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Posts Tagged ‘longevity’

Anti-aging and longevity in Oriental Medicine

Tuesday, May 19th, 2009

Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective on Anti-Aging and Longevity

Aging- The modern definition from Britannica encyclopedia;

‘Gradual change in an organism that leads to increased risk of weakness, disease, and death.’

Aging takes place in a cell, an organ or the total organism over the entire adult life span of any living thing. There is a decline in biological functions and inability to adapt to metabolic stress. Changes in organs include the replacement of functional cardiovascular cells with fibrous tissue. Overall effects of aging include reduced immunity, loss of muscle strength, decline in memory and other aspects of cognition, loss of color in the hair and elasticity in the skin. In women, the process accelerates after menopause.

Since ancient time humans have been trying to find the way of longevity and a healthy life without any illnesses. Today our life span is much longer than even that of 100 years ago in this country. Therefore, more people are interested in the way of longevity and healthy living.

In ancient China, the emperors would send people to look for an elixir to stop aging and allow them to live forever. The Emperor of the Qin dynasty, Shi Huang sent a large number of troops and herbalists all over the world for the legendary herbs ‘bu lao cao’ to give him immortality. His troops never came back with this “magical elixir”, and Emperor Shi Huang rested in his tomb waiting…

This common human desire of defying age drove the ancient Chinese to study and develop a wide range of anti-aging herbs and formulas. They are still widely used in traditional Chinese medicine to enhance the immune system and slow down aging.

Although there are many theories of anti-aging in traditional Chinese medicine, the most important one is the association of aging and decreased immuno-function.

The Axis of the Kidney Qi determines the function of the immune system. The immune system is key in anti-aging. If the immune system is weak, the Axis of the Kidney will be weak; with little to no flow of Qi. Opening this energy in the Axis of the Kidney is the primary theory of anti-aging treatment in Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective on Anti-Aging

The Kidney Qi=Immune system=Longevity for treating aging

“The kidney energy is closely related to human’s birth-growth-death process in Traditional Chinese Medicine.”

Huang di nei jing , the 1st chapter of Suwen says.

“In a man, at the age of 8 the boy’s kidney energy is abundant, his hair and teeth grow. At the age of 16 his kidney energy is even more abundant, the dew of Heaven[sperm] arrives, the Essence is luxuriant and flowing, Yin and Yang are harmonized and he can produce a child. At the age of 24, the Kidney energy peaks, tendons and bones are strong, the wisdom teeth appear, and growth is at its peak. At the age of 32, tendons and bones are at their strongest, and the muscles are full and strong. At the age of 40, the Kidney is weakened, the hair begins to fall out and the teeth become loose.

At the age of 48, Yang Qi is exhausted, the face becomes darker and the hair turns grey. At the age of 56, the Liver energy is weakened, the tendons cannot move, the dew of Heaven is dried up, the Kidney becomes weak and the body begins to grow old. At the age of 64 hair and teeth are gone.”

The speed of aging is proportional to the strength of kidney energy.If Kidney Qi is strong, aging does not occur quickly.

Then what is the Kidney Qi in Traditional Chinese Medicine?

This original Qi in the kidney is the fundamental energy of our body and the source of all the life activity as well. Therefore if Kidney Qi is good, the original Qi will flourish, the right Qi will become strong and in turn the body’s immune system will function properly. But in the weak condition of Kidney Qi, vice versa.

From the clinical studies, the patient with weak Kidney Qi shows the low immune system frequently, in particular, poor cell immune function.

For example, 37 cases of the chronic bronchitis due to poor kidney function show 2 times less T- cell proportion than do 20 cases of the healthy.

And also after 3 months of administration of a tonifying kidney herbal concoction, the kidney function became noticeably improved and T-cell proportion increased as well.

How T-cell works for our body.

In modern medicine, T-cell is considered as the important substance of immune system. T-cells respond to antigens by cell to cell contact and attach to foreign cells directly in which antigens are processed before interacting with T cells.

Therefore T-cell protects its own cell, kills and inhibits proliferation of viruses and tumor cells within normal cells. This T cell’s work is activated by thymocin in the thymos. That is why the thymus is so important in the immune system.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the function of the kidney consists of the immune system, endocrine system, reproductive system, and nervous system.

The principle of oriental medical anti-aging treatment is to tonify and regulate Kidney Qi and in turn, enhance the immune system and prevent aging. The fundamental theory of this treatment is based on the axis of:

“WEAK KIDNEY QI=LOWERED IMMUNE SYSTEM=AGING

HERBS FOR ANTI-AGING

Meng shen in his 98 from Tang dynasty said, “The man who is able to keep healthy and cultivate the good personality speaks only the good words and always takes good herbs.”

Sun Si Miao in his 101, “if the man is over 40 years old, sedating herbs should not be taken but only tonifying herbs and if 50 years old, he should not skip the tonic herbs all over the 4 seasons.”

There are innumerable formulas for anti-aging and longevity in the history of traditional Chinese medicine. Today, most of these herbs have been researched in laboratories in western countries finding that these herbs are widely used and proven effective in regulating and improving the immune system.

The main ingredients of these formulas are herbs such as; ling zhi, huang jing, shan zhu yu, gou qi zi, tu si zi, di huang, yu zhu, he shou wu, rou cong rong, ba ji tian, sang shen, rou gui, fu zi, yin yang huo, lu rong, zi he che, ren shen, huang qi.

Huang qi, huang jing, nu zhen zi, gou qi zi, tu si zi, bu gu zi, human placenta, yin yang huo are used to increase the transforming rate of T-cell and the functional strength of T-cell, and inhibit auto-immune disorders. These herbs have been used for cancer treatment in China.

Huang qi, Astragalus:

  • Cardiovascular effect: Intravenous injections of decoctions of huang qi significantly lowered blood pressure in dogs, cats and rabbits.
  • Renal effect: rats with experimentally-induced glomerulonephritis, when treated with powdered huang qi, had significantly less proteinuria than control groups, as well as milder pathological tissue changes. A relatively high dosage was required before there was any significant effect.
  • In the lab test, huang qi extended the life span of kidney and lung cells in humans.
  • Hepatic effect: feeding mice huang qi for nine days protected the glycogen storage levels of mice exposed to carbon tetrachloride.

Ren shen, ginseng root:

  • In lab research, prevents human cell’s aging and extends the life cycle of amniotic cell and slows the regressive change of amniotic cells.

Wu jia pi, Aacanthopanax root bark:

  • Increases the non-specific immune system and regulates the imbalance of the endocrine system, controls white blood cells, red blood cells, blood pressure and also has the indication of anti-radiation, detoxification and anti-oxidation in cells.

Allegedly, Ancient Emperors, Nobles and physicians, Lu Ding Gong, Zhang Zi Chan, Yang Jian Shi, and Wang Shu Ya lived 300 years by drinking wu jia pi wine everyday. And also Li Shi-Zhen said, “wu jia is better than the carriage full of gold and jade.”

Zi he che, human placenta:

  • Immunological effect: oral administration of powdered placenta hominis to mice lessens the pathological changes from tb, even though the medicine increases the growth of the germ in vitro. It is thought that this occurs by an enhancement of the immunological system. This also has a certain inhibitory effect upon the artificial induction of ulcers.
  • Effect on endurance: preparations of placenta hominis given to mice increase the duration of their maximal swimming times.
  • Antibiotic effect: placenta hominis contains a γ globulin that has some effect when injected intramuscularly in the prevention and treatment of measles and influenza.
  • Treatment of dermatological disorders: a powder made from sterilized placenta hominis was used for 30 cases of skin ulcers, with cures in 22 cases within a few weeks.
  • Treatment of pulmonary diseases: point injection of placenta hominis into such acupuncture points as B-13 and S-16 of 8 patients with severe asthma showed good results in 7 cases. When there were recurrences, repeat therapy was successful. In another clinical series, injections of a preparation of this substance were used to treat 47 severe and recalcitrant cases of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with excellent results in 17 and significant improvement in another 24 cases. No side effects were noted.

These herbs are used for anti-aging and balancing the immune system. In particular, cardiovascular disorders and tumors in the elderly are related to the disturbance of the immune system.

Zhu Dan Xi of the Yuan Dynasty (1281-1358) said, “ze he che is the substance formed by the father’s sperm and the mother’s blood and the most balanced natural substance and this is the very source of the energy”

Please understand that unless there is traditional Chinese medicine doctor present to design a formula specifically for your condition, these herbs can be misused or dosed incorrectly. The good herbs may just be bad herbs for YOU.Before you take the herbs, you should have a consultation and examination from a licensed acupuncturist.

If you would like to know more about Traditional Chinese Medicine and its anti-aging benefits, please call and schedule a time to visit our office at 310-401-3347 for a well-being treatment and personalized formula that will work for YOU.

More about Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine?

 

 

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Jade Saliva – Taoist Way of Chewing and Its Health Benefit

Tuesday, April 14th, 2009

Today l would like to talk about the chewing and the role of saliva from the Taoist and traditional Chinese medicine perspective.

I often find most of my patients with digestive issues tend to have quick eating habit;
No time to enjoy the meal, they almost swallow and get up and go back to work just for survival. They also find themselves changing the eating habit is very difficult and not thinking it causes many health issues.

From the oriental medicine and Taoist perspective, chewing and producing and swallowing saliva are all and respectively important in keeping healthy in mind and body as well.

“The clear well of the mouth and the corolla of a flower of the jade in the body are the pathways of body fluid. Saliva is the spiritual fluid in the body”
- Huangdineijing Lingshu

“If whenever the saliva swells up in the mouth, you gurgle, fill it with the saliva, and swallow it. And if you always have the seed of jujube in the mouth, you will keep your qi.”
-Tao Hongjing(456-536)- Yang xing yan ming lu

Haungdineijing is the father of all the traditional Chinese medicinal books and literally the origin of this medicine. In Huangdineijing it says the saliva is the spiritual fluid.
this implies there is the relationship between your mind- brain function and saliva. To have longevity, don’t spit your saliva, but keep it and swallow it, then your mind will be always clear and your skin never will be dry. Western scientific research has found some relationship between chewing and memory, this is to say, brain activity.

“If five jang is fertile, all the meridians flow well, and all the meridians flow well, saliva is welled up more in the upper part of the mouth, and which will make you not feeling hungry and thirsty although you don’t even drink water and eat food.” - Taishang yangsheng taixi qijing, Taoist cannon, zhengtong daozhang

And also in many taoist practices, swallowing the saliva and hitting teeth is highly recommended.
Therefore if you are interested in practicing taoist way of health life or qigong, try to hitting the teeth 30 times, which will resonate with your brain and swallowing the saliva with feeling it flowing down to your lower dantian ( about 4 finger-width below your belly button) as a first thing in the morning.

Traditional Chinese medicine considers Saliva consisting of xian and tuo, two different fluid from different origins.

Xian relates to the earth, that is to say, spleen qi and Tuo to the water, kidney qi.
In particular, without Xian, you’ll have some problem in tasting food.
Western medicine knows now saliva helps people to taste food now.
Many patients with chronic or acute pain conditions or sleep disorder, stress show the dry mouth, and even dry lips. In these conditions, I often find that acupuncture makes their mouths filled with saliva about 10 minutes after
And during qigong exercise, many people also experience having saliva welling up in the mouth and have to swallow it down. In the qigong class, I hear a lot of swallowing sound.

Saliva has been divided into three different kinds in Ancient taoist teachings, and I found some interesting similarity between western saliva anatomy and eastern.

Western Medicine: where does all this saliva come from?


The parotid glands: These glands, located just under the ears, produce a serous solution. The oral serous solution is clear and watery, and contains the digestive enzyme amylase, also known as ptyalin. It is no wonder that these salivary glands are the ones most associated with carbohydrate digestion. The ducts for these glands are near your upper teeth.
The Sublingual glands: The Submaxillary glands and the Sublingual glands also produce salivary amylase.
The Submaxillary glands: also known as the Submandibular glands, these are located near the jawbone, secrete both serous and mucous saliva

Eastern Medicine:

Kidney qi- yuyi, the sweet jade – saliva in the tongue body
Spleen qi –Liquan, sweet liquor- the tip of the tongue
Lung qi –lingye, spiritual liquid- inside the lips

Now I present the component of the saliva and the benefits of chewing well and saliva from western medicine perspective.
And you are also able to see some of the benefits in those of Taoist perspective above.

Component:

• Water (98%)
• Electrolytes:
o 2-21 mmol/L sodium (lower than blood plasma)
o 10-36 mmol/L potassium (higher than plasma)
o 1.2-2.8 mmol/L calcium
o 0.08-0.5 mmol/L magnesium
o 5-40 mmol/L chloride (lower than plasma)
o 25 mmol/L bicarbonate (higher than plasma)
o 1.4-39 mmol/L phosphate
• Mucus. Mucus in saliva mainly consists of mucopolysaccharides and glycoproteins;
• Antibacterial compounds (thiocyanate, hydrogen peroxide, and secretory immunoglobulin A)
• Various enzymes. There are three major enzymes found in saliva.
o ?-amylase (EC3.2.1.1). Amylase starts the digestion of starch and lipase fat before the food is even swallowed. It has a pH optima of 7.4.
o lysozyme (EC3.2.1.17). Lysozyme acts to cause lysis in bacteria.
o lingual lipase (EC3.1.1.3). Lingual lipase has a pH optimum ~4.0 so it is not activated until entering the acidic environment of the stomach.
o Minor enzymes include salivary acid phosphatases A+B (EC3.1.3.2), N-acetylmuramyl-L-alanine amidase (EC3.5.1.28), NAD(P)H dehydrogenase-quinone (EC1.6.99.2), salivary lactoperoxidase (EC1.11.1.7), superoxide dismutase (EC1.15.1.1), glutathione transferase (EC2.5.1.18), class 3 aldehyde dehydrogenase (EC1.2.1.3), glucose-6-phosphate isomerase (EC5.3.1.9), and tissue kallikrein (EC3.4.21.35).
• Cells: Possibly as much as 8 million human and 500 million bacterial cells per mL. The presence of bacterial products (small organic acids, amines, and thiols) causes saliva to sometimes exhibit foul odor.
• Opiorphin, a newly researched pain-killing substance found in human saliva.

Benefits:

• Chewing until the food turns to liquid in the mouth prevents overeating
• Signal letting you body begin to digest.
• Protecting the esophagus
• Well-chewed bits of food are more easily coated with digestive juices once in the stomach.
• The body uses less of its energy to digest well-chewed food than hastily chewed and swallowed food.
• Chewing well also allows the molecules of nutrients from the chewed food to be more quickly released
and assimilated.
• Keeping a food in the mouth longer and chewing it well allows the food’s flavors to be recognized by the tongue. When the tongue recognizes the flavor it sends a message to the brain, which in turn sends messages to the digestive system resulting in the release of the correct digestive juices needed for that food
• Saliva moistens the molecules of dry foods so that we can taste the foods when we eat them.
We are not able to distinguish many flavors in dry food.
• It binds masticated food bits into a bolus, which we can swallow easily.
• It lubricates the esophagus. In fact, the bolus of masticated food never touches or potentially damages the walls of the esophagus
• It is important to oral hygiene. The mouth is almost constantly flushed with saliva, which flushes away food debris and protects your teeth from decay. Saliva can actually kill some bacteria
• Saliva acts as a first defense against bacterial infection. By chewing food well and creating more surface area on which the saliva can act, more potential food-borne bacteria can be killed.

Therefore Start today chewing well with good saliva and even chew the water.
And most of all, give a good smile to your meal.

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