Laylah
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 Posted: 03/20/08 - 05:13 Post subject: Traditional Chinese Herbs to Ease Eczema |
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Researchers from the Chinese University of Hong Kong conducted a study in which they tested a traditional combination of five Chinese herbs on young patients with eczema. The study results showed that the herbal treatment involved lead to improvement of quality of life for young patients with atopic eczema who had to rely less on conventional medicines.
The herbal combination in question included a widely used ancestral Chinese concoction - Flos lonicerae (Japanese honeysuckle), Herba menthae (peppermint), Cortex moutan (root bark of peony tree), Atractylodes Rhizome (underground stem of the atractylodes herb), Cortex phellodendri (Amur cork-tree bark).
Eighty-five patients had been given either the herbal medicine or placebo. Those who received the mixture reported improved quality of life by a third while the placebo group showed no improvement. The herbal treatment was reported to also have reduced the patients' needs for the prescription topical steroids by an average of four days a month in comparison to just one day a month in the placebo group.
Additionally, it has been found that patients who took the herbal treatment had lower blood levels of four proteins thought to have inflammatory effects linked with eczema.
The results were confirmed by the lab tests and the researchers are hoping that this Chinese mix could find its way into mainstream medicine.
UK experts have, however, warned patients to use any herbal remedies with caution and always to consult a doctor.
Additionally, there’s a possibility of buying low standard or even harmful ingredients from some non-reputable retailers. |
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