The Mystery of Chinese Herbs Solved
Throughout my years in Clinical Practice, I have often heard many of my patients claim that Chinese herbs must be better than English herbs due to the well-known fact the Chinese have used them for thousands of years.
Many patients almost appear to be in awe of Chinese herbs, as though they are mystical or more potent in making us well and healthy.
At the same time, I have noticed that Western herbs used by Naturopaths and Herbalists in Australia do not seem to garner the same respect.
I thought it was a good time that people in western countries realised that, in most cases, the herbs commonly used in healing offer the same benefits.
What I’ve often found is that Chinese practitioners use the Chinese names of the herbs, while Australian / English practitioners use the English version of the herb’s name – in many cases, they are exactly the same herbs with the same properties and healing potential!
Chinese and English Names of Common Herbs
| ENGLISH HERB | CHINESE HERB |
| Coptis Chinensis | huang lian |
| Scutellaria baicalensis root | huang qin |
| Gardenia Florida | shan zhi zi |
| Angelica polymorpha root | dang gui |
| Glycyrrhiza uralensis root | gan cao |
| Boswellia carterii sap resin | mo yao |
| Zingiber officinale rhiz (Ginger) |
sheng jiang |
| Cinnamomum cassia (Cinnamon) |
rou gui |
| Plantago major | che qian zi |
| Curcuma longa tuber | yu jin |
| Crataegus pinnatfida | shan zha |
| Chrysanthemum sinense | ju hua |
| Astralagus | huang qi |
As shown above, these are just a few clear examples of the same herbs in their English and Chinese names, which are used according to the practitioner.
What many of us do not know is that a lot of plants have botanical names, Latin-based names, English names and Chinese names!
For example, Zingiber is the Latin name for ginger, Sheng Jiang is the Chinese name. This commonly found herb is used in nearly every kitchen in Australia and is extremely varied in its uses, from improving the taste of our dishes to the powers it has to heal. It can relieve the nausea of morning sickness, as well as help to heal gastric disorders, motion sickness, cramps and sinus problems.
This also applies to the herbs listed above, which in most cases offer the same benefits to us no matter the name that’s used or where the herb originates from.
Herbs and Their Wonderful Natural Benefits
Our herbs have wonderful properties for healing no matter what they are called. The more we learn about the numerous herbs available to us and their amazing uses in natural medicine, the more we can appreciate their extensive abilities to heal, strengthen our immune systems and alleviate a wide range of conditions, from curing simple common colds to preventing heart-related problems.
Herbs have the ability to improve our health and the health of our loved ones without having to rely on store-bought medicines, and can even be grown at home, using seeds and little maintenance, to be readily used in our cooking and the various medicinal remedies that are available to us to prepare.
If you’re looking for one of the many effective ways to naturally fight illness and improve your overall health, begin learning about herbs. As mentioned, what’s incredible about herbs is that they offer many health-giving benefits no matter what name they are called by!
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