One Size DOESN'T Fit All

Using food to regain and maintain health has long been a feature of all the world’s medicines. We are constantly on the lookout for information about how common foods are used to make us healthier. However, we must take our own conditions into consideration before blindly accepting a “one size fits all” approach, common to western thinking.

In a recent article about how cinnamon has been linked to improving blood glucose and cholesterol levels in people with Type 2 diabetes, the article concludes by saying “we need more evidence to prove efficacy, but adding more cinnamon to a diet probably wouldn’t hurt either.”

One of my clients read that article. He decided to try it, without consulting a trained herbal professional. He used less than a teaspoon of cinnamon per day, and his blood pressure shot up to 200/100 over the period of a week. When he removed the cinnamon, his BP went back down to its normal level. Despite what cinnamon does for blood glucose or cholesterol, here is a person who should not be using a lot of hot, pungent foods in general---cinnamon, garlic, etc., because his state of health will get WORSE with large doses of those foods.

Western herbalism (and western science in general) is often looking for herbs/foods that will benefit the health of everyone. And while cinnamon will be a terrific choice for some people, it is not going to be “harmless” to everyone. And, when you add our tendency to think “if a little will help, more will be better,” you can really be in trouble!

This is a great example of how the "one size fits all" approach of western thinking can be a disaster when applied carelessly. Chinese medicine looks at your health in general, and can recommend foods or herbs that will benefit you without harming you in other ways. So watch out for those magazine articles that tout the efficiency of anything that can be found in the cupbord when used in large doses: you can be asking for trouble.

The LA Times just published a story about the efficacy of using ginger to curb the side effects of chemotherapy. While I am delighted that the public is learning that simple herbal substances can have an affect on health, it concerns me that articles like this will often lead some readers to follow this advice blindly. So here's the original story:

http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-sci-nausea15-2009may15,0,3896541.story

The upshot is that scientists have discovered that a teaspoon of ginger daily will help to curb the nausea of chemotherapy. Actually, Chinese herbal medicine uses ginger for upset stomachs, but there are some caveats: if the patient has a lot of heat already present in the stomach it may not be a great idea. (Those who are on multiple rounds of chemo will often have eroded stomach lining, and the chemo slows or stops the creation of more epithelial cells. That's why the hair falls out and mouth soreness happen, too.) Ginger can be warming to the stomach, and when the stomach is "hot" then it could make things worse. A LITTLE ginger could go a long way, and too much,....well....

This reminds me of a client who came in about a year ago who had successfully used acupuncture to help control his blood pressure, among other things. All of a sudden, he started getting high BP readings at home and at his doctor's office. After questioning, I discovered that he, too, had read an article in some health magazine about how cinnamon helps to prevent heart attacks. The article stated that 1/2 tsp. of cinnamon per day was tested and found to be efficacious, and ended by saying "at least it won't hurt you." So my client thought, "Well, if a little won't hurt, then more would be better." He began taking 1 teaspoon of cinnamon per day. Nobody told him (and it wasn't in the article) that cinnamon can raise BP!! The mystery was solved, his BP is now under control again.

While these substances are "natural" remember that "natural" doesn't always mean safe for YOU. It's possible to overdose on any natural substance, and even without an overdose, some substances may not be good for all people under certain conditions. So if you have questions about that article you read in the most recent edition of the health magazine (or even the LA Times) go online to check or ask your acupuncturist or local qualified herbalist.