Merge: date=June 2007

“The two most common way to using herbs are to make a strong tea that should be simmered for about an hour or possibly more, or to make large honey bound pills”.

Most Chinese herbs are usually used to help build and strengthen the body. The most commonly used herbs are Ginseng (人參, renshen), wolfberry, Dong Quai (Angelica sinensis, 當歸, tang-kuei or danggui), astragalus (黃耆, huangqi), atractylodes (白朮, baizhu), bupleurum (柴胡, chaihu), cinnamon (cinnamon twigs (桂枝, guizhi) and cinnamon bark (肉桂, rougui)), coptis (黃蓮, huanglian), ginger (薑, jiang), hoelen (茯苓, fuling), licorice (甘草, gancao), ephedra sinica (麻黃, ma-huang), peony (white: 白芍, baishao and reddish: 赤芍, chihhao), rehmannia (地黃, dihuang), rhubarb (大黃, dahuang), and salvia (丹參, danshen). These are just a few of the herbs. The use of Ginseng is well “over two thousand years old in Chinese medicine”. Ginseng is known to help boost your energy, reduce stress and increases your endurance. Ginseng consists of ginsenosides. “The amount of ginsenosides in ginseng depends on how the plant was cultivated and the age of the root”. “Wild ginseng is rare and commands for the highest prices on the market, but most ginseng on the market today is a reasonable price. Red Panax ginseng is the most popular form of ginseng and it is usually packaged as a liquid or tea”. Ginseng comes in two kinds, red and white. The color of the ginseng depends on how it is processed. “White ginseng is unprocessed and dries naturally. Red ginseng is preserved with steam and is believed to be more effective”. Native Americans have used American ginseng for dry coughs, constipation and fevers. “Many women found relief from night sweats and hot flashes from the use of American ginseng”. “The use of ginseng is a safe way to boost energy, vitality and your overall health”.

Wolfberry is grown in the Far East and is grown from shrubs with long vines. The shrubs are covered with small trumpet-shaped flowers, which turn into small, bright red berries. The berries are usually fresh and sometimes used when it is dried. “Goji Berry is mostly used to treat kidney, liver, eye, and skin problems, diabetes, tuberculosis, anxiety, and insomnia. It also helps to lower the blood pressure and cholesterol levels. They are known to improve the state of health, strengthen the immune system and increasing the longevity and vitality of the human kind”.

Dong Quai (Angelica sinensis or "female ginseng") is an “aromatic herb that grows in China, Japan and Korea. It is used to regulate the menstrual cycle and to treat menopausal symptoms caused by the hormonal changes”. Even though it is good for women, it also helps treat the heart, spleen, liver and kidneys that help both the men and women. The effect of the herb in treating menstrual cramps is explained by the compounds that help relax the muscle tissue and relieves pain. Dong Quai also stimulates the central nervous system, which can remedy menstrual weakness and headaches. “The use of this herb is mostly found in tea, herbal preparations, capsules and extracts. It usually comes in tablet, liquid extract and raw root forms. For the best use of the Dong Quai to provide long term relief from menopause syndromes is to take it regularly between 8 and 12 weeks and especially at the end of the treatment”. “Using Dong Quai regularly relieves menstrual cramps, prevents the symptoms of menopause and PMS, corrects hormone imbalance and acts as a general tonic for the female reproductive system”. “There isn't a certain amount of dosage for Dong Quai but in Chinese medicine Dong Quai is made in a special way- it is boiled or soaked in wine, then the liquid is taken orally while the root is being removed”. “In the United States and Europe, Dong Quai is a very popular flavoring component in food products such as ice cream, candy, gelatins and puddings but in Asia it is most likely used to treat female troubles”.