Fallacies on Oriental medicine

By Lee Sung-hun

When I prescribe "hanyak," or Oriental herbal medicine, to patients at my clinic, I find that many are reluctant to take it because of fallacies they may have about it.

Oftentimes, they believe taking boyak will make them gain weight. Some women claim they did not lost weight after pregnancy because they took hanyak, while others fear that hanyak will damage their liver. Some are also worried whether the ingredients are free from heavy metallic substances or pesticides.

However, all of these mistaken impressions are based on information from unreliable sources.

Our readers may know the aim of Oriental medicine is bringing balance to our body. That is achieved by removing the excessive qi and filling up the gap through tonifying herbal medicine.

Oriental doctors call the procedure of filling up that gap the "restoring method." Hanyak used for such restoring methods, complementing energy rather than treating a certain illness, is called "boyak."

Boyak helps fight illnesses by strengthening our immune systems. Since the restoring method is a concept unique to Oriental medicine, many people confuse boyak with hanyak.

A popular misconception about boyak is that it leads to weight gain, since it replenishes deficiencies in our body. The truth is, however, most hanyak ingredients are plant-based, and an average daily dose would only add between 100 and 200 kilocalories, making those concerns rather unscientific and far-fetched.

Boyak's primary functions include restoring healthy digestive functions, and healthier digestive organs better absorb the medicinal and nutritional properties.

What actually happens is that boyak improves our digestive functions, which increases our appetite, thus leading to weight gain in some cases.

In my professional experience, I've seen patients gain weight in the range of 1 to 2 kilograms, but not anything like 5 to 10 kilograms.

Therefore, even if your appetite improves by taking boyak, maintaining your usual diet will help you avoid any significant weight increase.

The concerns about hanyak safety can probably be traced back to when people regarded it more as food than medicine. In the old days, when hanyak ingredients were distributed as food and agricultural products, a few unconscionable distributors handled the ingredients in very unhygienic ways. The mistrust from that era still lingers in the collective mind of the public.

In addition, frequent media coverage about heavy metal-poisoned or pesticide-laced agricultural products makes people worry that herbal ingredients may also have safety issues.

Let's look at ginseng, one of the best known hanyak ingredients. It is categorized as a food substance, and separately as a medicine. There are 139 types of hanyak ingredients that can be distributed either as food or medicine, like ginseng. However, it must be noted that ginseng used in Oriental clinics cannot be purchased privately or over the counter.

Those sold at markets and used as medicinal ingredients fall under a different distribution channel from the start.

The ingredients for hanyak pass rigorous testing by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety for the presence of heavy metals, residual pesticides, sulfur dioxide, benzopyrene or fungal toxins. They also get examined thoroughly for their purity and dried weight.

A state-run company supervises the whole process of ginseng and the government guarantees the quality of not only ginseng, but other hanyak ingredients as well. Korea has among the highest safety standards, a fact acknowledged by experts around the world.

According to a joint study of the Gangnam District Public Health Center and the Association of Gangnam Korean Medicine, the level of heavy metals and residual pesticide in the average amount of brewed decoction patients take is lower than that found in a bowl of steamed rice.

Regarding the purported liver damage caused by hanyak, various domestic and international studies have shown that hanyak puts a strain on or damages the liver, but no more than Western medicine.

But if you take hanyak along with Western medicine that has hepatotoxicity, such as antibiotics or antiepileptics, it could increase the chances of liver damage.

Thus, it is essential to consult with your Western doctor when you are prescribed Western medicine while you're already taking hanyak.

There have been several occasions when I had to spend time and effort to explain to patients about the safety of hanyak, and to correct other misconceptions.

I hope people understand and correct their misconceptions about hanyak and take full advantage of its wonderful properties for treating not only their illnesses, but balancing their bodies.

The writer practices Korean Oriental medicine at the UN Oriental Medical Clinic in Hannam-dong, Seoul. He can be reached at sung_hun@naver.com.

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