Five Elements: Balance with Herbal Therapy
Chinese herbal medicine and its uses date back thousands of years. Shen Nong is the legendary patron of herbal medicine and the author of the first Chinese Materia Medica. In order to document the taste and healing properties of each herb, he was known to have personally tasted and taken over one hundred herbs. Shen Nong introduced agriculture to the Chinese, including the calendar, plow, axe, and husbandry.
One of the unique features of Chinese herbal medicine is taste: bitter, sweet, pungent/acrid, salty, and sour. These tastes directly correlate with the Five Elements: Fire/bitter, Earth/sweet, Metal/pungent/acrid, Water/salty, Wood/sour, and possess certain physiological properties. The Five Elements represent movement, transformation, nature, and forces within the human body, environment, and disease pathology. It is a fundamental theory in Chinese medicine as humans are inseparable from nature and thus governed by natural laws, of which the Five Elements is one. Understanding Chinese herbal medicine through the construct of the Five Element theory helps the physician discover and treat not only signs and symptoms but also the root cause of disharmony, restoring balance or homeostasis.
Healing Properties of Taste
The bitter taste is associated with the Fire Element. Bitter herbs contain flavonoids that act as antioxidants and help reduce inflammation. Bitter herbs drain excess Fire/Heat and Dampness/swelling from the body. Fire is hot and bitter herbs are cold. Each person has a unique personality that corresponds to one of the Five Elements. A Fire person is passionate and can suffer from too much excitability, causing Fire to blaze stronger, creating agitation, heart palpitations, and insomnia. Reducing the Fire with bitter herbs such as Asian Ginseng in the Fire Core Element formula that also possesses spirit-calming properties while cooling the excess Fire of the associated organ of the Heart.
Dampness can be thick and tends to get stuck or cause blockages in the body, especially in digestion. Bitter herbs help drain dampness to allow the body to smooth circulation. Herbs like Berberine move energy in the abdominal region to help improve sluggish digestion.
The sweet taste is associated with the Earth Element. The Earth Element is about nurture, compassion, patience, and contentment. Sweet herbs lift us when we feel tired from overthinking or overworking and allow us to see clearly when we have brain fog. I think of sweet herbs as the nurse or caregiver, helping us tonify, balance, and harmonize our bodies. Longan fruit and Codonopsis root are two examples of sweet herbs that are in the Earth Core Element formula. The Earth Element is related to the Spleen and Stomach, helping with digestion and energy. They can be combined to make a soup to help resolve fatigue, brain fog and nourish body fluids.
The pungent/acrid taste is associated with the Metal Element. The Metal Element is all about determination, strength, and the ability to let go of things that are no longer needed or holding us back. A pungent/acrid taste is invigorating, allowing our bodies to let go of pathogens and stuck energies in the body, including pain. The Metal Element is associated with the Lung and Large Intestine. When we catch a cold, we must let go of the pathogen, stuck emotions, and toxins in the body through bowel movements. Siler root or Fangfeng is used for any type of cold or flu. Find it in the Metal Core Element formula.
The salty and bland tastes are associated with Water. The Water Element is said to “go with the flow,” be creative and curious, yet can feel like an outsider. Salty herbs soften rubbery masses, lumps, and bumps throughout the body. Salty herbs include animals and plants from the sea. Haizao (seaweed) contains a multitude of vitamins, iodine, and tyrosine, supporting thyroid function, which is part of the hormonal health governed by the Water Element. Bland-tasting herbs like Fu Ling or Poria is a medicinal mushroom that helps regulate the water metabolism associated with kidney function, thus ensuring a balance of electrolytes and fluids. It is part of the Water Core Element formula.
The sour taste is associated with Wood. The Wood Element has strength and flexibility and is a strategic planner. Wood Elements are inspired and full of creative ideas. Sour herbs astringe or help soak fluids back into the body like a sponge, including sweat and blood. Sour herbs act on the Liver and Gallbladder, helping with stress, insomnia, and tendon issues. Sour herbs have tannins, which protect the bark, leaf, or fruit from outside pathogens, like bacteria. This is why a wet tree does not rot or get moldy. Once the tannins are extracted, they remain intact. Shanza (Hawthorn berry) is sour and rich in amino acids, minerals, pectin, vitamin C, chlorogenic acid, epicatechol, and choline, and it has highly therapeutic health values. Many studies have shown that Hawthorn has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, anti-cardiovascular disease, and digestive-enhancing properties. It is one of a number of beneficial herbs in the Wood Core Element formula.
Besides the classic Five Elements formula, at Tao of Wellness, we approach each patient uniquely and help support the health of the corresponding Element organ system through custom herbal formulation. We invite you to contact the Tao of Wellness to book a consultation for herbs to support and help you find balance and harmony.