TCM Herbal Database - Materia Medica - Channels Influenced
Within Traditional Chinese Medicine, herbs are divided into many categorizations which help to ensure they are used effectively. Below you will find herbs categorized by the meridians, or channels, that the herbs will influence. When preparing formulas for a given condition you may use herbs that either effect a particular meridian or organ directly or herbs that will help lead the properties of other herbs into a particular channel.
For example, you may want an herbal formula that cools lung heat for a cough. You can use herbs that are directly cooling on the lungs or a combination of herbs that are cooling and have a strong influence on leading that property of the herbs to the lungs.
You may also use herbs to protect a certain channel or organ system from side effects of stronger herbs that you are using to treat a particular condition.
Listed below are the channels influenced along with the number of herbs within each meridian that are contained in our tcm herbal database.
375 TCM Herbs Listed By The Channels They Influence
Below is a table of the Traditional Chinese Medicine herbs categorized by the channels they influence. You may click on a channel to view the names and functions of each individual herb as well as to learn more about the channel influences. You may also view the herbs categorized by properties and functions.
Channel Influenced | Num of Herbs |
---|---|
Gall Bladder | 22 |
Heart | 85 |
Kidney | 102 |
Large Intestine | 71 |
Liver | 200 |
Lung | 145 |
Pericardium | 7 |
Small Intestine | 22 |
Spleen | 117 |
Stomach | 135 |
Triple Heater | 5 |
Urinary Bladder | 43 |
Some Herbs To Peruse...
Hu Po Amber
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- Arrest tremors, stop palpitations, calm the spirit - tremor, palpitation, anxiety, excessive dreams, insomnia, poor memory, convulsions, seizures.
- Invigorate the blood, dissipate stasis - amenorrhea with pain, palpable masses, coronary heart disease.
- Promote urination, invigorate the blood - xue lin.
- Reduce swellings, promote healing - sores, carbuncles, ulcers, genital swelling and pain.
Functional Grouping
Properties
Channels Influenced
Bai He Lily Bulb
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- Moisten the lungs, clear heat, and stop coughing - cough from dry lungs or lung heat, sore throat.
- Clear heat and calm the spirit - low fever, insomnia, restlessness, irritability in the aftermath of a febrile disease, palpitations from qi and/or yin deficiency.
Functional Grouping
Properties
Channels Influenced
Gua Lou Trichosanthes Fruit
- Clears heat and transforms phlegm-heat - for heat-induced coughs with sputum that is thick and difficult to expectorate.
- Expands the chest and dissipates nodules - constriction, pain, lung abscesses, breast abscesses.
- The peel, Gua Lou Pi, clears and transforms phlegm heat - dissipates nodules, regulates qi - dry cough, throat, cough, difficult to expectorate sputum.
Functional Grouping
Properties
Channels Influenced
Huang Qi Astragalus Root
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- Tonifies spleen qi - lack of appetite, fatigue, diarrhea.
- Raises yang qi of spleen and stomach - prolapse of uterus, stomach, rectum, uterine bleeding.
- Augments the wei qi and stabilizes the exterior - deficiency w/spontaneous sweating, frequent colds or shortness of breath.
- Tonify qi and blood due to loss of blood - postpartum fever.
- Edema from deficiency.
- Promote discharge of pus, generate flesh - sores due to deficiency.
Functional Grouping
Properties
Channels Influenced
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