Bojenmi Chinese Tea

Bojenmi Tea (Baojianmei Jianfei, Cha; literally, maintain health and nice appearance, reduce fleshiness tea) is a popular product of China that has been used mainly for weight loss for the past twenty years. It is produced under the Egret River Brand of the Xiamen Export Corporation (XMEHECO) in beautiful Xiamen, an island of Fujian Province. This herb formulation is provided in the form of loose tea and easy to use tea bags. The main ingredient is tea leaf from Fujian Province (reported to be 50% of the product contents), which have been shown to help lower blood lipids. An extract of other herbs is sprayed onto the tea leaf to make the finished beverage product, which is prepared by steeping in boiled water for 3-4 minutes.

The other ingredients are:

• Crataegus (shanza)


• Malt (maiya)


• Pharbitis (qianniuzi)


• Pogostemon (huoxiang)


• Hoelen (fuling)


• Citrus (chenpi)


• Alisma (zexie)


• Cassia (juemingzi)


• Phaseolus (chixiaodou)


• Shen-chu (shenqu)


• Raphanus (laifuzi)

These herbs are traditionally used to enhance digestion, remove food stagnation, resolve accumulations pf phlegm and moisture, and provide a slight laxative action. The combination includes the four primary therapeutic actions relied upon by Chinese doctors to promote weight loss and reduce blood lipids. Malt, (barley sprout), shen-chu (fermented wheat with artemisia herb), crataegus (hawthorn fruit), raphanus (radish seed), citrus peel, and pogostemon (patchouli herb) invigorate the digestion of foods in the stomach; hoelen mushroom, cassia (red bean), alisma (water plantain rhizome), citrus, and pogostemon remove excess fluid; cassia (senna seed) and pharbitis (morning glory seed) provide a laxative effect. Crataegus, lisma, and cassia reduce blood lipids. The combination of malt, shen-chu, crataegus and raphanus was shown, in a clinical trial, to alleviate symptoms of abdominal distention, intestinal gurgling, eructation, acid regurgitation and intestinal cramping in patients with sluggish bowel function.

The recommended dosage for Bojenmi Tea is 3-6 grams each time (one tea bag contains 3 grams), to be taken three times daily, thus 9-18 grams of tea leaves carrying the herbal extracts is taken in one day (3-6 tae bags). According to the package information, if no dietary changes are made, one can still lose weight, though it is best to have a low calorie diet for continued weight loss. Bojenmi tea has a mild taste, something like ordinary black tea, with a slight added spicy-bitter taste. A small amount of sugar (or other sweetener) can be added to alter the taste, if desired.

A story about the value of ordinary green tea in removing fat was told this way: “In the Chinese restaurants, to clean up the spilled greasy food left after a meal, some of the remaining tea is poured onto the table top and then the grease dissolves and is easily cleaned up.” Chinese physicians point out also that alisma counteracts the “greasy quality” of herbs; because of this property, it was thought to reduce excess grease (fat) in the body, which has since been found to be true, based on laboratory and clinical evaluations.

Baojenmi Tea is a derivative of the traditional formula Baohe Wan (maintain harmony pill) a prescription of Zhu Danxi, originally recorded in Danxi Xinfa (The Fundamental Methods of Zhu Danxi; 1481 A.D.) This formula, available also as a patent remedy, contains the following ingredients in common with Baojenmi Tea: crataegus, shen-chu, raphanus, citrus, hoelen, and malt. The traditional formula was indicated for treating stagnant food, eructation, diarrhea, and thick coating on the tongue, indicating the phlegm excess resulting from food stagnation related to overeating. Bojenmi Tea treats the same conditions as Baohe Wan. It contains a small amount of mild laxatives, so that it can treat constipation, but it will still alleviate diarrhea that occurs from overeating and impaired digestive functions. In addition to rectifying the digestive disturbance that leads to accumulation of fat and water with resulting weight gain, it also helps conduct out excess fats from the blood.

Baojenmi Tea has its origin in the coastal island city of Xiamen, known as Egret Island, because of the many egrets that used to ride there; the river is called Egret River, inspiring the brand name for this product. Xiamen is also known as the Garden of the Sea and the Green Island, because of its luxuriant plant life.

People began to settle on this island during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 A.D.). During the Ming Dynasty, it came to be called Xiamen, meaning that it was a gate (men) to the grand mansion (xia) of the mainland. Today’s Xiamen, with a population of over one million, is a famous scenic and historic spot, and has become well-known as commercial center. There were countless ships and boats sailing in and out of the port there. Since 1980, when Xiamen was opened as a special economic zone, skyscrapers and new factories sprung up, including production and export of Bojenmi Tea, which won an award in France in 1986.


Article Retrieved from www.itmonline.org/jintu

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Rodowca brings Eastern science to Greenville area - Acupuncture One uses traditional Chinese practice

By Rachel Rausch
Appleton Post-Crescent West
July 7, 2006


GREENVILLE- As one who performs acupuncture therapy, James Rodowca needs a steady hand.

Rodowca, a licensed acupuncturist, opened Acupuncture One, LLC in 2003 after receiving his Master of Science in Oriental Medicine degree from the Midwest College of Oriental Medicine and serving his internship with a Chinese doctor.

Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese practice that uses needles to reduce pain caused by numerous health conditions. Acupuncture improves the flow of Qi (chee), or life-force, in the body. The Chinese believe Qi flows through the body in regular pathways, called meridians. Each meridian corresponds to a particular physiological system or organ. The meridians connect with the surface of the body at locations called acupuncture points. By stimulating the points with needles, sensory nerves are triggered and blockages in energy flow can be released.

"I think people have a misconception that it’s mystical or weird," Rodowca said. "It’s actually a very logical system of health, but it’s different than Western medicine."

Acupuncture reduces muscle spasms, decreases inflammation, activates blood circulation, stimulates immune function, and accelerates healing.

Rodowca said that since the needles are small and unlike hypodermic needles, the treatments are painless.

"It feels like a mosquito bite and there are some places where you don’t feel it at all," he said adding that for "needlephobic" patients an electrical shock can be used instead. "We try to provide a very relaxed and soothing environment."

In some cases, Chinese herbal supplements, Chinese massage and heat therapy can accompany a patient’s treatment.

Rodowca said patients, who range in age from infants to the elderly, can benefit from the therapy sessions, which usually last about an hour.

"It (acupuncture) provides substantial relief," Rodowca said. "Many times people can cut out their medications."

Shiocton resident Carol Struck, who has been visiting Acupuncture One for a year-and-a-half, is one of Rodowca’s clients who has been able to discontinue taking her medications.

Struck, who suffered from fibromyalgia for 15 years, describes acupuncture therapy as a "life blessing."

"I lived in pain for all those years and now I live without pain," said Struck, who admits she was skeptical of the practice at first and tried it as a last resort.

"I didn’t like the idea of the needles but it’s not like a needle like a shot," she said.

Struck said she began seeing results after a few sessions and now goes to Rodowca every three or four weeks.

"It stays with you. It doesn’t just leave when you walk out of the office," she said, adding that she’s recommended Rodowca to others. "He’s very knowledgeable and he’s a great listener and he’s fun. He’s got a great sense of humor."

Rodowca said acupuncture also is considered a preventive form of medicine, giving this analogy:
"A Western doctor is like the mechanic that repairs or replaces and an acupuncturist is like a gardener where everything is interrelated. We look at the body as a whole and we try to prevent imbalances. The goal is to get the body back into homeostasis."