All the herbs in China

Eimear Lowe learns about healing herbs and a Viagra substitute at the Chinese Herb Store

The A-Z guide for Chinese herbs

GIVEN the recent controversy surrounding the side effects of Viagra, sufferers of impotence may be interested to hear that help is at hand in the form of Chinese herbal medicine.

The treatment is inexpensive, effective and totally natural. It has been available in China for over 2000 years and simply involves the patient taking Ginseng capsules for 10 days. Ginseng is a highly versatile herb which is widely used in many natural treatments.

According to WM Leong, manager of Aungier Street’s Chinese Natural Herbal Centre, the oil from a Ginseng root is very precious: "Centuries ago, if a Ginseng root was found in the forest it had to be handed over to the government who would then give it to the emperor. The emperor needed the Ginseng because he had so many wives and it prevented him from ever being impotent."

Nowadays Ginseng is much more readily available and a 10-day treatment costs around £35. Considering that one Viagra pill would set you back £7, the economic advantages of the herbal remedy are obvious. As to how effective the Ginseng really is, Mr Leong gives China as an example: "I always say to my clients to look at the birth rate in China, where impotence certainly doesn’t seem to be a problem.

"The Chinese Natural Herbal Centre has been open for three years now and according to Mr Leong, who is also one of two resident Herbal Doctors, it is proving very popular with the city’s inhabitants.

Leong decided to move to Dublin because there was very little on offer here in the way of alternative medicine. The herbalism treatment available at the centre is a system of healing that uses selected medicinal plants to cure all sorts of ailments, from Multiple Sclerosis to the common cold.

There is a vast array of herbs on display in the centre and Leong estimates that he has a selection of over 600 which are mixed together in different quantities to suit the individual. These herbs, which are grown naturally in Chinese forests, are shipped over to Ireland.

Although these herbs are available from England, they are much more expensive. Mr Leong prefers to keep the price of the herbs down because it means they are more affordable for his clients. The training for Chinese herbal doctors is every bit as intense as that of conventional medicine.

Leong studied for four years in Hong Kong and then had to work on a placement basis for three years before he finally qualified. His primary incentives for becoming a herbalist were carrying on the family tradition (both his parents were herbalists) and the fact that herbalism is more popular than orthodox medicine in his native China and is therefore considered a very important profession.

Whilst westerners tend to be more cynical about alternative medicine, Leong has noticed that opinion is changing, with more and more people turning to centres such as his for treatment.

St Johns Ward- This powerful herb can cure depression. It helps to alleviate anxiety, fatigue and nervousness.