Tested herbal alternative

FOR 3,000 years, the Chinese have known about the therapeutic properties of Lingzhi, a medicinal herb.

It has been claimed to cure illnesses such as bronchitis, asthma and heart disease.

VitaGreen Lingzhi tablets and Vita Lingzhi honey syrup combine five types of this herb. Tablets are for adults and the syrup is for children.

Alvin Tsoi, deputy general manager of VitaGreen, said about 4,000 bottles of Vita Lingzhi were sold each month. In December, the products were launched in Toronto.

''We also plan to market in Singapore and Malaysia. We are looking for distributors,'' said Mr Tsoi.

There are more than 100 species of Lingzhi in the world but only six possess medicinal qualities. They are further classified according to colour and healing abilities.