Chinese herbal medicine is a renowned branch of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Written commentaries on Chinese herbal medicine date back to the 3rd century BCE. The first major materia medica was written in 659 CE, and described 844 medicinal substances. The current official Chinese Materia Medica, published in 1977, contains 5,767 substances including animal and mineral products, as well as plants. In Chinese herbal medicine, botanicals are considered to have an inherent temperature (i.e., hot or cold), one or more flavor(s) (i.e., bitter, sour, salty, sweet) and are said to enter one or more of the 12 regular meridians (i.e., heart, spleen) with certain directional tendencies (i.e., inward, outward).
Temperatures |
Flavors |
Directional tendencies |
cool |
bitter |
upward |
Herbs are seldom used singly in TCM but are put together in specific formulations, typically containing 8 to 15 herbal ingredients. Chinese practitioners have long held the belief that combining herbs both enhances their benefit and diminishes unwanted effects. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts, so to speak. In addition to the purported synergistic value, the fact that no single herb is used in any great amount may decrease the chance of toxicity from any particular constituent.
Formulas are, for the most part, tailored to fit the needs of an individual patient. As the patient’s condition changes, the formula is altered. Herbs may be completely removed, new ones added, or ingredients simply reduced or increased. Today, formulas are available in capsules or liquid extracts. But the traditional method of administration is in the form of strong medicinal teas.