Plants that we often see in our daily lives could very well be life-saving Chinese medicinal herbs. Currently, there are 38 common and precious Chinese medicinal herbs in our country. How many do you know?
1. Blood-nourishing Medicinal Herbs
Blood-nourishing herbs, also known as blood-tonifying herbs, are used to treat blood deficiency disorders. According to the theory of the Five Elements in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the heart is the child of the liver, and the liver is the child of the kidney. Based on the principle of supplementing the mother when deficient and nurturing the Yin when Yang is generated, the treatment of blood deficiency often involves nourishing the heart and liver, and nourishing the liver often involves nourishing the kidneys. In cases of severe blood deficiency, herbs that tonify the spleen and lungs are also commonly added to blood-nourishing formulas.
The main principles and methods of TCM treatment for blood deficiency include invigorating the spleen and stomach, benefiting Qi to nourish blood, nourishing the kidneys to nourish blood, promoting blood circulation to nourish blood, and detoxification to nourish blood.
Common blood-nourishing herbs include Chinese angelica, cooked Rehmannia root, white peony root, donkey hide gelatin, wolfberry, and longan flesh. Ancient people often used these herbs as the main ingredients to formulate blood-nourishing prescriptions, such as Si Wu Tang, Dang Gui Bu Xue Tang, and Gui Pi Tang.
2. Qi-nourishing Medicinal Herbs
Qi-nourishing herbs, also known as Qi-tonifying herbs, are used to treat Qi deficiency disorders. They have the effects of tonifying lung Qi and spleen Qi, and are suitable for lung Qi deficiency and spleen Qi deficiency, among other conditions. Qi-nourishing herbs are also commonly used for blood deficiency disorders because strong Qi can generate blood. Especially in cases of heavy blood loss, it is necessary to use Qi-nourishing herbs, as "visible blood cannot be quickly regenerated, but invisible Qi needs to be urgently solidified." Therefore, there is a treatment method called "blood loss with Qi tonification" in clinical practice.
Common Qi-nourishing herbs include ginseng, codonopsis root, astragalus root, white atractylodes rhizome, and licorice root. In order to enhance their effects, ancient people usually used these herbs as the main ingredients to formulate Qi-nourishing prescriptions, such as Si Jun Zi Tang, Shen Ling Bai Zhu San, Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang, Yu Ping Feng San, Sheng Mai San, and Ren Shen Ge Jie San.
3. Yang-nourishing Medicinal Herbs
Any herbs that have the function of tonifying Yang and are used to treat Yang deficiency disorders are called Yang-nourishing herbs. Common Yang-nourishing herbs include cinnamon bark and deer antler gelatin. Ancient people often used these herbs as the main ingredients to formulate prescriptions, such as Shen Qi Wan and You Gui Wan.
4. Yin-nourishing Medicinal Herbs
Yin-nourishing herbs, also known as Yin-tonifying herbs or nourishing Yin herbs, are used to treat Yin deficiency disorders. They have the effects of nourishing kidney Yin, lung Yin, stomach Yin, and liver Yin, and are suitable for conditions such as insufficient kidney Yin, weak lung Yin, depleted stomach Yin, and deficient liver Yin.
Common Yin-nourishing herbs include dendrobium, dogwood fruit, tortoise shell, and soft-shelled turtle shell. In ancient times, in order to enhance the efficacy of these herbs, they were often used as the main ingredients to formulate prescriptions, such as Liu Wei Di Huang Wan, Shi Hu Ye Guang Wan, and Bu Fei E Jiao Tang.
