Vietnamese and Chinese traditional medical experts warn against the use of bear bile
July 2010
Typical effects of contaminated bile: dark patches on skin, severe jaundice, cirrhosis of the liver.
As the issue of milking bears for their bile comes under increasing scrutiny, Vietnam’s top traditional medicine doctor, Doctor Nguyen Xuan Huong, and his equally eminent Chinese counterpart, Professor Liu Zhengcai, have both warned consumers against its use.
Citing recent medical cases and the availability of herbal alternatives, the arguments that bile may do more harm than good is gaining momentum.
Dr Huong has warned consumers to stop taking bear bile products or risk liver and kidney damage – even death, and has joined Animals Asia’s campaign to end bear bile farming.
Professor Liu has campaigned for many years to end the use of bile, citing the need for harmony in traditional medicine and the many herbal alternatives available, making bear bile completely unnecessary.
Click on the links below to read more, including Dr Huong’s recent public statements, press stories from Vietnam highlighting the health risks of bile, and Professor Liu’s paper on alternatives to bear bile.
