Food Allergies and Chinese Herbs

Course overview

An allergy is the over-reaction of natural bodily defenses in response to a particular substance. Potential exposure to allergy-provoking substances takes place through our interaction with the world around us: by breathing, ingesting foods, or by the contact of allergens with skin and mucus membranes. In this course, Dr. John Chen, an expert pharmacologist and acupuncturist in herb-drug interactions, shares major categories of allergens, including their relationship with Chinese herbs and formulas in general, and suggested substitutes for the potential allergen where possible.