CHINATOWN — A walking tour of Chinatown's herbal shops aims to give participants a modern education in ancient medicinal treatments.
Kathy Lai, 19, a Loyola University Chicago biology student who's leading the tour, said the tour will emphasize a different approach to staying healthy.
"The medicine we're used to cures the symptoms, not the root causes," said Lai.
The rain-or-shine tour, which is hosted by the Chinatown Chamber of Commerce, will take place from 10-11 a.m. Saturday, beginning at the outdoor courtyard of Chinatown Square in the 2100 block of South Archer Avenue. From there participants will visit four local health-oriented tea shops, including a dried food store, herbal pharmacy, tea shop and health clinic.
Tickets are $25 and are available online.
Lai said many non-Chinese people — that is, the many Americans used to the pharmaceutical-heavy ways of Western medicine — don't understand the philosophy of treatments like herbal medicine, acupuncture and tai chi, which prioritize harmony between competing forces in the body.
Instead, they approach traditional Chinese medicine as sort of a last resort.
"It's usually people who've run out of choices. Maybe they've taken the same medication for years and they're sick of it. Maybe they have nasal problems, back problems or other things that are chronic and they turn to traditional Chinese medicine," she said.
The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, an offshoot of the National Institutes of Health, cautions that customers should be wary of ingesting unknown substances billed as health products.
"In spite of the widespread use of [traditional Chinese medicine] in China and its use in the West, rigorous scientific evidence of its effectiveness is limited," the group says.
The NCCAM also dissuades potential patients from using traditional Chinese medicine to replace "effective conventional care" and to use herbal remedies under the supervision of a trusted health care provider. More information can be found here.
While loyalists and scientists may disagree about the effectiveness of the medical methods, one thing is clear: All of the roots, stems, seed, bark and berries sold in herbal pharmacies don't taste great, even when steeped together in a tea.
"It's the most bitter thing I've ever tasted," Lai said.
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