Properties of Medicinal Herbs in Traditional Chinese Medicine

Properties of Medicinal Herbs in Traditional Chinese Medicine

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) classifies medicinal herbs based on their properties of hot, cold, neutral, and taste, along with their effects on the body.

Hot/Cold Properties:

• Cold (寒 Liang):

• Effect: Clears heat, reduces fire, cools blood, detoxifies, promotes urination.

• Uses: Treats fever, internal heat caused by yin deficiency, or boils, rashes, itching, allergies.

• Examples: Gypsum, Coptis chinensis, Thyroid gland, Ophiopogon japonicus, Desmodium styracifolium, Passiflora incarnata…

• Chemical Composition: Glycosides, alkaloids, bitter substances.

• Warm (熱 Wen):

• Effect: Relieves cold, induces sweating, opens channels, promotes blood circulation, relieves pain, revives yang and rescues from collapse.

• Uses: Treats diseases caused by cold, such as cold invading the interior (Cinnamomi Cortex), kidney yang deficiency (Radix Aconiti Lateralis Preparata), wind-cold invasion (Ephedra, Perilla frutescens, Mentha haplocalyx).

• Examples: Cinnamomi Cortex, Radix Aconiti Lateralis Preparata, Ephedra, Perilla frutescens, Mentha haplocalyx…

• Chemical Composition: Essential oils (aromatic), sugars.

• Neutral (平 Bing):

• Effect: Benefits dampness, promotes urination, lowers qi, loosens phlegm, replenishes the spleen and stomach.

• Examples: Dioscorea opposita, Glycyrrhiza uralensis, Bletilla striata, Codonopsis pilosula, Zea mays…

Taste:

• FIVE TASTES (NGŨ VỊ):

• Spicy (辛): Disperses, relieves superficial conditions, induces sweating, circulates qi and blood, relieves pain, opens orifices.

• Sweet (甘): Harmonizes, relaxes muscles, lubricates bowels, nourishes the body.

• Bitter (苦): Clears heat, clears heat and reduces fire, clears heat and dries dampness, fights infection, disinfects, treats boils or snake venom, insect bites.

• Sour (酸): Astringes (tightens skin), stops sweating, consolidates (strengthens), stops cough, stops diarrhea, disinfects, anti-putrefactive.

• Salty (鹹): Softens hardening, moistens and descends, resolves phlegm, disperses accumulation.

• Bland (淡): Increases penetration of dampness and promotes urination, has cleansing and clearing heat properties.

• Astringent (澀): Strengthens the spleen, consolidates essence, constricts the tongue, astringes, consolidates.

Relationship between Properties, Taste, and Color:

• Green: Sour, related to Wood (Liver, Gallbladder)

• Red: Bitter, related to Fire (Heart, Small Intestine)

• Yellow: Sweet, related to Earth (Spleen, Stomach)

• White: Spicy, related to Metal (Lungs, Large Intestine)

• Black: Salty, related to Water (Kidneys, Bladder)

Qi Movement:

• Ascending (昇): Upwards to the upper Jiao to treat diseases.

• Descending (降): Downwards to the lower Jiao to treat diseases.

• Outward (浮): Outwards to treat diseases that tend to sink inward.

• Inward (沉): Inwards to treat diseases that tend to rise outwards.

Ways to Combine Herbs:

• Single (單行): Using a single herb can be effective.

• Synergistic (相須): Two herbs with similar properties => increased therapeutic effect.

• Mutual Inhibition (相畏): Two herbs used together, one inhibits the toxicity of the other.

• Antagonistic (相惡): Two herbs used together, one inhibits the function of the other.

• Cooperative (相使): Two herbs with different properties => increased therapeutic effect.

• Mutual Neutralization (相殺): Two herbs used together, one neutralizes the toxicity of the other.

• Contraindicated (相反): Two herbs used together can cause toxicity.

Examples:

• Cold Herbs: Phellodendron chinense, Scutellaria baicalensis (bitter, clears heat and dries dampness, anti-inflammatory, reduces fever)

• Warm Herbs: Cinnamomi Cortex, Angelica sinensis (spicy, dispels cold, relieves superficial conditions, induces sweating, opens channels, promotes blood circulation, relieves pain)

• Sweet Herbs: Ginseng, Panax notoginseng (slightly bitter), Astragalus membranaceus (tonifies qi)

• Bitter Herbs: Andrographis paniculata, Artemisia scoparia (very bitter), Coptis chinensis (slightly bitter), Rehmannia glutinosa (slightly bitter)

• Sour Herbs: Fructus Crataegi (astringent), Prunus mume (astringent, stops cough, generates fluids, quenches thirst)

• Spicy Herbs: Mentha haplocalyx (relieves heat-related cold), Perilla frutescens (relieves cold-related cold), Ephedra (induces sweating), Radix Aconiti Lateralis Preparata (assists yang to rescue from collapse), Cinnamomi Cortex (eliminates cold in the middle jiao)

Note: This article only provides general information about the properties of medicinal herbs in TCM. To use herbs effectively and safely, consult a qualified practitioner.