Removing Heat and Inflammation from the Blood

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Removing Heat and Inflammation from the Blood

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Inflammation is one of the body's primary mechanisms for removing

metabolic byproducts, debris and foreign agents. It enables the body

to remove damaged cells, neutralize toxins, and fight bacteria,

fungi and viruses. We have already discussed inflammation in the

section on the liver, and we will discuss it here from a slightly

different angle. When we discuss the immune system, we'll examine it

again from yet another angle.

 

The main physiological components of inflammation are pain, heat and

swelling. Pain is the nervous system's response to heat and

irritation when the body initiates the inflammation process to burn

away offending agents. Swelling and redness appear as fluids leak

out of capillaries that have dilated in response to heat.

Inflammation goes through several stages before finally allowing the

body to heal. Like a police force that is prompt and efficient,

inflammation is usually our friend.

 

Acute Inflammation

 

When cells sustain damage or tension from infection, wounds or

poisons, allergens or other triggers, they release chemicals that

start the inflammation process. The basic process involves first an

increased flow of blood to the area, followed by an increase in

capillary permeability to allow the immune system access to the

area, and finally the arrival of white blood cells (WBC). The WBC's

release various chemicals, a process called chemotaxis, all of which

cause the heat, redness, pain and swelling. The WBC's and their

chemical weapons destroy invaders and remove debris. The increased

fluids present also contains nutrients to initiate repair processes

as the inflammation hopefully recedes. Acute inflammation is usually

self-limiting.

 

Chronic Inflammation

 

Inflammation is always present in our bodies at low, silent levels,

and this is buffered by our nutrient and defensive capabilities.

When our system is in balance, destructive and nutritive processes

deal with foreign agents efficiently and our tissues are protected.

However, moderate or even mild long-term inflammation can be

damaging to our health. Chronic inflammation differs from acute

inflammation in that there is usually less heat present. Also, there

are changes in the balance of immune-messaging molecules towards

unhealthy ratios of WBC's and increases of inflammatory chemicals

(reported in Bland, 1999).

 

The more obvious signs of long-term inflammation can include fluid

retention, musculoskeletal pain and stiffness, allergies, intestinal

pain, chronic red eyes, chronic post-nasal drip, burning sensations,

poor concentration, and poor digestion. Modern biomedicine analysis

shows us how long-term mild inflammation (at levels just slightly

above normal) can contribute to the development of arteriosclerosis,

arthritis, calcium deposits, chronic fatigue, skin diseases, cancer

and numerous other conditions.

 

Our cells have their own signaling systems designed for self-

protection during acute inflammation, but they can be overwhelmed if

the battle goes on too long. This is why severe or long-term

inflammation can be damaging to the body (reported in Bland, 1998,

reported in Pizzorno 1996). For example, we now know that various

inflammatory triggers in the blood causes the release of damaging

chemicals, including vascular adhesion molecules (VCAMS) or

intracellular adhesion molecules (ICAMS), both of which help

initiate common forms of heart disease, such as arterial clogging

and heart attacks (Ridker et al., 1998).

 

Review of Common Sources of Chronic Inflammation

 

Herbalists offer several explanations for the preponderance of

chronic inflammatory conditions in our modern society, noting that

in traditional societies we see much less of it (Bergner, 1997).

Following is a list of common causes of inflammation.

 

• Incomplete diet, which leads to basic nutrient deficiencies and

eventually immune system weakness or poor repair processes.

• Dietary intake of low quality fats and oils, which leads to

increased production of inflammatory chemicals.

• Insufficient dietary intake of fresh fruits and vegetables, which

leads to deficiencies in carotenes, flavonoids and other anti-

inflammatory plant nutrients.

• Digestive imbalances in the intestines, which lead to intestinal

dysbiosis and production of toxic gases and inflammatory compounds

that enter the blood.

• Exposure to environmental toxins, chemicals, or prescription

pharmaceuticals.

• Genetic errors of metabolism that alter body chemistry toward

inflammation.

• Lack of exercise, which leads to cardiac weakness and eventually

to poor supply of oxygen and nutrients to tissues and failure to

neutralize and carry away wastes.

• Weakness or failure in one of the detoxification organs or

systems, such as liver, lungs, kidneys, skin, urinary system,

lymphatic system, venous system or bowels.

• Congestion or blockage in the vessels or organs, which leads to

the accumulation of waste materials.

 

I could offer numerous examples to support all of the above

causative factors. Instead, I will discuss a single chilling

example. Scientists have been reporting the presence of pesticides

in the amniotic fluids of pregnant women since the early 1980's

(Saxena et al., 1980). In 1996, Bosse's group reported that " We

analysed polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB), DDT, hexachlorocyclohexane

(HCH), and heptachlor in subcutaneous fat tissue and other tissues

(placenta, liver, kidney, lung, brain, thymus, muscle, heart) of 34

fetuses and dead children. These substances were found regularly in

placenta, in fetal subcutaneous fat tissue and in fetal organs. They

therefore can influence possibly early and sensitive stages of

intrauterine development. " (Bosse, et. al, 1996).

 

Herbal medicines can be of course be of great benefit in reducing

inflammation, as long as you realize that using herbs to block

inflammation without dealing with these causative factors will not

work anywhere as near as well. Since our root causes range from the

subtle (genetic imbalances) to the gross (poor nutrition), we have

to examine different methods. Our solutions must proceed from

understanding both the causal process and the symptoms. Traditional

herbal systems compare this to treating the root and the branches of

an ailing tree.

 

Detoxification First

 

To quickly remove toxins from the blood we can use detoxification

methods. It is interesting to note that, in nature, animals fast

when they are ill and sometimes eat grass to induce vomiting.

Detoxification has long been a part of all the major herbal healing

systems. In Ayurveda it was elevated to the status of one of the

original eight branches of medicine (Panchakarma Vidhi). Even today,

the use of emetics to cleanse the stomach of poisons is a standard

ER treatment. All of us recognize the importance of cleansing our

skin by bathing, cleansing our food by washing it before use, and so

forth. In herbal medicine this concept can be expanded to encompass

ideas such as cleansing the colon with laxatives or washing the

sinuses to treat chronic sinusitis. Sweating therapy is used to

stimulate removal of oils and fluids. Fasting is used to change

metabolism at first towards a catabolic phase, where chemicals and

toxins are released from storage and broken down, eventually leading

to an anabolic phase where rebuilding of healthy new tissue occurs.

I should mention that in Ayurvedic medicine, there are strict rules

about who should and should not undertake cleansing therapy. They

had strict rules that the very weak or very ill should avoid fasting

and strong purgatives or laxatives.

 

Detoxification can be accomplished by short-term use of any herbs

that stimulate one of the eliminative organs, including skin

(sweating agents), lungs (expectorants), kidneys (diuretics),

intestines (laxatives), lymphatic system (oils) or liver

(cholagogues and choleretics).

 

Fasting

 

Fasting involves abstinence from all food and drink for a specific

period of time. Fasting has proven beneficial for many conditions,

including heart disease, pancreatitis, PCB and DDT contamination,

autoimmune diseases, arthritis, food allergy, psoriasis, eczema,

IBS, asthma and depression. Immune function is stimulated in the

days and weeks following a fast, as well as a general sense of well

being. (Salloum and Burton 1989).

 

A short fast (3-5 days) can be implemented on a Wednesday or Friday

to allow for rest on the weekend. Many people like to do this at the

end of winter, calling it " spring cleaning. " Make the last meal one

of only fresh fruits and vegetables, or vegetable soup. Drink only

spring or distilled water during the fast. Rest as much as possible,

only doing light tasks such as walking and bathing. Bathe

frequently, but only use warm water, not hot water. Break the fast

with only fruit on the first meal, followed by vegetable soups the

rest of the day. Return to normal foods the following day.

 

Laxatives such as rhubarb root or castor oil are easy to use to

cleanse the colon. You can also use any commercial herbal laxative

pill, though I prefer balanced herbal laxative formulas. Laxatives

flush out stores of endotoxins from the bowel, speeding recovery

from both chronic degenerative and acute febrile diseases (Wenlong,

1994). One reason this is helpful in detoxification may be that

endotoxins increase free radical production in the liver (Thurman et

al., 1998).

 

Traditional Analysis of Inflammation

 

Ayurvedic doctors focus not on the innumerable specific toxins, but

on restoration of balance to the carrier mechanisms. They call these

mechanisms toxic bile (Pitta dosha), salty mucus (Kapha dosha) and

putrefactive gases (Vata dosha), all identified by direct

observation and by inference. If there is inflammation with toxic

gases, the affected tissue or organ will exhibit more pain,

stiffness and gradual degeneration. If there is inflammation with

toxic bile, there will be relatively more heat and rapid tissue

destruction. If there is more toxic mucus there will be more heavy

sensation, swelling and blockage. By looking for the relative

preponderance of these symptoms in addition to the usual signs of

pain, heat, redness and swelling, it is possible to fine tune herbal

choices. If the inflammation has more swelling, for example, herbs

from the heat removing group would be chosen along with a small

amount of herbs from the diuretic group. If there is more pain and

dryness, herbs from heat removing group would be given along with a

small amount of herbs from the nervine group.

 

TCM doctors observe that chronic inflammation often involves blood

stagnation or a heat and dampness condition. In cases of blood

stagnation you would mainly use herbs from the blood moving group

along with herbs from the heat removing group. Analyzing still

further, if the blood stagnation is caused by Qi restriction, herbs

that release the restriction, such as bupleurum root, would be most

useful. If the blood stagnation is caused by deficiency of Qi

(because Qi moves the blood), add ginseng root or astragalus root to

the heat removing and blood moving herbs. In the presence of heat

and dampness, choose herbs from the heat removing group along with a

small amount of herbs from the diuretic group or dampness removing

group. There are many more possibilities, but this should give you a

general idea. Obviously, it takes a trained herbalist to make the

best herb choices in each condition.

 

Removing blood inflammation - Looking at the Process

 

It is not enough to know the causes and type of inflammation to

formulate the proper treatment protocol. You also have to understand

where you are in the process. For example, if the inflammation

results from external trauma, the initial treatment should include

herbs that focus on the immediate problem, followed by wound-healing

herbs such as tien chi root. If the inflammation results from an

infection, the focus treatment should involve cooling herbs with

anti-microbial properties, such as isatis root or forsythia flower.

If the inflammation results from weakness and deficiency, you would

use nutrient herbs like flaxseed oil or maitake mushroom or tonic

anti-oxidant herbs like amla fruit.

 

Naturopaths and holistic MD's rely on scientific research and

specialized tests to identify the inflammatory chemicals that are

out of balance in different types of disease, and explain why. For

example, it is important to know that cases of eczema can involve

weak action of the delta-6-desaturase enzyme, which can affect the

body's levels of prostaglandins. Knowledge of this problem allows

the Naturopath to choose evening primrose oil as a remedy, because

it bypasses the missing chemical link, neutralizing the inflammatory

process (Pizzorno, 1996). Similarly, knowing that the inflammation

of multiple sclerosis relates to problems digesting dietary fats

gives us a clinical treatment advantage.

 

It is also very important to identify the location of the

inflammation. This knowledge enables TCM doctors to use specific

plants for specific organs. Originally believed to be something of

a " voodoo " custom this is now a widely accepted herbal practice. The

breakthrough in understanding lies in the concept of tissue-specific

anti-oxidant activity. It turns out that many plant chemicals such

as carotenoids and flavonoids have affinities for specific tissues.

Part of this can be explained by whether the plant nutrients are fat

or water soluble, but there is more to it than that. For example,

milk thistle seed phytochemicals go to the liver (Hikino, 1984),

ginkgo leaf chemicals increase glucose and oxygen transport across

nerve cell membranes (DeFeudis, 1991), and lycopene from tomatoes

goes to the macula (Abel, 1999). Since my earliest days as an

herbalist I have trusted the observations of traditional doctors

regarding the use of specific herbs to treat tissue or organ-

specific inflammation or deficiency. It's nice to now know my faith

has a basis in science.

 

Common Herbal Treatments for Inflammation

 

Anti-inflammatory herbs can be grouped according to the specific

organs and tissues they treat most effectively. Following are some

common classifications.

 

•Intestinal Inflammation- choose from beet root, bromelain, scute

root, coptis rhizome, boswellia gum, licorice root, dandelion root,

phellodendron bark, sarsaparilla root, triphala and turmeric root.

To coat and soothe irritation, use slippery elm bark. To flush out

inflammation, use rhubarb root for one or two days.

 

• Joint inflammation- choose from boswellia gum, bromelain, scute

root, flaxseed oil, guggul gum, myrrh gum, phellodendron bark, and

turmeric root. If there is deficiency, choose from deer antler, amla

fruit, alfalfa leaf, dry ginger, raw rehmannia root or wheat

sprouts. The nutritional supplement glucosamine sulfate is also

useful for deficiency joint inflammation as is the traditional

Ayurvedic tonic Yogarajaguggulu. For topical treatment apply castor

oil packs.

 

• Kidney inflammation- choose from akebia (mu tong or A.

trifoliata), alisma rhizome (ze xie or A. plantago-aquatica),

capillaris (yin chen hao or Artemisia capillaris), phellodendron

bark and stinging nettle leaf. If there is deficiency, choose from

astragalus root, cordyceps mushroom, rehmannia root (cooked and

raw), shilajatu and stinging nettle seed. For topical treatment

apply castor oil packs.

 

• Lung inflammation- choose from beet root, boswellia gum, scute

root, chrysanthemum flowers, garlic bulb, tulsi, peppermint leaf and

turmeric root. If there is deficiency, choose from American ginseng

root, cordyceps mushroom, reishi mushroom, schisandra berries and

wild asparagus root.

 

• Sinus inflammation - choose from scute root, echinacea, forsythia

flower, honeysuckle flower (jin yin hua or Lonicera japonica) and

wild chrysanthemum flower. To soothe the sinuses, put a few drops of

flaxseed or sesame oil mixed with white sandalwood oil in each

nostril.

 

• Skin inflammation- choose from burdock root, dandelion root or

leaf, moutan, neem, red clover blossom, red peony root, sarsaparilla

and turmeric root. If there is deficiency, use dang gui root, gotu

kola, raw rehmannia root, shilajatu or shou wu root. Skin

inflammation sometimes yields to one or two days of bowel flushing

with laxatives like rhubarb root or castor oil. For topical

treatment, apply fresh aloe vera gel or aloe preparations with olive

oil, black tea bags, or castor oil. For itching, use tinctures with

menthol crystals derived from mint oils.

 

• Stomach inflammation - choose from scute root, coptis rhizome,

fresh ginger root, peppermint leaf, burdock root, boswellia gum,

fennel seed, licorice root, kudzu, triphala and turmeric root. To

coat and soothe irritation, use flaxseed oil (long term) or slippery

elm bark (short term).

 

• Thyroid inflammation - choose from bugleweed (Lycopus virginicus),

capillaris (yin chen hao or Artemisia capillaris), scute root,

gardenia fruit (zhi zi or Gardenia jasminoides) and prunella (Xie ku

cao or P. vulgaris).

 

• Pancreas inflammation- choose from moudan bark (Mu dan pi or

Paeonia suffruticosa) persica seed (Tao ren or Prunus persica),

carthamus flower, benincasa fruit (dong gua ren or B. hispida),

guggul gum, rhubarb root, bromelain, and shilajatu.

 

Treating Serious Inflammation

 

The general list of herbs offered above only provides a starting

point. There are so many inflammation-related diseases, and we will

be going into greater detail in other sections.

_________________

JoAnn Guest

mrsjoguest

www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest/Diets