Incorporating Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in modern day society: Regulating the quality of TCM medicinal herbs

How much do you care about the quality of the vegetables we eat every day? Are you worried that the vegetables may be contaminated by heavy metals or other chemicals from the water source near the farms? Do you care about the farming practices that produce your daily vegetables?  These are some of the questions … Read more

Incorporating Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in modern day society: over-the-counter supplement and TCM formulae

Note: I did not have any formal training in TCM practices. The TCM ingredients described below are mostly plant-based. In this article, ying/yang balance or the principle of ‘jun, Chen, zuo, shi’ (arbitrarily translated as principle/auxillary) won’t be discussed. Nowadays, various herbal extracts were available in health stores as ‘health supplements, which are not subjected … Read more

Incorporating Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in modern day society: thoughts of a fellow molecular biologist

In June 2018, World Health Organization (WHO) released new International classification of Diseases (ICD 11), in which Chapter 26 includes now the standardized wordings for diseases and diagnoses from TCM perspectives. In May this year, it caught the attention of the mass media. While TCM practitioners and supporters celebrated the news, physicians and medical scientists … Read more

Meta-analysis on the safety profile on taking melatonin supplement

Melatonin is an important hormone regulating our sleep. It is produced in the pineal gland in our brain and can also be manufactured and sold as supplement in forms of pills and capsules. In European countries, melatonin supplements are available only with prescriptions, however, in U.S., oral supplements of melatonin are available over-the-counter. In U.S., … Read more

Deep learning algorithm helps to predict response to treatment to acute ulcerative colitis

Recent advances in machine learning technology may help doctors to decide on better treatments related to Acute severe ulcerative colitis (ASUC). Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a disease condition that is characterized by relapsing inflammation in the colon. About 15%-25% of UC patients have at least 1 episode of ASUC, which can be life-threatening and may … Read more

More evidence showing maltodextrin, a food additive, may cause inflammation in gut

A new study published in February added another piece of evidence suggesting that maltodextrin, a thickener/filler found in prepackaged food, may have harmful effects on the gut of people prone to Inflammatory bowel diseases. Maltodextrin is a FDA-approved food additive, commonly used as a thickener or filler in prepackaged food. Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) is … Read more

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