There was a time when the phrase “ancient Chinese secret” was a pop culture phenomenon. Calgon soap even used it in a television commercial back in the 1970s.
As you can see, the phrase was more of a punch line than anything else. But let’s be frank: The Chinese culture is ancient, and over the centuries it has uncovered many methods and practices that, while not exactly secret, remain mysterious to Western cultures.
Today, modern science is confirming the benefits of many types of Eastern medicine and practices. The latest news is this: Performing tai chi chuan exercises can benefit people with type 2 diabetes according to a study published in the June edition of The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine.
Researchers Rhayun Song, Sukhee Ahn, Beverly L. Roberts, Eun Ok Lee, and You Hern Ahn spent six months studying a group of 99 Korean diabetics who were practicing tai chi. According to the summary of their report, “the adherent group had greater decline in fasting glucose… than the non-adherers.” The practitioners also performed more self-care activities and had better quality of life, social functioning, mental health and vitality, they reported.
While only the summary is available at the Journal’s web page, a full copy of the report can be purchased here.