Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) uses Chinese herbs as part of a holistic approach to wellness. The Huang Dei Nei Jing and Shennong Bencao Jing are important texts in TCM, with the latter describing at least 365 medicinal formulations. Chinese herbs are classified according to the four natures, five flavors, and meridians, and all parts of the plant are used. Some herbs have different names in TCM, such as garlic being called dasuan.
Mankind has been using herbs as medicine since the earliest days of human evolution. Finally, the knowledge and experience gained was recorded and preserved for future generations. We recognize this transition from being foragers in the desert to students of pharmacology as the dawn of medical herbalism. However, different cultures recognize an expanded view of herbal medicine beyond simply observing the cause and effect of chewing a leaf or drinking herbal tea. In fact, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), one of the oldest systems of medicine, embraces the use of traditional Chinese herbs as a complementary component of a holistic mind-body approach to wellness.
One of the first medical texts to describe the doctrines of traditional Chinese medicine was the Huang Dei Nei Jing, which dates to approximately 475 B.C. C. From this document emerged the basic concepts of several diagnostic methods central to traditional Chinese medicine, such as the theory of the five elements and the concept of duality. of masculine and feminine aspects (ie yin and yang). Later, various Chinese materia medica provided an understanding of how Chinese herbs correspond to these theories and herbology was introduced, which is the science of designing herbal formulas according to the yin/yang state of the patient.
One of the oldest known texts specific to Chinese herbs was the Shennong Bencao Jing, dating to the Han Dynasty. The author of the same name is also credited as the first herbalist in Chinese medicine. Legend has it that Shennong tested hundreds of Chinese herbs for their properties, many of which were highly toxic. This particular work is reputed to describe at least 365 medicinal formulations, with more than 250 listed as Chinese herbs.
Unlike in Western botanical medicine, all parts of Chinese herbs are typically used rather than just the leaf or root. Another distinction is that Chinese herbal medicine often incorporates non-botanical components into its formulas, such as animal skins, organs, and bones. However, since obtaining some of these ingredients poses a threat to several endangered species, this practice has largely been discontinued.
Chinese herbs are traditionally classified according to three criteria: the four natures, the five flavors, and the meridians. The four natures relate to the degree and orientation of the yin/yang aspects, ranging from very cold (extreme yin) to very hot (excessive yang). The five flavors, sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and spicy, indicate the medicinal merit of the plant based on the flavor it produces. Finally, the way in which the herb corresponds to the meridians (energy channels) of the body is determined by the biological activity that the herb exerts on the systems and organs of the body.
While some Chinese herbs may be unfamiliar to Westerners, others are commonly known but go by different names. For example, garlic is well known as a medicinal herb in Western medicine, but in Chinese medicine it is known as dasuan. A popular house and garden plant that produces a soothing gel for burns, aloe is called luhui in China.
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