Traditional Chinese medicine is based on ancient Taoist and Confucian philosophies dating back about 4,000 years, so it's no wonder that there are striking differences between Asian and Western views of health and illness. In China, remedies for common female complaints were handed down from grandmother to mother to daughter in an unbroken chain hundreds of generations long. Chinese women didn't visit the local physician when PMS or postpartum depression hit, they brewed a traditional herbal soup or tea according to a time-honored recipe.
In Chinese kitchen medicine, disharmonies of the qi (pronounced CHEE), the vital energy that enlivens all things, is believed to be at the root of most diseases. These disharmonies are described in terms of yin (the feminine energy principle related to the cooling, moistening functions of the body) and yang (masculine energy related to the body's warming, activating functions). Imbalances in yin and yang show up in organ dysfunctions, blockages in the energy channels (acupuncture meridians) and in imbalanced mental and emotional states.
Chinese medicine draws on over 5,000 herbs taken in various combinations for all known ailments. The herbs are classified in terms of the properties they bring into the body: heating, cooling, moisturizing or drying. They are usually combined in formulas designed for more than one purpose such as to restore harmony to the body, balance any adverse side effects of the treatment and direct the treatment to the right parts of the body.
The synergistic complexity of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formulas distinguishes them from more simplistic Western pharmaceuticals. According to TCM practitioners, Chinese herbal tonics are a legitimate alternative to pharmaceuticals, often succeeding where conventional remedies fail. Says Don Bensky, L.Ac., co-author of the Chinese Herbal Medicine Materia Medica (Eastland Press, 1986), "If a woman has painful periods and a complete physical workup finds nothing wrong, herbs often get rid of the problem. They can even be effective in some types of endometriosis. I have a colleague in Australia who has successfully treated 1,200 women with ovarian cysts and fibrocystic breast disease."
Bensky finds tonics particularly useful in menopause, especially in women whose symptoms are related to a very sudden drop in hormone levels. "Chinese herbs often can engage the body's own systems so that women produce more estrogen. Unlike hormone replacement therapy, however, after six months or a year, you stop taking the herbs, and the body takes over. You're never dependent on them. They simply put you in a better balance," says Bensky.
According to Lesley Tierra, L.Ac., Dipl. Ac., author of Healing with Chinese Herbs (The Crossing Press, 1997), Chinese herbalism differs from Western in that herbal remedies are matched to both the energy (qi) of the disease and of the person. In the Western tradition, treatment of the disease is paramount. Everyone with a common diagnosis is given the same treatment. In Chinese herbalism, people with the same illness often get different herbal formulas suited to the energy contribution they require -- hot, cold, dry or damp. Generally mild and more food-like than Western allopathic medicines, herbal formulas counterbalance and enhance each component's effectiveness and don't usually cause side effects such as those associated with many conventional (Western) drugs.
Most Chinese herbs are readily available in the Chinatowns of big cities and may also be purchased from mail order sources in bulk, pills, powders or combined into a patent formula. The most effective way to take Chinese herbs is in tea, although some people find the taste of many of the herbs disagreeable.
Although finding herbs used in TCM may be fairly simple, figuring out what to take can be somewhat trickier. To begin with, TCM has its own language. If you think your spleen needs strengthening and you seize a bottle of Chinese tonic that "strengthens Spleen," you may not be buying what you need. In TCM, concepts such as "Spleen" refer not just to the organ but to its functional energy. That's why TCM term are capitalized, to clarify that the term is not meant to describe the body's physical organs. Blood and Qi are the fundamentals. Blood is said to make Qi, and Qi is considered the commander of the Blood, which is particularly important in women's health.
"Unless you take the time to study TCM, and yourself," says Harriet Beinfeld, L.Ac., co-author of Between Heaven and Earth (Ballantine, 1991), "You could take the wrong formula but that isn't likely to cause any serious problem. These tonic formulas are very mild and work over a period of time, but it may not help you and could make your problem worse. For example, if a woman is overweight, complaining of aches and pains, puffiness and congestion, she needs herbs that are dispersing and purging, rather than tonifying. Tonic herbs will simply help her make more of what she already has. But herbs that move, dispel and purge qi, moisture and blood, will make her feel better," says Beinfeld.
The principle yin organs central to women's health, are the Heart, Spleen, Kidneys and liver. The Heart is the master organ governing the smooth flow of the blood through the body. It also "houses" the spirit, that is, the ability to think, comprehend, remember, sleep wee and feel calm. An imbalanced heart is associated with chest pains and palpitations, poor circulation and mental disorders. Bitter herbs are used to help clear cholesterol from arteries and to calm the spirit and nurture the heart. Bitter herbs are said to help clear cholesterol from the blood and improve Heart function. Other herbs, such as Suan Zao Ren (Zizyphus spinosa) and Bai Zi Ren (Biota orientalis), calm the spirit and are nurturing to the heart.
The Spleen is in charge of absorbing nutrients (assimilation) and transporting them throughout the body. Signs of a weak Spleen include poor digestion, bloatedness, frequent bleeding and bruising and anemia.
Sweet, tonic herbs such as wild yam and ginseng are restorative to the Spleen and beneficial to digestion and absorption.
The Kidney not only refers to the organ but to the essence of life, the regulation of hormones, fluid balance and energy metabolism. It promotes growth, reproduction and a strong immune system. Lower back pain, poor immune responses, weak knees, edema and premature aging are considered Kidney problems, which the herbs Rehmannia and He Shou Wu can help cure.
The Liver stores blood and helps to maintain the flow of qi. It directly affects the eyes, the tendons and emotional stress. Liver problems manifest as spasms, eye disorders, muscle tension, PMS, depression, digestive upsets and high blood pressure. Sour herbs help these conditions, and bitter ones stimulate the bile and lower high blood pressure.
Chinese medicine has evolved classic herbal formulas to support women's health. For all types of menstrual irregularities and problems of fertility, the herb Dong Quai (Angelica sinensis) is traditional. In fact, says Michael Tierra, C.A., N.D., author of The Way of Herbs (Pocket Books, 1990), every woman should take a Chinese tonic formula with Dong Quai to prevent problems related to the reproductive system. Formulas for preventing menstrual cycle irregularities are taken daily for a week before menstruation and stopped during menstruation, because TCM practitioners believe that taking them at that time would be weakening to the system.
Dong Quai calms the spirit and nourishes the Heart, which in Chinese medicine refers to the mind and emotions. Dong Quai is used in combination with other tonic herbs: Shu Di Huang (Rehmannia glutinosa), which nourishes the Blood and yin energy; Chuan Xiong (Ligusticum walichi) which removes stagnation; Shao-yao (Peony root), a liver tonic useful for skin eruptions and infections; and for menstrual irregularities and PMS.
An important herb used for regulating women's hormones is Shu Di Huang (Rehmannia glutinosa), which is also believed to help maintain the calcium content of bones so as to avoid osteoporosis. This herb can be used for problems of the Heart (the mind, in Western terms), including restless sleep. Suon Zao Ren (Zizyphus spinosa) is added to formulas when a calming effect is wanted.
One of the best ways to consume these herbs is to cook them with food. Herbs cooked with food are easily digested and sometimes, even delicious. Cooking with Chinese herbs is simple -- all you have to do is add the herbs to soup stocks or grains. In fact, most Chinese typically consume an herbal soup at least once a week, according to Tierra. Herbs are varied by season, the weather and health needs.
Dong Quai and Black
Bean Soup
