Reviews of Chinese Herbal Remedies: Melatonin, Black Cohosh and Ginger

In this day and age where over-the-counter and prescription medications run rampant, have you ever stopped to wonder if there were better solutions to taking care of your health? Do any of the homeopathic cures or Chinese herbal medicines actually work? Here are my personal reviews of a few that I have tried.

Ginger - Used for motion sickness
At age 16, my parents and I took a ferry ride from Port Angeles, WA to Victoria, B.C. in Canada. I really didn't want to use the motion sickness pill I usually took because it made me so sleepy, and I didn't want to spend my whole day feeling like a zombie. I was told that ginger capsules were supposed to keep you from getting motion sickness, so I decided to try that instead.

For me personally, it didn't work. I spent the entire trip in the bathroom of the ferry, sick as a dog. I realize that everyone's bodies are different, but from my experience, I wouldn't recommend ginger as an anti-nausea medication. The best product I have found for motion sickness is Meclizine. I don't think I'll be deferring from it again.

Black Cohosh - Used for hot flashes & symptoms of menopause
I had to have a hysterectomy at a very early age, which put me into a state they call "surgical menopause". I was leery of taking hormone replacement therapy, so I did some research on Chinese herbal medicines and homeopathic remedies instead.

I discovered in my research that the herb Black Cohosh is supposed to help alleviate hot flashes. I went to my health food store, and after talking with the clerk there, purchased the herb in capsule form. I can honestly say that it worked beautifully! 20mg up to twice per day is all you need.

There have been some reports of a few people having an upset stomach or slight headaches after taking Black Cohosh, but I did not have any side effects at all. This should not be taken by pregnant or nursing women without first consulting their physician.

Melatonin - Used as a sleep aid
Melatonin is a hormone that your body produces during the evening hours that helps you sleep. If you are lacking in this hormone, or you just have a hard time getting a good night's rest, taking Melatonin supplements has been a widely suggested herbal medicine to try.

My observation? It didn't work very well. I was able to fall asleep a little more quickly than normal, but I found that I had very "bright" and very vivid dreams. I did not feel like I had obtained any rest at all. I have tried using Melatonin a few different times, all with the same results. Very wild dreams, which made my nights seem extremely restless. I did not feel that Melatonin was a good sleep aid at all.

I do believe that there are many natural herbs and Chinese herbal medicines that are good for our bodies, and can be used to help enhance our health. Green tea, Echinacea, and Ginseng to name a few. I am personally looking forward to the day they can figure out how to put turkey in a capsule. After all, we know for a fact that eating turkey makes you sleep and reduces anxiety!