By Mark Burhenne, DDS

As a functional dentist, I’ve been coaching patients for years on the best ways to prevent and reverse oral disease. After all, the health of the mouth directly impacts and mirrors the health of your whole body!

In recent years, research on the oral microbiome has revealed just how important the optimal balance of bacteria is in your mouth. Not only can a dysbiosis of the oral microbiota lead to dental problems, like cavities and gum disease, but an imbalance of the oral microbiome is closely related to systemic diseases, too.

In particular, issues with oral bacteria can greatly impact the health of your endocrine system, from menopause to pregnancy outcomes to diabetes and beyond.

If you’re wondering why your endocrine health is still a problem, your oral microbiome might be the source of your concern. Let’s take a look.

What is the Oral Microbiome?

The oral microbiome (also called oral biome or oral microbiota) is basically what it sounds like: a community of bacteria that lives in your mouth. [1]

These bacteria live on all the surfaces within your oral cavity, like your teeth, gums, tongue, and the floor of your mouth.

Similar to the gut microbiome, the oral microbiome needs bacteria to be healthy. The microbial communities in the human mouth help to support the health of your mouth and entire body. Even “pathogenic” bacteria, known to cause disease, are generally present in certain amounts.

More than 700 species of bacteria have already been identified in the human oral microbiome. This collection of bacteria is second only to the gut microbiome for diversity and bacterial population. [2]

One major reason the oral microbiome is important is that it’s the largest “seeder” of bacteria to your gut—because you swallow 140 billion organisms per day! If your oral health is out of whack, it can affect your gut microbiome’s health, too. [3]

Why is this so important? Because if you want to live a healthy life and prevent or reverse disease, the root cause of your health problems must be addressed. For many people, this root cause lies with the oral microbiome… and they’re not even aware of it.

5 Ways Your Oral Health Affects Endocrine Health

It’s fairly well-established that your gut microbiome has an impact on endocrine health and disorders, like diabetes, adrenal fatigue or insufficiency, and even women’s health concerns. [4]

As it turns out, the same is true about your oral microbiome. A 2018 review of the current research explains how dysbiosis of the oral microbiome is related to: [5]

• Diabetes
• Adverse pregnancy outcomes (APOs)
• Obesity
• PCOS

And it doesn’t stop there …

1. Diabetes

The most well-known endocrine disorder, diabetes, is understood to be preventable in many cases. It’s a disease that has “multiple etiologies,” or a wide range of factors that are known to increase your risk. One of these etiologies is the oral microbiome.

The link between periodontitis (gum disease) and diabetes is pretty clear—if you have gum disease, you are far more likely to suffer from diabetes (and vice versa). [6]

Patients with both uncontrolled diabetes and chronic gum disease have significantly dysbiotic oral microbiomes. [7] This means they test for high levels of pathogenic bacteria but have fewer species and communities of “commensal” bacteria (sometimes called “healthy” bacteria).

2. Menopause

As you can imagine, the oral microbiome changes throughout menopause (just like your gut microbiota). Post-menopausal women are also at a greater risk of a number of issues related to bacterial communities, such as estrogen deficiency, periodontitis, and overall chronic inflammation.

Alterations in the oral microbiome during menopause aren’t consistent so far in the available research we can access. However, here’s what we do know:

• Certain bacterial species, including dentium and A. geminatus, are found in higher concentrations in older women. [8] Both of these may be related to the chronic inflammation often seen in post-menopausal women as well as their increased risk for gum disease.
• Dry mouth is more common during and after menopause. This decrease in saliva production is associated with issues such as bad breath, dental caries (cavities), oral thrush (Candida overgrowth), and generally declining oral health in older women. [9, 10]
• Dysbiosis in the oral microbiome is associated with higher levels of gingivitis and full-blown periodontitis in postmenopausal women.
• Menopausal women more frequently suffer from burning mouth syndrome compared to those in other stages of life. [11]

3. PCOS

Polycystic ovary syndrome, or PCOS, is an endocrine disorder responsible for more cases of infertility than any other single cause. It’s already linked to dysbiosis in the gut microbiome. [12, 13]

A small 2016 pilot study found that women with PCOS had fewer strains of Actinobacteria, a commensal family of bacteria, than healthy controls. [14] While this isn’t conclusive proof of anything quite yet, it’s possible that oral health plays an important role in the progression of PCOS.

4. Obesity

Nearly 40 percent of Americans were obese between 2015-2016, according to the CDC. Obesity, like many other endocrine diseases, is multifactorial (not just one trigger is to blame).

A fascinating study in 2009 examined over 500 samples of oral bacteria in men and women, a little over half of whom were known to be obese. [15] One bacterial strain, in particular, Selemonas noxia, was found in significantly higher concentrations in the obese subjects.

In fact, 98.4 percent of the subjects with obesity could be identified on paper by the presence of that bacteria alone, which was not present at those levels in any of the healthy weight subjects.

5. Pregnancy & Delivery Complications

Known as Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes, APOs, issues with pregnancy and delivery may also have their roots in a dysbiotic oral microbiome.

When I work with women working to conceive, I stress the importance of addressing dysbiosis and any signs of gingivitis or gum disease before conception if possible.

Dysbiosis of the oral microbiome has been associated with:

• Intra-amniotic infection/inflammation
• Preterm birth
• Miscarriage
• Stillbirth

Is your oral microbiome dysbiotic?

There are a few tests that your dentist can administer to test your oral microbiome, but they’re not widely available yet.

The simplest way to identify a dysbiotic oral microbiome is to look for the signs:

• Cavities
• Bad breath
• Chronic gingivitis
• Gum disease

All of these are, for the most part, preventable. If you’re experiencing them, something is out of order with your oral microbiome.

Another major hint that you have a dysbiotic oral biome is your diet. High-sugar/high-carb diets are the hardest on your oral microbiome, so if you regularly eat sugary, starchy, processed, and/or acidic foods, chances are that you might need to address your oral health.

How to Improve Oral Microbiome Health

There are a few different processes involved in bumping up your oral microbiome health: disorganizing existing bacteria, supporting/increasing commensal bacteria, and avoiding bacteria-killing habits.

To DISORGANIZE your oral bacteria:

• Floss every day.
• Brush your teeth at least twice a day, and after foods or drinks full of sugar, acid, or processed chemicals. (BONUS tip: Toothpaste is not)
• Scrape your tongue.

To INCREASE your commensal bacteria:

• Add prebiotic foods to your diet, like bananas, onions, leeks, garlic, asparagus, and apples.
• Try oral probiotics, chewable tablets that contain mouth-friendly commensal bacteria strains.
• Start oil pulling with coconut oil.

To AVOID building up unhealthy oral bacteria or killing off the good stuff:

• Throw away all conventional mouthwash — it acts as an antibiotic for your mouth! That can help on an incredibly rare occasion but isn’t appropriate for everyday use.
• Stay away from processed, acidic, or sugary foods/drinks when you can.
• Try mouth taping at night.
• Get a professional cleaning at your dentist’s office every 6 months.

Mark Burhenne, DDS, knows that the mouth is the gateway to health in the rest of the body. He is a co-founder of AsktheDentist.com and the author of the #1 bestseller, The 8-Hour Sleep Paradox, and is a practicing sleep medicine dentist in Sunnyvale, California. Dr. Burhenne has been practicing dentistry in the greater San Francisco area for over 30 years.

You've probably heard of acupuncture, and maybe even some of the health benefits of acupuncture, before. But have you had any personal experience with it? I have, both as a patient and as a practitioner.

Acupuncture has been around for a very, very long time. You may be surprised to learn that this complimentary, or natural, therapy was actually pioneered well over 3,000 years ago by Chinese practitioners. Here in the U.S., however, we've only just caught onto this therapeutic technique of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) within the last 40 years. With each year, it has become increasingly popular as people have learned more about the many health benefits of acupuncture.

You're probably wondering if acupuncture works, if it's been medically proven, or if it's just a “woo” thing that people believe in. And these are valid questions to ask, so let's get to the point. In this article, I’ll review how acupuncture differs from other types of therapies, how it helps with energy flow, and break down the various health benefits of acupuncture. So, let’s get started and learn all about acupuncture so you can decide if it’s a therapy that may be right for you.

What is Acupuncture?

As a practice of TCM, acupuncture is a coherent and independent system of thought and practice, based heavily on critical thinking, extensive clinical observation, research, and testing. It is rooted in philosophy and is logic-based.

Sadly because it’s so foreign to those practicing Western medicine, some see acupuncture, and TCM as a whole, as nothing more than hocus-pocus, or a placebo effect. [1]

The good news is, that couldn't be farther from the truth. First and foremost, acupuncture has been recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) as an effective treatment.

Additionally, numerous scientific studies have also confirmed the many health benefits of acupuncture. [2] And just as with a TCM practitioner, many states require acupuncture practitioners to be licensed acupuncturists. This can be done through the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM). In some states, though, licensed naturopathic physicians can also sit for acupuncture boards.

How Does Acupuncture Work?

TCM is a philosophy that includes a variety of holistic therapies, such as acupuncture, herbs, tinctures, massage therapy, Qi gong, tai chi, etc., to balance the yin and yang. The concept of yin and yang is a construct of two polar compliments. These complementary opposites are used to describe how things function in relation to each other and the universe.

Acupuncture plays a big role in helping balance the yin and yang by using thin needles, inserting them into the skin to stimulate specific points in the body along a meridian. As an example, let’s say you were dealing with an intense headache. If you went to an acupuncturist, he or she would check your pulse, look at your tongue, and focus on certain acupuncture points called LI4 and LV3, also known as the "four gates." These points stimulate blood circulation, which is excellent for relieving headaches. [3]

Now, it’s important to note that many people who have never experienced acupuncture may be intimidated by the concept. It's been reported that over 20 percent of people have trypanophobia, or a fear of needles. [4] So, it would make sense that many people would be afraid to try it out. But what they don't realize is that the needles used in acupuncture are entirely different from commonly used medical needles.

Acupuncture needles are extremely thin, inserted into the skin, and are placed only in minimal strategic locations on the body to focus on your specific areas of concern.

Speaking of areas of concern and strategic locations, there are over 350 acupuncture points, which are associated with specific organs and organ systems. [5] These points are positioned over 14 meridians, or the energy highways of the body.

I've witnessed first-hand the healing effect acupuncture can have on the human body. Amazingly, people have noticed significant improvements in as little as 30 minutes! What improvements? Let’s take a look at some of the top health benefits of acupuncture.

The Top 5 Health Benefits of Acupuncture

Here are five common health benefits of acupuncture.

1. May help relieve urinary incontinence

Urinary incontinence occurs when urine unintentionally leaks from the urethra, which is known as a loss of bladder control. And there are many underlying causes. These include having a prolapsed uterus, pregnancy, childbirth, hysterectomy, enlarged prostate, neurological disorders, menopause, and changes with age due to the bladder muscles aging.

There are various types of urinary incontinence, too, ranging from stress, urge, overflow, functional, and mixed incontinence. Whatever the case may be, this can be rather uncomfortable and even embarrassing. If you've dealt with urinary incontinence, then you know that coughing, sneezing, certain physical activities, and even laughing can cause leakage.

Luckily, both research and clinical practice have shown that one of the major health benefits of acupuncture is that it can help relieve this condition.

Between 2013 and 2015, clinical trials involving 12 hospitals in China were randomly separated into two groups of 252 participants, totaling 504 patients. Each person was given 18 acupuncture sessions over a period of six weeks, explicitly targeting urinary incontinence.

Of the 504 women, ranging from 40-75 years, 482 completed the treatment. The results showed that treatment with acupuncture on the lumbosacral region (BL33 and BL35) resulted in less urine leakage and episodes of urinary incontinence. [6]

2. Supports healthy blood sugar levels

Another one of the big health benefits of acupuncture is its ability to support healthy blood sugar levels. In fact, acupuncture therapy is a common approach to treating diabetes in China. And many animal studies have shown that acupuncture may be a great complimentary treatment for diabetes.

In fact, a 2018 study showed that acupuncture increased insulin levels and improved glucose tolerance in animals. Furthermore, it lowered glucose each week during the study. [7]

Additionally, another study revealed that diabetic patients with neuropathy who took medications improved by about 37 percent. Meanwhile, those who took medications but also received acupuncture saw an incredible 90 percent improvement in neuropathy symptoms. [8]

3. Can improve asthma symptoms by up to 70 percent

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), acupuncture has been recognized as an acceptable alternative or adjunct treatment for many diseases, including asthma. [9]

Asthma affects over 300 million people around the world, and claims over 3,000 deaths per year. The WHO also recognizes asthma as one of the 40 diseases that would benefit from acupuncture.

One study conducted at the University of Vienna Department of Anesthesia and Intensive analyzed 17 patients with a history of asthma. The findings showed that over 70 percent of patients undergoing acupuncture treatment saw a vast improvement in their asthma symptoms in just 10 weeks. Additionally, they saw further improvement over the next six months. [10]

Another study followed 192 patients of varying ages suffering from bronchial asthma. All cases were treated with acupuncture by placing needles at the LU6 and LU10 points. Of all cases, 98.9 percent saw immediate results. Furthermore, the rate of clinical remission plus improvement was 76.5 percent. [11]

4. May boost mood and energy

Another one of the great health benefits of acupuncture is its ability to boost both mood and energy. As you may know, dealing with mood swings, anxiety, and depression can be crippling. Oftentimes, when the seasons shift, the weather changes from bright and sunny to cold and gloomy, a shift occurs in people's moods.

Aromatherapy, exercise, reducing stress, taking herbs, eating a well-balanced diet are all great starting points. Still, many studies have shown acupuncture can help tremendously with mood improvement.

Anxiety and depression are two of the most common psychiatric disorders. And they are more prevalent in women, especially those who are pregnant or postpartum. Six trials were conducted using all women from various backgrounds, all suffering from anxiety, depression, or both.

Of the six separate studies, five used acupuncture as the only treatment, while one used counseling and psychotherapy. The results showed a decrease in symptoms and improvement in mood in those who received acupuncture, especially in those who were pregnant. [12]

Another study was conducted on the effects of acupuncture and the regulation of the central autonomic network (CAN). This network is a necessary part of an internal regulation system in which the brain control responses that are essential for survival, such as pain, neuroendocrine, behavior responses, etc. [13]

This study showed that acupuncture treatment activated distinct brain regions in various diseases caused by an imbalance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic activities. It also alleviated autonomic (involuntary or unconscious) responses by modulating adaptive neurotransmitters in certain regions of the brain. [14, 15]

There’s also another element here that explains why energy improvement is one of the top health benefits of acupuncture. When you’re in a slump and feeling fatigued, you likely think of two things first: at how much sleep you’re getting and your diet. But what if your energy is still lagging, even if your diet and sleeping habits are well-rounded?

This is where balancing your Qi comes into play. Qi, according to TCM, is known as the vital life force, or source of energy that circulates within your body. Loosely translated, one of the first symptoms of an imbalanced Qi is lack of energy. A sufficient amount of Qi is needed to maintain the yin and yang in your body.

Acupuncture increases blood flow and energy flow by stimulating the meridians with the penetration of the needles. When blood flows properly, it transports oxygen and nutrients to organs, allowing them to function properly and boost your energy levels. [16, 17]

5. Helps improve sleep quality

When it comes to sleeplessness, you always want to get to the root cause. Now, there are essential oils that help promote sleep and relaxation, but if your body is off-balance, acupuncture might be something to consider. One of the great health benefits of acupuncture is that it will not only improve your sleep but also the quality of sleep you're getting.

In TCM, acupuncture commonly is used to treat insomnia. One study including 46 randomized trials and 3,811 patients compared acupuncture versus no treatment, and acupressure versus sham acupressure (a placebo effect).

The result showed acupuncture was superior compared to other treatments or placebos for improving sleep quality. Therefore it is shown as an effective treatment for sleep and those suffering from insomnia. [18, 19]

Other health benefits of acupuncture include, but are not limited to:

• Chronic pain [20, 21, 22, 23]
• Allergies [24]
• Hypertension [25]
• Stimulates blood flow [26, 27]
• Menstrual pain [28]
• Migraines/headaches [29, 30]
• Cognitive decline [31]
• Pregnancy, labor, postpartum [32]
• PCOS [33, 34]
• Multiple Sclerosis [35]
• Pain and Nausea during cancer treatments [36, 37]
• Improve vagal tone in vagus nerve [38]

It's clear to see that acupuncture isn't just hocus-pocus, right? It's been proven through several studies and assessments that it aids in the healing process. Even in studies with placebo effects where both strategic needling and non-strategic needling took place, those with strategic needling along the meridians showed lasting relief. The philosophy here is to find the imbalance and, therefore, provide the solution, which is TCM—and its many practices—in a nutshell.

Key Takeaways

• Acupuncture was pioneered over 3,000 years ago by Chinese practitioners, but has only been practiced in the U.S. within the last 40 years.
• Acupuncture needles are tiny compared to other medical needles.
• There are more than 350 acupuncture points over 14 meridians, which are associated with specific organs and organ systems.
• The health benefits of acupuncture include: helping with urinary incontinence, supporting healthy blood sugar levels, improving asthma symptoms, boosting energy, improving sleep quality, and much more.

You may be surprised to learn that more than one-third of all Americans regularly use complementary and alternative medicine as their preferred method of treatment. And it’s with good reason—even though it’s now called “complementary” and “alternative” treatment, the truth is that natural therapies have been used for thousands of years. This is especially true of Traditional Chinese Medicine, which has been practiced for over 2,000 years. [1]

Traditional Chinese Medicine is a holistic therapeutic practice based on ancient Chinese philosophy. It includes three different approaches: Traditional Chinese Medicine herbs, acupuncture, and tai chi. But, aside from its philosophical roots, how does Traditional Chinese Medicine differ from other natural therapies? Let’s take a look at what makes it unique and discuss the top Traditional Chinese Medicine herbs and the health benefits they offer.

What Is Traditional Chinese Medicine?

At its core, Traditional Chinese Medicine is based on the ancient Chinese philosophy that all humans are simply one part of the universe and, as a result, we are irrefutably connected to nature and subject to and/or affected by all its forces. Therefore, finding a balance with nature and the universe is seen to be key to obtaining optimal health. Accordingly, the goal of Traditional Chinese Medicine is to either maintain or restore optimal balance in each individual person. [2]

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, to achieve optimal balance with nature and the universe, your Qi (also known as the vital life force or source of energy that circulates within your body) must be in balance. This means that all of your body’s internal organs must exist in harmony and support one another. Any imbalance to your Qi may result in illness.

Another element of Traditional Chinese Medicine is based on the belief that the body contains 12 meridians, or energy pathways. The main job of each meridian is to facilitate the flow of Qi, fluid, and even your blood throughout your body.

These meridians differ slightly from how we view organs in Western medicine. For example, the meridian for the lung is actually on your arm, not over your lungs. If you visit an acupuncturist for asthma, this is why he or she will likely use many points in your arm to move energy through the meridian.

Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners also rely on the concept and yin and yang. Yin and yang are known as energies within your body that are completely opposite yet complement each other to result in balance. Examples include wet and dry or cold and heat. Think about it like this: You don’t want to be too hot or too cold, right? You want it “just right.” Like Qi, any imbalance between your yin and yang are believed to result in disease. [3]

When any imbalance occurs, the goal with Traditional Chinese Medicine is to regain that balance. And, according to the philosophy, this balance is obtained based on five elements, and everything in the universe can be attributed to one of these elements. They are: wood, fire, earth, metal, and water—each of which represent the stages of life and also explain how your body functions as one cohesive being. Think of each human as a unique blend of these elements.

Sound confusing? It can be! Luckily, there are many doctors and Traditional Chinese Medicine experts out there to assist you. For me, it took four years of study before I even started to grasp the subject. It’s not only a science, but an art, and it has been used successfully for thousands of years.

In general terms, in Western medicine, we diagnose a symptom or disease—much like an invader in the system that needs to be suppressed. In Traditional Chinese Medicine philosophy, practitioners diagnose the imbalance of energy, with the goal of rebalancing the natural flow of energy throughout your body.

Treatment is supportive, not suppressive. For example, a doctor who practices Traditional Chinese Medicine may tell you that you have “external wind-cold” or “internal wind-heat” and never diagnose the actual virus impacting your system! Why? Because it’s not needed to treat you. The philosophy is simple: Find the imbalance, find the solution! So, in this example, the treatment would require herbs and acupuncture points that balance the wind and cool the heat.

So, let’s take a closer look at how someone would diagnose using this philosophy.

The Traditional Chinese Medicine Diagnostic Process

While conventional practices and standard treatments take a reactive standpoint based on a diagnosis, Traditional Chinese Medicine is more proactive when it comes to health by determining the underlying imbalance. This is done by looking at your tongue, feeling your pulse, and considering your history and symptoms. The goal is to determine:

1. Which meridians are affected.
2. What elements are impacted and if they’re excess or deficient in the meridian.
3. What the best treatment is, based on the imbalance (i.e., clearing wind or adding heat).

So, for example, let’s say you visit your typical doctor. After explaining your symptoms of heavy menstrual cycles, lack of sleep, and generalized worry, she diagnoses you with insomnia and anxiety and refer you to the gynecologist. She offers you an anti-depressant and a sleeping medication, and possibly refers you for a sleep study.

If you were to visit a Traditional Chinese Medicine doctor with the same symptoms, she may diagnose you with “Heart Fire” due to a bright red tip on your tongue and a strong pulse. “Heart Fire” is a diagnosis of excess, resulting in heat that causes inflammation, which impacts more than just one area of the body.

Often, someone with this diagnosis experiences insomnia, hot flashes, anxiety, racing heart rate, dry mouth, and generalized tension. To treat this condition, the doctor may use acupuncture points and herbs designed to clear heat from the heart meridian, therefore balancing all of your reported symptoms with the same treatment. Pretty neat, huh?

Below is a general diagram of the basic meridians of the body on the tongue. It is quite a bit more involved with this, but perhaps it will be fun to take a quick peek at your tongue.

Now let’s take a look at some of the top Traditional Chinese Medicine herbs that practitioners use to aid healing.

5 Top Traditional Chinese Medicine Herbs

Here are the top five Traditional Chinese Medicine herbs and their uses.

1. Astragalus

One of the most widely used of all Traditional Chinese Medicine herbs, astragalus is known to support kidney health, heart health, and even the immune system.

A 2014 review revealed that astragalus use significantly decreased not only the amount of protein in subjects’ urine (often associated with kidney disease), but also decreased both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. [4]

Interestingly, a 2016 study also revealed that astragalus increased the efficacy of platinum-based chemotherapy while also decreasing toxins derived from platinum in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer. [5]

2. Cinnamon

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine philosophy, pungent herbs and spices such as cinnamon promote the circulation of Qi and body fluids. Conversely, the sweetness of cinnamon can aid in detoxification. [6] But cinnamon is known to do even more.

One of cinnamon’s most beneficial health effects is its inflammation-fighting power. In a 2014 study, researchers tested the anti-inflammatory activities of 115 foods and found that cinnamon was one the most potent anti-inflammatory foods of all that were tested. [7]

Additionally, in a 2015 study, researchers surmised that cinnamon could be used as a potential treatment of age-related inflammatory conditions. [8]

3. Ginger

Ginger is considered to be one of the warming Traditional Chinese Medicine herbs, commonly used to treat colds. [9] But this powerful herb is also incredible versatile and has been shown to aid in the treatment of a variety of conditions.

For example, numerous studies have shown that ginger can help to prevent and relieve nausea and vomiting. [10, 11] And a 2013 study confirmed that ginger oil is effective in fighting nausea and even reduced the need for anti-nausea medications post-surgery. [12] In fact, sipping on ginger tea is a great way to aid in nausea relief.

In addition, ginger is often used for other ailments, including arthritis, migraines, and even hypertension. [13] And a 2015 study even found that ginger helped reduce fasting blood sugar in people with diabetes. [14]

Interestingly, ginger also shows promise as a therapeutic agent for asthma. A study showed that ginger has the ability to relax the smooth muscle in the airway, which may help provide quick relief to those experiencing asthma attacks. [15]

4. Licorice root

This Traditional Chinese Medicine herb has cooling properties and is believed to strengthen your Qi as well as aid in detoxification. It’s also believed to support your spleen and heart. [16] It’s commonly used internally for conditions such as Addison’s disease, asthma, bronchitis, coughs, peptic ulcer, and arthritis. [17]

Licorice root is also known to aid digestion. In fact, in a 2011 study, researchers found that taking licorice root daily significantly improved indigestion in participants after 15 days and 30 days. [18]

In addition, a 2010 study revealed that, due to its anti-microbial properties, licorice root was effective in treating both fungal and bacterial infections. [19]

5. Schisandra berry

Finally, the schisandra berry has been an important Traditional Chinese Medicine herb for centuries. It’s known as the “fruit of five tastes” in Traditional Chinese Medicine because it contains all five basic flavors: salty, bitter, sweet, sour, and spicy. [20]

Schisandra berry is one of several adaptogenic herbs, which are non-toxic plants that are commonly used in Traditional Chinese Medicine because of their ability to help the body manage mental and physical stress. Plus they help support the immune system.

According to a 2014 study, schisandra berry can actually benefit those with osteoporosis. Researchers found that the herb was able to significantly increase bone mineral density. [21] Moreover, studies have shown that this Traditional Chinese Medicine herb can benefit many areas of health—from aiding cognitive function to supporting adrenal health to even suppressing tumor growth, making it an incredible versatile natural treatment option. [22]

Key Takeaways

• For over 2,000 years, Traditional Chinese Medicine herbs have been used as natural therapies.
• Traditional Chinese Medicine is takes a proactive standpoint to health by determining any underlying imbalances.
• Some of the top Traditional Chinese Medicine herbs are astragalus, cinnamon, ginger, licorice root, and schisandra berry.