Qi Tonic herbs

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The word " tonic " has a different meaning in TCM than in the West. In the

West it's often applied indiscrimately to any herb which helps an organ or

the body overall. In TCM the term applies to substances which will

supplement, help, or nourish Qi, Blood, Yin, or Yang. The tonic herbs will

help to build up one of these 4 in the body. The Yang tonic herbs increase

Yang in the body, the Yin tonic herbs increase Yin, the Blood tonic herbs

increase *proper* Blood in the body (anemia is not the only problem which

can manifest from Blood Deficiency), and Qi tonics increase Qi.

 

If you look in a TCM materia medica, you will see that the vast majority of

the herbs listed as Qi tonics specifically target the Spleen and Lung

meridians. The Spleen and the Lungs are the two systems most responsible

for the accumulation of Qi in the body. The Spleen is in charge of

extracting Grain Qi from the food we eat and transporting it to the Lungs

where it mixes with the Air Qi that the Lungs extracted from air. A few of

the herbs listed specifically target the Spleen and Stomachs, and some will

target the Spleen, Stomach, and Lungs. The Spleen and the Lungs are the most

important systems when it comes to having enough Qi and to accumulating it.

 

You also will notice that most of these herbs will have a sweet taste. The

Spleen and the Stomach have an affinity for the sweet taste, and most sweet

tasting herbs will enter the Spleen and/or Stomach. Some of these herbs will

have secondary tastes like bitter mixed in with the sweet taste. The Qi

tonic herbs which are both sweet and bitter will not only tonify the Qi but

will assist in drying Dampness. In people who have some major Dampness

problems in addition to being Qi Deficient, you might choose one of the Qi

tonic herbs with both a sweet and a bitter taste in order to help both

problems.

 

In addition, most of the Qi tonic herbs will have slightly warm or neutral

thermal energy. This can be important in selecting a Qi tonic herb for a

person who is Qi Deficient and has Heat problems (like a person who is Yin

Deficient and Qi Deficient, or a person who is Qi Deficient with some

localized Excess Heat). The Qi tonic herbs with neutral thermal energy may

be better in some of these cases because you may not want to add Heat to the

body of someone who already is too Hot.

 

Some examples of Qi tonic herbs include: Rx (Radix - root of) Astragali

(Huang Qi); Rz (Rhizoma - rhizome of) Atractylodis Macrocephalae (Bai Zhu);

Rx Codonopsis (Dang Shen); Rx Dioscoreae (Shan Yao, wild yam); Rx Ginseng

(Ren Shen); Rx Glycyrrhizae (Gan Cao, licorice root); Rx Polygonati (Huang

Jing, solomonseal rhizome); Fr (Fructus, fruit of) Ziziphi Jujubae (Da Zao);

and Saccharum Granorum (Yi Tang - barley malt sugar - not everything listed

in a TCM materia medica is an herb).

 

Are these Qi tonic herbs interchangable? No. Different Qi tonic herbs are

better for different individuals. Let's say that a person has some major

Protective (Wei) Qi Deficiency problems. This is a person who catches every

bug that comes around and/or is very weather sensitive. A Qi tonic herb like

astragalus would be better than many of the other herbs for this individual

because astragalus specifically helps Protective Qi.

 

Let's say another individual has some major sweating problems - even worse

than the usual spontaneous perspiration which is associated with Qi

Deficiency. Or, this person has some severe Dampness problems like edema. A

Qi tonic herb like Rz Atractylodis Macrocephalae (with its combined sweet

and bitter taste) might be best for this person because this herb will not

only tonify Qi, it will work specifically to stop all that sweating or drain

the Dampness of the edema.

 

On the other hand, Fr Ziziphi Jujubae may be best for a person who is both

Qi Deficient and suffering from Dryness because this herb moistens Dryness.

It also nourishes the Nutritive Qi and calms the Spirit.

 

If a person is both Qi Deficient and Yin Deficient, Rx Dioscoreae (wild yam)

may be the best herb because this herb also has Yin tonic properties.

 

Licorice root can be great for someone who is Qi Deficient and suffers from

low blood pressure. Needless to say, this one would be contraindicated in

people who have high blood pressure.

 

Solomonseal rhizome may be the Qi tonic of choice for the Qi Deficient who

also suffer from Wasting and Thirsting syndrome. (Some cases of diabetes

are Wasting and Thirsting syndrome cases though not all cases of Wasting and

Thirsting Syndrome manifest as diabetes.)

 

Ginseng is the most famous Qi tonic herb, but it's not right for everyone.

It can be too harsh for some people. It's also contraindicated in cases of

Deficiency of Yin with Heat, Damp Heat, Excess Heat, ascending Liver Yang,

and very high blood pressure. According to Heiner Fruehauf, ginseng also is

contraindicated in cases of gu zheng. This is a type of parasite which

appears to play a role in many cases of CFIDS, intestinal parasitosis, Leaky

Gut Syndrome, etc. Ginseng will make these cases worse. Rx Codonopsis (Dang

Shen) is substituted for ginseng in formulas which call for the use of

ginseng for these people.

 

A very basic rule of tonic herbs is that you use them to tonify Deficiency;

you never use them for Excess. You give a tonic herb to a person with

Excess, and you can increase the Excess. Translation: If a person is on

tonic herbs and comes down with a cold or the flu, you stop the tonic herbs

and concentrate on getting rid of the cold or flu. Otherwise, the tonic

herbs could make the cold or flu worse.

 

In TCM there are exceptions to just about every rule, and this one is no

exception. There are cases where you can't stop the tonic herbs because the

person is so severely Deficient. But, in general, for the vast majority of

cases, you stop the tonic herbs and concentrate on getting rid of the

Excess. You disperse or sedate Excess; you tonify Deficiency.

 

Victoria

 

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