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Kampo Medicine in Japan
Kampo
is the Japanese study and adaptation of traditional Chinese medicine dating
back to China's Han
Dynasty. Japanese Kampo does not modify the
Kampo has been the dominant medical choice in Japan for most of history. However, during Japan's Meiji era (1868-1912) much of Japan's traditional structure was abandoned in favor of emulating Western culture. As a result, Kampo was suppressed in favor of Western medical practices. In 1976, the active suppression of Kampo was officially removed. Since then Japanese government has approved 148 Kampo formulas for coverage under the nation health insurance plan and about 75% of Japanese physicians prescribe Kampo formulas in combination with conventional medicine. The popularity of Kampo in Japan is largely due to the perceived ineffectiveness of Western medicine, specifically in non-specific patient complaints such as autonomic imbalance, constipation, and cramps. Kampo products are pharmaceutical grade prescription drugs. As a result, manufacturers of Kampo products are subject to stringent quality control regulations. Because herbs vary greatly from crop to crop the Japanese government requires all prescription Kampo formulas to meet standards of both quality of herbs, and quantity of herbs in accordance to standardized Kampo formulas. Kampo products are also extensively tested to meet standards in microbial, pesticide, and heavy metal content. Although clinical studies in Japan have recognized the health benefits Kampo products provide, because of the complexity of herbs and the receptors they target and the combination of multiple herbs Kampo products require, the mechanism behind the benefits they provide is largely unknown. Currently, research is still being conducted to better understand the mechanisms of action for the efficacy of Kampo products HepZone® SST, a right blends of Japanese herbal medicine for liver heath By Leslie Barton
Kampo medicine is integrated into the
national health care system in Japan. In order to It is estimated that 3% of the world's population, or almost 200 million individuals, have chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. It has become a significant public health problem in the United States in recent years; approximately 5 million individuals have been infected with HCV. Hepatitis C infection is a major risk factor for HCC. It has been estimated from a number of prospective studies that 80% of patients exposed to HCV will develop chronic hepatitis C, of which 15% develop cirrhosis and approximately 5% will progress to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Liver function can be compromised by a number of things¡ªpollution, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, steroids, poor diet, insufficient rest, stress, obesity, smoking, and illness, to name a few. Since the liver is one of the most important organs when it comes to fighting illness, liver problems can have serious consequences. And, with a list of threats to your liver like that, developing an unhealthy one is more common than you may think. Living with a weakened liver is akin to putting out the ¡°welcome mat¡± for viruses, bacteria, and other disease-causing microbes, which can lead to life-threatening illnesses. If you catch a lot of colds or come down with whatever variety of flu is making the rounds each winter, it may be caused by a weakened liver and consequently a weakened immune system. Sho-saiko-to, also known as SST, addresses the core of many types of illnesses¡ªinadequate or low immunity. While Western medicine often treats the symptoms of a disease, SST addresses the body¡¯s entire response to illness and bolsters it so illness cannot get a foothold. SST is the most extensively researched herbal formula in the Japanese scientific and pharmaceutical communities during the past decades. Besides a large body of publications in Japanese language, there have been over 200 English publications on SST documenting its anti-inflammative, antifibrosis, and chemopreventive effects that may be the foundations of therapeutic benefits for chronic liver disease. Halt or slow the progression of hepatitis C Recent statistics show that more than 1.5 million Japanese patients with chronic liver disease have been treated with Sho-saiko-to (SST). While a number of mechanisms may be responsible for its beneficial effects, Japanese scientists at Mie University School of Medicine believe an increase in interleukin-12 (IL-12) may be one of the keys to its health benefits. (Interleukin is a substance that stimulates the disease-fighting abilities of the immune system.) To test this theory, researchers measured the interleukin-12 levels of 11 patients with hepatitis-C virus (HCV) and compared them with the interleukin levels in 12 healthy subjects. Those suffering from HCV showed ¡°significantly lower¡± levels than the healthy patients. When the researchers added SST to the laboratory sample for the hepatitis patients, IL-12 production levels ¡°increased approximately three fold¡± and became ¡°almost the same as those from healthy subjects.¡± In a controlled study, 80 patients with interferon-resistant hepatitis C were treated with SST plus unspecified ¡°conventional medicine¡± or conventional medicine alone. The patients were followed for 7 years. During this time, five patients on SST experienced normalization of liver enzymes in full and one seroconverted. Enzymes normalized in only one patient in controls and none seroconverted. Conversely, five controls progressed to hepatocellular carcinoma versus one on SST therapy. Another study indicates that hepatitis C patients may be able to slow down the progress of their disease by supplementing with SST and consequently regulating their interleukin production. Scientists from the Department of Laboratory Medicine at Mie University found that blood samples from HCV sufferers had high levels of IL-4 and IL-5 and low levels of IL-10 as compared with normal levels found in non-HCV patients. However, the addition of Liver Kampo resulted in an increase in IL-10 and a 25 percent to 33 percent decrease in IL-4 and IL-5 levels. The researchers concluded that SST ¡°may be useful in the prevention of [HCV] progression.¡± The seven active ingredients and their actions include the following:
Chemoprevention, reduce incidence of liver cancer One of the largest human studies of SST was conducted by the Osaka City University Medical School in Japan. It involved 260 patients with liver cirrhosis and hepatitis B. The subjects were assigned to either a control group that received only conventional treatment or a group that received SST supplements in tandem with conventional treatment. The groups were matched for age, sex, severity of illness, and the presence of hepatitis B antigens. The subjects received treatment and were followed for five years to determine if there were any long-term effects or benefits from receiving the herbal medicine. The researchers found that the ¡°survival curve for five years of the trial group was higher than that of the control group.¡± Because cirrhosis of the liver has a very high probability of developing into liver cancer (5% of liver cirrhosis progresses into hepatocellular carcinoma), it is important to stop this life-threatening process. The scientists concluded that SST ¡°helped prevent the development of [liver cancer] in patients with cirrhosis.¡± Two Clinical phase II trials underway in the US In fact the research data for SST was so strong that doctors at the prestigious New York Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center have decided to study it in a clinical phase II trial under a FDA approved Investigative New Drug (IND #62,929). They are researching the direct effects on hepatitis C patients using SST. The study is entitled ¡°Sho-saiko-to for Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C Who are Intolerant to or have Contraindications to Interferon-Based Therapy: A Phase II Study¡±. There are 31 patients involved in the 52-week trial with Sho-saiko-to granules (same strength herbal extract is packaged in HepZone® SST capsules). The outcome will be based upon comparisons of liver biopsies before and after the treatment. The encouraging initial results have been reported at the 2nd International Conference of the Society for Integrative Oncology in November 2005. Sho-saiko-to is being studied in another trial taking place at University of California San Diego Medical Center. This trial is aimed at establishing the safety and tolerability of Sho-saiko-to in patients with liver cirrhosis resulting from HCV infection. In this study 40 patients will be broken into groups of 20, where half will receive Sho-saiko-to and the other half will receive placebo. All patients will be regularly evaluated throughout the 1-year period. Suggested Reading: Kampo: From Old Wisdom Comes New Knowledge. Published on Herbalgram, 2008;78:46-57 American Botanical Council This site is for exchanging information only. No product is sold in this entire website. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. |
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traditional formulas, but
instead uses regulated and precise combination of herbs in accordance to the
traditional formulas as standardized by the Japanese government. In this
sense it also differs from traditional Chinese medicine and other similar
traditional medicines in that Kampo uses specified formulas developed
through empirical research. This difference can be attributed to the
influence Western medicine had in shaping current Kampo, specifically in
developing the pragmatic, empirical, and formulaic aspects of Kampo.