Herbal Formulas and the Art of the Dinner Party

With the increasing awareness of herbal medicine, health and lifestyle magazines frequently highlight the benefits of certain individual herbs. From the Chinese pharmacopia, herbs such as astragalus, ginger, and goji berries are likely candidates for this spotlight. What is missing from these pieces is the importance of utilizing these herbs in formulas, or combinations with other herbs. With the exception of Chinese herbs that are utilized habitually in cooking (including ginger and many spices), Chinese herbal medicine is concentrated around the utilization of formulas. Much as sitting down with a bowl of mashed potatoes may be enjoyable, it is hardly a replacement for a complete Thanksgiving dinner! Chinese herbal formulas involve putting together all of the ingredients to form a complete treatment for the patient, much as putting together all of the requisite dishes compose a complete meal.

As with a dinner party, a good menu is not sufficient for success; the guests themselves play an active role. Temperments, personalities, opinions and habitual behaviors all must be considered in who to invite to ensure the greatest enjoyment and minimal conflict. Like the dinner party guests, all herbs have unique individual characteristics that can be utilized to better effects in a formula. Herbs are selected not only for their characteristics as individuals, but for their abilities to work with the other herbs in the formula. Each herb in a formula has specific role to play which influences its dosage within the formula. The goal is to create the same balance and harmony in a formula as you would in the milieu of your dinner party.

The benefits of combining herbs include the following: increased positive effects from herbs working synergistically with one another, reduction in side effects through counterbalancing the actions of different herbs, increased digestability of richer or stickier herbs, and the decrease in toxicity effects of certain herbs. Perhaps most importantly, herbal formulas utilize a comprehensive approach that enables the treatment of complex and multi-symptom health problems as opposed to a symptomatic approach of using one herb per symptom, a "cookbook" style that will most likely not be particularly effective.

These special relationships between herbs have been utilized in Chinese medicine for centuries and are captured in the structure of classical Chinese formulas. Classical formulas are derived through an understanding of these beneficial relationships, and formula selection is based on a complex system of differential diagnosis. It is a common misunderstanding to think that a Chinese formula is selected based on a symptom, such as headache, especially since many health magazines and natural food stores present herbal information in this fashion. To the contrary, Chinese herbal formulas are selected by Chinese herbalists based on an individual's diagnosis to best tailor the treatment for maximum effectiveness and minimize any adverse effects.