If you suffer from asthma, you may want to swap your prescription medications for some powerful and effective Chinese herbs. Especially one called ASHMI.
Chinese Herbs and Herbal Remedies Can Be Effective in Treating Asthma Symptoms
In a study published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (2005, vol. 116, issue 3), researchers from Weifang Asthma Hospital and Weifang School of Medicine in China, along with the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, reported that an oral combination of three Chinese herbs could be as effective as conventional asthma medicines — without the serious side effects.
Corticosteroids, a common conventional asthma treatment, can increase susceptibility to infection and slow growth rates in children. Their search was for an equally effective asthma treatment minus the adverse side effects.
91 patients with moderate to severe persistent asthma were admitted to the Weifang Asthma Hospital for a four week double-blind study. 45 of the asthma patients received 20mg of prednisone per day and placebo capsules resembling ASHMI. 46 of the asthma patients were given an herbal combination called ASHMI (anti-asthma herbal medicine intervention), plus placebo tablets resembling 20mg of prednisone.
ASHMI is comprised of three Chinese herbal extracts: Lingzhi (Reishi Mushroom), Kushen (Sophora Root) , and Gancao (Licorice Root). ASHMI did not include Ma Huang, which is used globally as an asthma herbal remedy.
The results were rather remarkable. ASHMI had a beneficial effect on both TH1 and TH2 cytokine levels and absolutely no adverse effects on adrenal function in the study participants. Additionally, the ASHMI group experienced significantly less gastric discomfort and no weight gain. The prednisone group experienced both significant weight-gain and gastric discomfort.
On the other hand, the effect of prednisone on lung function was reported by the researchers to be “slightly, but significantly greater” than that of ASHMI, the cost of which, among others, is gastric discomfort and significant weight-gain.
The researchers are “pleased” with the trial results and conclude that their findings “…show that ASHMI is effective and well-tolerated in nonsteroid-dependent patients with moderate to severe asthma.”
[UPDATE] Based on this study, the “Allergy Research Group,” which market products under the name “Nutricology,” have formulated “Phytocort” which is a proprietary blend of the Chinese herbs lingzhi mushroom (reishi mushroom), sophora root (kushen), and licorice root (gancao), found in ASHMI, plus a fourth herb commonly known as noni (Morinda citrifolia), which wasn’t part of the original researchers’ formulation. I suspect noni was added as an attempt to get around any patent disputes.
My wife and I have begun replacing our home made ASHMI formulation with Phytocort and we highly recommend you do the same. It makes our lives easier, saves us time and saves us money!
Buy ASHMI (marketed by Nutricology as PhytoCort):
ASHMI (PhytoCort) on Amazon.com
ASHMI (PhytoCort) on VitaminTree.com
ASHMI (PhytoCort) on HouseofNutrition.com
ASHMI (PhytoCort) on SmartBomb.com
ASHMI (PhytoCort) on Ebay.com
Can ASHMI be purchased anywhere?
@ j
ASHMI can’t be purchased yet –> it’s still under patent review(Please see my November 29, 2009 comment below for an important update). But, my wife and I take “homemade” ASHMI using supplements we buy at vitamin stores. That is, we buy lingzhi mushroom supplements, licorice root supplements and sophora Root and take them twice a day.I can tell you that our breathing is much better for it and our household asthma medication use has plummeted! (That has been strictly our experience and I am certainly not dispensing any medical advice here!)
I hope that helps and thanks for stopping by.
How much of what do you take?
@Sam
I take 600mg of Lingzhi Mushroom (Reishi Mushroom) and 450mg of Licorice Root, plus a few other herbs twice per day. My wife adds Sophora Root in powdered form to the Lingzhi/Reishi Mushroom – Licorice Root combination, plus some additional herbs, at least twice per day.
Thanks for stopping by.
UPDATE
@j ==> Yes, ASHMI can be purchased, although the formulation is not called ASHMI (please read the update above which is found at the bottom of my article for more details). I found a product called PhytoCort, manufactured by a company called Allergy Research Group and marketed under the name Nutricology.
PhytoCort is formulated with the original herbs found in ASHMI which are lingzhi mushroom (reishi mushroom), licorice root (gancao) and sophora root (kushen), plus a fourth ingredient noni.
Please go to the “Buy ASHMI (PhytoCort)” section above for a list of some online sources of PhytoCort.
My wife and I have stopped taking our “home made” ASHMI and have begun taking “PhytoCort.” We purchase it from herbspro.com because of their prices, but there are many places that sell it, including ebay & amazon.