As an herbalist for whom tastes of herbs -sweet, sour, salty, spicy (pungent), astringent and bland- imply specific medicinal actions. Bitterness is something that is often confusing because there is a genetic component to the ability to taste – according to 21 and Me I belong to a snip where 80% cannot genetically taste bitterness. (I am in the 20% that can.) The most often confused tastes are sour or pungent. I cannot attribute a pungent herb like horseradish or a sour taste like lemon as “bitter”. Bitter covers tastes like black coffee, radicchio, karela (bitter melon), dandelion greens, black walnut hulls, gentian, angelica or artichoke leaves. There is often a slightly sweet aftertaste to bitterness.
In herbal medicine the largest category of herbs tends to be bitters, which are anti-infective, anti-inflammatory, digestive causing bile to flow and often antiparasite. Herbalist David Winston categorizes bitter herbs as cooling bitters, warming bitters and antiparasite aromatic bitters which are intensely bitter.
There are two basic qualities associated with bitter taste:
According to the five element systematic correspondence, the bitter taste is associated with the heart system. The alkaloids and glycosides commonly found in bitter plants help explain this relationship, as the Chinese heart system corresponds mainly to the nervous system and circulatory system of Western medicine, the two systems most strongly impacted by these types of active constituents.
According to the taste/action dogma, bitter herbs have a cleansing action (removing heat and toxin). The cleansing action of bitters mainly refers to their antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effects, which are found with alkaloids, glycosides, and flavonoids. The bitter herbs also dry dampness, and this refers mainly to reduction of mucous membrane secretions; we can recognize today that increased mucus secretion is usually secondary to inflammation and infection.
Meals should start or finish with something bitter, be it a salad with bitter greens or an aperitif or digestif drink or an espresso after eating. Fernet Branca and Angostura Bitters are two commercial bitters, but I love Urban Moonshine’s Maple Bitters which come in a handy purse spray. Or you can take a slice of lime in water and bite down on the skin. This will stimulate your bile and stomach acid production. (So-called “acid reflux” in people over 30 is usually a problem of stomach acid being too low to stimulate the closure of the esophageal sphincter.) When the bitter taste stimulates peristalsis it helps relieve constipation and even depression. It helps create the optimum conditions for the gut bacteria as well.
In Chinese Medicine reading the pulse is one of the two key diagnostic methods, tongue diagnosis being the other. We use 3 fingers below each wrist where we can access different depths of the radial artery as it lies over the curved bone. The different positions under each finger have been correlated over the centuries with different organs. We listen to the movement of blood in the blood vessels and note the speed, shape and any rhythmical irregularities coming from the heart or other tissues. We feel the thickness or thinness of the blood vessels, how deeply they lie, how full of blood they are and note their resilience and vitality. And we note the tension of the tissue around the blood vessel. Radio signals communicated between the brain and heart gives information we may not be able to verbalize. It is a deep listening.
Too often we practitioners draw from a pool of similar patients and are not able to experience the vast information potentially read from pulses. Even more infrequent is the pulse experienced at the end of life when many are in hospitals hooked up to machines that may interfere with natural death.
I was fortunate to be able to listen to my father’s pulse as he passed away at home and I thought you might find it interesting.
Burton Vaughan 1927-2015
Ever the teacher he would not mind my sharing this with you.
My dad was an 89 year old man in otherwise good health who had leaky heart valves. He had chosen not to get them repaired as it usually involves some mental impairment and he was teaching graduate school classes until last year. So the ability of his heart to support his activities was substantially reduced as the valves were unable to push blood through the heart.
During his last day his pulse was very rapid as his heart was compensating for the low force. Qi could not command blood. The beat started strong then fizzled out as the weak valves could not push the blood. It was regularly irregular but the “fizzle” took a third to a half of the beat. He was so hot he required fanning, but his hands and feet were icy cold. This would be what we call false heat caused by the stagnation of blood due to low qi/ force. The force of the pulse was low but curiously his Kidney pulses were not inordinately weak compared to the others.
As he died his breathing was reduced and it was hard to find what had become a feeble pulse. The pulse got deeper and deeper until it was hidden. His forehead was still hot as was his vertex but the warm area moved up and the cold overtook him. The pulse diminished and he peacefully died.
Reishi is the Japanese name for Ganoderma lucidum, a mushroom known as Ling zhi in Chinese medicine. Similar species are found from the Amazon rain forest to the Arctic and have similar tonic uses. The mushroom is known to be powerful and features in myths about raising warriors from the dead. While it lacks that specific property, the mushroom is used for everything from increasing blood quality to treating cancer. Mycelial extracts done well on wooded substrates have similar to superior healing characteristics to those of the whole mushroom according to mycologist Paul Stamets. Nonetheless the mushroom itself excites users, with its antler or mushroom forms and red shiny surface.
The ganodermas (black G. lucidum, red G. lucidum, G. oregonense, G. tsuga, G. adspersum and G. applanatum) are tonic, immune strengthening, protect against cancer, have anti-tumor properties, calm the spirit, protect and clear heat from the central nervous system, open the heart, lower serum cholesterol and are good for adrenal fatigue and for depression and anxiety. They enter all five zang organs. They have anti-allergic effects, inhibiting histamine production and stabilizing immunoglobulin levels. They lower blood pressure, are antioxidant, antiviral and antibacterial. Combining with astragalus, atractylodes and Ren shen increase phagocytosis, promote immune globulin formation, promote lymphocyte transformation, and induce the generation of interferon. Chinese mountain climbers use Ling zhi to alleviate altitude sickness by oxygenating the blood.
I learned from a Thai doctor with a cancer practice, Santi Rosswong, to make a water decoction of Ganoderma lucidum (Ling zhi) with 10% cordyceps [Dong chong xia cao] for stamina. But since the polysaccharides in ganoderma are quite long, it has been shown to be more effective if the decoction is taken with not less than 500 mg of vitamin C, and 5 mg of folic acid each time. (The vitamin C is based upon Japanese research by Morishige and the folic acid is based upon Santi’s clinical experience.) Take several tablespoons (or more) every three hours. The most important dose is just before retiring, which should be larger. Take the folic acid and vitamin C with each dose.
There are two types of tinctures. One uses a concentrated decoction and adds alcohol to stabilize it. When I make it, I learned from Chris Hobbs to shoot for 25% alcohol to protect the polysaccharides, to ensure that I got between 22% and 28%, the lower number for spoilage and the upper number being a maximum for the polysaccharide protection. This appears to be the best formulation for immune system effects. The other way is to use a high alcohol formation to get the triperetenes, but I understand that this destroys the polysaccharides and differs significantly from the constituents extracted in traditional uses or from powdered extracts. It may have stronger CNS effects however. I know several herbalists who make a high alcohol tincture and add it to the subsequently decocted marc to get the best of both (and they understand that the high alcohol just makes the polysaccharides clump together on the side of the tincturing vessel but does not destroy them). There is not a consensus.
Ling zhi has various steroidal compounds, long chain polysaccharides, bitter triperetenes such as ganodermic acid and some volatile oils. Unlike Echinacea which activates macrophages, ganoderma is not believed to stimulate the immune system directly. It is probably an immune regulator rather than an immune stimulant. Ling zhi mushrooms get to the bone marrow and induce the marrow to put on more nucleated marrow cell mass, according to Jia. The marrow then increases B-cell production, which in turn increases antibodies. The DNA and RNA made in the bone marrow increases production of lymphocytes. This very deep immune nourishing means that it may be appropriate for AIDS patients although the patient should not suffer from undue dampness. For cancer therapy, combined with other fu zheng herbs, Ling zhi can be quite useful, even for patients undergoing chemo and radiation. Hobbs recommends low dose decocted ganoderma with cinnamon bark and orange peel as a tonic drink (for those not suffering from undue dampness) and I find that preparation, with roasted dandelion or chicory, combines well with coffee, helping neutralize coffee’s negative effects.
(Karen S Vaughan, adapted from Chinese Herbal Academy post 8-26-2000)
Test run of the Tribute In Light commemoration 2015
I’m thinking today of all those who have lost loved ones, who honor them with grace, and whose resilience represents triumph and hope. The sh..t hit the fan in a way that knocked us sideways. Watching the plume from the roof. Breathing in air full of construction debris and dead bodies for weeks. Yet this was a seminal time for recovery 14 years ago. Spiritual outreach, acupuncture outreach especially to the rescue workers who dug through piles of carcinogenic debris looking for body parts, Recovery clinics throughout lower Manhattan. Working on rescue workers who appeared in the Michael Moore film Sicko because they couldn’t get government funds for their 9-11 related illnesses, despite the promises. The resilience of a city that went from PTSD to recovery. We honor the memories and plan for a new future.
More people are poor. Many lost all they had. Others used the occasion to amass fortunes and cut out jobs for a few more cents on the dollar. Ecological and social disaster go hand in hand. The clues are all around us. We have to change. Now the big question is, what is the first step to getting us where we want to be, where this kind of thing isn’t happening due to things that we might be able to prevent.
I get a lot of prepper stuff in my emails, some useful and some fearmongering. (One claimed he had to shelter his small blond niece from marauding hordes in the Rockaways after Hurricane Sandy- I know the area and it didn’t happen but probably sold copies of his ebook.) Those of us in NYC face WTSHTF situations frequently: 9-11, Sandy, blackouts, terrorist near misses, epidemic dangers, loss of food stores in damaged areas even sweeps of tens of thousands of people into government detention. Usually it brings out the best in people. We pull together for a few days or weeks. And we bounce back.
There will certainly more disasters as weather patterns change. My off the grid in the woods friends got chased out by forest fires this year and the fires covered many states and Canadian provinces. First Nation’s people find that fresh moose meat is suddenly green, if they can find moose even miles distant from the tar sands destruction that poisoned land and water. West coast starfish are turning into blobs instead of stars. The big earthquake could hit Oregon, Washington and BC with folded earth and tsunamis. New Orleans hasn’t fully recovered from the Katrina floods in 10 years and more hurricanes and underconstructed levees can be expected. Deformities and low birth rates affect elk, birds and bears which affect Native food chains. Crops are dying or in lowered production. Glaciers providing water in Bolivia are gone and those in parts of the Himalayas which supply water to India and Bangladesh are close to missing. The population of Syria suffered from drought conditions before migration and civil unrest broke out and now great populations are fleeing for their lives. Populations move with increased desertification and civil unrest grows. Diseases will spread. It isn’t just “them,” it will touch all of us.
This is the time for social and physical preparation. Put aside some cash, a little food, water, medicine, batteries, fuel and first aid supplies then reach out to your community. Join a civic help group or start one yourself. You can work with your neighbors to be prepared and to identify skills and locations for clinics, sanitation and communication when various disasters strike.
In a disaster you can bring food to the elderly, get supplies to housebound neighbors, bandage wounds, help direct traffic and do all kind of things. After Sandy my congregation made meals for over 100,000 including for elders in upper floors of high rise buildings. I worked in a makeshift acupuncture clinic giving trauma treatments after Katrina and Sandy. We worked on the rescue workers at the Convention Center after 9-11.
Work with your political groups (Occupy gave NYC far more assistance than the Red Cross!) Get your church, mosque or synagogue to organize help for whatever is going down, Learn first aid, CPR, defense techniques and how to listen. Save your fear for after the crisis passes so you can be of assistance. We are connected and we can get through things.
Diseases and conditions where stem cell treatment is promising or emerging. Bone marrow transplantation is, as of 2009, the only established use of stem cells. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
As many of you know I had a stem cell implant in January at StemGenex in La Jolla California. I had been somewhat discouraged by the effect on my Parkinson’s disease but two different people in the past week have spontaneously remarked that my tremors have reduced. The tremors have spread to the other side, but are less intense. So it may well be that I am not the best judge- I only pay attention when the tremors are active.
I want to say right off that even if I’d had no effects whatsoever from the stem cell implant that valuable information would be derived from the study. We need to learn who responds and who does not. There are considerations of the effects on insulin resistance and gut bacteria, as well as vagus nerve stimulation that affect the success of stem cell implants. We need more experimentation on how and where to administer the cells and what activities will impact their proliferation. (Too bad for nonresponding participants who pay out of pocket but good for science.)
It is true that I haven’t had the dramatic changes that I expected. And I might have done better with stem cells taken from the cord blood of a newborn rather than my own adipose (fat) cells. When you are fat, the fat cells can be hypoxic and less vital. One doctor I spoke with in Mexico said he prefers cord blood because the stem cells are more active, even if there are considerably fewer of them. If you are heavy and are considering stem cell implants you might consider using cord blood. Cord blood is not available in the US, but there are reputable firms outside of the country.
Do I think losing weight prior to a stem cell implant might have helped? Only with a few years lead time and lots of detoxification. The problem is that fat stores toxins to protect the body from the harm they can cause. I have tested high for lead, strontium, DDE and other endocrine-disrupting compounds. Weight loss can dump toxins into the blood stream and tissues as fat cells are broken down or deflated, which is why I have gotten sick every single time I lost weight, even slowly. I did a course of herbal detox and DMPS, EDTA, and Olestra (1) chelation prior to the stem cell implant to reduce toxins but stopped a month before the implant to let my body normalize. Chelation cannot be done after the implant until the cells have finished multiplying.
A friend tells me that our neighbor is still experiencing improvements 2 years after his stem cell implant – and it took a while to build up. He saw the greatest improvement after he started getting deep massage and using a vibration platform late in the first year. So there is still hope. It has been only 6 months. One woman with MS who was going through the implant with me for the third time said that the first time there was no change until 6 months and suddenly she was able to raise her legs two feet instead of two inches. Pazienza, Karen!
Confidence Fitness Vibration Platform. At http://amzn.to/1Ge8Ifw
I was advised by a colleague with Parkinson’s to get a vibration platform to increase the stem cell activation and to reduce Parkinson’s symptoms. I used one last week while visiting my parents and it definitely activates qi and blood, affecting not only circulation but eliciting a strong stretch-reflex contraction in muscle fibers. It is a very efficient anaerobic form of resistance training and they claim that 10 minutes of platform exercise is like 60 minutes of regular exercise. Vibration platforms for the home run between $200- $6000. While the pure platforms without handholds look like they give a stronger vibration and certainly fit better in a NYC apartment, the design looks risky for someone with Parkinson’s. The $250 Confidence Fitness machine has over 700 five star reviews on Amazon. I am saving up for it now.
Handhold- less dual motor vibration plate (what do you do with the remote while shaking?)
Ronald J. Jandacek, James E. Heubi, Donna D. Buckley, Jane C. Khoury, Wayman E. Turner, Andreas Sjödin, James R. Olson, Christie Shelton, Kim Helms, Tina D. Bailey, Shirley Carter, Patrick Tso, Marian Pavuk.Reduction of the body burden of PCBs and DDE by dietary intervention in a randomized trial. The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, 2014; 25 (4): 483 DOI: 10.1016/j.jnutbio.2014.01.002
There are many reasons you might have spasms and the hard, painful clenching of contracted muscle can hurt enough to wake you up in pain. What you do is not the same for everyone
Overuse or overtraining can cause your body to go into spasm, especially if a nerve is involved. This serves two purposes: it gives you temporary if somewhat distorted support and gets you to stop what you are doing. Use an analgesic that reduces pain and moves blood like aspirin or Dr. Christopher’s Antispasmodic formula or a Chinese martial arts dit dat jiao trauma formula.
A dit dat jiao is a liniment or topical tincture made up of herbs that increase circulation (including microcirculation of the capillaries), release the muscle layer and relieve pain. If there is a lot of redness and swelling a cooling effect can be added with mint or menthol the first day since this relieves inflammation without the bad effects of ice.
There has been controversy about using ice when a spasm first starts. Don’t. In Chinese medicine ice has always been proscribed because it drives the pain in deeper while giving surface relief. Blood can congeal (clot) deep inside, blocking the circulation necessary to nourish the tissue, so it takes longer to heal the spasm. Heat both increases circulation and relaxes the spasm. Western medicine has finally caught up with Chinese medicine, although some trainers and doctors have not yet caught up with the research.
Related to overuse is poor functional posture which over time stresses some muscles and produces weakness in others that ought to work together. An example of this is “computer neck” where the SCM, trapezius and other neck muscles become rigid because the head is held too far forward. Yoga, Pilates and MELT classes can work on correcting posture while structural integration can separate conjoined fascia so that muscles can work independently. While nutrients and herbs can reduce pain it is important to improve the functional posture to eliminate the cause.
Lack of magnesium which is an endemic condition in America can also affect cramping. Dietary magnesium is down 50% in the last 30 years as soil has been depleted by industrial farming and erosion. Oral magnesium is difficult to absorb and I have been able to reach good testable levels using Jigsaw Sustained Release capsules twice a day plus topical magnesium oil from the ancient Zechstein inland sea. I also do periodic soaks in Epsom salts or Magnesium Chloride salts.
Lack of iron is also a cause of spasmodic leg shaking but should not be supplemented unless blood tests low. The Chinese cure would be to eat liver for such Liver Wind conditions.
The widespread use of statins for cholesterol has led to a wholesale depletion in Ubiquinone (Coenzyme Q10,) the body’s natural antioxidant. While statins have tested as useful for males who have had heart attacks, the usefulness for anyone else is unclear. Cholesterol is the body’s natural bandage for inflamed arteries and is the building block of steroid hormones and brain tissue, so there are good reasons to not lower it. Statin use is known to frequently lead to muscle pain and more rarely rhabdomyolysis, a severe condition which affects the muscles. The most common signs and symptoms of rhabdomyolysis include:
Severe muscle aching throughout the entire body
Muscle weakness
Dark or cola-colored urine
The higher the dose of statins, the higher the risk of rhabdomyolysis becomes. The risk also increases when taken in combination with certain drugs.
Low B vitamins can also cause spasms. Try methylfolate instead of folic acid and methylcobalamin instead of normal B12, particularly if you know you have the MTHFR gene snip. (If you don’t know I’d take these forms anyway.) Low doses three times a day are best and take a methylated B complex.
Although it does not seem intuitive, eating gluten can cause muscle and joint pains. Once the inflammatory proteins get past a leaky gut they circulate with the blood all over the body, causing pain
Diseases like Parkinson’s and Essential tremor can cause hard spasms due to the continual shaking. Work on increasing liposomal glutathione, CoQ10, Vitamin C and Folate as well as a full component of minerals, detoxification and exercise.
Body work is very important. Deep massage, myofascial work, bonesetting tuina or chiropractic can make a great impact on nerve-related or muscle work.
Acupuncture is very good for spasms, on both a local and distal level. It is not necessary to needle directly into a spasm, but if the spasm is not too hard or sensitive,
local needling can increase circulation into the spasm. But needling on the opposite side, along the meridian or into special points can signal the brain to release muscles or endorphins.
If you have food allergies, diabetes, are gluten sensitive or are eating paleo you may need to bring your own food to eat in a way that supports your health. One of my teachers in acupuncture school developed the concept of “cloak food’, food that fits in the pockets of your cloak. It should be small, light weight and substitute for your dietary pitfalls.
For instance if you are prone to joining in for a soda, a packet of Eboost, Wellness Fizz, Emergen-C or Calm can add flavor and fizz to your water, not to mention some awesome herbs, minerals and vitamins.
Nuts, pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds make a good low carb snack for the afternoon blahs. Add some cacao nibs or dried goji fruit for a healthy trail mix that will beat out anything the vending machine has to offer.
Shake packets can store easily in your pocket, purse or desk drawer and a pint sized jar with a lid will substitute for a no-fuss blender. If you make up your own in baggies you can add superfood powders.
More suited to a backpack or briefcase, a few sheets of nori make a gluten-free, mineral rich substitute for a wrap or sliced bread. I carry around a pack in my backpack. Place a few slices of roast beef or spoons of humus in the center and roll it up. (It gets soft if you do it in advance.) If you are not too sensitive, order a sandwich, ditch the bread and put the inside in the nori. No one said only sushi should be wrapped in nori!
If you need a non-dairy milk in your coffee, get an individual sized aseptic pack of coconut milk or whatever you drink. I will carry the ones with a screw cap in my purse for the day or leave the packs with straws in my office refrigerator. They stay fresh a bit longer than dairy milk after opening.
Nori, roasted sheets of seaweed used in Japanese cuisine for sushi but fillable with any sandwich filling. The smaller ones are already seasoned with sesame oil and spices. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Boiled eggs can survive for a week without refrigeration and you can bring a salt pack from the deli or learn to love the plain flavor. Jerky, especially salmon jerky also provides a protein-rich snack.
Fruit that is not too tender is also easy to carry. If you need fewer carbs, slices of zucchini, celery, fennel, baby carrots or a small endive can fit in a ziplock baggie. The main idea is that you think ahead to protect your dietary needs while having a few dry alternatives if you forget.
Don’t forget your water bottle. I like to make overnight infusions, very strong teas, of nettles or oatstraw. (How to at the link.) 2
In the morning I strain them out and put my day’s dose in my water bottle to sip during the day. Don’t worry, these will hydrate you as well as water and will add a phytonutrient benefit.
Ganoderma, also known as Lingzhi or Reishi (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Medicinal mushrooms are in great demand because of their adaptogenic effects and their actions against cancer. They improve the immune system, balance the hormones of the HPA axis, are anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, tonify the heart, protect the liver and soothe the nerves.
Taking them in an effective way is not so easy. Eating medicinal mushrooms like shitake or maitake doesn’t release the medicinal value (except perhaps the Vitamin D.)
If you want to take them as a tea (decoction) you need to simmer them for at least an hour to separate the medicine from the chitin. (Yes mushrooms have chitin, like sea shells.) This is the traditional way used in Chinese medicine. Chris Hobbs suggests keeping a pot warm on the back burner at all times, periodically adding water, astragalus, cinnamon and orange peel so you only need to make it every few weeks. Cooking herbs daily can be a bit much and decoctions only last a few days in the refrigerator but it works and I have used this kind of decoction to make ganoderma coffee.
Tinctures or liquid extracts are portable, let you taste them which makes them more effective than capsules, but are not simple to make. You can’t just soak the mushrooms, either fresh or dried in alcohol. The chitin still locks up the medicine. The most important fractions of the medicine are polysaccharides like beta????-Glucens or Mannogalactoglucan which don’t survive even medium levels of alcohol.
Polysaccharides clump together when exposed to alcohol and become inert. Below 30% the alcohol is not strong enough to percipitate out the polysaccharides. The triterpenes like Ganoderic Acid in reishi are also medicinally important and require a high alcohol percentage to be extracted. So to get the most medicine, you need to follow a two step process and combine them with 25-20% alcohol to make a liquid extract.
For 250 grams, slightly over 1/2 pound of mushrooms you will want to make 1 1/4 liters of liquid extract. It will be 30% grain alcohol or 375 ml and 875 ml of decoction.
The first stage is to decoct the the given weight of dried mushrooms in water. You need to simmer below a boil for at least an hour after they rehydrate, longer is better. The bigger the mushroom chunks the longer- Chinese herbal pharmacies sell reishi in thin slices which I usually spin in the Vitamix., but before I had access to those I would chunk as small as possible then run in the Vitamix mid cooking when the mushroom was a little softer. Chaga can be obtained through Mainley Chaga in a coffee grind (but for the medicine decoct it- don’t just run through your coffee maker!) If you wildcraft, slice thinly before the mushroom dries and dry it gill side up in the sun for maximum Vitamin D.
Start with your ground dry mushrooms. Cover with water and let it absorb. Add more water so the mushroom chunks can freely swim. Cover and simmer for an hour or overnight. Strain and squeeze out, measure the decoction in a Pyrex container to see if you have enough, 875 ml in this example, and cook down the decoction to the quantity you need or top up with water. Freeze until the tincture is ready. (Squeeze it out really well.)
Take the strained out marc (which has had most polysaccharides removed) and add Everclear/ grain alcohol to get the triterpenes. For 250 gr mushrooms use 275 mililiters of Everclear. (Because the mushroom pieces will have absorbed water, you need less alcohol than if you were to tincture in alcohol directly and lose the absorbed alcohol.) Store in a dark place for 1-3 months, shaking perodically and strain out really well, squeezing the spongy marc. Mix the finished tincture with the defrosted decoction very slowly, stirring well to get a 30% alcohol level.
(Some just stabilize the decoction with plain 95% grain alcohol but it won’t be as strong. You can also use two batches of mushrooms, one for alcohol and one for decoction in water. You need 7 parts decoction to 3 parts Everclear tincture. It will cost more and you will need more Everclear but it is convenient.)
You can also find Chinese dried granules to rehydrate with warm water, but it won’t have the triterpenes. These can be combined with other Chinese herbs in a formula, although I find granule formulas somewhat less effective than raw herb formulas. (They are convenient however.) And Mushroom Harvest makes a well-done steamed granule that you can put into smoothies. If you purchase tinctures call the company that makes them and find out how they make the tincture- there is a lot of inert or very weak medicinal mushroom tincture out there. You can do better by following these instructions.
<< Does anyone routinely use any calming herbs often enough to know if they are safe for nursing mothers? I was thinking of Valerian, hops and passionflower for my sister’s second child (the oldest still wakes during the night)…>>
The time after giving birth is normally somewhat anxiety producing. A new mother who typically had interrupted sleep follows what might be the most physically challenging event of her life with insufficient sleep and the overwhelming responsibility of a helpless new baby (particularly if the baby has colic. )
Catnip might work as well as valerian and is definitely fine for the baby. In fact you can give it to the baby directly. Valerian is listed as safe during lactation, but make sure she gets fresh root tincture rather than dried capsules because the dried herb can be stimulating instead of sedative and calming. I prefer teas to tinctures for breastfeeding moms because fluid keeps up the milk supply, which makes catnip, which can be dried, preferable.
Mints are fine, fennel is good for the milk, fenugreek is too but can make you fertile sooner, astragalus is good if you need an immune booster. Garlic is good although some babies don’t like the way it makes the milk taste- but others adore it. Oat straw is a nourishing nervine. Carrot juice will help, especially if anxiety makes your milk supplies lag.
A new mother can experience anxiety if she does not know what herbs are safe for other conditions she may experience during the breastfeeding period. Other herbs listed as safe during lactation are:
First off I would see that she gets ton of liquids. Catnip tea is especially good for calming and colic, and if the mother drinks it, her milk will reflect it. A quart per day is not unreasonable. Better yet, she could make an overnight infusion which contains 1/2 ounce oatstraw with heads (avena sativa) and 1/2 oz. catnip, put in a quart jar, pour on boiling water, cap and strain in the morning. It is easy- she can boil the water while she is brushing her teeth and it will help protect her bones and build the child’s. It is also a nutritive nervine.
Milk production is primarily related to the amount of liquid consumed, the suckling of the child which stimulates milk and stress. If she has other children and a non-sleeper, she should be getting help during the day so she can nap whenever the baby does. It is worth the money- and not just for milk production!
Milk production is normally cyclic and usually reflects the baby’s hunger patterns, which may change. They seem to go on milk binges just before growth spurts and when teething- and the teething pain seems worse when the teeth are cutting through the internal gum layers, long before they emerge. Probably not the issue now, but I know of two babies who were born with teeth, so you never know. Having a bit extra breast milk is good in a pinch (and a caregiver can give it to the baby when the mother is exhausted and needs a nap or a break.) Airplane trips, as an aside, are great times to pump extra milk because the air pressure makes it easier- so if she has any trips coming up she can bring a pump and cooler. ???? Just make sure that the milk is NOT heated in a microwave because it kills off the antibodies, is hard to digest and the baby will not thrive.
When the baby is a bit older she can give it catnip tea as well, by bottle. I’d wait until the second month, and make sure that it does not displace the milk consumption. 1/2 bottle per day under 6 months and a bottle after, in divided doses, as required. The oatstraw/catnip infusion would be particularly good.
The mother can take fennel, fenugreek or mint teas as well. Mothers Milk tea by Traditional Medicinals is good. She should watch her diet (broccoli, onions and other foods high in sulfur are common foods to cause colic but again depends in the baby.)
I would also encourage the mother to sleep with the baby when she feels anxious or overwhelmed. The baby is more likely to sleep, less likely to awaken and can learn to nurse while the mother sleeps. (He’ll even learn to help himself after a few months.) I firmly believe that it makes it much easier on the family if the parents take the baby to bed. Everyone sleeps better, there are fewer SIDS deaths (unless she sleeps with him in a waterbed), the father gets to cuddle more than usual and the baby feels more secure. They do outgrow it and the parents usually kick them out when they insist upon sleeping sideways.
If she hasn’t read them lately, the La Leche League has two excellent books “The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding” and “The Family Bed”. The information is not just basic stuff, and bears re-reading if it has been a few years since we usually remember what applied to the first child if it was read then. La Leche can give her advice and provide lactation counselors who do more than help make sure there is enough milk.
Note: The list of safe herbs probably derives from one developed by herbalist Amanda McQuade. I have been using and adapting it for years and am no longer certain of its provenance.
Recently the press was transfixed when NY State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman’s office announced that the vast majority of herbal supplements tested by the AG’s office had none of the herbs claimed. This followed a Canadian Guelph University study from the developers of a novel DNA testing process that claimed a huge percent of herbs tested were bogus. That study was so poorly done that the American Botanical Council asked for it to be retracted. Their title said it all:
Science Group Says Article on DNA Barcode Analysis of Herbs Is Flawed, Contains Errors, Creates Confusion, and Should Be Retracted: Methodological Flaws, Statistical Inconsistencies, Taxonomic Confusion, and Unreliable Conclusions Require Paper in BMC Medicine to be Corrected, Revised, and Re-peer-reviewed
Nonetheless the specter of a relatively inexpensive new test in an industry everyone assumes is unregulated was irresistible to the AGs office (and besides everyone knows DNA is scientific!) This new DNA barcode test is different from forensic DNA tests which is what people think of when they hear “DNA test.” Now GNC has signed a premature consent agreement and the AG’s offices in 14 states are planning to follow suit based on technically misleading testing.
As a clinical herbalist for over 25 years and a professor of herbal medicine I need to point out that the press has given a free ride to the validity of new DNA barcode testing which purported to show that 79% of herbs from Target, GNC, Walgreens and Wallmart were adulterated or missing the herb claimed. The high figure should have given the AG’s office pause. Verification including microscopy and validated chemical test methods, like those found in official pharmacopeias for these seven herbs, should have been conducted to confirm the DNA findings.
When the initial 2013 Canadian DNA barcode study came out it was clear that it was oriented to the sales of a testing method and had poor application to prepared herbs. DNA barcoding is less expensive than traditional herbal tests and that of course would be a great new market for the test developers. Raw herbs before extraction can be identified by DNA. It has proven itself with foods where whole plant products are being tested. But the test only tests the presence of DNA. Unless I am growing herbs, the least useful compound is DNA: instead I want to extract the medicinal secondary metabolites, the minerals, polysaccharides, polyphenols, sesqueterpenes and flavonoids.
A typical Chinese formula has 7-9 grams per herb and 5-9 herbs, so say has 50 grams of herbs daily. You would need at least 20 large 400 mg pills- too much, which is why herbs are extracted to find their most medicinally useful components. DNA isn’t one of those and it is usually degraded by extraction. However there is a need to add something like rice flour to keep the powdered extracts from clumping and that doesn’t need to be extracted, so its DNA is present. The DNA barcode test doesn’t test concentration so it looks like the herbal capsule is free of the herb and adulterated when, in fact, it is properly made.
Now encapsulated herbs are perhaps the least effective form since you can’t taste them. (Taste and smell are not merely aesthetic experiences- they engage body feedback systems.) Powders can oxidize rapidly. I wouldn’t buy my herbs from Target, Walmart, Walgreens or GNC. I want higher quality. But it begs credibility that 79% of products were free of the herbs claimed. You can visit wholesale herb markets to see the tonnage of herbs at reasonable prices. GNC is in the business of selling herbs and they need to have a certain level of quality (if only because people like me will bite into the capsules and can taste whether the herb is present.)
So it was not accurate to say that 79% of supplements lacked the herbs claimed, instead 79% did not have DNA present. It might have other medicinally useful constituents from the herb in question, and in fact subsequent industry-standard testing found herbs in all samples. It was not accurate to assume there was substantial adulteration, only that excipients were usually used. Some 90% of herbs are sold in extract form, unlike the foods that work with DNA barcoding.
There is a need for quality control, especially in the bodybuilding and weight-lifting sectors of the industry where ConsumerLab has identified real problems. I do use suppliers of international herbs who use HPLC and heavy metal testing, but I also purchase whole herbs directly from US growers I know, where I can taste and smell the herbs and make my own extracts. The American Botanical Council has been in the forefront of protecting against adulteration, intentional or accidental. The ABC-AHP-NCNPR Botanical Adulterants Program, is being conducted by ABC with the nonprofit American Herbal Pharmacopoeia (AHP) and the NCNPR, a FDA Center of Excellence lab at the University of Mississippi.
GNC couldn’t afford a shadow over their business so signed the consent requirement. They will have ample evidence they used the herbs claimed but are likely to miss the DNA barcoding target unless they add powdered herb to the excipient. But the spotlight will be off by then. By all means make major retailers stand behind their herbs, but do not enshrine a novel DNA test just because it is cheap.
