Chinese Herbs and the Flu

October 14, 2019 Joe Brady

First Clinical Trial of Ban Lan Gen Herb in Treatment of the Flu

Ban Lan Gen has been used in Chinese medicine for about 1000 years and is now slated to undergo its first random control trial, the gold standard in evidence-based medicine. Chinese Herbs and the Flu is the focus of scientists at Guangzhou Medical University they seek to study the efficacy and safety of Ban-Lan-Gen granules in the treatment against influenza A and B viruses in China. Scientists have started a large-scale clinical trial to comprehensively evaluate the effectiveness and safety of BLG against influenza infection, based on the results of a pilot study. This clinical trial will serve as an example for the study of other traditional herbal medicines in evidence-based clinical trials.

Ban Lan Gen – istatis root is one of the strongest anti-viral herbs in traditional Chinese medicine.used to treat everything from the common cold to the flu. In modern China this herb is used to treat a wide variety of viral infections and it’s been shown in laboratory studies to have antimicrobial effects, antiparasitic affects, and has been used in China in the treatment of encephalitis and treatment of variety of other viral disorders. So far it has no known side effects.

In many common colds or flu formulas, Ban Lan Gen is used in combination with several other herbs. The Ban Lan Gen itself is considered the emperor herb in a Chinese cold and flu formula. Then the next herb is called the minister because every emperor must have a minister, the minister herb is usually Da Qing Ye, which is the leaves and stems of the same Isatis plant. In Chinese medicine, it is believed that the root part of the plant gets germs that grow below the ground and the leaves and stem get germs to grow above the ground. Then the servant herbs is usually Pu Gong Ying which is another clear heat and toxin herb. Pu Gong Ying the Chinese herb is actually dandelions and is itself effective against cold and flu and other kinds of infections. Have you ever wondered why dandelions is so darn hard to kill? Last but not least is the slave herb. In a Chinese herbal formula the slave herb is supposed to mop up the side effects and in Ban Lan Gen formulas usually the slave herb is going to be cane sugar, because the side effect of the herbs in the rough form is that they taste like crap. I have used this formula in my clinic for many years and have found it to be extremely effective nine times out of 10 against most colds and flu. It’ll be quite interesting to see how a carefully controlled random trial will show it’s effectiveness. I think it would be better if they would use it with the other herbs that have been mentioned but that’s not how we do science and so they’re just gonna study the Ban Lan Gen by itself but I think that also should still come out with some very good results, stay tuned.

If you wish to do your own trial the Ban Lan Gen is available at most Asian markets and also at my clinic on York Street. See https://www.barefootdoctorsjournal.org/services/acupuncture-clinic/

Read more about the study https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4383212/