Acupuncture for Allergies
Allergy season in Central Texas can extend all year. If you’ve already
been suffering this Fall, let’s hope that these early freezes help us skid
through the ragweed and goldenrod bloom. Don’t get too excited though;
With the cold weather comes Ashe Juniper pollen, and we all know what
that means! Cedar Fever will ramp up quickly this year and it might be
time to consider heading in for acupuncture to stave off the worst of
your allergies before the holidays.
Indeed, on top of thousands of years of clinical observation, large
cohort studies have shown that acupuncture can improve allergy
symptoms and increase quality of life in those suffering from allergic
rhinitis and asthma when compared to sham acupuncture and
treatment with antihistamine medications. It has been shown that
acupuncture can modulate immune response and it is believed that
acupuncture may work for allergies in part by regulating the cytokine
profile and expression of Th1 and Th2 cells (1).
In my clinical experience, patients do best when they combine
regular acupuncture treatment with the consistent use of herbal
medicine and commit to dietary changes. Even if my patients don’t
have food allergies, research has shown that the consumption of
polyphenols can benefit allergic diseases of all kinds. Polyphenols are a
broad ranging group of plant pigments that have an anti-inflammatory-
and therefore immune modulating- effect in the body (2).
They are found in all plants and especially in those that have a
bright or rich color such as berries, purple cabbage, kale, etc.
I generally recommend that patients with allergies avoid
pro-inflammatory foods like processed grains, sugar and alcohol and
increase the amount of plant pigments they get in their diet by
eating more colorful vegetables.
1. Hauswald B, Yarin YM. Acupuncture in allergic rhinitis: A Mini-Review.
Allergo J Int. 2014;23(4):115-119. doi: 10.1007/s40629-014-0015-3.
Epub 2014 Jun 21. PMID: 26120523; PMCID: PMC4479426.
2, Singh A, Holvoet S, Mercenier A. Dietary polyphenols in the
prevention and treatment of allergic diseases. Clin Exp Allergy. 2011
Oct;41(10):1346-59. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2222.2011.03773.x.
Epub 2011 May 30. PMID: 21623967.
Herb of the Month: The Humble Potato
I’m afraid the potato has gotten a bad rap. Low-carbohydrate diets
are all the rage these days and potatoes are high in starchy sugars.
So even though we all love and crave potatoes, everyone keeps
trying to find their next kind-of-similar replacement. From
cauliflower to almond mash to cassava, nothing is quite as
comforting and satisfying as this humble tuber from the nightshade
family. Potatoes have been a staple food for many thousands of
years for a reason. In fact, potatoes can benefit your brain
chemistry, improve your sleep, repair your stomach lining and help
you to feel full. They store well and are a highly sustainable crop, in
part because raw potatoes contain strong antimicrobial compounds
that are, in turn, medicinal to humans for external conditions.
First, let’s talk about carbs. I know it’s a hard pill to swallow with
diabetes and obesity plaguing our part of the world, but our bodies
are actually designed to eat carbs. Carbs are the most efficient
way for us to get the energy needed for all cellular processes. While
proteins act primarily like building blocks in the body for everything
down to DNA, fats and carbs give us the energy- or Qi and Yang,
if you will- to put the structures together. And, although fats are
broken down for fuel through the process of ketosis, in excess this
process can actually be quite tough on the liver and kidneys.
Meanwhile, carbohydrates are a very easy energy source for the
bodies to process. They help us to focus, feel alive and give us
comfort. That’s partly why they are so addictive and have led to
chronic disease in our society. When consumed in excess,
carbohydrates tax the pancreas and this can result in Type II
diabetes. Blood sugar spikes from a misfiring metabolism can also
exacerbate epilepsy and lead to emotional highs and lows and
emotional eating. As most of us are aware, if we don’t use all of the
energy we consume, the body stores it as fat for a future time when
we might need it. But if carbohydrates help to fuel all processes-
including metabolism- then despite the results of over-consumption,
clearly the issue isn’t carbohydrates, it’s the fad diet pendulum
swinging too far one way or the other.
Widely adaptable to different climates and thus a common,
available source of food and medicine, potatoes have been used in
folk healing traditions around the world for many hundreds (and in
some places, thousands) of years. In my studies, I was taught by
various folk healers different variations of potato remedies. One
such remedy is to use a raw potato slice pressed against the eyelid
to draw out styes. In another, raw potato slices are applied to the
bottoms of the feet or the front of the chest and secured with
bandages to draw out fever and phlegm during a cold or flu.
Modern research has demonstrated that raw potato juice does
indeed contain antibacterial properties against E. Coli, Staph and
Salmonella (3).
Consuming potatoes is a common home remedy for stomach ulcers.
In the Classical Chinese tradition of Jeffrey Yuen, potatoes
generate Stomach Yin. Stomach Yin is thought to be the source
of all post-natal Yin in the body. This idea can be roughly translated
to the idea that potatoes help to protect and heal the stomach
lining which in turn allows us to properly metabolize food and drink.
When metabolism is working well, our cells maintain a healthy level
of hydration and tissues are better able to heal. This idea has
actually led to clinical research on the efficacy of potato juice
against stomach and duodenal ulcers. As anticipated, potato juice
not only healed existing stomach ulcers but also prevented the
formation of stomach ulcers in rats, (4). In Chinese dietary therapy,
we can achieve this simply by eating mashed potatoes daily or eating
potato soup everyday for several weeks until symptoms subside.
Finally, eating carbohydrates in general helps to regulate serotonin.
Although proteins are needed to build tryptophan, the main
precursor to serotonin, the modulation of brain neurotransmitters
that release serotonin is controlled by the consumption of
carbohydrates (5). In short, we need carbohydrates to feel happy,
which is theorized to be one of the reasons why we crave sugar and
carbs when we are upset or stressed. Potatoes have even earned a
reputation as a “natural Prozac”, (which I think is a little silly
considering potatoes were around first… shouldn’t Prozac instead
be called an artificial potato?). In any case, eating potatoes can help
us to feel good, sleep well and manage stress. As long as we don’t
eat them in excess, I certainly don’t see the problem with including a
potato or two into your daily diet.
It’s November now and getting cold. Thanksgiving is up ahead. I
hope this year you will say a little ‘thank you’ to the humble potato
and to the earth itself for providing so much of what we need to
feel well.
3. Gebrechristos, HY, Ma, X, Xiao, F, et al. Potato peel extracts as
an antimicrobial and potential antioxidant in active edible film.
Food Sci Nutr. 2020; 8: 6338–6345.
https://doi.org/10.1002/fsn3.1119
4. Kujawska M, Olejnik A, Lewandowicz G, Kowalczewski P,
Forjasz R, Jodynis-Liebert J. Spray-Dried Potato Juice as a
Potential Functional Food Component with Gastrointestinal
Protective Effects. Nutrients. 2018 Feb 24;10(2):259.
doi: 10.3390/nu10020259. PMID: 29495317; PMCID:
PMC5852835.
5. Wurtman RJ, Wurtman JJ. Brain serotonin, carbohydrate-craving,
obesity and depression. Obes Res. 1995 Nov;3 Suppl 4:477S-480S.
doi: 10.1002/j.1550-8528.1995.tb00215.x. PMID: 8697046.
What's New at the Clinic
This has been a whirlwind month for the clinic!
Coyote Herbs and Acupuncture officially opened its doors just after
the solar eclipse on October 15th. The day before, the Saturday of
the eclipse, while moving boxes and hauling trash, friends, family
and I looked to see the little crescent sun shadows playing across
the front porch. We (more or less) risked life and limb to hang a
road sign and worked half the night to finish the wood tile kiosk in
the front. Many of my dear friends and family helped to celebrate
this special place opening up. We had a little champagne to toast the
opening and especially to toast everyone who came out of the
woodworks to help out.
Last week, Suzanne Rittenberry, LAc., a retiring acupuncturist who
has served Oak Hill for the past couple decades, donated her entire
bulk herb and tincture apothecary to Coyote. What a generous gift!
I hope it lives on and continues to reach many more people in our
Southwest Austin community.
Thank you to everyone who helped me make this dream happen and
those who have continued to show your support by spreading the
word about this gem!
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