Thai herbs: Nature’s secret weapon against deadly PM2.5 dust

[arick]

1 hour ago, AAArdvark said:

Does drinking bleach help too? 

For Americans apparently

[Quit]

Laurel clockvine is raang  jeud (รางจืด) or Thunbergia laurifolia.

 

Little ironweed is Cyanthillium cinereum  and used for colds or to help you stop smoking.

 

I found a couple of Thai herbs that you get in pharmacies or the Tumrubthai shop effective. Pet Sung Kart for hemorrhoids and ligament problems, Krachai for viruses. And there is one that raises your libido but unfortunately lowered my blood pressure too much, forgot it's name, Thai men take it.

[Sig]

18 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

I'd put the OP's herbal recommendations down into the category of hokum pokum nonsense.

I agree with you as far as any sort of preventative measures from the air pollution problem. But that isn't actually what the doctor was saying.

The problem is with the intellect, or the lack thereof, of the "journalist" writing the article and the editor passing off on such stupidity, saying things like, "...the Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine unveils a game-changing solution to combat the notorious dust particles..." and "Thai herbs: Nature’s secret weapon against deadly PM2.5 dust". Complete nonsense and not at all what the Dr. was quoted as saying in the article. I highly doubt he would agree with the so-called journalist's interpretation.

The doctor said, “Thai herbs have been scientifically proven to be effective in treating respiratory symptoms, as well as inflammation in internal organs caused by the fine dust slipping through the body’s screening mechanism.” This does not "combat" the dust nor prevent anything from it other than symptoms one may experience AFTER exposure. How is that a "weapon against deadly PM2.5 dust"??? It is a helpful agent for supporting health, but not against the dust, it is a help to the body.

He is correct as to these plants effects on the body, which has been known for thousands of years. And in more recent history, agreed upon by scientific study, since people these days think they are too smart to accept anything that has already been proven and known for thousands of years and reject it unless scientific studies have been carried out to their liking.

At any rate, one thing I disagree with the doctor on is his oh-so-stereotypical fashion of attributing wonderful things to Thailand that have no basis in fact of being able to be such a thing that hails from the oh-so-amazing Thailand. These are called "Thai herbs". That is a farce. Turmeric is widely acknowledged as originating in India and there is record of it there from around 2,500 B.C.! Try finding records about ANYTHING in amazing Thailand from 4,500 years ago.... Then there's Indian Gooseberry... hmmmm any takers on guessing why it might have that name rather than Thai Gooseberry? Then the other two plants, they don't seem to have as clear of an origin, although one is found from Africa and Western Asia and also in parts of Southeast Asia. The other all across South Asia as well as Southeast Asia. But now they are all apparently "Thai herbs"!? These people are so full of themselves it is insane. These plants have been used in Indian medicines for millennia and Thai medicine very likely came about using them from the influence of Indian medicine, who knows how many hundreds or thousands of years ago.

"Thai" herbs.... The insecurity is screaming so loudly every time I turn around, I need ear plugs to go along with an N95!

[spidermike007]

Herbal therapies can be very effective. I'm a big believer in them and I've used them on multiple occasions and they've been very effective remedies. However when you're talking about particulate matter and pollution getting into the lungs let us not forget the origins of the problem. While herbal therapy might be of some benefit, closing down the sugar refineries would be a greater benefit, or having the Air Force do practice runs by bombing the sugar refineries would be an even greater benefit. Just make sure none of the employers are there when they drop the bombs. Fining the sugar growers for burning would also be a benefit. In other words, enforce the laws that are already on the books and stop obfuscating and deflecting and avoiding a solution, while protecting your super rich patrons, who are the culprits and criminals. 

[koolkarl]

17 hours ago, Presnock said:

I forgot to mention that we have air purifiers in all but the bathrooms of our house too and we use them daily since the pollution levels began to climb.  Had a friend, Canadian, world class almost runner who ran races in Thailand (mostly BKK) for years - upon return to Ottawa, as normal with diplomats, a complete phyiscal is given.  The doctor after all the tests, xrays, etc, he said that all readings were great except my friend needed to give up smoking.  My friend told the doctor that she had never smoked in her life - he then showed her the xrays of her lungs indicating that the color was due to either smoking or local pollutants if she really hadn't taken up smoking.  Made a believer out of me about doctors warnings and about wearing masks.

I know of several other people, who were non smokers, and their lungs are sick too.  There is no doubt anymore, get out and stay out of toxic Thailand.  And also won't have to file a Thai tax return eventually reporting your world income and get nothing in return except cancer.

[RandolphGB]

16 hours ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

More buffoonery and nonsense to distract from the fact that they are totally unable to manage and control the root causes of the problem.

 

 

 

They are able to but unwilling to. It would require time, money and effort to tackle the problem. Plus it would cause higher costs for big agribusiness and ultimately the consumer.

 

Every problem in Thailand , literally every one of them, comes down to laziness and greed.

[Hakuna Matata]

 

[Dionigi]

12 hours ago, Peabody said:

Where are the published, peer-reviewed scientific trials?

for Turmeric and indian gooseberry look at pubmed, although they do not seem to do anything for airborne pollutants. The other two show no results.

[mrfill]

Presumably with this miracle cure, the government don't have to bother to deal with the PM2.5 problem. Perhaps just suggest that all the fans in Bangkok get turned to face south. Yes, that'll fix it...

[petedk]

What he probably means is that the herbs soothe the symtoms caused by PM 2.5. It is impossible for them to block the dust from enetering the lungs.

 

The best solution for any illness is prevention., not treatment. They need to tackle PM 2.5 from the source

[ignore it]

In order to properly follow this Thai science, one must wear the proper amulet.

[Presnock]

3 hours ago, Unify said:

I read a long thread in a fb expat group the other day. Someone was asking about cough remedies. A few others chimed in and complained they had coughs lately. Nobody connected it to the rising level of pollution these last few weeks.

 

I suspect it's largely the same demographic that says sit pollution doesn't bother them.  Lung cancer, heart disease, stroke and dementia are increased by air pollution, and you don't always have advance warning. 

 

I do what I can to warn people. I too have an air filter, live in one of the better areas in Thailand for air quality, and sometimes wear an n95 if it's bad out. And I do my best to make others aware of the danger. It's possible things will change if there's public awareness and the will to change things. 

Not doubting your intent but you assumption that folks may do something about it but looking around, I notice very few farangs wearing masks and the news recently has carried numerous articles of the pollution in the air.  The PM signed an agreement with Cambodia to supposedly lower the pollutants and he has reportedly ORDERED the Thai AF to do all they can too to help but every year we hear the same stories from the government officials and yet the same pollution or worse is here.  I first came here in the early 70's and when burning season came so did the smoky air.  Then there was very little corn grown and I don't remember much of sugar can either but now with those added to the burnings, and together with forest fires set to clear land or clear underbrush so they find mushrooms, the pollution is with us longer and longer and stronger it seems every year.  Look at the NASA satellite showing fires in SEA and S. Asia.  Cambodia the other day was completely red with the wind blowing the smoke into Thailand!  Thailand too has a lot of fires going...until the government gets serious enough to force the local governments to arrest the fire starters nothing will change in my opinion.

[stargrazer9889]

Trying to get Thailand to change is like spitting into the wind.  I cannot see how a pill will help

the air pollution. I guess I am suspicious. Someone says why bother. If you jump from an airplane

and use a parachute, you may have a soft landing. No parachute, and you go Splat. That

is why some people make a effort. See the math.?

 

[Srikcir]

21 hours ago, webfact said:

four Thai herbs that promise to shield your lungs and heart from the invisible menace.

Approach is backwards:

Eliminate the Cause, not the Result.

Be Proactive, Not Reactive.

[ikke1959]

The question remains who has the benefits by selling these herbs?? Herbs can't solve the airpollution problem, only maybe relief some symptoms, but surely not a weapon... 

[RayOday]

Another expert selling their "book".

When the % risk rises above a tolerable level address the root cause. Oye. 

[LoudHailer]

Double, double, toil and trouble: fire burn and cauldron bubble. By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes. With the sound of gong, pollution gone! 

[RayOday]

3 hours ago, arick said:

For Americans apparently

A bit more precisely ~50 million of 350 million Americans. The stories of the 50 million sells more news advertising hence it's dominance in the news. It appears that 14% of MAGA people generate +90% of the news. I vote from abroad in my little effort to reduce the idiocy. 

[leverito]

Thai academics are the best academics in the world.

I remember some years ago they found some extra-healing Thai herbal remedy against Covid.

But after they forgot about it…

[advancebooking]

21 hours ago, Presnock said:

yeah, I walk outside daily and wear an N95 mask.  I notice many Thais and farangs exercising without any masks.  Some of the Thais after noticing that I speak Thai, ask why I am wearing a mask.  I introduce them to ACCUWEATHER (whatever your local district is) and this web site also provides air quality as well as weather conditions.  I also have my own 2.5 micron meter and it comes pretty close to the accuweather readout on air quality.  Living in CM for 10 years, I learned about wearing a mask but even before then I was advised by doctors visiting the embassy to never exercise outside here without a mask as they note returnees during physicals show some damage to lungs of those not taking any precautions.  My daughter's school even had air purifiers in every classroom.  Before the COVID pandemic, that same school would close the school due to high pollution since the students walked outside during classroom changes and so, in order to not have to close the schools her school purchased an online teaching program from Singapore and when the govt here ordered the schools closed, my daughter and her fellow students never actually missed any of the curriculum, only socializing and classroom activities.  

Why do you live there so long if theres a risk to your health. Not smart

[PumpkinEater]

All BS!

Someone is trying to get rich with this crap.

And the lot that think the solution is to squirt molasses in the air, purifiers, make the clouds rain, Or have a plane squirting water are delusional!

 

Get to the source and STOP THE BURNING within Thailand and especially Cambodia and Laos.

 

These home aid remedies are pure BS!

We the people… and this includes the greedy leaders and their children will  all die from this pollution (long term).

 

[Enoon]

15 hours ago, aseanfan said:

Does anyone here know where I can find an analysis of what these particles in the air are?  I have seen mention in articles that the pollution comes from diesel engines, from black smoke from vehicles, from stubble burning, from building sites...What is the truth?  I saw mention that the Air Force is going to spray from planes to make rain to 'wash' the particles out of the air.  And then where do those particles go?  Into the water table?  And what is being sprayed from these planes?  Is that the cause of the air pollution?  So I go back to my initial question?  Where is the analysis of what the particles are? Once the particles are known efforts can be made to find the source and to prevent distribution at source, maybe...

 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Particulates

 

There are also 144,999,999 other references to particulates on Google.

 

[brianthainess]

6 hours ago, arick said:

Well at least these all grow on my yard.  I have heard that you make tea from iron weed.  I notice my horse eating it . Yesterday the smoke was hanging in the air here in Chiayaphum it had to be higher then 160

 

Maybe you should make tea from the horse poo, like coffee beans in Elephant dung, you could be on an earner there mate.

[CygnusX1]

Does anyone know if there have been any studies comparing rates of lung cancer, for instance, among geographical areas with substantially different average PM2.5 levels? It seems intuitively obvious to me that breathing air with high PM2.5 is bad for health, and I have an air purifier running at the moment, but in science it ultimately comes down to the data, which sometimes disproves even the most obvious theory. Of course, such studies wouldn’t be easy, as there would be so many confounding factors to allow for, such as smoking rates and use of indoor fires for heating and cooking. I have seen references in Wikipedia that smoking is overwhelmingly the leading cause of lung cancer, which was apparently a rare disease before widespread adoption of that bizarre practice.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

16 hours ago, aseanfan said:

Does anyone here know where I can find an analysis of what these particles in the air are?  I have seen mention in articles that the pollution comes from diesel engines, from black smoke from vehicles, from stubble burning, from building sites...

 

The past research on this involving Bangkok has shown that the PM2.5 pollution here varies by season.

 

During the historically worst times of the year -- December to March or so, the predominant elements are from agricultural burning (both locally and cross-border), then along with lesser contributions from vehicle exhaust, industrial plants and other sources, including things like construction activity and even temple crematoriums.

 

During the rest of the year, including the rainy season times, the agricultural burning element is less...and vehicle emissions play a larger role... but the overall pollution levels are lower.

 

 

"The CMB results showed consistent important source factors at both sites of biomass OB, diesel vehicles, secondary inorganic PM and industry. The biomass OB contribution was the most dominant in the dry season while the vehicle emission was most dominant in the wet season.

 

In dry period, at PCD, the most important contributors to PM2.5 were biomass burning (35%), and diesel vehicles (21%) and those at AIT were also biomass burning (36%), diesel vehicles (26%), inorganic secondary PM (15%) and industry (5%).

 

In the wet period, at PCD, the most important contributors to PM2.5 were diesel vehicles (28%), biomass burning (26%) and inorganic secondary PM (21%)."

 

https://www.jica.go.jp/Resource/jica-ri/publication/booksandreports/l75nbg00000kjwkk-att/Final_report.pdf

 

Edited January 19 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

46 minutes ago, CygnusX1 said:

Does anyone know if there have been any studies comparing rates of lung cancer, for instance, among geographical areas with substantially different average PM2.5 levels? It seems intuitively obvious to me that breathing air with high PM2.5 is bad for health, and I have an air purifier running at the moment, but in science it ultimately comes down to the data, which sometimes disproves even the most obvious theory. Of course, such studies wouldn’t be easy, as there would be so many confounding factors to allow for, such as smoking rates and use of indoor fires for heating and cooking. I have seen references in Wikipedia that smoking is overwhelmingly the leading cause of lung cancer, which was apparently a rare disease before widespread adoption of that bizarre practice.

 

There have been past reports estimating that PM2.5 pollution in Thailand is responsible for more than 30,000 deaths per year.

 

Air pollution responsible for 29,000 deaths across 31 Thai provinces in 2021— Greenpeace

 

"Bangkok– PM_2.5 air pollution was behind approximately 29,000 deaths in Thailand in 2021, according to a Greenpeace Southeast Asia analysis of IQAir data. [1] The number of air pollution-related deaths per capita in Thailand last year exceeded those from road accidents, drug use and homicide combined, the report finds."

 

https://www.greenpeace.org/southeastasia/press/45425/air-pollution-responsible-for-29000-deaths-across-31-thai-provinces-in-2021-greenpeace/

 

Report attributes 32,000 premature deaths in Thailand to air pollution

 

"According to the State of Global Air 2020 Report, around 32,000 premature deaths in Thailand, back in 2019, have been attributed to air pollution. The report cites the PM2.5 pollution particles as the main culprit as particles in that size range are the most likely to travel deeply into the respiratory tract, reaching the lungs.

 

Exposure to these fine particles can cause short-term health effects, such as eye, nose, throat and lung irritation, coughing, sneezing, runny nose and shortness of breath. But the long-term effects of being exposed to the particles is much more sinister."

 

https://thethaiger.com/news/national/report-attributes-32000-premature-deaths-in-thailand-to-air-pollution

 

Edited January 19 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[kidneyw]

23 hours ago, Presnock said:

yeah, I walk outside daily and wear an N95 mask.  I notice many Thais and farangs exercising without any masks.  Some of the Thais after noticing that I speak Thai, ask why I am wearing a mask.  I introduce them to ACCUWEATHER (whatever your local district is) and this web site also provides air quality as well as weather conditions.  I also have my own 2.5 micron meter and it comes pretty close to the accuweather readout on air quality.  Living in CM for 10 years, I learned about wearing a mask but even before then I was advised by doctors visiting the embassy to never exercise outside here without a mask as they note returnees during physicals show some damage to lungs of those not taking any precautions.  My daughter's school even had air purifiers in every classroom.  Before the COVID pandemic, that same school would close the school due to high pollution since the students walked outside during classroom changes and so, in order to not have to close the schools her school purchased an online teaching program from Singapore and when the govt here ordered the schools closed, my daughter and her fellow students never actually missed any of the curriculum, only socializing and classroom activities.  

The problem is it is very hard to go jogging while wearing a mask.

[CygnusX1]

34 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

Air pollution responsible for 29,000 deaths across 31 Thai provinces in 2021— Greenpeace

Thanks for this, interesting, together with the link to the very comprehensive Greenpeace article. It still seems to me though, that they’re estimating number of excess deaths only from measurement of average PM2.5 levels, making the assumption that PM2.5 is correlated with excess deaths. Not saying they’re wrong, my gut feeling is that they’re broadly correct, but it would have been nice to see them provide data from actual studies of actual diagnosed causes of deaths, maybe from some of the published scientific papers they list at the end of the article. Otherwise, they’re just assuming the truth of what they’re trying to prove.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

6 hours ago, Sig said:

He is correct as to these plants effects on the body, which has been known for thousands of years.

 

I'd like to see some credible scientific research that confirms the notion that drinking tea or capsules of any of the above referenced herbals does anything significant to combat the health related symptoms of PM2.5 air pollution exposure.

 

IMHO, there's a reason that these kinds of local "treatments" never make their way out into the developed world of science and medicine....

 

And it's probably for the same reasons that flood control agencies around the world aren't using boats and their propellers in rivers to prevent local flooding, and doctors aren't advising their patients to wear amulets to ward off evil spirits.

 

Edited January 19 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

5 minutes ago, CygnusX1 said:

it would have been nice to see them provide data from actual studies of actual diagnosed causes of deaths,

 

There have been lots of studies in the real world identifying and confirming the harmful health effects from PM2.5 pollution.

 

It's not PM2.5 pollution that directly kills you. It's PM2.5 pollution that CAUSES higher levels of heart attacks, cardiovascular disease, lung problems, etc... and those are the things that end up killing people.

 

"Long-term exposure to PM2.5 pollution particles can affect lung function and worsen medical conditions such as asthma and heart disease. Scientific studies have linked increases in daily PM2.5 exposure with increased respiratory and cardiovascular hospital admissions, emergency department visits and deaths.

 

Studies also suggest that long-term exposure to fine particulate matter may be associated with increased rates of chronic bronchitis, reduced lung function and increased mortality from lung cancer and heart disease."

 

https://thethaiger.com/news/national/report-attributes-32000-premature-deaths-in-thailand-to-air-pollution

 

 

 

Edited January 19 by TallGuyJohninBKK