WHEN EAST MEETS WEST: THE RELATIONSHIP OF YIN-YANG BALANCE WlTH ANTIOXlDATION AND OXIDATION
Dejion Huang, Buxin Orr, Maureen Hampscli-Woodill, and Juditlz Flanagan
Brunswick Laboratories, Wareham, MA 0257i
In modern western medicine, the balance between anti-oxidation and Oxidation is a critical concept for maintaining a healthy bio-logical system. It is interesting to note that a similar concept of balance called yin-yang existed in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Such balance was first described in the Chinese medical treatise Su Wen written 2500 years ago. The yin and yang, how- ever, do not have any concrete physical meaning in modern sci- ence and thus it is difficult to find an equivalent term in western medicine to express this dichotomy. In TCM, yin-yang is a term to express the dual opposite qualities of matter. Maintaining yin and yang in harmony is akin to attaining the homeostatic state. Those with counteractive properties like water, coldness, stillness, inhibition and weakness pertain to yin and those with proactive properties, such as tire, heat, movement, brightness, outward, and upward direction belong to yang. Therefore, anti-oxidation processes that prevent the over-oxidation (stress) can be called yin and energy generating oxidation processes naturally belong to yang. For this point of view, there may be a strong correlation between and the yin/yang balance of TOM and the modern theo- OXYGE ry of oxidation/anti-oxidation balance. Our study reported here is to reveal such a correlation.