- ALLERGY, RESPIRATORY
- Overweight Moms More Likely to Have Asthmatic Kids
- Childhood Food Allergies on the Rise
- Know Your Asthma Triggers
- ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE
- Memory Loss Help from Brain Supplement Prevagen
- 38% of U.S. Adults Use Alternative Treatments
- Massage Fosters Healing in Bereaved Relatives
- ANIMAL CARE
- Separation Anxiety, Canine-Style
- Safe Toys for Dogs
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- BONES & JOINTS
- Childhood Dairy Intake Boosts Bone Health Later On
- Extra Pounds in Mid-Life Affect Later Mobility
- Fall Sports Peak Time for Lower Leg Damage
- CANCER
- Vitamin D Good for Breast Cancer Patients
- Gene Screen May Predict Colon Cancer's Return
- HPV Vaccine Has Higher Allergic Reaction Rate
- CAREGIVING
- Diabetes Epidemic Now Poses Challenges for Nursing Homes
- U.S. Mental Health Spending Rises, But Many Still Left Out
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- CIRCULATORY SYSTEM
- Health Tip: Are You Anemic?
- High Blood Fat Levels Common in Americans
- Common Antioxidant Might Slow Parkinson's
- COSMETIC
- Mouse Study Finds Molecule That Tells Hair to Grow
- Health Tip: After Liposuction
- What to Do If You Have Unsightly Veins
- DENTAL, ORAL
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- DIABETES
- Saliva Test Could Monitor Type 2 Diabetes
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- DIET, NUTRITION
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- Drinking Your Way to Health? Perhaps Not
- DISABILITIES
- Could Your Cell Phone Help Shield You From Alzheimer's?
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- ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
- Are Medical Meetings Environmentally Unfriendly?
- Where You Live May Affect Your Cancer Diagnosis
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- EYE CARE, VISION
- Protein Might One Day Prevent Blindness
- Guard Kids' Eyes Against Long-Term Sun Damage
- Glaucoma Treatment Can Prevent Blindness
- FITNESS
- Research Confirms How Valuable A Healthy Lifestyle Can Be
- Exercise 30 Minutes a Day? Who Knew!
- Super Bowl Loss Can 'Kill' Some Fans
- GASTROINTESTINAL PROBLEMS
- Soothing Imagery May Help Rid Some Kids of Stomach Pain
- Bowel Prep Harder on Women Than Men
- New Guidelines Issued for Management of IBS
- GENERAL HEALTH
- Mind Exercise Might Help Stroke Patients
- Lack of Vitamin D Linked to High Blood Pressure
- When Healing Becomes a Commodity
- HEAD & NECK
- Many Children Will Outgrow Headaches
- Zen May Thicken Brain, Thwart Pain
- Ski Helmets Encouraged for All
- HEALTH & TECHNOLOGY
- Magnet Therapy May Ease Hard-to-Treat Depression
- E-Mailing Your Way to Healthier Habits
- Subway Defibrillators Save Lives
- HEART & CARDIOVASCULAR
- Walk Long, Slow and Often to Help the Heart
- Vigorous Exercise Cuts Stroke Risk for Men, Not Women
- Fondness for Fish Keeps Japanese Hearts Healthy
- INFECTIOUS DISEASE
- The HPV Vaccine: Preventative Medicine or Human Sacrifice?
- Older Adults May Have Some Immunity to Swine Flu
- More Medicinal Uses for Pomegranate
- KID'S HEALTH
- Childhood Dairy Intake Boosts Bone Health Later On
- Working Intensely Early on May Help Autistic Kids
- Decline of Underweight Children in U.S. Continue to Fall
- MEN'S HEALTH
- Strenuous Daily Workout May Keep Cancer at Bay
- Exercise May Prevent Prostate Cancer: Study Shows
- Soy Linked to Low Sperm Count
- MENTAL HEALTH
- How to Attack Holiday Stress Head-On
- Mind Exercise Might Help Stroke Patients
- Green Spaces Boost the Body and the Mind
- PREGNANCY
- Obesity May Affect Fertility in Young Womene
- Exercise As Well As Acupuncture, May Ease Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome
- Yoga's Benefits Outweigh Risks for Pregnant Women
- SENIORS
- Older People at Greater Risk of Swine Flu Death
- High-Impact Activity May Be Good for Old Bones
- Want Better Health in the New Year, Add Exercise to Your Day
Japanese Herbals May Ease Gastro Woes
By eHolistic.com Published: 03/30/2009
MONDAY, March 30 (HealthDay News) -- Japanese herbal medicines may help people with gastrointestinal disorders -- such as constipation and indigestion -- that don't respond to conventional treatments, a new study suggests.
Many drugs used for these gastrointestinal "motility disorders" don't work or cause unwanted side effects, the researchers noted.
"Japanese herbal medicines have been used in East Asia for thousands of years. Our review of the world medical literature reveals that herbal medicines serve a valuable role in the management of patients with functional gastrointestinal disorders," lead researcher Hidekazu Suzuki, an associate professor at the Keio University School of Medicine, said in a news release.
The researchers analyzed data from studies that examined several different Japanese herbal medicines, including Rikkunshi-to and Dai-Kenchu-to. The results showed that Rikkunshi-to, which is prepared from eight herbs, helped reduce discomfort caused by functional dyspepsia (indigestion). Dai-Kenchu-to, a mixture of ginseng, ginger, and zanthoxylum fruit, was found to help constipation in children and patients with postoperative ileus, a disruption of normal bowel movements after surgery.
Another herbal medicine called hangeshashin-to reduced the severity and frequency of diarrhea caused by anti-cancer drugs.
The study appears in the current issue of Neurogastroenterology and Motility.
Herbal medicines made in Japan must meet standardized rules for quality and quantity of ingredients. The health benefits of this standardized approach need careful examination, particularly in the Western world, according to the researchers.
"There is a mandate to provide accurate data regarding the effectiveness of non-traditional therapy, not only to our patients but also to health-care providers who face the dilemma of recommending or opposing management strategies that incorporate herbal medicine," Suzuki said.
More information
The International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders has more about GI motility disorders.
-- Robert Preidt
SOURCE: Wiley-Blackwell, news release, March 24, 2009
Last Updated: March 30, 2009
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