One very important branch of Chinese medicine is Chinese herbal medicine that utilizes herbal therapies found on the Chinese mainland to resolve various types of health conditions.

To distinguish Chinese herbs, you can use unique methods of classification that are customized to the Chinese medicine practice. Experienced practitioners of Chinese herbal classify herbs according to the meridians, Five Tastes, and Four Natures.

Chinese patent medicine is one particular type of Chinese herbal medicine that pulverizes several herbs and packages them into capsule or pill form and holds them together with honey. The capsules or pills are made available in the market for addressing different kinds of health conditions. Although these products are not patented, they are protected by copyright laws. Chinese medicine currently uses over 300 herbs. Most of these herbs have been continuously used for more than 2,000 years.

Some herbs have very powerful and useful medicinal qualities and in Chinese medicine, they take precedence over others. Some of these potent herbs include salvia, peony, licorice, ginger, bupleurum, wolfberry, dang gui, and astralagus.

Some herbs have no English names, only Chinese names. Some of the Chinese herbs that have been anglicized are Indian stringbush, Chinese cucumber, costus, golden larch, Peking surge, Korean mint, and Tea Plant.

Chinese patent medicine also brings together individual herbs to generate a more powerful healing effect. Some of these combinations and formulas were created by medical practitioners thousand years ago; some formulas are brand new and produced daily.

Some Chinese herbal formulas are derived from several parts of a single plant or from a few parts of a plant. These parts include root, flower, stem, and leaf. Unfortunately, the Chinese government allows parts of animals that are highly endangered like the horn of the white and black rhinoceros. This needs to be addressed as soon as possible to save these animals from extinction. There are various ways to prepare and take Chinese herbs. They can be taken as tinctures, drank as tea, or even eaten in raw form.

Christina Prieto is an Orlando acupuncturist, a certified Yoga instructor and the founder of Harmony Wellness Center in Central Florida.