Aging is an unavoidable process, which is
associated not only with changes in facial appearance, but
also a decline in bodily function, with
an increased likelihood of developing a host of age-associated diseases.
Over the past century,
there has been a gradual change in the spectrum of diseases
from the prevalence of infectious diseases to chronic or degenerative diseases.
While the decrease in the incidence of infectious diseases is mainly attributable to
the improvement in living conditions and advances in pharmacotherapy,
the increased incidence of chronic or degenerative diseases is
related to the marked increase in life expectancy in affluent societies.
Chronic or degenerative diseases associated with
aging include diabetes and its complications,
Parkinson's disease, neurodegenerative diseases,
autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus erythematosus.
All these have greatly worsened the quality of life of elderly people
and have imposed a great economic burden on both families and the societies.
Given the holistic nature of chronic or degenerative disease
in terms of disease development and symptom manifestation, allopathic Modern Medicine,
which emphasize the investigation of
the biochemical basis of the disease followed by therapeutic intervention,
cannot effectively manage most chronic diseases,
not to mention their prevention.
As such, individuals have sought solutions from nature in order to
explore a better way of preventing and treating chronic degenerative diseases.
Traditional medicine has therefore come of age in safeguarding health,
particularly in the vulnerable elderly.
In this connection, Chinese Medicine is highly regarded as a gold mine
for exploring alternative ways to prevent and treat chronic or degenerative diseases.
As far as the prevention of diseases is concerned,
a treasure of Chinese tonifying herbs can be used to
supplement or "patch up" impaired body function.
This is called "Bu" in Chinese.
According to Chinese Medicine theory,
a deficiency in body function, that is,
a sub-optimal health status,
can be caused by genetic factors and/or acquired environmental factors,
as well as aging.
To remediate declining physiological function,
one possible approach is supplementation with
Chinese tonifying herbs with various functional properties,
depending on the particular pattern of deficiency in body function involved.
In essence, Yang/Qi invigorating tonifying herbs,
which are used for individuals with Yang or Qi deficiency,
can help up-regulate energy metabolism,
with a resultant increase in bioenergy production.
Alternatively,
Yin nourishing or Blood enriching tonifying herbs
are used for fortifying nutrient supply,
as well as blood production in the body,
with the associated stimulation of immune function.
In addition to Yang and Yin-related function,
Qi and Blood tonifying herbs also participate in modulating
neuroendocrine function in the body in order to achieve and maintain optimal homeostasis.
Over the past two decades,
my laboratory at the Hong Kong University of Science and
Technology has done research on Chinese tonifying herbs,
with the aim of building
a communication-reducing gap in
health concept between Chinese Medicine and Modern Medicine.
Our research has been focusing on investigating the pharmacological basis of Yang and
Yin Chinese tonifiying herbs in relation to the effect on aging-associated diseases.
We have been able to demonstrate that
Yang tonifying herbs can invariably enhance energy status of the body,
and this observation is consistent with Chinese Medicine theory,
which states that Yang is manifested as body functioning,
and all body functions are energy dependent.
A study has indicated that stamina,
which reflects the body capacity in expressing Yang activity,
begin to decline before the age of 20 in young Japanese males.
Our investigation of the biochemical mechanisms
involved in the enhancement of energy status revealed
the ability of Yang tonifying herbs to increase
mitochondrial ATP generation capacity in cells and various tissues.
Upon the stimulation of ATP generation,
the increased reactive oxygen species (ROS)
production arising from the activation of electron transport induced by
Yang tonifying herbs can trigger retrograde signal transduction,
with a resultant increase in the expression of antioxidant genes and hence,
cellular/mitochondrial antioxidant capacity -
that means "mitohormesis", a process for
maintaining a stable and permissive environment for mitochondrial function.
The retrograde signaling can elicit an antioxidant response.
It is believed that the glutathione-driven antioxidant network
plays a crucial role in combating damage induced by ROS.
Cellular reduced glutathione (GSH)
levels are maintained by synthesis from amino acids
and glutathione redox cycling from oxidized glutathione.
GSH works synergistically with ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and
alpha-Tocopherol (vitamin E) by regenerating the reduced forms from oxidized forms.
In so doing, antioxidant defense system can be
sustained by cellular metabolic processes for the supply of ATP,
that is energy, for glutathione synthesis, and NADPH,
that is reducing power, for glutathione redox cycling.
Pharmacological studies have been shown that most Yin tonifying herbs can
stimulate immune response and possess strong free radical scavenging activities.
Yin is the basis for adaptive immunity.
A decline in body immunity can be caused by a number of factors,
including age and body constitution,
lifestyle, pollution and infection.
Studies have shown that
an age-associated decline in immunity occurs starting from the teenage years.
Taken together, while Yang tonifying herbs can increase mitochondrial ATP production.
Yin tonifying herbs primarily stimulate
immuno-responses against invading microorganisms and cancer cells.
Both Yang and Yin tonifying herbs possess
antioxidant properties which can preserve
mitochondrial structural and functional integrity,
as well as sustain immunity, with a result in prevention
of age-associated diseases and retardation of the aging process.
Now, we understand why
Chinese tonifying herbs can serve as an effective means for promoting health.
If we take stamina and immunity as example,
the decline of Yang and Yin-related body function commences from the teenage years.
So we should therefore take
Chinese tonifying herbs for safeguarding health before it is too late!
Robert KoProfessor
