HERB OF THE MONTH: The Nature of Sweetness
Excessive sweetness, whether in an herb or foods can have negative effects on health.
Each herb in Chinese medicine contains different aspects which are used to explain how the herb will function individually and within an herbal formula. These aspects are flavor, properties, direction, and meridian entered. An herb could possesses the following flavors: bitter, sour, salty, pungent and sweet.
The flavor, sweet points to an herb’s function of moistening, warming, tonifying, and ascending. Herbs that are sweet support the process of the spleen and pancreas. These herbs encourage digestion.
But you can have too much of a good thing! Excessive sweetness, whether in an herb or foods can have negative effects on health. An overburden of ‘sweetness’ in the body is seen in an individual who has a propensity to crave sweets, one who may have allergies, excessive phlegm in the form of chronic sinus problems, acne, poor digestion, candida overgrowth, loose stools, obesity, depression, and muscle aches and pains.
When designing herbal formulas a Chinese herbalist will balance the herbs with the ‘flavor’ aspects in mind. Just like a healthy diet consisting of too much sugar or white starches, herbal formulas should contain a balance of flavors.
