http://news.163.com/08/0926/05/4MO9GB2H00012U4N.html京华时报9月26日报道 据新华社电 中国航天员中心负责人告诉记者，神舟七号首次携带了中药上天，供航天员在飞行期间服用。
国外的载人航天飞行任务中，航天员通常是在入轨72小时后出舱。由于飞行天数有限，神七航天员出舱活动安排在第2天，而这个时间段，恰恰与空间运动病的高发期重合。
航天员中心医监医保研究室主任李勇枝博士说，与神五、神六航天员在飞行前后服用中药不同的是，神七航天员在飞行过程中将服用一种名为“太空养心丸”的中药汤剂，以加强身体机能，更好地防治空间运动病。中药被做成药丸装在米纸里，航天员在太空中可以很方便地加水服用。
李勇枝介绍，实验和飞行实践证明，中医药对于航天员在空间环境中加强心血管功能、提高整体抵抗力免疫力、防治空间运动病是有效的。
李勇枝说，空间运动病是空间失重环境引发的心血管功能失调、骨盐丢失、红细胞下降等反应，是健康人在不正常条件下的生理应激反应。对此，西医缺乏有效而无毒、副作用的手段，但中医以强身固本的原则来调理和用药，能够提高航天员的生理功能储备，让他们在特殊环境下的适应性和耐受性得到提高。 (本文来源：京华时报
韩媒:中药成中国宇航员“独家秘方”
http://news.163.com/08/0924/12/4MJV3LQC00012U4N.html韩国《中央日报》24日文章 原题：中国宇航员健康状态最佳，其秘诀是“中药药丸”中国宇航中心（CAC）和比利时的鲁汶天主教大学在去年共同对宇航员返回地球后的身体状况做了检查。结果显示，中国宇航员的健康状态最佳。欧洲、俄国和美国的宇航员在返回地球后，脉搏、血压、心血管等身体机能都显示非正常状态，但是中国宇航员大部分都是正常的。香港《南华早报》9月22日引用了CAC医疗中心李勇枝主任的话，报道其秘诀在于中医学所强调的身体的“阴阳调和”。
李主任说：“西方宇航员在失重状态下引起健康异常，然后通过不同症状来获得治疗处方。但是中国宇航员却利用了维持身体阴阳调和的处方”。一般来说，宇航员在失重状态下会出现眩晕、疲劳、呕吐、免疫力下降、骨头里的钙流失等症状。还有，在密闭的空间里作业会引起压力大和头疼失眠。中国宇航员为了解决这些问题，服用了“太空养心丹”。
这种药丸含有数十种生药材，能调节身体中的气，使宇航员身体内的阴阳气流变得调和。比如说，人参可以遏制过度压力引起的阳气外泄，并且能帮助人提高睡眠质量。
动物骨头粉可以防止失重状态下身体免疫力的下降，提高人的精气。陈皮可以帮助宇航员调理体内气息，使其畅通。山楂可以防止骨头受损。从五加皮里提取的刺五加成分可以使宇宙空间的放射线影响降至最低。
李主任说明道：“所有药材的效用都是为了让在失重状态下把身体中容易失衡的气循环和血循环回归到正常状态中来。”
李主任又指出，相反的，美国等宇航员他们根据各个症状来吃药，虽然症状都消除了，但是身体长期机能的平衡没能恢复，打破了身体的生理性节奏的情况很多。李主任表示，“9月25至30日之间发射的中国宇宙飞船神舟七号的宇航员们会带着这些药丸上天”，“把这些药丸用于治疗普通人的研究也正在进行之中”。
Traditional medicine has radical impact on mainland's astronauts
South China Morning Post
In the second of a series ahead of the space launch this week, Stephen Chen looks at how traditional Chinese medicine is being used to keep astronauts healthy in space.
Working in outer space can take its toll on the human body.
Li Yongzhi , chief medical supervisor at the China Astronaut Centre, said health problems in space included - but were not limited to - dehydration, hyperhydration, dizziness, fatigue, vomiting, a decrease in bone calcium, immune system changes, anaemia and nervous breakdowns.
But mainland scientists are drawing on a wealth of traditional knowledge to minimise the impact of missions on astronauts - research that may soon benefit life on Earth.
Former US senator Jake Garn, who flew aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery in 1985, experienced the range of space-induced illness as a result of microgravity, space radiation and a confined environment, Dr Li said. Even with professionally trained astronauts, illness can sometimes jeopardise an entire mission.
"To prevent that from happening, we have traditional Chinese medicine," Dr Li said.
Joint research by the CAC and the Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium found that Chinese astronauts returned to Earth healthier than their Russian and European counterparts.
"After a short period in space, the functioning of Chinese astronauts' cardiovascular nervous system has shown a very different pattern from that of Russian and European astronauts," the joint report said.
The study found that Chinese astronauts had more strength and could stand, sit and move around more easily after returning from space missions.
"The adaptability of their cardiovascular system is obviously better than that of their Russian and European counterparts who had gone through similar flight times," the report said.
Dr Li said Fei Junlong and Nie Haisheng, who spent five days in space during the Shenzhou VI mission in 2005, also scored higher on health tests than many American astronauts. Comparisons revealed that the US astronauts pumped less blood with each heartbeat, and their hearts had to beat faster upon their return to Earth.
"The Chinese astronauts hardly showed any changes [in heartbeat] when they returned," Dr Li said.
She said much of the secret was in the traditional herbal medicine they had been taking, included a pill called Taikongyangxindan, or "space heart guardian", to be taken in case of a heart attack in microgravity. The pill is a combination of the root of a roadside herb known as Chinese foxglove; glossy privet seeds; the leaves of an aphrodisiac - short-horned epimedium; and some old, dry orange peel.
But Dr Li said the medicines' aim was prevention rather than cure.
Dr Li said astronauts were the fittest human beings, and their bodies were capable of handling most problems when they cropped up, as long as long-term preparation was done. And few other therapies met that need more effectively than traditional medicine.
"A lot of research has been carried out, but most of it is concentrated at the molecular level, trying to solve the problem by addressing an organ or a kind of cell," she said.
"But most of the time, sickness was not caused by just one factor. The Chinese medicine theory, therefore, takes a comprehensive approach by addressing the relation between the human body and the external natural and social environment.
"Formulas of Chinese medicine caused few side effects because they address the balance between yin and yang represented by each ingredient.
"Therefore, when they come together, they could achieve what western medicines, most of which work independently, cannot. We devise each formula to address multiple systems, layers and targets."
Dr Li is trained in western medicine and insisted the centre was not resistant to foreign techniques.
"We rely heavily on the methodology and facilities of modern medical science. But we are working with an open attitude to find out what works best," she said.
The centre's embrace of the traditional approach is not limited to medicine. Massage therapists and acupuncturists also keep astronauts in peak condition.
Dr Li said mainland space scientists had studied astronaut's health for more than 30 years, but the ultimate beneficiaries of the research would be people on Earth.
"People face an increasing number of underlying health problems similar to what astronauts encounter in space," she said. "We hope our research can eventually benefit the entire human race."
The space heart guardian will be available over the counter soon.