Why do many Chinese herbs taste so bitter?
The active ingredients of Chinese herbs are frequently roots and barks compared to the leaves and flowers that are dominant in Western herbal teas. They need to be cooked for a long time to extract the active ingredients. However, because the strongest medicinal ingredients are found in roots and barks, Chinese herbs tend to be much more potent. How does the practitioner pick the right herbs for me? Chinese medicine diagnosis is made based on “discrimination of patterns of disharmony”. The practitioner will take a thorough health history, ask questions regarding all body functions, feel the wrist pulse, look at the tongue and palpate certain body areas. The various findings are combined into a composite diagnosis regarding which body systems are in disharmony, based on Chinese medical theory. All medicinal substances as well as foods are classified and described according to several categories, e.g. their flavor, their energetic temperature and their therapeutic properties. Why are Chi
