Separating good science from folklore in traditional Chinese medicine

THE sale of products derived from endangered species such as powdered rhino horn is outlawed in China. Yet, these animals are still poached and sold for human consumption in the belief that, according to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), they can relieve a wide range of ailments and diseases.

TCM remedies have led to the development of drugs that have saved millions of lives. In 2015, Chinese scientist Tu Youyou was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine for developing the hugely successful anti-malaria drug artemisinin from the traditional fever remedy, sweet wormwood.

TCM is split into two factions: black market dealers on one side and state-regulated, modern TCM companies on the other. However, this separation is only part of the modernisation process for TCM. The legitimate side of the industry still has problems that prevent more widespread acceptance: Diagnosis and treatments are often inconsistent, and there is a lack of scientific proof for almost all treatments.