Alt Med Causing Herb Extinction?

Quoted message said:

If favorite herbs are extinct what will we use?
Anyone checked into the healing properties of Kudzu?

Yes, Kudzu has been used for millenia by TCM for stiff muscles and some
headaches.

"Nana Weedkiller" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

If favorite herbs are extinct what will we use?
Anyone checked into the healing properties of Kudzu?

Hi Nana,

Interesting points you raise. Indeed some herbs supplies have been
exhausted. A good example is Lonicerae better known as Honeysuckle
flower and as Jin Yin Hua by the Chinese who use it on formulas that
treat infectious diseases. In fact, the last SARS outbreak in China
prompted the locals to self-medicate with this flower. The demand for
the herb was so high that the crops were totally gone in matter of
days. Folks started using the entire plant. It won't be until this
spring before new plants are ready for harvest.

Pueraria, aka, Kudzu and Ge Gen to the Chinese, is another herb used
in Chinese medicine for treatments of colds. In Chinese medicine,
colds are categorized into two types, Wind colds and Wind heat. Wind
heat are colds that eventually turn into infections with yellow
discharge, fever, body aches. This is the type of colds that Kudzu
treats. It is sometimes used with Ephedra. in such case, both herbs
are boiled prior to the addition of other herbs in order to mitigate
some of their harsh properties.

Kudzu is also used for abnormal thirst from too much heat in the
stomach (ulcers)and it's also use to vent rashes such as measles. Some
types of diarrhea
are well treated with Kudzu in particular the type from bad food
(Montezuma's Revenge).

Recently, research has shown Kudzu to be appropriate in the treatment
of hypertension and related symptoms such as headaches, dizzines and
ringing in the ears.

To me, one of the most valuable discoveries on the use of Kudzu is in
the treatment of alcoholism. Much research still needs to be done but
so far it looks promising.

Glad you asked the question and sorry for the long post.

Regards,

~fernando