The parasitic fungus sometimes called ‘Himalayan gold’ can provide a good living to villagers who collect it. But rugged terrain and a high risk of lightning strikes make it a dangerous option ..read more

In an era where chronic pain affects millions worldwide, the search for effective and safe pain relief has never been greater. PanaNatra is a line of herbal products from Haleon, the makers of Panadol. Haleon claims the three PanaNatra’s products, made from plant extracts, help manage and provide relief from mild joint aches, mild muscle pain, and mild pain affecting sleep. They contain different combinations of four plants: Boswellia serrata (contained in the joint and muscle products) Curcuma longa (in the joint and muscle products) Piper nigrum (just in the joint product) Withania somnifer ..read more

The Chinese government will be reopening the nation’s domestic rhino horn trade, overturning a ban that has stood since 1993. An outcry since the announcement has led to the postponement of the lifting of the ban, which currently remains in place. Read more: The case for introducing rhinos to Australia The directive, if instituted, would require that rhino horn be sourced sustainably from farmed animals and that its use is limited to traditional Chinese medicine, scientific and medical research, preserving antique cultural artefacts, and as educational materials. The announcement has been wide ..read more

Sorting collected _Dendrobium_ flowers in Guizhou province, China, June 28, 2020. Photo Costfoto/Future Publishing via Getty Images China is well known for its medicinal use of wild plants, a tradition that dates back thousands of years. These traditional Chinese medicines include many wild orchids, some quite showy. Typically, orchids are consumed alone or mixed with other herbs in tea or soup. The health benefits vary depending on species; conditions for which orchids are used include immune system boosting, hypertension and stroke. Many of these medicinal orchids are among the 40-plus speci ..read more

The Australian drugs regulator is overhauling the health claims made by suppliers of complementary medicines, including homeopathic therapies. And some curious options are up for discussion. from www.shutterstock.com Australia’s drugs regulator seems to be endorsing pseudoscientific claims about homeopathy and traditional Chinese medicine as part of its review of how complementary medicines are regulated. In the latest proposed changes, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) is looking at what suppliers (also known as sponsors) can claim their products do, known as “permitted indications ..read more

Constraining drugs to a single function in the body may be limiting their full potential. Israel Sebastian/Moment via Getty Images Pandemics and disease outbreaks put a spotlight on the hurdles researchers face to get a drug on the shelves. From finding prospective drug candidates to balancing time and financial pressures with ensuring safety and efficacy, there are many aspects of drug development that determine whether a treatment ever makes it out of the lab. Broadening the definition of “medicine” and where it can be found, however, could help expand the therapeutic options available for b ..read more

Shutterstock Physiotherapists are increasingly offering needling therapies in addition to their standard care. Many Australian physiotherapists in private practice now offer dry needling or Western medical acupuncture as part of a treatment approach. Is it just a fad or does science support it? Read more: Health Check: why do my muscles ache the day after exercise? Needling, three ways Physiotherapists can be trained to use dry needling, Western acupuncture and/or traditional acupuncture. Dry needling involves penetrating the skin with needles to altered or dysfunctional tissue in order to imp ..read more

The most concerning finding was leopard DNA. Elena Elisseeva/Shutterstock by Ian Musgrave and Michael Bunce Many people take herbal medicines, including traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) thinking they are doing something positive for their health. Ironically, in many cases they may be doing just the opposite. Have you ever wondered what is actually in the herbal medicine products you buy? Has the herb on the label been replaced with another herb? Have pharmaceuticals been snuck in? Making sure that a tablet claiming to have 500 milligrams of paracetamol really does contain 500 milligrams of p ..read more

Poisons have been used in traditional Chinese medicine for over two millennia. 4X-image/E+ via Getty Images Poisons today typically evoke notions of harm and danger – the opposite of medicines for healing. Yet traditional Chinese medicine, which has been in practice for over two millennia, used a large number of poisons to treat a variety of illnesses. Chinese doctors knew that what makes a drug therapeutic isn’t just its active ingredient – it depends on how you use it. Biomedical researchers skeptical of the safety and efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine might not be surprised that Chin ..read more

Many seahorses mate for life, and males are always pregnant. Steven L Gordon/Shutterstock Seahorses have long been a popular attraction in public aquariums, but they remain mysterious. They are a fish with a difference in that they swim in an upright, vertical position. They have flexible necks and long, tubular snouts that point downward, giving them the appearance of a horse’s head. Their lower bodies form a flexible, prehensile tail, which is square in outline and can wrap around objects. There are at least 47 known species, all belonging to the genus Hippocampus, a Greek term that means “h ..read more