Green Tea, Polyphenols and China!!

Green Tea, Polyphenols and China!! Wow! What a trip to China.  I wanted to share my entire experience but I would write for days.  Instead I want to pass some great information about the great medicinal benefits of green tea and polyphenols.  This is a quick article to peek your interest in learning more about
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Bitter Melon’s Therapeutic Affects on Type 2 Diabetes

Scientists have uncovered the therapeutic properties of bitter melon, a vegetable and traditional Chinese medicine, that make it a powerful treatment for Type 2 diabetes.

Teams from the Garvan Institute of Medical Research and the Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica pulped roughly a tonne of fresh bitter melon and extracted four very promising bioactive components. These four compounds all appear to activate the enzyme AMPK, a protein well known for regulating fuel metabolism and enabling glucose uptake.

“We can now understand at a molecular level why bitter melon works as a treatment for diabetes,” said Professor David James, Director of the Diabetes and Obesity Program at Garvan. “By isolating the compounds we believe to be therapeutic, we can investigate how they work together in our cells.”

People with Type 2 diabetes have an impaired ability to convert the sugar in their blood into energy in their muscles. This is partly because they don’t produce enough insulin, and partly because their fat and muscle cells don’t use insulin effectively, a phenomenon known as ‘insulin resistance’.

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Chinese Medicine 101 – Spleen/Stomach and Digestive System

In order for our patients to receive more information on the fundamentals of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and associated western symptoms, we are putting together a series of very basic information of each system.  It is not meant to be all inclusive or include every combination or possibility of a diagnosis from a TCM perspective, that is up to your practitioner to figure out. Your practitioner will help you understand your specific diagnosis.

 

We are also including some common foods that a patient can eat in order to assist in balancing their energy and associated patterns.

SP-routeSpleen Meridian

The Spleen Meridian travels from the upper part of the chest down the inside of the arm to the thumb on bilateral. As shown in the picture.

Spleen Syndromes

The Spleen System is very different it TCM than in western medicine.  It is the powerhouse system that produces energy for the entire body.  Spleen Element correspondences include:

  • Yin  associated Yang organ is the Stomach
  • Color: Yellow
  • Flavor: Sweet
  • Emotion: Anxiety, desire, pensiveness
  • Tissue: Muscles
  • Sense: Taste
  • Element: Earth

The Spleen Qi in TCM has the following etiology and associated pathology signs/symptoms:

  • Dominates muscle – Thin muscles, general weakness
  • Controls blood – Bruising on skin, bloody stool
  • Related to Stomach – Decrease food intake, retention of food, gastric distention, nausea, vomiting
  • Transportation and transformation of nutrients – Sallow complexion, pale lips, abdominal distention, loose stool, cold limbs, lack of strength
  • Transportation and transformation of fluids – pressing sensation on chest, phlegm accumulation, ascites, edema, nausea, heavy limbs and body
  • Qi ascends – Shortness of breath, chronic diarrhea, prolapse of anus and uterus

There are several patterns associated with Spleen Qi.

Spleen Qi Deficiency

  • Tiredness
  • Limbs feel heavy and weak
  • Loose stool
  • Digestive issues
  • Poor concentration

Western symptoms: Anemia, gastric issues and ulcers, chronic neurosis, chronic gastritis or enteritis, IBS

Dietary recommendations:

Oats, Rice, Rye, Seitan, Carrots, Potato, Pumpkin, Squash (winter), Watercress. Yam, Shiitake, Apples, Cherry, Grapes, Papaya, Chickpea, Lentil, Soybean (yellow), Tofu, Almonds, Chestnuts, Coconut, Peanut, Sunflower seeds, Carp, Mullet, Salmon, Tuna, Beef, Chicken, Duck, Goat, Ham, Turkey, Cinnamon bark, Licorice, Thyme, Astragalus, Ginseng, Kava Kava, Pollen, Saw Palmetto, Beer, Chamomile, Soy Milk, Algae

Spleen Yang Deficiency:

  • Bloating after eating
  • Loose stools
  • Low appetite
  • Edema
  • Cold limbs
  • Chilliness

Western symptoms: similar to above

Dietary recommendations:

Chestnuts, Anchovy, Shrimp, Goat, Lamb, Basil, Cayenne, Chili, Cinnamon bark, Clove, Dill seed, Garlic, Ginger, Nutmeg, Rosemary, Aconite, Ginseng, Jasmine flower, Saw Palmetto, Ginger

Dampness in Spleen/Stomach:

  • Full feeling
  • Nausea
  • Low appetite
  • Loose stool
  • Muzzy head
  • Tired and heavy
  • Sticky yellow coat on tongue

Western symptoms: Acute or chronic gastroenteritis, bacterial dysentery, cirrhosis of liver, chronic hepititis

Dietary recommendations:

Buckwheat, Rye, Alfalfa, Asparagus, Caper, Parsnip, Squash (winter), Turnip, Watercress, Oyster Mushroom, Blueberry, Grapefruit peel, Lemon peel, Papaya, Orange peel, Tangerine peel, Aduki been, Blackeye been, Chickpea, Lentil, Mackerel, Tuna, Duck, Quail, Basil, Cardamom, Cinnamon bark, Garlic, Horseradish, Juniper, Nettle, Rosemary, Angelica root, Kava Kava, Ginger […]

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