Other herbs & medication

Posted by Ryan Casey on

Peony is a herb that has been used for centuries as a standard and pivotal herb in the Chinese system of medicine. As such it is rarely used alone and would be blended with other herbs for an individual patient’s requirements. It is a herb that can also be used to treat several different conditions. Under modern European legislation herbs sold as Over The Counter medicines have to go through an expensive and time consuming registration process, part of which requires that each herb that goes through this process has to be given only one official medical claim. In the case of Peony this claim, which is written on the front of the box, refers to its usefulness in helping to reduce menopausal hot flushes. Such a claim, whilst potentially very useful in commercial terms, can be very misleading in that it hides the full potential benefits of the herb. People may pick up a box of Peony for example and see the claim about menopausal symptoms and think that 's all there is to it. There is of course much more to Peony than this. Many herbs are similar to Peony in this respect, in that they may be good for several things rather than just one.

So, with this in mind, it is informative to see which herbs Peony has been or can be combined with and why. At the top of our list would have to be the combination of Peony and liquorice. This combination is only at the top because of its long historical use coupled with the large amount of modern research on this combination regarding its effectiveness in the treatment of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).

Another classic combination is the use of red Peony, white Peony and tree/moutan Peony together. This trio is often referred to as the '3 treasures' or the 'female treasures tea' along with other similar names. This combination is often seen as the ultimate female tonic tea, applicable to a whole host of female ailments. The overall effect of these 3 Peonies together would be a powerful anti-inflammatory, cooling and muscle relaxing one with obvious applications therefore to female ailments.

Having just mentioned an anti-inflammatory effect it is worth mentioning the fact that Peony is a herb used as standard in formulas for inflammatory skin diseases such as eczema and psoriasis. Back in the 1990's a Chinese herbal formula that was used to treat eczema in children was subjected to clinical trials by doctors connected to Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital in London. This formula was extremely effective and contains 10 herbs. One of the herbs is Peony and at one time it was even thought that the Peony alone was potentially responsible for the major anti-inflammatory effect of the formula. Again, this formula contains liquorice, Peony's constant companion!  The anti-inflammatory effect is also being researched nowadays as it extends to the treatment of arthritic complaints and even inflammation of the brain! In fact, inflammation is now thought to be the underlying cause of several of the modern, degenerative disease such as diabetes and heart disease. Peony is a herb that would be perfectly placed to help reduce this sort of background inflammation.

In traditional Chinese medicine Peony is classified as a herb that 'Invigorates The Blood'. All herbs in the Chinese system are grouped under such headings and it is common for herbs from the same category to be combined. Herbs in the same category as Peony include Chinese sage (Salvia militorrhiza), Corydalis (Corydalis yanhusuo), turmeric (Curcuma longa), Chinese tea rose (Rosa chinensis) and Chinese motherwort (Leonurus heterophyllus). Other herbs that are commonly combined with Peony in the Chinese system include Chinese foxglove (Rehmannia glutinosa), Chinese angelica/Dong Quai (Angelica sinensis) and Lycium/wolfberry (Lycium chinensis). All these herbs and their combinations have a tradition of use in the treatment of many menstrual and gynaecological conditions, and some of them have gained 'fame' in other areas of medicine. Turmeric, for example, is now well known for its anti-inflammatory effect and Lycium berries, or Goji berries, as they are also known, are marketed for their tonic effects, especially for women.

Outside of these traditional Chinese herbs there are many other herbs that are used in the treatment of menstrual and gynaecological conditions such as Vitex agnus-castus. Again, Peony is perfectly compatible with this herb and other such herbs depending upon the individual patient’s requirements.

One of the more interesting recent finding on Peony is that it is actually showing beneficial effects in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease and age related mental decline. In this respect, Peony can be used along-side the growing arsenal of other natural substances and drugs used to treat these dreadful conditions. Many herbs are now being shown to have positive effects in this area, including rosemary, sage and Ginkgo. Peony can happily be used with these herbs.

The final question is; can Peony be used with orthodox medication?  The simple answer is, yes, it can be used safely with just about everything. The only time you need to exercise caution is with epilepsy. Peony is also a very useful anti-epileptic agent and you should seek advice from your health care practitioner if you are already taking orthodox anti-epileptic medication.


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