The Four Natures and Five Flavors of Herbs (Si-ci Wu-wei)

pharmacology (herbs)

In TCM, the properties of herbs are described primarily in terms of the “four natures” and the “five flavors.” The four natures (plus neutral)—hot, warm, cool, and cold—indicate their thermal effects: warm and hot herbs warm the body and are suitable for treating cold conditions, while cool and cold herbs cool the body and are suitable for treating heat-related conditions. The five tastes—pungent, sweet, sour, bitter, and salty (plus bland and astringent)—reflect their functions: pungent disperses and moves; sweet tonifies and harmonizes; sour astringes; bitter dries and descends; salty softens. Added to this are the “direction” of action and “entry” into the meridians. These characteristics form the basis of each herb card in the database.