Is It True Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine Is Damaging Your Liver?
Recently, a research paper entitled Incidence and Etiology of Drug-induced Liver Injury in Mainland China, published online by the core journal of digestive diseases has attracted wide attention. The paper points out that the incidence of drug-induced liver injury in the general population of China is at least 2380/100,000 per year, which is higher than that in Western countries.
At the same time, the main drugs causing liver injury in China are various health products and traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) (26.81%), anti-tuberculosis drugs (21.99%), anti-cancer drugs or immunomodulators (8.34%).
Since ancient times, TCM has never advocated the concept of non-toxicity. People should realize objectively and rationally that, like western medicine, improper use of TCM will have adverse reactions and side effects. The reason why Diuretic and Anti-inflammatory Pill and Fuyan Pill developed by Dr. Lee Xiaoping will not produce any side effects is that she has abundant clinical experience, and the medicine is strictly compatible, and the proportion of every herb is strictly controlled.
Experts have analyzed that TCM pays attention to syndrome differentiation and treatment. However, on the one hand, more and more western medicine doctors prescribe traditional Chinese medicine; On the other hand, more and more people use traditional Chinese medicine on their own, leading to improper use of drugs, resulting in significant damage. What is really imminent is to strengthen the training of doctors, and to raise the public's awareness of safe use of TCM, and to correct unhealthy behaviors such as irregular drug use and misuse.
In fact, there is no need for the public to panic about adverse reactions of traditional Chinese medicine. There are many ways and mechanisms to reduce or avoid toxicity in the process of making. At present, China has basically formed a relatively perfect drug quality and safety supervision system from the central to local. In 2018, the State Drug Administration issued the Guiding Principles for Clinical Evaluation of Drug-induced Liver Injury in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). The safety and risk-benefit ratio of relevant TCM were systematically evaluated.
In view of the reports that exaggerate and discredit the safety of traditional Chinese medicine, we would like to say that we should know the real cause of the occurrence and prevent it, instead of arguing whether it is right or wrong and who is good or bad, so that people can benefit from the development of TCM.
