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