public Health at Loma Linda University in California. “They are the richest…

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Fox News Interviews Kath Bartlett, MS, LAc About Allergy Treatment

"Do you ever google yourself?" I was asked last week. "It's been a long time", I replied. "Mostly professional stuff comes up: my website, blog, articles I've written and so on".With this conversation in mind, i put my name in the search box, and hit enter. The expected hits came up. As I scrolled through them I came across an interview I did with Fox News several years ago for an article on allergy treatment using Chinese Medicine. I believe the article was (at least in part) ghostwritten. Manny Alvarez was given the byline, but it was a woman who interviewed me that spring morning.This is a thoughtfully written article first explaining some basics about TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) theory and terminology, then going into the the…

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