Classify herbs using taste
From the past, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has always been based on repeat experiements and attempts to discover healing formulas instead of using scientific ways of research and analysis. A recent study shows that the in vitro antioxidant activity is related to the Chinese classification of yin (陰) and yang (陽).
In TCM, herbs are known to have four natures and five flavours. The four natures can be cold, hot, warm and cool, while the five flavours are pungent, sweet, sour, bitter and salty. Basically the natures are classfied by how the body reacts after the intake of the herb, and the flavours are simply the taste of the herb on the tongue.
It was known that the Huangdi Neijing (黃帝內經), also known as the Yellow Emperor’s Inner Canon, categorized the natures and flavours of Chinese herbs as pungent and sweet flavour grouping in yang, while the sour, bitter and salty flavours grouping in yin. It was possible to study and compare the therapeutic properties of different Chinese herbs based on the yin and yang compositions.
After examining 45 Chinese herbs and their category properties, the study found out that on average herbs that have the bitter flavour belonging to the yin character had a significant higher antioxidant property than herbs that have the pungent and/or sweet flavours belonging to the yang character.
The research gives some idea to finding and relating Chinese herbs to antioxidant actions, which means delaying the process of aging of the body system. By knowing how the natures and flavours react on our body we can better select the herbal medicines and food diet that best compliments our unique body system.
[eCAM 2008 5(4):429-434; doi:10.1093/ecam/nem054]
