Use of Chinese Herbs

The use of Chinese herbs

Chinese herbs are based on the idea that certain food products contain the necessary amino acids, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and the herbal components to stimulate the body.

The herbal components are to stimulate specific parts of the body such as the immune system, liver, heart, pancreas, thyroid, ovaries, bone marrow etc. Herbal components act on the level of the enzymes which is why the herbs work so quickly.

For instance, ginseng is a common herb everyone knows.  It is known for its energy.  It is also in energy drinks.  Ginseng is the herb everyone knows about.  But what is ginseng and what is its primary function?  What makes it work the way it does?

Ginseng is a slow growing plant that prefers cool climates.  It grows in northern Asia where cooler climates are frequent.  The root is the part of the plant used for its herbal properties.  The leaves are used but are less effective.  The active ingredient is ginsenosides*.  Ginsenosides are steroid hormones that act directly on the DNA.  This allows the function to be immediate.  This herb is considered an adaptogenic, which in herbal medicine is a natural substance considered to help the body adapt to stress and to exert a normalizing effect upon bodily processes.

The liquid form guarantees the absorbability of the herbs so it works immediately.  The manufacturing process of pills and tablets introduces fillers which may contain heavy metals and chemical residues.  By cooking herbal teas in water it simplifies the problem and becomes more effective.

Chinese herbalists believe the synergistic effects of the different ingredients integrate to become one formula.  Both formulas contain ginseng but the other ingredients modify its actions so the ultimate function of the two formulas are different.

The herbal formula for one certain type of tea contain ginseng.  Its actions are totally different.  One type of tea stimulates the adrenals and creates an energy boost.  Another type of tea dissimulates the adrenal and allows the body to sleep at the appropriate time.  One formula works on the sympathetic nervous system and the other on the parasympathetic nervous system.

*Definitions of Ginsenosides on the Web:

• Ginsenosides are a class of steroid glycosides, and triterpene saponins, found exclusively in the plant genus Panax (ginseng). Ginsenosides have been the target of research, as they are viewed as the active compounds behind the claims of ginseng’s efficacy.
• en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ginsenosides
• ginsenoside – Any of several triterpenoid saponins found in ginseng and related plants that may be responsible for the plants reported effects
  en.wiktionary.org/wiki/ginsenoside