苦药平升 微寒平亦升 甘辛药平降 甘寒泻火 苦寒泻湿热 苦甘寒泻血热
肝、胆∶味，辛补、酸泻。气，温补、凉泻。
心、小肠∶味，咸补、甘泻。气，热补、寒泻。
脾、胃∶味，甘补、苦泻。气，温、凉、寒、热，补泻各从其宜。
肺、大肠∶味，酸补、辛泻。气，凉补、温泻。
肾、膀胱∶味，苦补、咸泻。气，寒补、热泻。
五脏更相平也，一脏不平，所胜平之，此之谓也。故云安谷则昌，绝谷则亡。水去则荣散，
谷消则卫亡；荣散卫亡，神无所居。又仲景云∶水入于经，其血乃成；谷入于胃，脉道乃行。故
血不可不养，卫不可不温，血温卫和，荣卫将行，常有天命矣。
苦泄 甘缓 酸收 咸软 淡渗泄 辛散
风，升，生（味之薄者，阴中之阳；味薄则通，酸、苦、咸，平是也）。
防风（纯阳，性温，味甘辛） 升麻（气平，味微苦） 柴胡（气平，味苦平） 羌活（气微温，
味苦甘平） 威灵仙（气温，微苦） 葛根（气平，味甘） 独活（气微温，
味苦甘平） 细辛（气温，味大辛） 桔梗（气微温，味苦辛） 白芷（气温，味大辛） 本（微温，
味大辛） 鼠粘子（气平，味辛） 蔓荆子（气清，味辛） 川芎（气温，味辛） 天麻（气平，味苦）
秦艽（气微温，味苦辛平） 荆芥（气温，味苦辛） 麻黄（气温，味甘苦） 前胡（气微寒，味苦）
薄荷（气温，味苦辛）
热，浮，长（气之浓者，阳中之阳；气浓则发热，辛、甘、温、热是也）。
黑附子（气热，味大辛） 乌头（气热，味大辛） 干姜（气热，味大辛） 良姜（气热，味辛；
一本味甘辛） 干生姜（气温，味辛） 肉桂（气热，味大辛） 桂枝（气热，味甘辛） 草豆蔻（气
热，味大辛） 丁香（气温，味辛） 浓朴（气温，味辛） 木香（气热，味苦辛） 益智（气热，味
大辛） 白豆蔻（气热，味大辛） 川椒（气热、温，味大辛） 吴茱萸（气热，味苦辛） 茴香（气
平，味辛） 延胡索（气温，味辛） 缩砂（气温，味辛） 红蓝花（气温，味辛） 神曲（气大暖，
味甘）
湿，化，成（戊湿，其本气平，其兼气温、凉、寒、热，在人以胃应之。己土，其本味咸，其兼味
辛、甘、咸苦，在人以脾应之）。
黄 （气温平，味甘） 人参（气温，味甘） 甘草（气平，味甘） 当归（气温，味辛；一作
味甘） 熟地黄（气寒，味苦） 半夏（气微寒，味辛平） 白术（气温，味甘） 苍术（气温，味
甘） 陈皮（气温，味微苦） 青皮（气温，味辛） 藿香（气微温，味甘辛） 槟榔（气温，味辛）
莪术（气温，味苦辛） 京三棱（气平，味苦） 阿胶（气微温，味甘辛） 诃子（气温，味苦）
杏仁（气温，味甘苦） 大麦 （气温，味咸） 桃仁（气温，味甘苦） 紫草（气寒，味苦） 苏木
（气平，味甘咸；一作味酸）
燥，降，收（气之薄者，阳中之阴。气薄则发泄，辛、甘、淡、平、寒、凉是也）。
茯苓（气平，味甘） 泽泻（气平，味甘） 猪苓（气寒，味甘） 滑石（气寒，味甘） 瞿麦
（气寒，味苦平） 车前子（气寒，味甘） 灯心草（气平，味甘） 五味子（气温，味酸） 桑白皮
（气寒，味苦酸） 天门冬（气寒，味微苦） 白芍药（气微寒，味酸） 麦门冬（气寒，味微
苦） 犀角（气寒，味苦酸） 乌梅（气平，味酸） 牡丹皮（气寒，味苦） 地骨皮（气寒，味苦）
枳壳（气寒，味苦） 琥珀（气平，味甘） 连翘（气平，味苦） 枳实（气寒，味苦酸） 木通（气平
，味甘）
寒，沉，藏（味之浓者，阴中之阴；味浓则泄，酸、苦、咸、气寒是也）。
大黄（气寒，味苦） 黄柏（气寒，味苦） 黄芩（气寒，味苦） 黄连（气寒，味苦） 草龙胆（气
寒，味大苦） 石膏（气寒，味辛） 生地黄（气寒，味苦） 知母（气寒，味大辛） 防己（气寒，
味大苦） 茵陈（气微寒，味苦平） 朴硝（气寒，味苦辛） 栝蒌根（气寒，味苦） 牡蛎（气微寒，
味咸平） 玄参（气寒，味微苦） 山栀子（气寒，味微苦） 川楝子（气寒，味苦平） 香豉（气寒，
味苦） 地榆（气微寒，味甘咸）
Bitter herbs possess the property of being neutral and ascending; slightly cold herbs also possess the property of being neutral and ascending; sweet and acrid herbs possess the property of being neutral and descending. Sweet-cold herbs purge fire, bitter-cold herbs purge damp-heat, and bitter-sweet-cold herbs purge blood-heat.
Liver and Gallbladder: In terms of taste, Acrid (Pungent) tonifies, Sour astringes (purges); in terms of nature, Warm tonifies, Cool purges.
Heart and Small Intestine: In terms of taste, Salty tonifies, Sweet purges; in terms of nature, Hot tonifies, Cold purges.
Spleen and Stomach: In terms of taste, Sweet tonifies, Bitter purges; in terms of nature, Warm, Cool, Cold, and Hot properties all have their respective tonifying and purging effects depending on suitability.
Lungs and Large Intestine: In terms of taste, Sour astringes (tonifies), Acrid (Pungent) purges; in terms of nature, Cool tonifies, Warm purges.
Kidneys and Bladder: In terms of taste, Bitter tonifies, Salty purges; in terms of nature, Cold tonifies, Hot purges.
The Five Zang organs maintain mutual balance. If one organ is imbalanced, it is regulated by the organ that overcomes it to restore balance; this is what is meant. Therefore, it is said that having food leads to prosperity, while lacking food leads to demise. When fluids are lost, Ying Blood scatters; when grain is consumed, Wei Qi perishes. When Ying Blood scatters and Wei Qi perishes, Shen (Spirit) has no place to reside. Furthermore, Zhang Zhongjing stated: When water enters the meridians, blood is formed; when grain enters the stomach, the vessel pathways begin to flow. Therefore, blood must not fail to be nourished, and Wei Qi must not fail to be warmed. When blood is warm and Wei Qi is harmonious, Ying and Wei Qi can circulate normally, allowing one to fulfill their natural lifespan.
Bitter purges, Sweet moderates, Sour astringes, Salty softens, Light leaches and purges, Acrid (Pungent) disperses.
Wind-dispelling herbs, characterized by Ascending and Generating (Herbs with thin flavors belong to Yang within Yin; thin flavors promote unblocking, such as Sour, Bitter, Salty herbs with neutral nature).
Fangfeng (Atractylodes Discolor Root / Saposhnikovia Root) [Pure Yang, Warm nature, Acrid-Sweet taste] Shengma (Cimicifugae Rhizoma / Black Cohosh Rhizome) [Neutral nature, Slightly Bitter taste] Chaihu (Bupleuri Radix / Bupleurum Root) [Neutral nature, Bitter-Neutral taste] Qianghuo (Notopterygii Rhizoma et Radix / Notopterygium Rhizome and Root) [Slightly Warm nature, Bitter-Sweet-Neutral taste] Weilingxian (Symplocos Radix / Symplocos Root) [Warm nature, Slightly Bitter taste] Gegen (Puerariae Lobatae Radix / Kudzu Root) [Neutral nature, Sweet taste] Duohuo (Angelicae Pubescentis Radix / Pubescent Angelica Root) [Slightly Warm nature, Bitter-Sweet-Neutral taste] Xixin (Asari Radix et Rhizoma / Asarum Root and Rhizome) [Warm nature, Greatly Acrid taste] Jiegeng (Platycodonis Radix / Balloon Flower Root) [Slightly Warm nature, Bitter-Acrid taste] Baizhi (Angelicae Dahuricae Radix / Dahurian Angelica Root) [Warm nature, Greatly Acrid taste] Gaoben (Ligustici Chuanxiong Rhizoma / Ligusticum Chuanxiong Rhizome) [Slightly Warm nature, Greatly Acrid taste] Niuniuzi (Arctii Fructus / Burdock Fruit) [Neutral nature, Acrid taste] Manjingzi (Viticis Fructus / Vitex Fruit) [Clear nature, Acrid taste] Chuanxiong (Ligustici Chuanxiong Rhizoma / Ligusticum Chuanxiong Rhizome) [Warm nature, Acrid taste] Tianma (Gastrodiae Rhizoma / Gastrodia Rhizome) [Neutral nature, Bitter taste] Qinjiao (Gentianae Macrophyllae Radix / Largeleaf Gentian Root) [Slightly Warm nature, Bitter-Acrid-Neutral taste] Jingjie (Schizonepetae Herba / Schizonepeta Herb) [Warm nature, Bitter-Acrid taste] Mahuang (Ephedrae Herba / Ephedra Herb) [Warm nature, Sweet-Bitter taste] Qianhu (Peucedani Radix / Peucedanum Root) [Slightly Cold nature, Bitter taste] Bohe (Menthae Haplocalycis Herba / Menthae Haplocalycis Herb) [Warm nature, Bitter-Acrid taste]
Heat-clearing herbs, characterized by Floating and Growing (Herbs with strong qi belong to Yang within Yang; strong qi generates heat, such as Acrid, Sweet, Warm, and Hot herbs).
Heifuzi (Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata / Prepared Lateral Root of Aconite) [Hot nature, Greatly Acrid taste] Wutou (Aconiti Radix / Aconite Root) [Hot nature, Greatly Acrid taste] Ganjiang (Zingiberis Rhizoma / Dried Ginger Rhizome) [Hot nature, Greatly Acrid taste] Liangjiang (Alpiniae Officinarum Rhizoma / Galangal Rhizome) [Hot nature, Acrid taste; another version says Sweet-Acrid] Ganshengjiang (Zingiberis Rhizoma Recens / Fresh Ginger Rhizome) [Warm nature, Acrid taste] Rougui (Cinnamomi Cortex / Cinnamon Bark) [Hot nature, Greatly Acrid taste] Guizhi (Cinnamomi Ramulus / Cinnamon Twig) [Hot nature, Sweet-Acrid taste] Caodoukou (Cardamomi Rotundus Fructus / Round Cardamom Fruit) [Hot nature, Greatly Acrid taste] Dingxiang (Caryophylli Flos / Clove) [Warm nature, Acrid taste] Houpo (Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex / Magnolia Bark) [Warm nature, Acrid taste] Muxiang (Aucklandiae Radix / Aucklandia Root) [Hot nature, Bitter-Acrid taste] Yizhi (Alpiniae Oxyphyllae Fructus / Alpinia Oxyphylla Fruit) [Hot nature, Greatly Acrid taste] Baidoukou (Cardamomi Fructus / White Cardamom Fruit) [Hot nature, Greatly Acrid taste] Chuanjiao (Zanthoxyli Pericarpium / Sichuan Pepper Pericarp) [Hot-Warm nature, Greatly Acrid taste] Wuzhuyu (Evodiae Fructus / Evodia Fruit) [Hot nature, Bitter-Acrid taste] Huixiang (Foeniculi Fructus / Fennel Fruit) [Neutral nature, Acrid taste] Yanhusuo (Corydalis Rhizoma / Corydalis Rhizome) [Warm nature, Acrid taste] Suosha (Amomi Fructus Rotundus / Round Amomum Fruit) [Warm nature, Acrid taste] Honglanhua (Carthami Flos / Safflower) [Warm nature, Acrid taste] Shenqu (Massa Medicata Fermentata / Medicated Leaven) [Greatly Warm nature, Sweet taste]
Dampness-resolving herbs, characterized by Transforming and Accomplishing (Wu Earth's dampness has a neutral fundamental qi, with concurrent Warm, Cool, Cold, Hot natures, corresponding to the Stomach in humans. Ji Earth's dampness has a fundamental Salty taste, with concurrent Acrid, Sweet, Salty, Bitter tastes, corresponding to the Spleen in humans).
Huangqi (Astragali Radix / Astragalus Root) [Warm-Neutral nature, Sweet taste] Renshen (Ginseng Radix / Ginseng Root) [Warm nature, Sweet taste] Gancao (Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma / Licorice Root and Rhizome) [Neutral nature, Sweet taste] Danggui (Angelicae Sinensis Radix / Chinese Angelica Root) [Warm nature, Acrid taste; one version says Sweet taste] Shudihuang (Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata / Prepared Rehmannia Root) [Cold nature, Bitter taste] Banxia (Pinelliae Rhizoma / Pinellia Rhizome) [Slightly Cold nature, Acrid-Neutral taste] Baizhu (Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma / Atractylodes Macrocephala Rhizome) [Warm nature, Sweet taste] Cangzhu (Atractylodis Rhizoma / Atractylodes Rhizome) [Warm nature, Sweet taste] Chenpi (Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium / Tangerine Peel) [Warm nature, Slightly Bitter taste] Qingpi (Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium Viride / Green Tangerine Peel) [Warm nature, Acrid taste] Huoxiang (Agastaches Herba / Agastache Herb) [Slightly Warm nature, Sweet-Acrid taste] Binglang (Arecae Semen / Betel Nut) [Warm nature, Acrid taste] Ezhu (Curcumae Rhizoma / Curcuma Rhizome) [Warm nature, Bitter-Acrid taste] Jingsanleng (Sparganii Rhizoma / Sparganium Rhizome) [Neutral nature, Bitter taste] Ejiao (Asini Corii Colla / Donkey-hide Gelatin) [Slightly Warm nature, Sweet-Acrid taste] Hezi (Chebulae Fructus / Chebulic Myrobalan Fruit) [Warm nature, Bitter taste] Xingren (Armeniacae Semens Amarum / Bitter Apricot Seed) [Warm nature, Sweet-Bitter taste] Damai (Hordei Fructus Germinatus / Germinated Barley Fruit) [Warm nature, Salty taste] Taoren (Persicae Semen / Peach Seed) [Warm nature, Sweet-Bitter taste] Zicao (Arnebiae Radix et Rhizoma / Arnebia Root and Rhizome) [Cold nature, Bitter taste] Sumu (Sappan Lignum / Sappan Wood) [Neutral nature, Sweet-Salty taste; one version says Sour taste]
Dryness-moistening herbs, characterized by Descending and Collecting (Herbs with thin qi belong to Yin within Yang; thin qi promotes excretion, such as Acrid, Sweet, Light, Neutral, Cold, and Cool herbs).
Fuling (Poria / Poria Cocos) [Neutral nature, Sweet taste] Zexie (Alismatis Rhizoma / Alisma Rhizome) [Neutral nature, Sweet taste] Zhuling (Polyporus / Polyporus Umbellatus) [Cold nature, Sweet taste] Huashi (Talcum / Talc) [Cold nature, Sweet taste] Qumai (Dianthi Herba / Dianthus Herb) [Cold nature, Bitter-Neutral taste] Cheqianzi (Plantaginis Semen / Plantago Seed) [Cold nature, Sweet taste] Dengxincao (Junci Medulla / Rush Pith) [Neutral nature, Sweet taste] Wuweizi (Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus / Schisandra Fruit) [Warm nature, Sour taste] Sangbaipi (Mori Cortex / Mulberry Root Bark) [Cold nature, Bitter-Sour taste] Tianmendong (Asparagi Radix / Asparagus Root) [Cold nature, Slightly Bitter taste] Baishao (Paeoniae Radix Alba / White Peony Root) [Slightly Cold nature, Sour taste] Maimendong (Ophiopogonis Radix / Ophiopogon Root) [Cold nature, Slightly Bitter taste] Xijiao (Rhinocerotis Cornu / Rhino Horn) [Cold nature, Bitter-Sour taste] Wumei (Mume Fructus / Mume Fruit) [Neutral nature, Sour taste] Mudanpi (Moutan Cortex / Tree Peony Root Bark) [Cold nature, Bitter taste] Digupi (Lycii Cortex / Lycium Root Bark) [Cold nature, Bitter taste] Zhiqiao (Aurantii Fructus / Bitter Orange Fruit) [Cold nature, Bitter taste] Hupo (Electrum / Amber) [Neutral nature, Sweet taste] Lianqiao (Forsythiae Fructus / Forsythia Fruit) [Neutral nature, Bitter taste] Zhishi (Aurantii Fructus Immaturus / Immature Bitter Orange Fruit) [Cold nature, Bitter-Sour taste] Mutong (Akebiae Caulis / Akebia Stem) [Neutral nature, Sweet taste]
Cold-purging herbs, characterized by Sinking and Storage (Herbs with strong flavors belong to Yin within Yin; strong flavors promote purging, such as Sour, Bitter, Salty herbs with Cold nature).
Dahuang (Rhei Radix et Rhizoma / Rhubarb Root and Rhizome) [Cold nature, Bitter taste] Huangbai (Phellodendri Chinensis Cortex / Phellodendron Bark) [Cold nature, Bitter taste] Huangqin (Scutellariae Radix / Scutellaria Root) [Cold nature, Bitter taste] Huanglian (Coptidis Rhizoma / Coptis Rhizome) [Cold nature, Bitter taste] Caolongdan (Gentianae Radix / Gentian Root) [Cold nature, Greatly Bitter taste] Shigao (Gypsum Fibrosum / Gypsum Fibrosum) [Cold nature, Acrid taste] Shengdihuang (Rehmanniae Radix / Rehmannia Root) [Cold nature, Bitter taste] Zhimu (Anemarrhenae Rhizoma / Anemarrhena Rhizome) [Cold nature, Greatly Acrid taste] Fangji (Stephaniae Tetrandrae Radix / Stephania Root) [Cold nature, Greatly Bitter taste] Yichen (Artemisiae Scopariae Herba / Wormwood Herb) [Slightly Cold nature, Bitter-Neutral taste] Pu Xiao (Natrii Sulfas / Sodium Sulfate) [Cold nature, Bitter-Acrid taste] Gualougen (Trichosanthis Radix / Trichosanthes Root) [Cold nature, Bitter taste] Muli (Concha Ostreae / Oyster Shell) [Slightly Cold nature, Salty-Neutral taste] Xuanshen (Scrophulariae Radix / Scrophularia Root) [Cold nature, Slightly Bitter taste] Shanzhizi (Gardeniae Fructus / Gardenia Fruit) [Cold nature, Slightly Bitter taste] Chuanlianzi (Toosendan Fructus / Toosendan Fruit) [Cold nature, Bitter-Neutral taste] Xiangchi (Sojae Semen Preparatum / Prepared Soybean) [Cold nature, Bitter taste] Diyu (Sanguisorbae Radix / Sanguisorba Root) [Slightly Cold nature, Sweet-Salty taste]