ABSTRACT
The Chinese culture has one of the world's most extensive and elaborate systems of herbal medicines. Over the years, about 10,000 kinds of plants were found to possess medicinal properties, of which about a thousand are used nationwide. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) medicinal herbs cover a broad span of over 200 plant families and several thousands of genera, ranging from the thallophytes, pteridophytes, and gymnosperms to angiosperms. The two most essential herbal drug properties are the so-called "Natures" and "Tastes". There are four kinds of "natures": cold, cool, warm, and hot; and five kinds of "tastes": pungent, sweet, sour, bitter, and salty. A well-known example of an herbal formula is the Ma-Huang Tang, which is composed of four herbal components: Ephedra herb, cinnamon twig, apricot kernel, and licorice. Dietary therapy involves a careful selection of foods and herbs to treat mild visceral disorders, or address conditions of excess and deficiency.
