Traditional Chinese medicine in our country emphasizes the concept of "medicine and food have the same origin", which means that traditional Chinese medicine and food come from the same source. The difference between medicinal herbs and food is that some things are used only for treating diseases, so they are called medicine, while others are used only for food and are called dietary ingredients. However, there are some substances that can be used both for treating diseases and as food, which are called medicinal and edible substances.
I. Medicinal Herbs for Relieving Exterior Conditions
Function: Treating exterior syndrome is the main purpose.
Medicinal and edible substances:
1. Warm herbs for relieving exterior conditions: ginger (fresh ginger, dried ginger), perilla, perilla seeds, angelica dahurica, mosla.
2. Cool herbs for relieving exterior conditions: kudzu root, chrysanthemum, mulberry leaf, peppermint, fermented black soybeans, burdock fruit.
II. Phlegm-Resolving and Cough-Suppressing Medicinal Herbs
Function: Phlegm-resolving herbs mainly eliminate or dissolve phlegm; cough-suppressing herbs relieve or stop coughing and wheezing.
Medicinal and edible substances:
1. Heat-clearing and phlegm-resolving herbs: kelp, seaweed, hoelen, rehmannia root.
2. Cough-suppressing herbs: sweet almond, balloon flower root, white fruit, monk fruit, yellow mustard seed.
III. Heat-Clearing Medicinal Herbs
Function: Treating interior heat syndrome is the main purpose.
Medicinal and edible substances:
1. Heat-clearing and fire-purging herbs: cassia seed, bamboo leaf.
2. Heat-clearing and detoxifying herbs: honeysuckle flower, dandelion, houttuynia cordata, purslane, green fruit, endive.
3. Heat-clearing and dampness-drying herbs: gardenia.
IV. Warming Medicinal Herbs
Function: Treating interior cold syndrome is the main purpose.
Medicinal and edible substances: dried ginger, clove, fennel, galangal, cinnamon, Sichuan pepper.
V. Wind-Dispelling and Dampness-Resolving Medicinal Herbs
Function: Treating rheumatism and arthralgia syndrome is the main purpose.
Medicinal and edible substances: papaya, black-boned snake, Russell's viper, black pepper.
VI. Aromatic and Dampness-Resolving Medicinal Herbs
Function: Treating spleen dampness obstruction syndrome.
Medicinal and edible substances: patchouli, cardamom.
VII. Diuretic and Dampness-Resolving Medicinal Herbs
Function: Treating water-dampness retention syndrome is the main purpose.
Medicinal and edible substances: poria, coix seed, adzuki bean, Chinese honeylocust fruit, garden balsam fruit, winter melon peel.
VIII. Qi-Regulating Medicinal Herbs
Function: Treating qi stagnation or qi rebellion syndrome.
Medicinal and edible substances: tangerine peel, sword bean, tangerine red, citrus, polygonatum, fingered citron, star anise.
IX. Blood-Regulating Medicinal Herbs
Function: Treating various bleeding disorders.
Medicinal and edible substances:
1. Hemostatic herbs: milk thistle, sophora flower, sophora seed, fresh white grass root, shepherd's purse.
2. Blood-activating and stasis-dispelling herbs: peach kernel.
X. Sedative Medicinal Herbs
Function: The main effect is to calm and sedate the mind.
Medicinal and edible substances:
1. Heart-nourishing and sedative herbs: sour jujube seed.
2. Liver-calming and wind-extinguishing herbs: oyster.
XI. Tonifying Medicinal Herbs
Function: Tonifying qi, invigorating yang, nourishing blood, and nourishing yin.
Medicinal and edible substances:
1. Qi-tonifying herbs: Chinese yam, licorice, astragalus, Chinese date, white hyacinth bean, white hyacinth bean flower, seabuckthorn, honey, jujube (sour jujube, black jujube).
2. Blood-nourishing herbs: donkey-hide gelatin, longan flesh (Chinese date).
3. Yin-nourishing herbs: polygonatum, lily, wolfberry, mulberry, black sesame.
4. Yang-invigorating herbs: ginkgo seed, walnut.
XII. Astringent Medicinal Herbs
Function: Treating various prolapse disorders.
Medicinal and edible substances: raspberry, lotus seed, euryale seed, nutmeg, Chinese plum.
XIII. Digestive Medicinal Herbs
Function: Aiding digestion and relieving food stagnation.
Medicinal and edible substances: hawthorn, chicken gizzard lining, raphanus seed, malt.
XIV. Cathartic Medicinal Herbs
Function: Inducing diarrhea or lubricating the large intestine to promote bowel movements.
Medicinal and edible substances: hemp seed, Chinese pistache seed.
XV. Anthelmintic Medicinal Herbs
Function: Expelling or killing parasites in the human body. Treating parasite disorders is the main purpose.
Medicinal and edible substances: tung tree seed, pumpkin seed, garlic.
