Chinese herbal remedies are a useful addition to standard treatment for hepatitis B, according to a new review.

Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, have analysed the evidence on the impact of Chinese herbs on hepatitis B. They find that the remedies have most effect in combination with the standard treatment, a protein called interferon-alpha.

Using Chinese herbal remedies with interferon is up to twice as effective as interferon alone in reducing viral load in hepatitis B. The intriguing aspect of this is the complexity of the herbal remedies. The range investigated in this research covered both plant and animal extracts. For instance, one ingredient is an extract from toad skin, and another comes from a plant root. It may be that it is the combination of ingredients, rather than individual components, which join forces with interferon in fighting hepatitis B.

Source

American Journal of Public Health 1st October 2002