EnglishRead our weekly traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) columns in the South China Morning Post (SCMP).
Alcohol is a common ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine, having been used for more than 4,000 years. Alcohol drinks with medicinal purposes in TCM include millet wine, strong white spirits and medicated wines and beers. Li Shizhen, a famous TCM practitioner, talked about wine in his book Bencao Gangmu. “Wine…
MoreRegular physical exercise is an important aspect of health maintenance. But, unlike some modern approaches, TCM doesn’t recommend pushing the body to its limits. Moderate and gentle exercise is considered the best way to stimulate chi and blood flow around the body for health protection and nourishment. Over the centuries,…
MoreSouthern China is in a sub-tropical zone whose high temperatures and humidity cause bacterial growth and fungal growth. According to traditional Chinese medicine, hot and wet weather makes it easy for exogenous heat and dampness evils to attack the body. They consume chi (vital energy), impair body fluids and cause…
MoreTea was considered an elixir in ancient China. The founder of herbology, Shen Nong, supposedly tasted hundreds of herbs – including poisonous ones – to distinguish those that had medicinal value. To counteract the effects of eating poisonous herbs, he is said to have eaten tea leaves. China was the…
MoreThe tongue is a highly sensitive organ that can easily be influenced by physical changes. Tongue “signs” are an important factor in traditional Chinese medicine assessment, as changes are believed to reflect the development of a disease. After a TCM physician has checked the pulse, they look at the tongue.…
MoreJapanese honeysuckle (lonicera japonica) is a fast growing, woody vine that bears fragrant, two-lipped flowers and is used as a medical plant. Its flowers are known in Chinese as jin yin hua or “gold-silver flower”, referring to the silvery yellow blooms in the flower cluster. It has high medicinal value…
MoreThe exact cause of mouth sores isn’t known, but these painful white or yellow ulcers with red borders tend to be associated with viral infections, food allergies, stress, and nutrient and immune deficiencies. They’re prevalent among people living in urban areas. In traditional Chinese medicine, sores or ulcers are regarded…
MoreAccording to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), long-term stress and intense emotional stimulation adversely affect the liver. In TCM, the liver promotes flowing and spreading movements – by stimulating flow, the liver controls the smooth movement of chi, blood and body fluids, and spreads them round the entire body. There are…
MoreWhen a woman conceives, her body undergoes changes that enable the baby to grow. Morning sickness (although it can occur at any time), fatigue and other symptoms are more prominent in the early months, making pregnant women uncomfortable. From a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) perspective, these conditions occur because of…
MoreTraditional Chinese medicine (TCM) clinics in Hong Kong often have mirrors on the walls bearing the Chinese characters yu man xing lin. This expression derives from a story about a famous Chinese herbalist. Dong Feng, who retired to the Lu Mountains in Jiangxi province for a simple life. Being Taoist,…
MoreTraditional Chinese medicine is said to be beneficial during the long recovery periods when bones are healing. After setting or surgery, the bone site undergoes different processes such as inflammation, repair and, finally, remodeling to restore its original physical and mechanical properties. Chinese bone-setting specialists use internal and external remedies…
MoreFood taboos are an important part of Chinese culture, when someone suffers from a particular disorder or is taking medication, they often ask TCM practitioners what food they should avoid. The Chinese have a long history of dietary practice. There are records of court physicians dealing with dietary problems more…
MoreTraditional Chinese medicine categorises the major types of body constitution as neutral, yin-cold, yang-hot, phlegm-damp and dry, these five constitutions form a crucial guideline in clinical applications. Knowing your body allows TCM physicians to better advise you on what to eat and how to live to maintain good health. Yang-hot…
MoreBlack sesame is called barbarian’s hemp in Chinese because of its similarity om appearance to the plant. Since it was brought to china in 119BC, black sesame has been highly regarded as having powerful health benefits. There’s a folktale about a Chinese woman who not only lived to a ripe…
MoreFlexibility is one of the main reasons herbal decoctions have remained the clinical mainstay of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for thousands of years. They’re therapeutic, quickly absorbed and have few toxic side effects, and the ingredients can be modified on a daily basis, allowing physicians to cater to the patient’s…
MoreIn the days before canned food, surplus crops and seasonal fruits were dried or preserved to make them available year round. Fruits such as plums, kumquats, olives and ginger were dried and pickled with a variety of spices and preservatives, and eaten as inexpensive snacks. Frosted or treated with syrup,…
MoreIn western medicine, excess weight despite decreasing food intake and increased exercise may be attributed to a genetic predisposition or metabolic disorders. Similarly, TCM concludes it can be caused by constitutional influences. In TCM, there are five different types of physical constitutions: neutral, yin and cold, yang and hot, phlegm…
MoreA Chinese folktale recounts how a herbalist left home one day to make the rounds of his district – a journey that often took weeks. Meanwhile, patients kept calling at his home wanting medicine. So, his wife came up with a way to treat them. Since she knew little about…
MoreDuzhong is the bark from the eucommia tree, which can reach heights of up to 15 metres. The trees’ survival was once threatened because their bark was often stripped to the point of killing them. Today, harvesting is limited to peeling small patches from trees more than 10 years old…
MoreIt can be difficult to resist the temptation to overeat during the Lunar New Year holiday. Unfortunately, gorging on food can overload the digestive system, and many people will suffer from indigestion. There’s also the threat or heartburn, stomach upset, feeling bloated, belching, nausea and lack of appetite – as…
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