Qing Dai Herb Found To Counter GI Problems from NSAID Use

A team of medical researchers from Japan recently conducted a study evaluating the effect on a particular Chinese Medicinal Herb, Qing Dai, on GI issues from NSAID use. Within Chinese Medicine there are many alternatives to dealing with pain than the traditional pain medication options offered by western medicine. While they have their value generally, for chronic pain they can be very problematic both in terms of side effects and in terms of not truly helping to resolve the causes of the pain.

While we know the clinical usages of many Chinese herbs, many studies are done to explore their effects in western biochemical terms and this is one such study.

In this study the researchers found the Qing Dai suppressed inflammation by attentuating reactive oxygen species (ROS). Using examination of GI epithelial cells, they found that Qing Dai prevented damage to the GI tract by suppressing ROS production within the cells. They concluded that "Qing Dai treatment may be considered effective for the prevention NSAID-induced gastrointestinal injury."