A study has discovered a very strong TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) herb to be very helpful in treating ulcerative colitis. The results of this study were published in the World Journal of Gastroenterology. It showed patients with intractable ulcerative colitis who were unsuccessfully treated with conventional drug treatment. After being treated with herbal medicine, 85.7% of the patients (6 out of 7) demonstrated significant improvements in their symptoms and were able to completely discontinue their use of anti-inflammatory drugs (azathioprine, corticosteroids, and aminosalicylates). Symptomatic responses and endoscopy revealed everything from substantial clinical gains to an entire resolution of the colitis.
Indigo Naturalis
One gram of Indigo Naturalis (Qing Dai) was taken orally by the patients twice a day for four months. The outcomes of the herbal therapy exhibited undeniable objective and clinical improvements so much so that 6 of the 7 patients were able to entirely discontinue their use of the corticosteroid prednisolone, a drug commonly utilized to manage ulcerative colitis. The study’s conductors analyzed Qing Dai to know more about how it works. They found out, with the help of electron spin resonance, that the herb has potent hydroxl radical scavenging activity. With this finding, further studies were recommended by the researchers to investigate more about the anti-inflammatory effects of this herb.
This study and other studies similar to it show the effectiveness of herbal therapy and acupuncture in the treatment of chronic ulcerative colitis in Overland Park. Another study whose results were posted in the Clinical Journal of Chinese Medicine, revealed that when used an herbal enema, the combination Bai Tou Weng and Ku Shen and a course of acupuncture treatment was significantly superior in treating ulcerative colitis than antibiotic therapy.
Another clinical study was about the administration of a powdered form of Qing Dai by mouth. Modern research has allocated a lot of time and study on Qing Dai. This study found that a synthesized form of indirubin (which is found in Qing Dai) known as I3M, when topically applied to oral cancer, helps normalize cancerous tissues. This outcome showed great promise in the treatment of oral cancer. Qing Dai based on historical TCM documents, is a key herb used for the treatment of ulcers in the tongue and mouth. The documents also reveal that when used a topical paste, Qing Dai is a very good treatment for acne, and in the form of a topical ointment, excellent for the cure of psoriasis.
The herbal remedy known as Dang Gui Long Hui Wan was also cited in the I3M study. This formula is a historically important herbal compound for chronic myelocytic leukemia. Qing Dai is one component among many others found in the formula Dang Gui Long Hui Wan which also includes other powerful herbs such as Sheng Jiang, She Hsiang, Mu Hsiang, Qing Dai, Da Huang, Lu Hui, Wang Qin, Huang Bai, Huang Lian, Zhi Hsi, Long Dan Cao, and Dang Gui. Qing Dai has an indigo dye called indirubin that the researchers found to be extremely effective in inhibiting several forms of cancer cells in humans. The Qing Dai study showed that indirubin possesses anti-inflammatory qualities by its suppression of interferon-alpha, interleukin-6 and nuclear factor. The study also noted that the anti-inflammatory properties of Qing Dai on human neutrophils were able to inhibit superoxide generation.
Key Results of Some Qing Dai Studies
Another Qing Dai study highlighted a case of a man suffering from hematochezia, which is the passage of blood through the anus, and ulcerative colitis. To help control the hemtochezia, the patient was given prednisolone and antibiotics. The problem was that the patient cannot lower his prednisolone dosage because doing so caused his hematochezia to return. Over the course of time, the patient actually had to increase his dosages to maintain the effects of the treatment; furthermore, the treatment did not lead to any improvements in his baseline condition. He decided to try Qing Dai treatment after three years of taking his medications. His hematochezia was cured completely after only three months of Qing Dai treatments. His tests revealed a significant lowering of his serum C-reactive protein levels. The success of the Qing Dau treatment meant that he can discontinue altogether his medications. His ulcers disappeared entirely as shown by his endoscopy examination. Follow-up tests revealed that Qing Dai’s therapeutic effect had lasted more than 2 years.
Several studies show that when used as an enema Qing Dai can be quite effective in the treatment of chronic hemorrhagic radiation proctitis. Recent studies also show that when combined with acupuncture, herbal remedies used for enema such as Bai Tou Weng and Ku Shen are extremely potent in treating ulcerative colitis; some studies reveal that when the enema remedy is added with Qing Dai, the effects of the treatment is greatly enhanced.
Prior to its wide use by Western medicine, Qing Dai was already being used by TCM practitioners for thousands of years to treat chronic ulcerative colitis and other types of conditions that can only be diagnosed using TCM methodologies. Qing Dai is a recognized treatment for other biomedically defined disorder in cases of Heat and Toxins, Damp Heat, and Heat in the Blood; some chronic ulcerative colitis clinical presentations may be the result of deficiency and cold. If this is the case, herbal formulas with various clinical functions may provide results that can lead to the resolution of chronic ulcerative colitis.
More studies should definitely be done about the potential role Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture can play in the treatment of chronic ulcerative colitis and other health conditions.