Chinese Herbal Medicine: Will It Surface or Sink?

Chinese herbal medicine refers to many compounds that are unused in Western medical practice. There is strong interest and wide application in those compounds as well as the theories that guide Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners to determine which compound to prescribe. Although abundant scientific research on Chinese herbal medicine’s pharmacological effects have been conducted in China, there is much less work in the West has been done on the same subject. Facing increasing costs and undesirable side effects of prescription drugs in the United States, American medical communities need to seek partnership with their Chinese counterparts to utilize the low-cost and less-risk Chinese herbs as an alternative to treat patients.

In China, herbs are commonly used among its population. Scientific collaboration between Western and Chinese medical research has been created through peer reviewed scientific journals and medical databases on pharmacology of Chinese Herbal Medicine. For instance, The Chinese Journal of Hospital Pharmacy and The Chinese Journal of Chinese Herbs are among the authoritative publications that showcase scientific studies on Chinese herbs. However, pharmacological efficiency of Chinese herbs is less known in The United States. While more medical schools start to incorporate alternative medicine including herbal medicine in their curricula, many Western doctors and scientists hold skeptical view toward Chinese herbs as superstition and archaic pseudoscience. Many Americans have a stereotype of Traditional Chinese Medicine as mystical and unscientific, which may lead to reluctant research among scientific communities. Additionally, many Chinese herbal medicines have been marketed as dietary supplements and there has been considerable controversy over the effectiveness, safety, and regulatory status of these substances. Misuse of marketed herbal products in the U.S. further reduces the scientific credibility of Chinese Herbal medicine. For instance, ephedra or Ma Huang in Chinese, contains ephedrine and pseudoephedrine. Due to the risk of adverse impact on the cardiovascular system and some deaths due to consumption of extracts in high doses, the use of ephedra is restricted in the United States. Chinese wormwood, Qing Hao in Chinese, was discovered as a source for artemisinin, which is now used worldwide to treat multi-drug resistant strains of falciparum malaria. It is also under investigation as an anti-cancer agent that may induces adverse effect. Moreover, certain Chinese herbs involve a risk of allergic reaction and a risk of poisoning in rare cases. Potentially toxic and carcinogenic compounds such as arsenic and cinnabar are sometimes decocted as part of herbal formulas or used on the philosophy of “using poison to attack poison.” Although Chinese culture is familiar with healing philosophy of herbal medicine, such practice creates legal and clinical risks in the Western medical system. Apparently, misperception on Chinese herbal medicine and incorrect application of herbs are major barriers to scientific research in the U.S.

Nonetheless, this is not to say that Chinese herbal medicine lacks of pharmacological effects. Chinese herbs contain powerful biochemical agents, which have been scientifically documented in Chinese medical literature. Their clinical application over hundreds of years in China confirm their therapeutic effects. Language barrier and conceptual differences hinder the communication between Chinese and Western medicine communities. It would take collaboration between English-speaking Chinese medicine practitioners and open-minded Western medical scientists to research on Chinese herbal medicine in the U.S. in order to deliver effective drug alternatives.