(Image source from: asiatimes.com)
With the persistent spread of the coronavirus around the world, according to a latest report it is believed that the use of Bear bile could actually help with the treatment of coronavirus, according to some of the Chinese health officials.
China’s National Health Commission has published a number of possible treatment options for the coronavirus and suprisingly, the injection with bear bile powder is one of them even though it doesn’t have sufficient evidence behind its effectiveness.
The Chinese government has recently advocated the use of Tan Re Qing, which are bear bile injections for the treatment of coronavirus even though there aren’t many possible scientific evidence to back these claims.
Majority of the wildlife advocates claim this to be a contradiction to wildlife, shutting down the live trade of the animals who don’t deserve the same.
The bile is secreted by the liver and stores inside the gall bladder and has been used by the Chinese people as a potent remedy since decades. The large percentage of ursodeoxycholic acid, also known as ursodiol in the bile of these Asiatic bears is what is believed to be the factor behind their usage.
Irrespective of all these claims, the World Health Organisation had clearly stated saying that there is no particular treatment for Covid-19 that is known to science till date.
Clifford Steer, a professor at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis has stated saying that he has tested out the potency of ursodiol and while he does firmly believe that the same is not a potential treatment for the condition of coronavirus disease, he believes in the other features of this compound.
Ursodial does have the potential to keep cells alive and even imposes antiinflammatory properties, the combination of which is expected to help alleviate the symptoms associated with Covid-19.
Although the use of the bear bile is legal in China because of the laws and regulations, the import and exploitation of the wildlife is illegal in other countries. Several of the widlife activists have highlighted the rise in the animal trafficking because of these unprecedented use of the bear bile.
The illegal trade of the Asiatic bears have been in action for quite some time now, especially around majority of the Asian countries where they are kept captive.
Several of the wildlife advocates do fear that China recommending the use of Tan Re Qing as a potential treatment which includes bear bile powder, goat horn powder and a number of other plant extracts could end up skyrocketing the incidence of animal abuse.
Majority of such places in China and South East Asia where the bears are used for the human needs, they are kept in enclosed captivity for years and the bile from these bears are routinely extracted from their gall bladders using a catheter or a syringe.
Apart from the bear bile powder, another treatment option that has been recommended under the Chinese health officials include Angong Niuhuang Wan which is a remedy including rhino horn and is used for alleviating the signs of fever and a number of other diseases.
By Somapika Dutta
