Effect of Hot-Attribute Aged Ginger Tea on Chinese Medical Pulse Condition of Healthy Young Humans

Abstract

Young individuals typically have a dry-heat (燥熱 zào rè) constitution and feel overly stimulated. This study observes specialties on the right-bar (右關 yòu guān) section of the radial-arterial pulse of healthy young subjects, and investigates pulse variations induced by different attribute foods. Chinese medical doctors grouped thirty subjects into heat and non-heat constitutions. Each subject took water, aged ginger tea, and coconut water, well recognized as neutral, hot, and cold drinks, on different visits. The current study observed physiological signals induced by the samples using novel noninvasive sphygmography and a blood pressure monitor. As the baseline bigger percussion wave, dicrotic wave, and area in the sphygmogram of the non-heat constitution subjects, this work suggests that blood vessels of these subjects may be more relaxed than that of the heat constitution ones. Stroke volume increased and pulse pressure decreased in the non-heat constitution subjects after taking aged ginger tea, which may elevate arterial compliance corresponding to maintaining an estimated radial-arterial diameter in our study. However, the percussion wave widened and the valley increased in the heat constitution subjects after taking aged ginger tea. This corresponds to the markedly reduced radial-arterial diameter, indicating tighter blood vessels than the baseline status. Accordingly, this study confirms that selecting foods with attributes opposite to personal constitutions is important for reestablishing a healthy cold-heat balance within the human body. Moreover, novel noninvasive sphygmography may be a useful instrument to classify scientifically the heat personal constitution and the responses to different attribute foods.

Different Harmonic Characteristics Were Found at Each Location on TCM Radial Pulse Diagnosis by Spectrum Analysis

“…These findings also have implications on the choice of the measurement locations in pulse diagnosis spectral studies. It is strongly necessary to put forward the theoretical basis for choosing either inch, bar, cubit [ 3 , 5 , 7 ], pulse ridge [ 8 ], or deeper location [ 39 ]. Stronger theoretical evidence is needed for the chosen location to avoid missing the pulse wave information that is implied at other locations.…”

“…For example, Huang et al applied the theory that the left inch reflects the heart to analyze the spectral harmonic energy ratio of each harmonic of the patients with palpitation [ 4 ]. Chao et al applied the theory that the right bar reflects the digestion function to observe the change in the pulse wave of the right bar caused by the hot-attribute aged ginger tea [ 5 ]. The methods used in those studies indicated that different pulse diagnosis locations exhibit the organ-corresponding characteristics or a stronger connection to different organs.…”

“…Different measurement locations of pulse were chosen by different researches, such as (i) single location, e.g., inch (without mentioning left inch or right inch) [ 3 ], left inch [ 4 ], right bar [ 5 ], or bar (without mentioning left bar or right bar) [ 6 ]; (ii) three locations (inch, bar, and cubit) [ 7 ], or (iii) the pulse ridge [ 8 ]. Compared with time-domain analysis [ 3 , 9 , 10 ], spectrum analysis can reveal additional physiological and pathological messages [ 6 , 11 – 20 ] in pulse diagnosis analysis.…”

Herbal infusions and health

“…Of these, three studies were conducted in Taiwan, China (Chang and Chen, 2016; Chao et al , 2011; Tseng et al , 2005) three in Iran (Zemestani et al , 2016; Rafraf et al , 2015; Zeraatpishe et al , 2011) and one in Turkey (Akdogan et al , 2007), Japan,(Yui et al , 2017) Canada (Connelly et al , 2014) and the UK (Grant, 2010). Of the ten studies identified, seven were good quality and ranking 3 or higher on the Jadad scale (Table II) (Chang and Chen, 2016; Zemestani et al , 2016; Rafraf et al , 2015; Yui et al , 2017; Connelly et al , 2014; Grant, 2010; Tseng et al , 2005).…”

“…While a growing number of studies have looked at ginger per se in relation to health, few trials have focussed on ginger tea. One study (Chao et al , 2011) found that stroke volume increased and pulse pressure decreased in non-heat constitution subjects (neutral and partial cold body temperature) after drinking 250 ml aged ginger tea compared with baseline, indicating effects on sympathetic activity.…”