There is confusion around using anti-inflammatory herbs. Which ones are best? What dose is enough to help and yet still be safe? Should I buy them from the supplement isle, as a spice or even in the fresh form? Is it better to use the whole herb or just the active compounds?
I’ll try to answer these questions and have some recipe ideas at the end.
With so many options and so many companies trying to sell a miracle it can be hard to figure out how to incorporate the healing properties of herbs into our diets. For example in the Chinese herbalism which I am trained in, a medicinal daily dose of fresh ginger is between 9 and 18 grams. This is about, oh, 5 to 10 teaspoons a day boiled into a decoction or herbal soup with other herbs which can both help to achieve a certain goal, such as drying out extra fluids in our digestive tract, and herbs which would moderate the actions of ginger that can lead to we call side effects. These formulas are given only to people presenting a certain way and with certain issues. In any context other than an herbal formula this is a lot of ginger considering that a whole curry recipe calls for only a tablespoon or two.
As an example a formula called Huang Qi Gui Zhi Wu Wu Tang which has 18 grams of fresh ginger is used when a person has numbness of the skin. The ginger produces as sweat from the stomach which brings their energy up and out to the surface. When used in the right context the person feels a pleasant warming effect of an increase of the microcirculation. When mistakenly used in the wrong context the same herbs can lead to excessive sweating and then muscle cramps. So when people ask me about their 1.5 gram ginger capsules taken outside of a formula context I honestly don’t know what to tell them.
At first I didn’t really think anything at all would happen from such a low dosage. But industry studies and the personal experience of some of my clients showed otherwise.
Then when one of my clients actually had side effects- dry eyes and mouth- from a low dose turmeric supplement was when I really started to take these low doses more seriously.
She had taken the supplement for years not even knowing if it was helping anymore. But as it was the only medication or supplement she took it was the obvious culprit as when she quit it her symptoms improved. So a small dose over a long time can definitely have both a therapeutic result as well as cause side effects.
Generally I think you should be able to see improvements from taking the herbs consistanly within a few weeks.
If you find that your inflammation symptoms are lightening during the first few weeks it is worth continuing. Then just keep in mind to be watchful of side effects. If you notice things like dry eyes, digestive upset or poor sleep developing try stopping the herbs and see if the side effects also stop. At that point it may be that your inflammatory symptoms stay resolved without the help of therapeutic use of herbs. At that point keeping it in your diet regularly can act as maintenance.
• This is my take as a practitioner of Chinese herbal medicine: go traditional.
Traditional herbs, methods, combinations, recipes and serving sizes or dosages.
There are many scientific studies showing what traditional medicine has known for generations but I don’t think wading through all of the studies will necessarily lead you to the best clinical outcome. It may just confuse the issue more.
For instance this is the first National Institute of Health study about Huang Qi Gui Zhi Wu Wu Tang that came up on my google search:
“Mechanisms of Action of a Herbal Formula Huangqi Guizhi Wuwu Tang for the Management of Post-Stroke Related Numbness and Weakness: A Computational Molecular Docking Study”. Which found that”
“…The protein targets PDE5A and ESR1 have highlighted interactions with compounds (BS040, DZ006, DZ058, DZ118, and HQ066) which are the key molecules in the management of SRNW. PDE5A have bioactivity with the amino acid residues (Val230, Asn252, Gln133 and Thr166) throughout PDE5A-cGMP-PKG pathways which involved reduction in myofilament responsiveness. ESR1 were predicted to be critical active with site residue (Leu346, Glu419 and Leu387) and its proteoglycans pathway involving CD44v3/CD44 that activates rho-associated protein kinase 1 (ROCK1) and ankyrin increasing vascular smooth muscle. In conclusion, HGWT may provide therapeutic benefits through strong interactions between herbal compounds and target proteins of PDE5A and ESR1. Further experimental studies are needed to unequivocally support this result which can be valuable to increase the quality of life of post-stroke patients.”
Aanother study found at the NIH which maybe more clinically useful: "Huangqi Guizhi Wuwu Decoction for treating diabetic peripheral neuropathy: a meta-analysis of 16 randomized controlled trials” which concludes that:
“HGWWD treatment improves diabetic neurologic symptoms and ameliorates nerve conduction velocities. Our study suggests that HGWWD may have significant therapeutic efficacy for the treatment of diabetic peripheral neuropathy. However, the methodological quality of the randomized controlled trials was generally low. Larger and better-designed randomized controlled trials are required to more reliably assess the clinical effectiveness of HGWWD.”
One thing is certain: it will be an huge uphill battle for western science to study even a small majority of Chinese medicinal herbal formulas by their methods in a way that will be clinically useful.
Compare this to the entry for the indications of Huang Qi Gui Zhi Wu Wu Tang found in the clinical reference book Chinese Herbal Medicine Formulas and Strategies:
“Relatively superficial numbness without pain, paresthesias and numbness of the skin and flesh, and a faint, choppy and tight pulse.
This is painful obstruction of the blood. A passage in Chapter 72 of Basic Questions states: “If the normal qi is stored in the interior, pathogenic cannot attack.” When protective and nutritive qi are both deficient, wind-cold invading the superficial layers of the body lodges in the blood vessels and obstructs the movement of qi and blood. Failing to nourish and moisten the skin, it thickens and becomes insensitive. This is experienced as superficial numbness. Stagnation of the blood vessels caused by pathogenic wind cold is reflected in a faint, choppy, and tight pulse.”
To the initiated this is very useful clinical information born from the use of the formula and observations passed on by generations of herbalists. It is a symptoms based methodology which can point to various diseases such as diabetes, stroke, MS, Raynaud’s disease, Bell’s Palsy or rheumatoid arthritis among other conditions all of which this formula is used for.
• Start with general heavy lifting herbs.
Most plants have some type of medicinal action and many companies and studies focus in on rare plants or compounds because it makes sense to spend research money and marketing on things you can’t just get at your grocery store.
Also go general in the sense of herbs with a wide spectrum of effects rather than narrowing in on a particular mechanism or disease.
So really, starting with basic herbs that have stood the test of time, are easy to use and buy. Not to mention going with herbs that taste good.
•Use a supplement or eat as a food?
In my mind the only reason we have laboratory extracted compounds is profit. Why buy capsules of ‘green tea polyphenol EGCG’ when you can just drink green tea? Why use capsules of ginger rather than use it as a spice? Convenience, maybe, but it has been shown again and again that you can’t really trust that the supplement will even have what its label says it does. Also, we don’t really know how different processing techniques may change the action of an herb. The actions of ginger, for example, are different rather it is used fresh, dried or roasted. And again supplements usually have less than what is traditionally a therapeutic dose to start with unless you are committed to taking it over a long period of time.
The first and most obvious way to use anti-inflammatory herbs is in your cooking.
Having a variety of plants in your day to day meals will add their anti-inflammatory propriety’s to your diet while also providing all sorts of other health promoting phytonutrients.
Begin by picking a few herbs you like and look up some recipes which feature them. Have fun with it and play around. Start including herbs in your diet on a regular basis as food rather than only as a medicine.
Here are some easy ones to begin with:
Sage, rosemary, oregano, hot peppers, cardamom, basil, thyme and garlic. All anti-inflammatory.
A next step that is more therapeutic than dietary could be golden milk. A traditional Indian drink using strong anti-inflammatory herbs combined with milk and sugar. The milk fat offers protection from the drying properties of the herbs which makes it balanced and safe for daily use.
It is delicious! For this don’t skip the sugar or other sweetener which provides an energetic power in the calories as well as what we call ‘sweet moderation’ to the pungent moving herbs.
An easy basic golden milk recipe recipe:
2 cups milk or nut milk with fat
1 tsp each powdered ginger, turmeric and cinnamon
1/4 tsp black pepper
1-2 teaspoons sugar, honey or maple syrup
Stir together in a small pot, bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
Voila! And it is delicious.
Another easy way to regularly use food therapy is as breakfast porridges.
This is basically making a hot cereal with grains and spices as a base to which you can add fruit or nuts to. Again this is something to play with until you have developed a few that you like.
Here is one to start with that is based on a classic ancient herbal decoction which is still one of the most used today, Gui Zhi Tang, cinnamon twig soup. Gui Zhi Tang is an important formula for strengthening constitutionally weak women, the elderly or those recovering from illness.
4 cups water 1/2 cup white rice 2 teaspoons cinnamon 4 dates broken open (even better with da zao jujube dates you can order) 1 tablespoon butter Brown sugar to taste Pinch of salt
To make it more warming for cold people can add 2 teaspoons dried ginger
To make it even more supplementing you can add 3 grams of ginseng
Bring it all to a boil then simmer for at lease 30 minutes, longer if you want it thicker. Or you can even put it all in a slow cooker on low overnight.
I like to stir in a few beaten eggs stirred in at the end to add protein and make it more filling. Nuts work for this as well. You can add apples, blueberries, really anything yummy.
Rice porridge alone boosts the spleen and stomach, stops diarrhea. For spleen vacuity diarrhea, indigestion, watery diarrhea or pale, loose stools occurring too many times per day, no desire for food or drink.
Here are some other ideas for therapeutic cereals. You can play with adding your favorite anti-inflammatory herbs to any porridge.
Adding cardamom transforms dampness and moves the qi, warms the spleen and stops diarrhea. For spleen/stomach vacuity cold abdominal pain, diarrhea, indigestion, epigastric and abdominal distention and fullness, poor appetite, nausea during pregnancy, hiccup and vomiting.
Pine nuts, rice and honey enriches yin and moistens the lungs, moistens the intestines and frees the stool. For fluid dryness constipation in the weak, elderly or postpartum, dry cough with phlegm, dry throat, dry skin, etc.
For diarrhea or generally being weak after an illness use carrots and chicken. With antibiotic sickness (diarrhea when eating anything) start with just rice then add carrots then carrots and chicken. In this case it is best to use the over night long cooking in a crock pot method which will make any breakfast porridge even easier to digest.
For thin drippy snot when out in the cold use fresh ginger, licorice root and honey. Better yet use honey fried licorice. This can also just be made as a warm drink rather than with rice. Then you can sip it throughout the day. It is especially nice on cold winter days.
Yams or sweet potatoes are good to help to strengthen the digestion. Mashing them and adding to the porridge will make it thick and creamy too. With a little yogurt on top and some walnuts it is a very filling breakfast.
Adding butter with honey will strengthen the whole body’s qi and blood, engender fluids and moisten dryness. Used for dry stools, hair, cough, or low grade fever. Well, actually I like butter in any porridge. It is good for building healthy warm blood.
Walnuts can be included to supplement the kidney to strengthen the low back and knees. They also strengthen the lungs. Try 50 grams walnuts to 50 grams rice.
Grains other than rice can be used and have differing health benefiting qualities.
For example, barley and brown sugar are used for indigestion, abdominal distention and/ or inhibited urine (this means that the flow doesn’t start and stop smoothly).
500 grams of carrots to 100 grams of rice with brown sugar to taste for abdominal distention and food staying in stomach too long. Food should exit the stomach into the small intestine within 20 - 30 minutes. If you find you burp it back up or can taste it when you bend over after longer than a half hour this one is for you.
5 g dried powdered ginger to 100g rice strengthens stomach and stops vomiting due to cold (cold means the vomit is not a strong acidic or sour flavor), chronic cold diarrhea (also not a strong odor).
6g fennel seeds (better to powder it), 50g rice, and brown sugar for epigastric and abdominal distention and pain, cold vomit, low appetite.
8 jujubes (or other dates=ok) to 100g rice for stomach or duodenal ulcers.
100g millet with 50g dates and 50g brown sugar for postpartum weakness. Here the millet is used instead of rice.
10 jujube dates with 100g rice and white sugar to strengthen the digestion and boost the qi. For weak digestion and lack of appetite, and anemia.
120g celery to 250g rice, salt to taste for high blood pressure, dizziness, headache.
6g cinnamon, 3g ginseng, 6g dried ginger, 8 jujube dates, 100g rice, brown sugar to taste. Supplements heart qi and warms yang. With palpitations, shortness of breath, fatigue, cold limbs
50g wheat berries. Nourishes heart qi, stomps vacuity sweating, boosts the liver and stops thirst. For heart qi insufficiency with palpitations, shortness of breath, spontaneous sweating, thirst, lack of strength, fatigue. I like wheat berries cooked as a regular grain rather than as a cooked down cereal a lot. They have a great texture and are used as a calming herb. They make a nice addition to a diet.
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