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According to the WHO, two thirds of cancers are associated with environmental pollution. Every year, over 5 million people are dying of cancers, including 800,000 Chinese. Almost ten families are losing a member every minute. Cancer is threatening all mankind, looming large over everyone. Scientists, especially medical workers, shall ¡°relieve humanity of trouble and diseases, make people at ease, offer instructions on healthy life to prolong life and render services to the diseased and the weak¡±. (Self-introduction to Shu Wen, Huang Di Nei Jing). This is the aim of Octogenarian, another honored product of Hsen chii Company.
Invisible fighting Art of wars attaches much importance to ¡°surprise attack upon unprepared enemy¡±. Unexpectedly, tumor cells excel at it so that the human body does not find them in the bud. In the beginning, the lymphocytes are able to destroy tumor cells with advantage of 200-500:1, or to destroy tumor cells below 1 million (106). However, the situation is harder to control after the initial stage. At the initial stage, tumor cells do not stimulate the human body (with low antigenicity); in contrast, they are disguised with saliva to avoid the immune system. Following successful metastasis, tumor cells release immunosuppressive factors and blocking factors to shield themselves. As a result, when the disease is diagnosed, the number of tumor cells has amounted to 1 billion (about 109), or as weighty as 1 gram.
Human body, after passing the middle age, is fighting an invisible war each day. Fortunately, immunity wins in most cases.
Secondary protection also wins; healthy life comes from cypress fungi
The invisible fighting in the human body is ¡°prevention before treatment¡±, or ¡°take advantageous positions in defeating the enemy¡±, which is most favored. As for those who have been diagnosed as having adverse tendencies¡ªsuch as those with increasingly severe hepatitis B (cirrhosis of liver), atrophic gastritis accompanied with intestinal metaplasia, multiple polyps of intestines and leukoplakia of vulva, all of which have the tendency for tumors¡ªthe immune system still functions. Be persistent in nursing health, and carcinomatous change is to be prevented and so-called ¡°pre-cancer diseases¡± are to be improved. For example, a Chang Zhou TCM research institute used hericium and cypress fungi (as well as routine therapies) to treat ten cases of atrophic gastritis accompanied with intestinal metaplasia. One year later, re-examinations indicated significant improvement, intestinal metaplasia changed from severe to mild. Two years later, re-examinations found no obvious pathological changes of atrophic gastritis and in 8 cases; intestinal metaplasia disappeared in 6 cases and the rest 4 turned mild. The patients did not have obvious symptoms in the digestive tract. One teacher delightedly wrote a poem: ¡°Cypress fungi I cherish everyday, to relieve inflammation and enhance robustness. Foods to restore health are no false say, to remove trouble and promote spiritedness¡±.
Longtime treatment with cypress fungi and lysionotin relieves ten cases of hepatitis-B induced liver cirrhosis, making normal of AFP and controlling hepatitis B and liver cirrhosis. A 70-year-old member of Shanghai TCM Literature Museum suffers from intestinal polyposis as well as blood in stool. He had cypress fungi and catharanthus himself, and relieved from blood in stool. Ten years later, at age of 80, he was still clearly minded, offering medical advice to patients and earning much reputation in Shanghai.
The Art of War by Sun Tzu points out ¡°to build up energy and to make solid is the biggest victory¡±. As far as medicine science is concerned, ¡°to build up energy¡± is to keep the best state of immunity in daily life and to prevent pre-cancer diseases. This is secondary prevention. Generally speaking, the formation of tumors lasts for as long as 10 to 20 years. Longtime attack of carcinogenic factors (for about ten years) causes pre-cancer tendencies when immunity is reduced. Pre-cancer symptoms such as ployp, leukoplakia, hyperplasia, unrecoverable ulcer and erosion are not tumors and may not change into tumors. Only a tiny proportion of pre-cancer diseases changes into tumors. Pre-cancer diseases serve as highly alarming signals. Proper treatment of pre-cancer diseases, search for health foods and improvement of way of life can bring back health.
Hold high firm shield and sharp spear, eulogize for perfect harmony
Emperor Qian Long (Qing Gao Zong) boasted himself of excellent administrations and military operations, creating ¡°prosperity of Qing Dynasty¡±. He called himself ¡°Perfect Old Man¡±. Whenever he returned in triumph, he entertained his ministers who rendered outstanding services in Tai He Hall (Hall of Perfect Harmony). The hall was selected as perfect harmony was the supreme state of harmony of the human and the nature. Philosopher Wang Fuzi at the turn of Ming Dynasty and Qing Dynasty pointed out that ¡°Perfect harmony refers to the harmony of ying and yang and the harmony of chi and mentality¡± and ¡°Perfect harmony is the supreme state of harmony¡±. Specialists of healthy life also consider perfect harmony as the best state of being healthy.
Healthy life must adapt to the nature and realize self-harmonization. To attain the state, sufficient positive chi is indispensable. According to Huang Di Nei Jing, ¡°Positive chi stays inside the body and negative chi is unable to enter¡±. Positive chi combines functions of spear and shield, to prevention invasion of external disease-causing factors and to inhibit destruction of internal harmful substances. Many foodstuffs contribute to positive chi, such as cypress fungi, coprinus comatus, cicada, pollen, dried mushroon, hericium erinaceus, American ginseng and lucid ganoderma. For example, cypress fungi promote antigen-specific suppressor T cells in the rat spleen, so that delayed hypersensitivity (DH) of incomplete Freund¡¯s aquvant and Metnylated b & A is put off; its proteoglycan significantly inhibits spreading tumor cells. The b D-glucan inhibits sarcom 180 (s180) and produces IL-2, 5-IFN (lymphokine) and NKC (natural killer cells, which activate T-lymphocytes). In addition, very cleverly, it kills tumor cells and reinforces normal cells. The feature can be summarized as distinguishing the good from the bad, promoting the positive and expelling the evil. The feature is especially beneficial to hepatitis B, emphysema, and senile chronic bronchitis.
Another main component in Octogenarian has similar functions. Ben Cao Bian Fan praises it as ¡°wiping out sputum, digesting foods, nourishing ying¡±. Jing E San Fang Yao Lu also stresses its nourishment of ying¡ª¡°it nourishes ying as dendrobium stem, applicable to those who suffer from lack of energy and blood, dry skin, sore throat, dry eyes, atrophy of gums, senile constipation, repeated child tonsillitis, spitting and coughing, or difficulty in spitting phlegm. It is especially effective in nourishing the stomach, helping digestion and stimulating appetite. It is preferable to substitute the tea in summer¡±. In modern times, it was used to treat tumor patients who received chemotherapy and radiotherapy; significant protection of the digestive tract and oral mucosa was observed. A scholar received this therapy and survived healthily for ten years. He wrote a poem in delight: ¡°Daily use of cypress fungi safeguards perfect harmony, relieve me of lament and cancer demon¡±
I agree with him, with an addition remark ¡°the delicious food is rare, prevention before treatment goes fair¡±.