Chinese herbs have been used for thousands of years in China

There are a lot of people interested in traditional Chinese herbs these days and want to know more about them. Many of us are fed up with doctors pumping us full of prescription drugs, which often have dangerous side effects. While prescription medicine is very necessary for some health conditions, Chinese herbal medicine is proven safe and effective for many health problems and may also be considered when treating an illness.

Chinese herbs have been used for thousands of years in China to maintain health and treat thousands of various ailments. Herbalists collected every herb they could find and usually ingested them themselves and noted the effect it had on them. They also combined many of the herbs into formulas to be given to people with specific health concerns. Any herb that proved to have a harmful effect was thrown out and not used again. Over time, these herbal doctors were able to come up with a very effective form of medical treatment.

Even if you are free from disease and health problems, Chinese herbs can be used to maintain good health, increase strength, sharpen the memory and much more. For example, In traditional Chinese medicine, ginseng is prescribed for increasing energy, longevity, stamina, strength, memory and as an overall general health tonic.

Most of the time, these herbs aren’t just prescribed by themselves. Many herbs are combined into a formula to treat a specific ailment. These classic Chinese formulas have been passed down to herbalists for thousands of years and have stood the test of time.

Rather than just prescribing ginseng alone for vitality, most Chinese herbalists would recommend this formula: Asian Ginseng Root, Eleuthero Root, American Ginseng Root, Tienchi Ginseng Root, Astragalus Root, Fo-Ti Root, Dong Quai Root, Atractylodes Rhizome, Codonopsis Root, Licorice Root, Ginger Root, and Poria Sclerotium.

A lot of emphasis is put on using "supporting herbs" to make the formulas more balanced and powerful. You’ll see licorice root included in most formulas, as it helps balance the other ingredients and make them work more synergistically.

Another very popular Chinese herbal formula is "Xiao Yao Wan" (also known as "Free & Easy Wanderer"). This formula is especially good for women, as it helps regulate their monthly cycle. It nourishes the blood and brings harmony to the body.

"Xiao Yao Wan" consists of these Chinese herbs: Bupleurum Chinese root, Paeonia lactiflora root, Angelica sinensis root, Atractylodes macrocephala rhizome, Poria cocos fungus, Zingiber officinale rhizome-fresh, Glycyrrhiza uralensis root, Chai hu, Bai shao, Dang gui, Bai zhu, Fu ling, Sheng jiang, Gan cao, Bo he.