Is Natural Medicine Necessarily Kinder to Animals Than Modern Medicine? The Use of Bears in Traditional Chinese Medicine

Bibliographic Data

ID2805995
AuthorsZhao Shichang (0009-0000-6773-834X, Henan Normal University Xinxiang Henan Province China, corresponding author), Li Jiarui (Henan Normal University Xinxiang Henan Province China), Jiarui Li (0000-0003-3765-7172, Henan Normal University), Qing Tang (0000-0002-2253-309X, Beijing Technology and Business University), Tang Qing (Beijing Technology and Business University Beijing China)
Year2025
Volume84
Issue4
Pages599-604
Publication date2025-09-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueAmerican Journal of Economics and Sociology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0002-9246 • E-ISSN: 1536-7150
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/ajes.12632
OpenAlexW4409902668
LanguageEN
References cited7

It is commonly assumed that natural and traditional medicine is inherently more ethical than modern, industrialized practices. However, this article challenges that assumption by highlighting the cruelty and immorality associated with bear bile extraction. The article argues that the most effective solutions to this problem lie in the development and promotion of synthetic and herbal alternatives, specifically artificial bear bile. Scientists have successfully developed synthetic ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), the key active compound in bear bile, which can be produced without harming animals. Additionally, herbal alternatives, derived from specific plants, have demonstrated comparable medicinal properties. The success of artificial bear bile not only provides equivalent therapeutic benefits without animal exploitation but also opens new avenues for the revitalization of traditional Chinese medicine

Alternative medicine · Family medicine · Natural (archaeology) · Natural medicine · Pathology · Traditional Chinese medicine · Traditional medicine · History · Human-Animal Interaction Studies · Infant Health and Development · Medicine

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