After finishing my third and final class on Traditional Chinese Herbology (I've since moved on to Herbal Formulas this term!), I decided that I should compile and share what I have learned with other TCM students in a format that is more accessible and conversational than the typical Materia Medica textbook. I love learning about herbs, and I feel that it's a pity that the focus of the typical TCM herbology class is limited to their use in Traditional Chinese Medicine. We rarely have an opportunity to explore their history, modern research, or their use in Western alternative medicine. I for one have found it enormously helpful to learn as much as I can about each herb, including its "common" (ie: English) name, where it comes from, how it grows... The better acquainted we become with each herb, the better chance we will have of knowing when it's appropriate to prescribe it to our patients.
We sometimes talk at length about herbs that are completely inaccessible for one reason or another, such as expense, lack of availability in the US, or issues involving legality. For instance, even if Xi Jiao (Rhinoceros Horn) is a miracle cure, I'm not going to subscribe it to my patients for obvious reasons. In cases such as this, it's necessary to find a comparable substitute. However, there are other herbs whose legal status is a bit more ambiguous, due to side effects or potential for misuse. Ma Huang, the first herb that I want to write about, is a borderline-illegal herb for which there is no substitute. Because of its history of abuse in this country, its sale is heavily regulated, though it can still be purchased in its "raw" form.
Ma Huang, or Ephedra Sinica, is a bushy shrub with distinctive, needle-like branches that extend upwards, giving it the appearance of land-dwelling coral. It is native to the cool, arid regions of West-Central China, Japan, and Southern Steppes of Siberia, and its history as a medicinal herb within these regions dates back thousands of years. Though it bears no edible fruit or showy flowers and is decidedly "un-lush" in appearance, ancient people far more daring than I boiled it into a tea and discovered that it had some very interesting effects. Ephedra, like caffeine, is a stimulant. By triggering the activation of the sympathetic nervous system, it kicks the body into "fight or flight" mode -- the blood vessels constrict (leading to elevated blood pressure and heart rate), the bronchioles dilate, and one is overcome with a sense of mental alertness and enhanced vitality. It was these effects, combined with the fact that Ma Huang can suppress the appetite, that led to its brief stint as a popular "dietary supplement" and "performance enhancer" in the US. However, its unpleasant tendency to cause seizures, heart attack, stroke and death when taken without great care led to the negative stigma and ensuing legal issues that surround it today.
However, the ancient Chinese, in their wisdom, recognized that the body is not intended to be kept in a state of hyper-alertness for any extended period of time. Instead, they focused on Ma Huang's ability to open the lungs and increase body temperature, two features that make it indispensable for fighting the common cold. Taken for this purpose, it invigorates the body's natural defenses, quells cough, and induces sweating, which is thought to "break" a fever and shorten the duration of illness.
For those of you who practice TCM, you probably already know that it is the main herb for treating exterior pattern of wind-cold type. It is warm and pungent, and expels cold pathogens by inducing sweating. It also facilitates the flow of Lung Qi to treat such symptoms as cough, dyspnea, and shortness of breath, whether due to external pathogens or asthma. It is in several effective formulas for wind-cold and various lung patterns, including Ma Huang Tang (for wind-cold), Ma Huang Xi Xin Fu Zi Tang (for wind-cold with internal yang deficiency), and Ma Xing Shi Gan Tang (wind-heat entering the Lung, i.e. pneumonia).
Recently, Julie bought some ephedra seeds online and we're going to try to grow our own supply. I don't know what to expect; I know that, once established, it is an exceptionally hardy plant, able to withstand very dry conditions, poor soil, and temperatures lower than -20 degees F. But unfortunately, I have no idea how to grow it from seed. I will be looking for resources online and will update as I learn more.
