The wonders of Chinese tonics

According to Steadman’s Medical Dictionary, a tonic is "a remedy used to restore enfeebled function and promote vigor."

Webster defines it as "an agent that increases body tone; one that invigorates, restores, refreshes and stimulates."

In an herbal context and according to pharmacopoeias of Traditional Chinese Medicine, the word tonic refers to a specific group of herbs, consisting of fewer than 200 of the more than 6,000 traditionally prescribed herbs.

They meet specific criteria:

• They are known to raise overall resistance to disease;

• They are capable of normalizing body function, even in the presence of disease;

• They are non-toxic and harmless to any organ in the body when used appropriately; and

• They are extremely safe for long-term use as nutritional supplements for prevention and health maintenance.

Recently introduced in the Philippine market, Hemofer Liquid Tonic Food Supplement for women is an example of a combination of eight Chinese herbal tonics that was specifically formulated to help women as they go through menstruation, childbirth and menopause.

The most well-known of these herbal tonics is Dong Quai (Radix Angelicae Sinenses). Grown mainly in the cold, damp high altitude mountain regions of China, Japan and Korea, it has been used for over a thousand years in these countries.

It helps relieve menstrual disorder such as cramps, dysmenorrhea, irregular menstrual cycles and premenstrual syndrome (PMS). After childbirth, it helps relieve constipation and helps increase red blood cell count to treat anemia.

For mature women, it helps with the symptoms of menopause – hot flashes, mood swings, vaginal dryness and bone and heart complications. Such was its popularity among Chinese women that it became known as "the female ginseng."

Hemofer Liquid Tonic Food Supplement is manufactured in Guangzhou, China by Pangashou Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. It is exclusively distributed in the Philippines by Spring Vine Herbal Trading Corp. It is now available in all Mercury Drugstore outlets nationwide.

For more information, text 0915-4208612 or 0927-4347832.