What are the five flavors of Chinese medicine?

Life is about food, oil, salt, sauce, vinegar and tea. Only when you live down to earth can your life be interesting. A life with a mixture of five flavors can make people feel more joy. The so-called five flavors refer to sour, sweet, bitter, spicy and salty. In fact, there are also five flavors in traditional Chinese medicine. Each of the five flavors in traditional Chinese medicine has a typical medicine representing different flavors. So what do the five flavors of traditional Chinese medicine refer to? Let me introduce it to you below.

"It can contract and astringe", which means it has the effects of contracting and consolidating. Generally, medicines that strengthen the exterior and stop sweating, astringe the lungs and stop coughing, astringe the intestines and stop diarrhea, consolidate semen and reduce urine, and consolidate metrorrhagia and stop leukorrhea have a sour taste. Sour medicines are mostly used to treat symptoms such as physical weakness and sweating, chronic cough due to lung deficiency, long-term diarrhea and loose bowels, enuresis, frequent urination, and continuous metrorrhagia.

Black plum: looking at the plum can quench your thirst. Speaking of plum, you may become uncontrollable and your tongue may be filled with saliva. The sourness of black plum is self-evident. It is made from plum fruits that are dried at low temperature until they turn black. It is suitable for patients with lung deficiency and chronic cough. It can also treat long-term diarrhea and relieve abdominal pain caused by roundworms.

Red dates: The sweetness of red dates is well known. They are rich in sugars and vitamins. Red dates are sweet and warm in nature, and belong to the spleen and stomach meridians. They have the effects of invigorating qi and blood, strengthening the spleen and stomach, and dispelling wind. Red dates are a holy product for invigorating qi and blood. At the same time, they are inexpensive. People do not need to buy expensive supplements in the market. They can achieve the effect of health care by making good use of red dates.

bitterness

"It can purge, dry and strengthen", which means it has the functions of clearing away heat, relieving and lowering qi, facilitating bowel movements, drying dampness and strengthening yin (purging fire and preserving yin).

Coptis chinensis: As the saying goes, only after tasting the bitterness of Coptis chinensis can you appreciate the sweetness of honey. A dumb person cannot express his pain even when eating coptis root. It is well known that Coptis chinensis is bitter and is a bitter medicine. It has a very strong effect of clearing heat, purging fire and detoxifying, and can treat red eyes, toothache, etc.

Sweet

"It can nourish, harmonize and relieve", which means it has the effects of nourishing, harmonizing the stomach, adjusting the properties of medicines and relieving acute pain. Generally speaking, medicines that nourish, replenish deficiency, harmonize medicinal properties and relieve pain are mostly sweet in taste.

Licorice: Glycyrrhizin is the material basis of licorice's sweet taste, and it tastes like a special sweet flavor. Licorice is known as the national elder because of its mild and wide-ranging effects. It can not only nourish the body, but also moisten the lungs, alleviate the properties of medicines, harmonize the spleen and stomach, and detoxify.

"It can purge and soften", which means it has the effect of purging, relieving constipation, softening and dispersing lumps. Generally speaking, medicines that have a laxative or laxative effect, as well as those that soften hard masses and dissipate lumps, are mostly salty in taste. Salty medicines are mostly used to treat dry and hard stools, scrofula, sputum nodules, goiters, and abdominal masses.

Seaweed: It comes from the sea and of course has a salty taste. It is this salty taste that gives seaweed the ability to soften, moisten, and disperse lumps. It can also promote diuresis, reduce swelling, and lower blood pressure and lipids.

Spicy

"It can disperse and circulate", which means it has the functions of dispersing, promoting qi and blood circulation.

Amomum villosum: Amomum villosum tastes spicy and is a spice medicine. It can dry dampness and warm the middle.

However, I still have to remind everyone in the end that the five flavors of traditional Chinese medicine do not really refer to the five taste sensations. The five flavors are a summary of the laws of action of medicines, and are the specific manifestations of the real taste of some traditional Chinese medicines (such as the examples listed above). The reason for the misunderstanding is that the initial determination of the five flavors was based on the real taste of the medicine, that is, it was known through tasting.