

It clears Heat and nourishes the Yin, Improves vision and strengthens the lower back. Noble Dendrobium is used to tonify the yin of the Lung and Stomach and help in generation of Fluids. Dendrobium nobile - shí hú (石斛) or shí hú lán (石斛兰) It was once used by the Chinese as a form of anesthesia during surgeries.ġ9. It contains tropane alkaloids which produce hallucinogenic properties. Jimsonweed or devil’s snare is another member of the nightshade family. Datura stramonium - zǐ huā màn tuó luó (紫花曼陀萝) Coptis chinensis - duǎn è huánglián (短萼黄连)Ĭhinese Goldthread is used to treat the gastrointestinal parasite, Blastocystis hominis.Ĭhemical derivatives of fumewort have been studied as potential ways to increase pain tolerance and for treating drug addiction.Īs its common name tells all, Purging Croton is used as a strong purgative.Ī known poison, the flower buds and roots are used for a variety of reasons.Īlso known as Devil’s Trumpet or White thornapple.ġ8. Can regulate menses.Ĭinnamon can reduce glucose and cholesterol in people with type 2 diabetes.ġ2. Safflower is used to invigorate the blood.
Marijuana has been used for hundreds of years and has numerous medical uses prescribed by TCM. Camellia sinensis - chá shù (茶树) or chá yè (茶叶)Ī favorite for its delicious tea and antioxidant properties, green tea is used to move the qi down if it’s stuck and aids in urine retention, clears Phlegm, and cools internal Heat. Milkvetch rebalances and replenishes the qi of the spleen and stomach, and tonifies and nourishes the qi and blood.Ĩ. Astragalus membranaceus - huángqí (黄芪) or běiqí (北芪) The aster has antibacterial and antifungal properties and has been used as a folk cure for cancer.ħ. The marlberry expels phlegm, invigorates Blood, and clears some infections. Mountain henbane contains high levels of tropane alkaloids hyoscyamine and scopalamine which act as anticholinergics, stabilizing the circulatory system during shock. Anisodus tanguticus - shān làngdàng (山莨菪) Anemone or Pulsatilla chinensis - bái tóu weng (白头翁)Ĭhinese anemone is used to clear Heat, remove toxins, and reduce inflammation.Ĥ. The Chinese Alangium Root is used to dispel Wind, eliminate Dampness, relax the tendons and bones, dissipate stasis and alleviate pain.ģ. Others may be applied topically as poultices or rubs, while others may be burned and used as a drawing agent.īelow are 50 of TCM’s most fundamental herbs and a bit about their use in TCM.Īlso known as Korean mint, this is used to transform dampness that is obstructing the stomach and spleen, harmonize the Middle Warmer, and relieve the Exterior from invasion of Cold and Damp.Ģ. Some may be taken orally as teas, tinctures, or capsules. The herbs can be administered in a variety of ways, depending on the problem being remedied and the function of the herb itself. Herbs are a mainstay of the practice, and the precise way in which they are formulated and mixed together is completely dependent upon a whole host of qualifications of the patient, taking into account all body systems, healthy and otherwise. Through the course of treatment, practitioners incorporate diet, cupping, qigong, herbs, and acupuncture to bring things into alignment, naturally treating and preventing health problems. It goes deeper than even the underlying disease processes and looks to the heart of the matter: the balance, ebb, and flow of energy through the body’s natural pathways. The practice goes beyond a mindset of just simply treating a list of symptoms.

The 50 Fundamental Herbs of Traditional Chinese Medicineĭeveloped over 3,000 years ago, Traditional Chinese Medicine, or TCM, incorporates a holistic approach to healing and health.
