Can you drink Banlangen granules to prevent colds?

Some medicines will only be remembered when you are sick; Some are not, such as Radix Isatidis, and almost every family will prepare some. Especially in autumn and winter, the temperature drops sharply, so take precautions for those who don't have a cold, and eat for those who have a cold, hoping to get better soon.

The question is, can Radix Isatidis really prevent and treat colds?

The "cold" we usually say actually includes two diseases. The first one, with definite cause, is caused by influenza virus, which is clinically called influenza. It is characterized by sudden high fever, sudden fever and severe fever; Severe systemic symptoms, such as headache, fatigue, muscle aches, etc. The prognosis is related to immunity, and the elderly and children need special attention. Second, the cause is very complicated, the most common is rhinovirus, which is clinically called the common cold. The symptoms are limited, mainly nasal symptoms, nasal congestion, sneezing, runny nose, etc. It is self-limited, as long as there are no complications, whether it is treated or not, it will be fine in a week or so. [ 1]

Comparison of two kinds of colds

For the flu, because the cause is clear, there is already a corresponding vaccine. These vaccines can stimulate the human body to produce corresponding antibodies and prevent problems before they happen. For the common cold, because the cause is too complicated, there is no way to develop a vaccine for the time being, so we can only rely on immunization. That is what doctors often say, pay attention to rest, strengthen exercise, avoid fatigue and keep in good health.

These two schemes have a common feature: they can affect the human body for a long time. Only by affecting the human body for a long time can we achieve the purpose of prevention, right?

Next, let's talk about Radix Isatidis.

Banlangen is divided into north and south. Generally speaking, Radix Isatidis refers to the root of Isatis indigotica, a cruciferous plant. In vitro studies show that Radix Isatidis has a certain inhibitory effect on many viruses, such as Coxsackie virus, Japanese encephalitis virus and mumps virus. [2] Further research shows that among the various components of Radix Isatidis, organic acids have the highest antiviral activity. [3] Animal experiments show that the polysaccharide contained in Radix Isatidis can stimulate immune cells and improve their immunity. [4]

Some readers may think that "Radix Isatidis can inhibit the virus and improve immunity, but it does not mean that Radix Isatidis can prevent colds."

Actually, it is not.

Banlangen is a Chinese patent medicine for clearing away heat and toxic materials. According to Chinese medicine, heat toxin includes some symptoms, such as sore throat and fever. When the human body does not produce these "thermal toxins", it is not necessary to take Banlangen in advance for prevention.

Because both polysaccharides and organic acids exist in the human body for a limited time unless you drink them every day.

But drinking it every day is also a problem. According to the theory of traditional Chinese medicine, Radix Isatidis is a cold medicine, which is easy to hurt the stomach if taken for a long time. It is best not to take it for more than 3 days for normal people. [5]

In other words, if you want to prevent colds through Radix Isatidis, you have to take it at the right time, just three days before the cold virus finds itself. This is obviously unrealistic.

Not suitable for prevention, so what about treatment?

Theoretically speaking, since Radix Isatidis can inhibit virus and improve immunity, it should be helpful to treat colds, and some experiments have indeed achieved positive results.

In a study of 20 13, the researchers randomly divided 235 patients with influenza A into two groups. The control group took oseltamivir, while the experimental group took Banlangen granules in addition to oseltamivir. Then check on the third day after admission, and count the temperature, cough and sore throat. The results showed that the combination of oseltamivir and Banlangen granule group was superior to the single oseltamivir group in all aspects.

However, there are several problems with this experiment. First of all, the author said that the blind method was not used in the experiment, that is to say, patients knew what medicine they were taking, and the resulting psychological differences might affect the experimental results. Secondly, the author also admits that the selected judgment index is subjective. [6] The most important thing is that the experimental results are inconsistent with other experiments.

In a study of 20 10, scholars divided patients into four groups: those who took oseltamivir, those who took oseltamivir and Lianhua Qingwen capsules, those who took oseltamivir and Banlangen, and those who took Lianhua Qingwen capsules. The results show that whether oseltamivir is contained is the key to the improvement rate of symptoms. There was no statistical difference between oseltamivir alone or the combination of oseltamivir and Radix Isatidis. This shows that oseltamivir is the main determinant to ensure the curative effect. [7]

Some scholars have systematically combed the relevant studies, and think that most of these studies have certain defects, or the judgment mechanism is subjective, or there are certain conflicts. [8]

Next, we can also look for circumstantial evidence.

Some scholars have counted the traditional drugs commonly used to prevent and treat influenza in the north and south of China. The results showed that forsythia suspensa was the most frequently used drug in the south, followed by honeysuckle, honeysuckle was the most frequently used drug in the north, followed by forsythia suspensa. 20 18 some Chinese medicine prescriptions were recommended in the "influenza diagnosis and treatment plan" promulgated by the former national health and family planning commission, and Banlangen was also not the first choice.

In other words, Radix Isatidis may be effective in treating colds. However, if you trust Chinese medicine, there is a better plan; If you don't believe me, oseltamivir is more accurate. It is particularly important to point out that even if the research evidence is selected by the broadest standard, it can only show that Radix Isatidis has antiviral, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects, and it is absolutely not advisable to regard it as a panacea.

In short, the most effective way to fight a cold is to block the source of infection. Wash your hands and ventilate frequently during the cold epidemic, and try to avoid going to crowded places. [9, 10] If necessary, timely vaccination can generally achieve good results; For anyone, regular work and rest and moderate exercise are encouraged. Other schemes circulating on the Internet, such as vitamin C and zinc, are also controversial, so there is no need to treat yourself as a mouse. [ 1 1, 12]

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refer to

[1] Chen Zaiying, Zhong Nanshan. Internal medicine [M]. People's Health Publishing House, 2008.

Han Xu, Fang Jianguo, Liu Yunhai. The latest research progress of Radix Isatidis [J]. Chinese Herbal Medicine, 2003, 34(4).

[3] Cheng Yan, Xiang Li, Chen Jianwei, et al. Study on antiviral effect of effective parts of Radix Isatidis [D].20 1 1.

[4] He Liwei, Xiang Li. Research progress of antiviral active components of Radix Isatidis [D]. 2005.

[5] Jiang Xiaonan. Do not take Radix Isatidis for more than 3 days [J]. China Health Nutrition, 2008(5): 107.

Tu Bo, Nie Weimin, Ding, et al. Observation on the therapeutic effect of oseltamivir phosphate combined with Banlangen Granules on influenza A [J]. China Journal of Epidemiology. Armed Police Medicine, 2013,24 (6): 465467.

Jiang Tianjun, Zhou Zhiping, Liu Jie, et al. Study on the efficacy of oseltamivir in treating influenza A [J]. China Journal of Epidemiology. China General Medicine, 20 10, 13 (25): 28396.4 1.

Wu T, Yang X, Zeng X, et al. Treatment of acute respiratory infection with traditional Chinese medicine [J]. Respiratory Medicine, 2008,102 (8):10931098.

[9] Chinese Medical Doctor Association Respiratory Physician Branch. Expert knowledge of standardized diagnosis and treatment of common cold [J]. Chinese Journal of Internal Medicine, 2012,51(4): 330333.

[10]ALLAN G. M, Arroll B. Prevention and treatment of common cold: understanding evidence [J].CMAJ, 20 14,186 (3):190199.

[1 1] Douglas R M, Hemil H, Chalkere et al. prevention and treatment of common cold with vitamin c [J].Cochrane systematic review database, 2004 (4).

[10] Wang Xiaoming, Wang Xiaohong. Therapeutic effect of zinc on common cold [J].Cochrane systematic review database, 20 13(6).

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Author: Zhao Yanchang