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Abalone Shell (shi jue ming)
Abutilon Seed (dong kui zi)
Acanthopanax Bark (wu jia pi)
Achyranthes (niu xi)
Aconite (fu zi)
Acorus (shi chang pu)
Adenophora Root (nan sha shen)
Agkistrodon (bai hua she)
Agrimony (xian he cao)
Ailanthus Bark (chun pi)
Akebia Fruit (ba yue zha)
Albizzia Bark (he huan pi)
Albizzia Flower (he huan hua)
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Alisma (ze xie)
Aloe (lu hui)
Alum (bai fan)
Amber (hu po)
Ampelopsis (bai lian)
Andrographis (chuan xin lian)
Anemarrhena (zhi mu)
Antelope's Horn (ling yang jiao)
Apricot Seed (xing ren)
Areca Peel (da fu pi)
Areca Seed (bing lang)
Arisaema (tian nan xing)
Ark Shell (wa leng zi)
Arnebia (zi cao or ying zi cao)
Arnica (arnica montana)
Artichoke Leaves (Cynara scolymus)
Ash bark (qin pi)
Ashwagandha (withania somniferum)
Aster (zi wan)
Astragalus (huang qi)
Aurantium (zhi ke [qiao])
Bamboo Juice (zhu li)
Bamboo Shavings (zhu ru)
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Benincasa Seed (dong gua xi/ren)
Benzoin (an xi xiang)
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Biota Leaf (ce bai ye)
Biota Seed (bai zi ren)
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Bitter Orange Peel (ju hong)
Black Cohosh (sheng ma)
Black Plum (wu mei)
Black Sesame Seed (hei zhi ma)
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Borax (peng sha)
Borneol (bing pian)
Bottle Brush (mu zei)
Buddleia (mi meng hua)
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Burdock (niu bang zi)
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Carpesium (he shi)
Cassia Seed (jue ming zi)
Catechu (er cha)
Cat's Claw (uncaria tomentosa)
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Centipede (wu gong)
Chaenomeles Fruit(mu gua)
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Chebula Fruit (he zi)
Chinese Gall (wu bei zi)
Chinese Raspberry (fu pen zi)
Chrysanthemum (ju hua)
Cibotium (gou ji)
Cinnabar (zhu sha)
Cinnamon (rou gui or gui zhi)
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Clam Shell (hai ge ke/qiao)
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Cloves (ding xiang)
Cnidium Seed (she chuang zi)
Codonopsis (dang shen)
Coix Seed (yi yi ren)
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Coriander (hu sui)
Corn Silk (yu mi xu)
Cornus (shan zhu yu)
Corydalis (yan hu suo)
Costus (mu xiang)
Cranberry (vaccinium macrocarpon)
Cremastra (shan ci gu)
Croton Seed (ba dou)
Curculigo (xian mao)
Cuscuta (tu si zi)
Cuttlefish Bone (hai piao xiao)
Cymbopogon (xiang mao)
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Dendrobium (shi hu)
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Dianthus (qu mai)
Dichroa Root (chang shan)
Dittany Bark (bai xian pi)
Dong Quai (tang kuei)
Dragon Bone (long gu)
Dragon's Blood (xue jie)
Drynaria (gu sui bu)
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Earthworm (di long)
Eclipta (han lian cao)
Elder (sambucus nigra or sambucus canadensis)
Elsholtzia (xiang ru)
Ephedra (ma huang)
Epimedium (yin yang huo)
Erythrina Bark (hai tong pi)
Eucalyptus (eucalyptus globulus)
Eucommia Bark (du zhong)
Eupatorium (pei lan)
Euphorbia Root (gan sui or kan sui)
Euryale Seed (qian shi)
Evodia (wu zhu yu)
Fennel (xiao hui xiang)
Fenugreek (hu lu ba)
Fermented Soybeans (dan dou chi)
Flaxseed (ya ma zi)
Fo Ti (he shou wu)
Forsythia (lian qiao)
Frankincense (ru xiang)
Fritillaria (chuan bei mu)
Gadfly (meng chong)
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Galena (mi tuo seng)
Gambir (gou teng)
Gardenia (zhi zi)
Garlic (da suan)
Gastrodia (tian ma)
Gecko (ge jie)
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Ginseng, American (xi yang shen)
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Glehnia (sha shen)
Glorybower (chou wu tong)
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Gotu Kola (luei gong gen)
Green Tea (lu cha)
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Gynostemma (jiao gu lan)
Gypsum (shi gao)
Halloysite (chi shi zhi)
Hawthorn (shan zha)
Hemp Seed (huo ma ren)
Homalomena (qian nian jian)
Honey (feng mi)
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Hyacinth Bean (bai bian dou)
Hyssop (huo xiang)
Ilex (mao dong qing)
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Indigo (qing dai)
Inula (xuan fu hua)
Isatis Leaf (da qing ye)
Isatis Root (ban lan gen)
Java Brucea (ya dan zi)
Jujube (da zao)
Juncus (deng xin cao)
Kadsura Stem (hai feng teng)
Katsumadai Seed (cao dou kou)
Kelp (kun bu)
Knotweed (bian xu)
Knoxia root (hong da ji)
Kochia (di fu zi)
Lapis (meng shi)
Leech (shui zhi)
Leechee Nut (li zhi he)
Leonorus (yi mu cao)
Lepidium Seed (ting li zi)
Licorice (gan cao)
Ligusticum (chuan xiong)
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Lindera (wu yao)
Litsea (bi cheng qie)
Lobelia (ban bian lian)
Longan (long yan hua [rou])
Lophatherum (dan zhu ye)
Loquat Leaf (pi pa ye)
Lotus Leaf (he ye)
Lotus Node (ou jie)
Lotus Seed (lian zi)
Lotus Stamen (lian xu)
Luffa (si gua luo)
Lycium Bark (di gu pi)
Lycium Fruit (gou qi zi)
Lygodium (hai jin sha)
Lysimachia (jin qian cao)
Magnetite (ci shi)
Magnolia Bark (hou po)
Magnolia Flower (xin yi hua)
Maitake (grifola frondosa)
Marigold (c. officinalis)
Massa Fermentata (shen qu)
Milk Thistle (silybum marianum)
Millettia (ji xue teng)
Mint (bo he)
Mirabilite (mang xiao)
Morinda Root (ba ji tian)
Mugwort Leaf (ai ye)
Mulberry Bark (sang bai pi)
Mulberry Leaf (sang ye)
Mulberry Twig (sang zhi)
Mullein (jia yan ye)
Musk (she xiang)
Myrrh (mo yao)
Notoginseng (san qi)
Notopterygium (qiang huo)
Nutmeg (rou dou kou)
Oldenlandia (bai hua she she cao)
Omphalia (lei wan)
Onion (yang cong)
Ophicalcite (hua rui shi)
Ophiopogon (mai dong)
Oroxylum Seed (mu hu die)
Oryza (gu ya)
Oyster Shell (mu li)
Passion Flower (passiflora incarnata)
Patrinia (bai jiang cao)
Pau D'Arco (tabebuia avellanedae)
Peach Seed (tao ren)
Pearl (zhen zhu [mu])
Perilla Leaf (su ye)
Perilla Seed (su zi)
Perilla Stem (su geng)
Persimmon (shi di)
Pharbitis Seed (qian niu zi)
Phaseolus (chi xiao dou)
Phellodendron (huang bai)
Phragmites (lu gen)
Picrorhiza (hu huang lian)
Pinellia (ban xia)
Pine Knots (song jie)
Pipe Fish (hai long)
Plantain Seed (che qian zi)
Platycodon (jie geng)
Polygala (yuan zhi)
Polygonatum (huang jing)
Polyporus (zhu ling)
Poppy Capsule (ying su qiao)
Poria (fu ling)
Prickly Ash Peel (hua jiao)
Prinsepia Seed (rui ren/zi)
Prunella (xia ku cao)
Prunus Seed (yu li ren)
Pseudostellaria (tai zi shen)
Psoralea (bu gu zhi)
Pueraria (ge gen)
Pulsatilla (bai tou weng)
Pumice (fu hai shi)
Pumpkin Seed (nan gua zi)
Purslane (ma chi xian)
Pyrite (zi ran tong)
Pyrrosia Leaf (shi wei)
Quisqualis (shi jun zi)
Radish (lai fu zi)
Realgar (xiong huang)
Red Atractylodes (cang zhu)
Red Clover (trifolium pratense)
Red Ochre (dai zhe shi)
Red Peony (chi shao)
Red Sage Root (dan shen)
Rehmannia (shu di huang)
Reishi (ling zhi)
Rhubarb (da huang)
Rice Paper Pith (tong cao)
Rose (mei gui hua)
Rosemary (mi die xiang)
Safflower (hong hua)
Saffron (fan hong hua)
Sandalwood (tan xiang)
Sanguisorba Root (di yu)
Sappan Wood (su mu)
Sargent Gloryvine (hong teng)
Saw Palmetto (ju zong lu)
Schefflera (qi ye lian)
Schisandra (wu wei zi)
Schizonepeta (jing jie)
Scirpus (san leng)
Scopolia (S. carniolica Jacq.)
Scorpion (quan xie)
Scrophularia (xuan shen)
Scutellaria (huang qin)
Sea Cucumber (hai shen)
Sea Horse (hai ma)
Seaweed (hai zao)
Selaginella (shi shang bai)
Senna (fan xie ye)
Shiitake (hua gu)
Siegesbeckia (xi xian cao)
Siler Root (fang feng)
Slippery Elm (ulmus fulva)
Smilax (tu fu ling)
Smithsonite (lu gan shi)
Sophora Flower (huai hua mi)
Sophora Root (ku shen)
Spirodela (fu ping)
Stellaria (yin chai hu)
Stemona (bai bu)
Stephania (fang ji [han])
Sweet Annie (qing hao)
Teasel Root (xu duan)
Tiger Bone (hu gu)
Torreya Seed (fei zi)
Tortoise Plastron (gui ban)
Tremella (bai mu er)
Trichosanthes Fruit (gua lou)
Trichosanthes Root (tian hua fen)
Trichosanthes Seed (gua lou ren)
Tsaoko Fruit (cao guo)
Turmeric (jiang huang)
Turtle Shell (bie jia)
Tussilago (kuan dong hua)
Urtica (xun ma)
Uva ursi (arctostaphylos uva-ursi)
Vaccaria Seed (wang bu lui xing)
Valerian (jie cao)
Veratrum (li lu)
Viola (zi hua di ding)
Vitex (man jing zi)
Walnut (hu tao ren)
Watermelon (xi gua)
White Atractylodes (bai zhu)
White Mustard Seed (bai jie ze)
White Peony (bai shao)
Wild Asparagus (tian men dong)
Windmill Palm (zong lu pi/tan)
Xanthium (cang er zi)
Zedoary (e zhu)
The Highs and Lows of Summer Sun

By Kelly Kwiatkowski

It is well-known that vitamin D is essential in maintaining healthy bones.

However, research over the past 10 years has shown that vitamin D is essential for overall health and disease prevention. In fact, several studies have linked vitamin D deficiency to a variety of chronic diseases.

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble prohormone that helps regulate calcium absorption and bone metabolism. Evidence from cell-culture and animal studies shows that vitamin D also plays a role in regulating cell metabolism, insulin production, the immune system and inflammation – factors that contribute to a host of chronic diseases, including cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease and many autoimmune disorders such as MS and inflammatory bowel disease.

Sources of Vitamin D

About 90 percent to 100 percent of vitamin D intake comes from the sun and the rest comes from natural and fortified dietary sources like oily fish, vitamin D-fortified foods such as milk and orange juice, and vitamin supplements.

Conditions associated with
suboptimal vitamin D status

Autoimmune

  • Multiple Sclerosis
  • Systematic Lupus Erythematosus
  • Crohn’s Disease
  • Rheumatoid Arthritis

Cardiovascular

  • Hypertension
  • Cardiovascular Disease

Dermatologic

  • Psoriasis

Endocrine

  • Diabetes Mellitus

Gastrointestinal

  • Pancreatitis

Musculoskeletal

  • Osteoporosis
  • Osteoarthritis
  • Osteopenia
  • Osteomalacia
  • Rickets
  • Fractures
  • Fibromyalgia

Neurologic

  • Parkinson’s Disease
  • Schizophrenia
  • Seasonal Affective Disorder

Oncologic

  • Colon cancer
  • Breast cancer
  • Ovarian Cancer
  • Prostate Cancer
  • Cervical Cancer
  • Bladder Cancer
  • Endometrial Cancer

Vitamin D Deficiency

Despite a generally available source (sunlight), researchers argue that vitamin D deficiency remains prevalent. Factors contributing to vitamin D deficiency include: 1) the modest amount of vitamin D in fortified foods; 2) the reduction in milk consumption; 3) socioeconomic differences in milk and fortified cereal consumption; and 4) the avoidance of sun exposure due to the great concern about skin cancer as well as skin damage.

Classic vitamin D deficiency results in rickets (in infants) and osteomalacia (in adults). These are painful bone diseases that can lead to growth deficiencies and fractures. Thus, dietary sources of vitamin D are especially important for individuals more at risk for vitamin D deficiency. Individuals with darkly pigmented skin, those who are obese, elderly people, infants who are exclusively breastfed, people who get little or no sun exposure, and individuals with fat malabsorption conditions (e.g., celiac disease) are at higher risk for vitamin D deficiency.

Dietary reference intakes for vitamin D are based solely on the dietary intake that is adequate to prevent bone disease (i.e., rickets or osteomalacia), but there is overwhelming evidence that vitamin D is essential in maintaining overall cellular health and plays a role in other diseases. Based on this research, some researchers are calling for a revision of the recommended intakes for vitamin D. Experts propose that the recommended daily allowance of vitamin D be increased to 1,000 IUs per day during times when sun exposure is insufficient. Note that the 2005 U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans now recommends an increased intake of vitamin D of 1,000 IU for at-risk populations – older adults, people with dark skin and people exposed to insufficient UVB light. This is not yet reflected in the current dietary reference intakes for vitamin D.

Food Sources of Vitamin D
Source Amount Obtained
Fish; fatty, cold-ocean 100-500 IU/serving
Milk 400 IU/quart
Orange Juice 400 IU/quart
Bread In process of being determined
Solar UVB 0 IU (winter in north) to 10,000 IU per day
Artificial UVB 10 minute tanning session yields 2,000-4,000 IU
Supplements 200-1,000 IU per pill
Table adapted from Grant WB & Holick MF. Benefits and requirements of vitamin D for optimal health: a review. Altern Med Rev, 2005;10(2):94-111.

Vitamin D From the Sun

For most people, 10-20 minutes of sunshine can yield approximately 10,000 to 20,000 IUs of vitamin D each day, depending on the time of year and your geographical location. At high latitudes, sun exposure isn’t enough to produce vitamin D between the months of October and April. The amount of vitamin D from the sun can vary greatly depending on other factors, including time of day, pollution, cloud cover, sunscreen, skin color, age and weight. Here are some of the statistics:

  • Sunscreens as low as SPF 18 decrease vitamin D synthesis by 97.5 percent.
  • During winter, sunlight provides no vitamin D to the skin at latitudes above 35 degrees.
  • Older adults have approximately 25 percent of the capacity to produce vitamin D compared with young, healthy adults.
  • African-Americans require 5-10 times longer sun exposure than Caucasians to produce similar amounts of vitamin D in the skin.

Safe sun exposure is important when considering vitamin D for health. The Food and Nutrition Board recognizes the importance of sun exposure to achieve vitamin D requirements, and says that between 10-15 minutes of sun exposure (without sunscreen) per week is adequate for most individuals. It also recommends that individuals use a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15 for any exposure beyond that time.

Other Considerations

If your patients express a concern about getting enough vitamin D, here are a few considerations to share when addressing their vitamin D requirements:

  • Vitamin D3 (cholacalciferol) is the preferred form of vitamin D for therapeutic and nutritional uses, as it generates a 70 percent higher serum vitamin D level compared to the same amount of vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) in humans.
  • Vitamin D toxicity can cause serious health problems so it’s important for your patients to discuss vitamin D status and intake with you, their doctor.
  • Although vitamin D toxicity from sun exposure has never been reported, excessive sun exposure causes skin cancer, so you should limit your sun exposure and wear protective clothing and sunscreen to avoid overexposure.
Kelly Kwiatkowski has worked as a communications professional and project manager in the academic and corporate health care research sectors for the past seven years. She is currently a scientific writer for a whole foods supplement company in Palmyra, Wis.
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