Yes, Acupuncture Meridians Really Do Exist

In the early 1960’s a Korean researcher by the name of Bonghan Kim discovered the existence of a third circulatory system in the body- the vascular and the lymphatic system are the first and second. He found when he injected a radioactive dye into an acupuncture point, the dye traveled along the same pathway as the acupuncture meridian that was described and illustrated in ancient acupuncture charts. When the dye was injected into a non-acupuncture point, it just pooled outward in a circular pattern.

Then mysteriously, Dr Bonghan Kim and all his research disappeared and was never recovered. In the decades since, it has been difficult to replicate his results because apparently the vessels making up this system are extremely small and almost transparent and the specific dye he used was not known.

In 2008 a team of researchers discovered a dye staining technique that illuminated the system, now called the Primo Vascular System.  Here are some of the things known about the system so far:

• The tiny thread-like vessels have been found in and on most organs including the brain, inside some lymph and blood vessels (not attached to the walls but flowing freely), adipose (fat) tissue, skin and floating in cerebral spinal fluid.
• The vessels contain a fluid that consists of DNA and many immune system components including lymphocytes, neutrophils and mast cells. This helps to explain why acupuncture is so helpful for immunity. Furthermore small stem cell-like cells where found which seems to confirm Bonghan Kim’s claim that this system has an organ and tissue regenerating function. Some researchers are proposing this could be a source of our body’s pluripotent adult stem cells. Pluripotent means they have the ability to develop into any cell in our body.
• The DNA in the channels conduct laser like coherent light called bio photons that allows for incredible amounts of information to be transmitted all over the body when the vessels are stimulated by acupuncture needles.

All this has many exciting implications for medical research and while it doesn’t change my treatment approach, I think it’s great to have scientists confirm what the ancient sages knew thousands of years ago.