Many people take Chinese herbs, but there is much confusion as to how they actually work.
Fundamentally, Chinese herbal formulasย restore circulation and build organ function. The way that a formula is composed includes combining specific herbs to cause a very specific outcome and having those herbs complement each other.
In fact, the original basis of Chinese herb formulation was patterned after the hierarchical governmental system in China:
as an example there may be an โemperorโ herb that has the most powerful effect,
a โgeneralโ herb which directs the activities of the formula,
and โenvoyโ herb that carries the herb to the correct location (for example if the person had knee problems this would drive the formula into the knee directly).
A typical Chinese herbal formula could have anywhere from three to twenty-five herbs in it, depending on the person and the complexity of their condition.
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