ASHMI Asthma Treatment

ASHMI (aka Anti-Asthma Herbal Medicine Intervention), is an asthma treatment based on an herbal combination which consists of licorice root (Gan Cao), sophora root (Ku Shen), and Lingzhi Mushroom (reishi mushroom).

ASHMI Asthma Treatment is made up of Ling Zhi, Ku Shen & Gan Cao

ASHMI Asthma Treatment was developed by Dr. Xiumin Li of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, in collaboration of Dr. Hugh Sampson, also from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, as a simplified version of a traditional Chinese herbal combination of 14 herbs known as MSSM-002.

ASHMI Asthma Treatment was formulated on the basis of actions of the individual herbs in MSSM-002 according to traditional Chinese medicine formulation concepts designed by Weifang Pharmaceutical Manufacturing.

Does it work?

I became interested in ASHMI after hearing the buzz about the results of a landmark double-blind study conducted in China in 2005 by researchers from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, the Weifang Asthma Hospital and the Weifang School of Medicine.

“Taken together, the findings of this study show that ASHMI is effective and well-tolerated in nonsteroid-dependent patients with moderate to severe persistent asthma,” the researchers concluded.

The study was published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (vol. 116, issue 3), the results of which are so promising that senior researcher Dr. Xiu-Min Li commented “This is the first well-controlled study in which an anti-asthma Chinese herbal medicine has been found to be as effective as a corticosteroid drug.” Li added that “additional clinical studies of ASHMI in the United Sates are planned. ASHMI may become an important addition to currently used drugs for asthma.”

The ASHMI trial lasted 4 weeks and included 91 human subjects with moderate to severe persistent asthma. 46 patients received 12 ASHMI capsules per day, each one containing 0.3 grams of dried aqueous extract. The total daily dosage was equivalent to 20 grams of raw Ling Zhi – Reishi Mushrooms, 9 grams of Ku Shen – Sophora Root, and 3 grams of Gan Cao – Licorice Root.

Patients in this group also received placebo tablets similar in appearance to prednisone. The other 46 patients in the placebo group received 20 mg of prednisone per day, and placebo capsules resembling ASHMI.

ASHMI Study – The results.

The subjects’ lung function, IgE levels, side effects, cytokine levels and serum cortisol levels were measured before and after treatment. Although both groups showed significant improvement in lung function, the effects of prednisone group were slightly greater. More importantly, both groups showed a significant and similar reduction in symptoms and a reduced need for beta-2 bronchodilator therapy.

The significance of that result is that both agents were almost equally effective in treating asthma. The ASHMI group had no adverse effects on adrenal function, fewer patients experienced gastric discomfort and they received a beneficial effect on TH1 and TH2 cytokine levels. The prednisone group showed significant weight gain after four weeks of treatment and experienced much higher levels of gastric discomfort.

The researchers commented that the mechanisms underlying the herbal formula’s remarkable effects are largely unknown, but are most likely the result of synergistic effects of its three Chinese herb combination.

What’s next?

In February of 2009, the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) announced the funding of three Centers of Excellence which will explore therapies used in traditional Chinese medicine, including acupuncture and Chinese herbal mixtures.

One of the selected centers will be called the “Center for Chinese Herbal Therapy” located at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY. The principal Investigator is Xiu-Min Li, M.D. The researchers are responsible for investigating ASHMI as a therapy for allergic asthma. Studies of ASHMI will look at mechanism of action in an animal model, characterize the herbs’ active components, and investigate the formula’s use in human asthma patients.

[UPDATE] Based on the remarkable results attained by ASHMI, the “Allergy Research Group,” which markets products under the brand name “Nutricology,” have formulated “PhytoCort” which is a proprietary blend of the original ASHMI formulation, along with a fourth herb commonly known as noni (Morinda citrifolia), which I suspect was added as an attempt to get around potential patent disputes.

My wife and I have replaced our “home made” ASHMI Asthma Treatment formulation with Phytocort and we highly recommend you do the same.

Buy ASHMI Asthma Treatment (PhytoCort):

Related Articles:

1. Clear Breathing with Chinese Herbs
2. MSSM-002 Chinese Herbal Asthma Treatment
3. Kushen – Sophora Root
4. Lingzhi – Mushroom of Immortality
5. Licorice Root – A Great Tasting Asthma Reliever