Deficiencies & Herbs
There are many classes of herbs. Here, we will talk about herbs for treating deficiencies. In Western medicine, if the medicine can enhance the body's immune system, it will be good for everybody. However, the traditional Chinese medicine maintained that the body can be strengthened only in accordance with the nature of its weaknesses. For the Chinese, a weakness in a body is called a deficiency.
There are typically four types of deficiency.
- Energy deficiency which means low energy
- Blood deficiency which means shortage or poor quality of blood
- Yin deficiency which means shortage of body fluids
- Yang deficiency which means weak kidneys in general and low sexual drive in particular
Herbs for deficiencies were divided into 4 sub-classes based on the four types of deficiency mentioned above.
- Energy tonics to treat energy deficiency are Chinese ginseng, Chinese yam (dioscorea opposita thunb.), licorice, membraneous milk vetch and red date. These herbs are effective for shortness of breath, asthma, fatigue, low body weight, poor appetite, indigestion, diarrhea, abdominal swelling, puffiness, prolapse of the uterus and the anus and prolapse of the stomach.
- Blood tonics to treat blood deficiency are danggui (angelica sinensis), glutious rehmmannia and tuber of multiflower knotweed (Polygonum multiflorum Thunb.). These herbs for treating blood deficiency are effective for palpitations, forgetfulness, insomnia, headaches, dizziness, ringing in the ears, irregular menstruation, muscular twitching, opisthotonos, night sweats and diabetes.
- Yin tonics to treat yin deficiency are lily, matrimony vine (Lycium barbarum L.), sealwort, sesame (Sesamum indicum L.), tremella, wax tree and white peony. These herbs for treating yin deficiency are effective for chronic cough, night sweats, seminal emission, hoarseness, constant thirst, a chronic sore throat, a dry cough, excessive perspiration, lumbago, blurred vision, ringing in the ears and diabetes.
- Yang tonics to treat yang deficiency are dodder (cuscuta chinensis), eucommia bark, longspur epimedium, morinda root, snake-bed seed, snow lotus and teasel. These herbs for treating yang deficiency are effective for lumbago, cold limbs, frequent urination, impotence, sminal emission, chronic diarrhea, abduominal pain, infertility and blurred vision.
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