Chinese fruit offers hope in bird flu fight

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Hi all,

 

Taken from: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS

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th/2005/10/18/hstar18.xml> & grid=P8 & xml=/health/2005/10/18/hstar18.xml

 

With the spectre of the avian influenza virus H5N1 hovering over Britain,

the Government's attention is finally turning from prevention to treatment.

But in the absence of a cure, the only glimmer of hope comes from an

unlikely sounding source: the Chinese fruit star anise.

 

More commonly used in Chinese cooking and for flavouring liqueurs such as

anisette and Pernod, the star-shaped fruits are a vital ingredient of

Tamiflu, an antiviral drug that can reduce the severity of flu symptoms.

Equally crucially, Tamiflu, which is produced by the Swedish pharmaceutical

company Roche, can also work as a temporary vaccine for the relatives of

those infected.

 

But the leap from cooking ingredient to potentially life-saving drug is not

as far-fetched as it sounds. Native to China and Vietnam, the star anise

tree produces five-pointed fruits, or seed pods, which have been used in

Chinese medicine for centuries. Early uses include the treatment of

indigestion, stomach ache, colic in babies, and even facial paralysis.

 

Edzard Ernst, professor of complementary and alternative medicine at the

University of Exeter, says the plant is widely used in alternative medicine.

" It is used for a huge range of problems, from dyspepsia to coughs. It is an

expectorant, which is probably what makes it relevant to bird flu. "

Prescribed by Chinese herbalists to be brewed as tea, it works by

encouraging the secretion of mucus in the airways, making it easier to cough

up. Inhaling the steam from a brew of three fruits and boiling water can

also ease nasal catarrh and clear the sinuses.

 

Applied topically, star anise has been credited with easing the symptoms of

psoriasis and scabies, and taken orally, its anti-spasmodic effect is proven

to relieve intestinal pain. " It has also been used in women to increase

lactation, facilitate birth and increase libido, " says Prof Ernst, " all of

which indicate that it also has some hormonal effects. "

 

Last year, scientists at King's College, London, found that star anise also

has possible cancer-fighting properties. Peter Houghton, who headed the

research team, told a pharmaceutical conference that several plants used in

traditional Thai and Chinese cancer treatments showed " promising activity "

against lung cancer cells.

 

There are two problems, however: the plant is notoriously difficult to

cultivate, and it matures at an agonisingly slow rate - only beginning to

flower after six years. Ninety per cent of the world's supply of star anise

is already used by Roche in manufacturing Tamiflu, and scientists have

estimated that it would take 10 years to gather the number of fruits needed

to produce enough to treat a fifth of the world's population.

 

Prof Ernst also warns against confusing the fruit with the finished drug. " I

wouldn't advocate people who are afraid of the bird flu to take star anise

in any shape or form, but it can certainly be effective for treating other

ailments when properly prescribed. "

 

Attilio: I don't know why all journalists are quoting Edzard Ernst. The guy

isn't even properly qualified.

 

Warm regards,

 

Attilio D'Alberto

Doctor of (Beijing, China)

B.Sc. (Hons) T.C.M., M.A.T.C.M.

Company Director

The Earth Health Clinic

0208 367 8378

enquiries

<http://www.theearthhealthclinic.com/> www.theearthhealthclinic.com