Eating WellAre health

supplements necessary?

Traditional Chinese Medicine

With modern day consumers becoming more health-conscious, many are turning to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) as an alternative health booster, transforming this age-old practice into a new and fashionable lifestyle choice.

With modern day consumers becoming more health-conscious, many are turning to Tradit ional Chinese Medicine (TCM) as an alternat ive health booster, transforming this age-old practice into a new and fashionable lifestyle choice.

We often hear people complain of general fatigue or minor aches and pains in their bodies and they would like to consume Chinese herbal medications to relief these ailments. They are often under the impression that Chinese herbs have mild medicinal proper ties, cause no side-effects and can be taken even in good health. On the contrary, using TCM as a tonic requires certain specifications instead of unguided usage.

The ques t ion i s who shou ld t ake TCM as a supplement and how should it be taken? Ms Dora Ng, Physician from the Complementary Integrative Medicine Clinic at Tan Tock Seng Hospital shares her professional advice.

Physician Ng says, the use of TCM as a form of healthcare should take into account three important factors, namely the individual’s body condition, the current season as well as the local environment. It includes the person’s age, gender, body constitution and lifestyle habits. Before consuming TCM, people should be aware of their body constitution and if they have any other chronic illnesses such as diabetes, high blood pressure and heart or lung diseases. It is also important to pay attention to the seasonal climate and local geographical conditions.

In addition, a person’s physique can be due to congenital condit ions or acquired factors such as lifestyle and their environment. Physician Ng pointed out that body constitutions can be divided into eight genera l c a tego r ies : Neu t ra l t ype ( ) , Y in -Def ic iency t ype , Yang -Def ic iency t ype

, Qi -Def ic iency type , Phlegm-Dampness type , Blood-Stasis type

, Dampness-Heatiness type and Yang-Heatiness type .

The body const i tut ion can be diagnosed by a Chinese Physician. Thereafter, taking a suitable and complimentary prescr iption in small amounts on a regular basis, can help to treat illnesses and enhance good health.

Physician Ng Wan Wan, DoraHead Acupuncturist, ComplementaryIntegrative Medicine Clinic Tan Tock Seng Hospital

Expert interviewed:

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Eating WellAre health

supplements necessary?

e ElderlyAs people age, their bodily functions

decline as well. Using TCM can help to im-prove blood and qi-imbalances that are due to ageing.

In good health, the elder ly can also consider taking moderate amounts of gin-seng, American ginseng, fleeceflower root (he shou wu), wolfberry, eucommia bark (duzhong), cordycep, lingzhi, walnut, sea cu-cumber and black fungus. These food items can nourish the kidneys, enhance the body’s vital essences as well as replenish qi and calm the nerves.

As fo r t he g inkgo nu t wh ich some elderly are fond of, care should be taken not to consume too large an amount as it may result in toxicity. Severe symptoms include abdominal pains, diarrhoea, fever or convulsions. According to Physician Ng, a weekly serving of 5 ginkgo nuts is more than suff icient to help relief symptoms such as breathlessness. Ginkgo nut leaves can also improve the body’s micro-vascular circula-tion.

Busy Working Adults Working adults who lead a hectic

and stressful l ifestyle of ten overwork their brains to complete chal lenging tasks. Also, long hours of deskbound work and lack of physical activity may give rise to stiff neck and muscle spasm over the shoulder region, sometimes leading to headaches. This is especially so when one is under great pressure, the agitation may result in giddiness.

In such cases, Chinese herbs that nourish the heart and strengthen brain activity such as fresh rehmannia root (sheng di) and liquorice root (gan cao)can be used. Wolfberry, white mulberry (sang gan zi ), Common Yam Rhizome (huai shan) and red dates may help en-

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Eating WellAre health

supplements necessary?

Children and TeenagersChinese physicians often refer to children as

having body constitutions of “pure yang” (). This means that children have strong vitality

and have abundant energy. At this stage, their bodies are capable of building a strong immunity and have good regenerative ability. They seldom need TCM tonics for nourishment.

As they are in a growing phase, their organ functions and bone structures are yet to be fully developed, thus it is not advisable to consume TCM. Instead, they should focus mainly on their digestive function. As and when necessary, TCM herbs such as pseudostellaria root (tai zi shen ), Common Yam Rhizome, Indian Bread and honey may help a child establish a healthy metabolism and maintain a good appetite.

As they reach puber ty, their organs are maturing and are functionally active. As such, supplements are not necessary but should be taken in moderation if required to replenish qiand blood.

For students who are prone to stress and anxiety due to their studies, are not sleeping well, experience frequent dreams or lack con-centration in class - it's recommended that they take lotus seed (lian zi), lily bulb (bai he), Com-mon Yam Rhizome, pseudostellar ia root and glehnia root (sha sen). These can be prepared and consumed as tea to minimise the above-mentioned symptoms.

MenGenerally, men have stronger body con-

stitutions than women and do not usually need tonics to enhance their health. However, if they often have late nights and engage in mentally intensive work, they can take herbs such as American ginseng, wolfberry, eucommia bark, lingzhi, red dates and Milkvetch(huang qi ), to replenish their qi. Physician Ng adds that not all men require TCM tonics to boost their kidney functions, only those who have a weak consti-tution and suf fer from premature ejaculation should consider doing so.

hance vision, particularly for people with prolonged exposure to computer screens. In addition, chrysanthemum tea has cooling properties that can alleviate body heat.

Phys ic ian Ng ment ioned that besides using TCM to improve on one’s health, it is also important to stay physically active. She advises peop le w i t h de sk bound wo r k to make use of their toilet breaks to do stretching exercises in order to relax their tensed muscles. People working in air-conditioned environments and are inadequate in adjusting to sudden changes in temperature can consider TCM herbs like Indian Bread (fu ling)and liquorice root as supplements.

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Eating WellAre health

supplements necessary?

Women undergo many physiological changes in their bodies throughout their lifetime, namely menstruation, pregnancy, lactation and menopause......

WomenWomen undergo many physiological

changes in their bodies throughout their lifetime, namely menstruation, pregnancy, lactat ion and menopause. According to teachings in TCM, these stages have a strong relation to the qi and blood in the body. As women grow older, they should take note of the following stages:

Teenage years: Te e n a g e g i r l s w h o h ave r e a c h e d

puberty and have star ted their menstrual cycles should take steps to replenish their blood by consuming herbs such as Chinese angelica (dang gui), white peony root (bai shao), f leeceflower root(he shou wu) and red dates. Girls who suffer from menstrual cramps may take Bai Feng Wan ( , a TCM brownish-black medicated pill) af ter menstruation. This is in preparation for the next menstrual cycle, relieving discomfort or cramps.

Pregnant women:Pregnant women should have a well-

balanced diet that consists of suf f ic ient intake of vitamins and nutrients to ensure the healthy growth and development of their foetus till full-term. Most Chinese physicians will advise women to avoid taking Chinese herbal medications at this stage as some herbs may induce jaundice conditions in newborns. In the event of discomfort during pregnancy or the need for medication, it is advisable to consult their respective gynae-cologist.

Menopausal women:Women in this stage f ind that their

organ functions are deteriorating and expe-rience hot flashes and chill, which is an indi-cation that there is an imbalance of yin and yang in their bodies. Most will encounter anxiety, insomnia, mood swings and chronic fatigue syndrome. They can take herbs such as Chinese angelica, carapax trionycis (bie jia), lily bulb, ziziphus (zao ren), fresh rehm-annia root, Ningpo figwort root (xuan shen), ophiopogon (mai dong) to cultivate the yin as well as soothe the heart and mind.

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