Flavors in Chinese Medicine
Flavors in Chinese Medicine
A pharmacist today knows that medicines are categorized by their actions that are based on their chemical makeup, but this technology has only existed for about 150 years. As we know Chinese Medicine is millennia old, so how were doctors of the past able to categorize their herbal medicines without being able to isolate specific chemical compounds? The answer is in the flavor. Taste is one of our most important senses that tell us how favorable something is to be eaten for sustenance, but our tongues also react to the flavors that alert us of potential poisons or mineral compounds our bodies need and crave.
In Chinese Medicine each of the flavors influence the human body and each is required to produce a desired outcome in a patient. Food and herbs all have flavors that come from their chemical makeup our tongues can detect and create a roadmap for nutrition and clinical treatment. Let’s explore each of the flavors below:
Flavors in Chinese Medicine and Their Healing Roles
Sweet obviously is the most nutrient dense and all the tonifying or fortifying medicines have a sweet component that help nourish a diminished body. Most food has a sweet component like meats, grains, and fruits which are all needed to prevent emaciation. Long before modern nutrition Chinese Medicine advocated for a diverse plate of foods to ensure the patient was getting enough nutrition from different sources. If a patient has weak digestion diagnosed as qi deficiency sweet herbs like ginseng, astragalus, and Chinese dates may be prescribed. If a patient is anemic and has sustained blood loss from trauma or heavy periods sweet herbs like Chinese wolfberry, Chinese angelica, or rehmannia can be prescribed.
However, just like in modern times overindulgence in exclusively sweet food or medicines can result in negative side effects. High blood sugar and fat content in the blood can accumulate leading to diabetes and vascular problems. Ingesting too many sweet tonic herbs can also cause bloating and a slow down of circulation if other herbs are not combined with them. In TCM almost every formula that contains a sweet tonic herb will have another herb from another category to help mitigate these negative side effects.
Acrid is a term used for aromatic herbs. All spicy herbs are acrid, but not all acrid herbs are hot. Think of the difference between hot pepper and mint, while both have an aromatic taste, one can cause the body temperature to rise and cause sweating while the other is cooling and releases heat from the skin. Acrid herbs have an effect to dilate or open various tissues in the body. Herbs that help promote digestive movement like tangerine peel are acrid. Cnidium is an acrid herb that works on the vascular system and is a potent vasodilator. Acrid herbs can also have potent antibiotic and antiviral effects. The same chemicals that create the aromatic taste are also aggravating to bacteria. Patchouli is an example of an aromatic herb that is used as the main ingredient in traveler’s diarrhea formulas.
Bitter may not be a desired flavor that people want in their food, but many leafy greens and vegetables that are a good part of a balanced diet are considered bitter. Bitter herbs are noted for their cleaning effect on the body, they help stimulate the body to remove excess or blockages out through the urine or stool. Rhubarb is famously bitter, but is mainly used in TCM as an herb for severe constipation. Very bitter substances like skullcap or coptis have very potent effects on infections and help flush the lymphatic system and promote urination to remove inflammatory actors. There are also herbs like salvia root that are bitter but instead work on thinning the blood and clean out stagnant blood flow in the arteries and is often used in heart disease formulas.
Salty is generally found in mineral and marine substances. Salty has a function to dissolve or break down masses. Modern research now shows the health benefits of seaweed and kelp not only as a mineral dense food, but as a potential treatment for goiters if it is due to iodine deficiency. Minerals such as oyster shell are used in TCM for ulcerative types of acid reflux, but its main chemical of action calcium carbonate is also what is used in many over the counter antacids. There is also some overlap with neurological suppressants. The heavy mineral compounds in magnetite and pearl powder work similarly to sedatives and were used in psychology patients like lithium carbonate is used today.
Sour is one of the most interesting flavor types as it is an astringent. It helps bind as well as have the opposite effect of acrid herbs and helps maintain the shape of various structures. Lemon being sour is well known as a mild digestive aid as it help astringe the digestive juices and promote overall digestion. Gallnut is used in TCM as an astringent for chronic diarrhea and helps restrain the overactive intestines. Gingko nut is an astringent used for maintaining lung integrity, especially in patients with asthma and Evodia is used in patients with liver damage and is often mixed with longevity herbs so the body can retain the beneficial effects of these herbs without them being excreted prematurely.
Bland is not seen as one of the five major flavors but still has an important effect. Truly bland substances have a leeching effect that helps draw water towards the medicine. You can tell that when something is bland in your mouth it tends to suck or dry the saliva. Many herbs in the diuretic category are noted for being bland in flavor and are irreplaceable in their uses for edema and phlegm problems like the mushroom poria.
Many herbs can have multiple flavors, for example bitter orange is both bitter and acrid so it helps with distension and pain the digestive tract. The bitterness helps drain obstruction while its acrid taste helps open the intestines to move the obstruction through to the colon.
Herbs also have heat indexes. From Cold to neutral to hot. We discussed hot peppers being acrid and hot while mint is acrid and cool. When a patient has an upper respiratory infection although acrid and bitter herbs may help stop the cough and help remove the infection, generally cool or cold herbs are used to calm the inflammation. Sweet and cold herbs can also be used in a dry cough like trichosanthes fruit that help remove dry phlegm but maintain the moist lining of the epithelium that may be too dried out with a hot acrid herb.
Finally, after years of using herbs clinically they are noted for their organ system of affinity. Ginger root primarily affects the stomach and sinuses, while herbs like cnidium we discussed earlier influence the heart and liver as a vascular herb.
Curious what herbs are right for you? Schedule a herb consultation and see how Chinese Medicine can help your internal medicine issues.
