FAQ for Chinese Herbs Basics

Facts & Myths, Herbal Treatment, Uncategorized
Gypsum is often used to clear body heat

Gypsum is often used to clear body heat

A: Any type of material can be a Chinese medicine. However, plants (herbs) make up the bulk of prescriptions, followed by animal products and then minerals. Plants cover whole grasses, roots, stems, leaves, flowers, barks and fruits. Animal products consist of insects, fishes, shells, worms and animal parts, while minerals include gypsum, realgar, and sulphur etc.

A: Traditionally, herbs are placed in water and boiled. When the residue is removed, the end product is called a decoction; this herbal solution is most common suggested preparation by physician. Other forms of herbal preparations include boluses, powders, pastes, pills as well as capsules, tablets, granules, syrups, injections that are used to suit the individual needs of each patient.

A: The four natures in Chinese herbs are “cold, cool, warm and hot”. The five flavors are “sour, bitter, sweet, pungent and salty”. TCM believes that since Chinese herbs have such different properties, they have different effects and can work on specific organs or meridians. For example, hot and pungent ingredients like ginger and onion make one sweat; sweet herbs like red dates and pilose asiabell root have tonic effects. Clinically, people with a dry throat and bitter taste in their mouth indicate having excessive heat inside their bodies; they need to take herbs in cold or cool nature to clear the heat. While people who tend to suffer from internal coldness need to ingest herbs that are warm in nature and with tonifying action, so as to boost the body’s functioning.

A: These different “spatial” effects reflect the action tendencies of Chinese herbs. A “ascending” effect enables the medicinal properties to exert the upward movements or work on the upper body e.g. arresting diarrhea or holding organs in their proper places (to prevent them prolapse or sinking); a “descending” effect enables the medicinal properties to exert the downward movements e.g. relieving vomiting, hiccup, coughing and panting; a “floating” effect drives the medicinal properties to exert the outward movements, e.g. inducing perspiration and dissipating body heat; while a “sinking” effect means consolidating and restricting, enabling the facilitation of urination and defecation. Since diseases have various pathological tendencies (moving upwards, downwards, spreading outwards and moving inwards), herbs are used to counteract these tendencies in the diseases and relieve their symptoms. For example, in Influenza or common cold, TCM believes that the lesion lies on the upper and exterior part of the body, and so physicians select herbs with lifting and floating effects such as ephedra and cassia twig in the prescription, herbs that have descending and sinking effects should not be used.

A: Applying herbs according to meridians is to demonstrate the position where the herbs will have the most effect on. Chinese herbs are grouped according to their energetic properties, meridians in here mean the different organs that are linked by the energetic channels.

There are some herbs that work on only one meridian, but others can work on several meridians. Selecting and combining herbs according to the target meridians help raise the efficacy of the herbs. For example, herbs with a cold nature and clearing action can target on different organs, some herbs tend to clear liver fire, some herbs clear stomach fire, and others clear heart or lung fire. Since the meridians or internal organs are interrelated and influence one another physiologically and pathologically, it is necessary to consider these interrelationships too. Therefore, most TCM physicians usually select herbs that match more than one meridian.

A: In TCM, herbal therapies are generally formula based and single herbs are rarely used. TCM holds that every medicinal substance has its strengths and its shortcomings, and each ingredient in the formula should be carefully balanced in quality and quantity, in order to accentuate its efficacy while reducing side effects.

Herbs can complement and assist each other in certain combinations, physicians are likely to prescribe for the following purposes:

  1. Mutual reinforcement leads to a synergy effect when two herbs of a similar nature are used simultaneously. For example, when anemarrhena rhizome and gypsum are used together, the effect of heat clearing is enhanced.
  2. Mutual assistance means the main ingredient of a prescription is enhanced by other subsidiary ingredients, for example when golden thread rhizome is used to treat dysentery, costus root can assist by smoothing bowel movements and arresting abdominal pain.
  3. Mutual suppression helps to reduce the toxicity of a herb, for example, the toxicity of Fructus Crotonis can be reduced by mung beans.
  4. Mutual restraint occurs when two herbs are used together, one herb’s actions or toxicity is inhibited by the other one. For example, the actions of unprocessed pinellia tuber and Jackinthepulpit tuber are inhibited by fresh ginger.
  5. Mutual aversion means when two herbs are used together, the actions of one herb is inhibited by another, such as the invigoration effect of ginseng can be inhibited by radish seed, fresh ginger reduces the effects of baical skullcap root .
  6. Mutual incompatibility means that certain herbs in combination can lead to adverse effects; for example, liquorice root will increase the toxicity of Flos Genkwa.
  7. Single application refers to a herb used alone in order to exert its own specific action, e.g. using ginseng  alone to replenish inborn qi in a short time.

Actually, the ways of combining for mutual restraint, mutual aversion, mutual incompatibility are usually regarded as the contraindications of application. However, they are not absolute and are for reference only. In real practice, physicians may prescribe like that for their patients, with a cautious manner.

Achyranthes root is usually used to strengthen the bones and tendons

Achyranthes root is usually used to strengthen the bones and tendons.

A: A guiding herb means it is used to enhance the overall efficacy of the prescription, enabling it works on specific meridians, reducing its toxicity or harshness, and improving the taste as well.

  1. Harmonize and reinforce the actions of prescription: for example in wind-heat type influenza when individuals present with a high fever and thirst, bamboo leaf and reed rhizome are used. These two herbs together can strengthen the effects of clearing heat and bringing down the fever.
  2. Guide other herbs to work on specific meridians: for example pain in the lower limbs and feet, achyranthes root is usually selected to act as a guiding role, so that other herbs travel to the painful location.
  3. Reduce toxicity of prescription: Mylabris is usually prescribed to treat liver cancer, however this insect is very toxic, mung beans would also be used as the guiding herb to prevent harmful effects from occurring.
  4. Improve taste: for example the fishy smell of some animal products can be eliminated by mixed with millet wine. Ingredients like honey, malt sugar and sugar cane juice are generally used to make herbs more palatable.

A: Chinese herbs are processed in such a way to:

  • Reduce / eliminate toxicity and side effects;
  • Alter or improve the properties of herbs, so as to enhance healing effects;
  • Alter or reinforce the properties of herbs, so that they can work on specific body parts and action tendencies;
  • Facilitate mixing with other herbs so that they can be made into different forms;
  • Maintain the purity of the medicinal materials;
  • Facilitate storage and aid consumption.

A: Due to differences in growing environment and the nature of the soil, there are big differences in the effective ingredients of plants used as TCM, and also differences in quality. Generally speaking, medicinal materials which are grown in the wild and from well-known areas are considered to be of better quality than those that are cultivated. Furthermore, the size, shape, color, texture and flavor of medicinal materials are factors determining the quality of Chinese herbs. To ensure that you buy high quality herbs, please purchase Chinese herbs from creditable herbal pharmacies.

A: If Chinese herbs are not stored properly, their effectiveness could become compromised. This is indicated by certain physical changes, like changes in color and flavor. Worm infestation and molded can also occur if the herbs have been stored in relatively high room temperatures and humidity (>70%), or when the herbs or herbal products have a relatively higher water content. In such a situation, medicinal materials could also lose their essential oils and become “greasy look”. In order to keep your Chinese herbs from deteriorating, place it in a dry, well-ventilated and dark environment. Ideally, storage in a cool place will lessen the likelihood of molded or pest infestation occurring.

 

Written by:

CM Promotion Group – School of Chinese Medicine, CUHK.

References:

Chinese Pharmaceutics
Chinese Pharmaceutics Identification
Published by Shanghai Science and Technology Publishing House, 6th edition.

Translated and Edited by:

Jennifer Eagleton, BA, MA (Asian Studies), Integrated Chinese Medicine Holdings Ltd.
Lawrence Lau, Ph.D., Integrated Chinese Medicine Holdings Ltd.
Rose Tse, Integrated Chinese Medicine Holdings Ltd.

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