Chinese herbalism is a segment of ancient Chinese medicine that focuses on plants and natural sub­stances as sources of relief for medical and psycho­logical problems. Because the whole plant contains the active ingredients, and because various herbs and other substances may be blended, side effects are minimized or eliminated and results are often enhanced. Chinese herbs—which include plant, mineral, and animal substances—are also meant to treat the root of one’s condition rather than just target symptoms or potentially create additional problems by using one specific drug. Since the mythic sage Shen Nung experimented with and codified medicinal herbs 300 years ago, herbalism has become a highly sophisticated, intricate, and systematized practice that involves more than 6000 substances prescribed by practitioners. Each sub­stance in Chinese herbalism has certain qualities and properties that address the body constituents (qi [ch'i], moisture, and blood), organ networks, and what are known as “adverse climates”: wind, heat, cold, dryness, and dampness. Herbs are categorized according to their nature (warm, cool, or neutral), taste (sour, bitter, sweet, salty, spicy, or bland), configuration (shape, texture, moisture), color, and properties, that is, their ability to relieve a particular ailment. An herbal substance may tonify, or strengthen; consolidate, or condense, astringe, or help concen­trate energy, and so on; disperse, or help circulate; or purge, or eliminate, depending upon the diag­nosis. For example, in Chinese herbalism, since ginseng is a “broad-spec­trum” tonic for any deficiency of qi, codonopsis augments the qi very specifically in the spleen and lungs to treat ailments such as anemia, dehydra­tion, and fatigue. Another herb, Scutellaria, which purges heat from the lungs and liver, is used for the treatment of jaundice and infections.

Chinese herbalism, which now has entered mainstream American alternative and complemen­tary medicine, is often used in conjunction with conventional Western drugs and treatments. Indi­viduals with asthma, for example, may be on a reg­imen of theophylline and other bronchodilators; rather than extend the intake to steroids when the bronchodilators are not effective enough to relieve symptoms, certain Chinese herbs can help reduce mucus production and strengthen the body’s qi so the need for other medications may be reduced. A person with an ulcer who takes traditional antacids may be further relieved by Chinese herbs and Chinese herbalism that fight heat and dampness in the stomach, help the liver to relax, and decongest impaired flow of qi. In gen­eral, Chinese herbalism recognizes remedies for ill­ness but interprets illness as an imbalance of body constituents that may show up as patterns consist­ing of both physical and emotional symptoms. An important aspect of Chinese herbalism is correct diagnosis of a patient’s problem; customized herbal treatment of the problem can conquer an entire spectrum of dysfunction. Common Chinese herbs are astragulus, lotus seed, nutmeg, walnut, ginger, cinnamon, radish seed, angelica root, schizandra, poria cocos, licorice, peony, chrysanthemum, ligus-ticum, honeysuckle, mulberry, raspberry, mustard seed, dianthus, plantain, motherwort, turmeric, myrrh resin, hawthorn, red and black dates, ephedra root, artemisia leaf, agrimony, magnolia, corn silk, corydalis root, peach seed, salvia root, fennel seed, coptis root, dandelion, sargassum, mil-lettia stem, cordyceps, peppermint leaf, sileris root, gardenia, clove, cardamom seed, and unicaria stem. Chinese herbal substances also have Chinese and botanical names.

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