Anti-Cancer Herbs ⁽¹¹⁾

Verbena (Mabiancao, Verbena officinalis) is a Chinese medicinal herb that can be used to treat jaundice and ascites. I often add it to formulas for ascites, at a daily dose of 30-60 g. In Zhouhou Beiji Fang (Empostic Formulas for Emergencies) it is recorded: "For…

Konjac is an Amorphophallus plant native to China, used both as medicine and food; it is also known as she liu gu, ju ru, and gui yu. The tuber of konjac is used medicinally. In TCM, konjac is acrid and bitter in taste, cold in…

Yesterday, after I published the article “Folk Experience from Hubei on Using Tiankuizi Against Cancer”, a reader pointed out that the plant in the article's photograph was Corydalis bulbifera, not tiankuizi—I am very grateful to the enthusiastic reader who corrected me, whose screen name is…

Arisaema (Tiannanxing) is a commonly used TCM herb for resolving phlegm, stopping cough, and calming wheezing, and is also a common anticancer herb in TCM oncology. The commercially available Arisaema medicinal material comes from several sources: the tubers of Pinellia pedatisecta, Arisaema heterophyllum, Arisaema erubescens,…

Heshouwu (Fallopia multiflora / Fo-ti) is a household-name Chinese herb. As the name suggests, many believe it turns white hair black, to the point that shampoos advertise Heshouwu extract as restoring dark hair. Most people know Heshouwu as a tonic, but not that it also…

Many cancer patients, having listened to certain experts' claim that cancer patients should avoid sweets, dare not take honey and even feel nervous when honey is used medicinally. This is a harmful prejudice. Apart from patients allergic to honey—a small number are allergic—other cancer patients…

The Chinese herb Tenghuang (gamboge) is the resin of Garcinia hanburyi of the Clusiaceae family. This herb is uncommon; most pharmacies and hospital dispensaries do not stock it. Because gamboge is highly toxic, the lethal dose of raw (unprocessed) gamboge is very low. The Regulations…

Houttuynia (yuxingcao) is a plant well known to the Chinese as both a medicine and a food, and the custom of eating it is widespread across many parts of China. Everyone knows that after a hotpot meal, a cup of houttuynia tea can clear heat…

Both Isodon (Xiangchacai, Rabdosia japonica var. glaucocalyx) and Isodon trichocarpus (Maoye Xiangchacai), which belong to the Lamiaceae family, have anti-cancer effects. Among them, the leaves of Isodon trichocarpus are also called Silenggan (Four-Ridges Stem), while Isodon is used with both stem and leaves together; its…

Dandelion (Taraxacum mongolicum) is a member of the daisy family (Asteraceae) found almost everywhere, and nearly everyone who loves nature knows it. Dandelion is also one of the most common and cheapest Chinese medicinal herbs, yet its anticancer effect should not be underestimated. The whole…