Today let’s talk about an interesting topic — using a single herb to regulate each of the five viscera. These five organs are like the five treasures of our body and must be carefully cared for.

Let’s start with the heart. The heart is like the “ruler” of our body and governs the blood vessels. If heart blood is insufficient, cardiac function declines and you may feel a cold sensation in the back, palpitations, and aversion to cold. At this time, we should use Guizhi (cinnamon twig) to help. Guizhi can warm and unblock heart yang, like giving the heart a little sun — warm and comforting, helping the heart regain vitality.

Now let’s talk about the liver. The liver is like our emotion regulator; if liver qi is constrained and mood is poor for a long time, qi circulation easily stagnates, and you’ll feel irritable, with distension and pain in the chest and hypochondrium—especially when angry, symptoms worsen. At that point, we need Bupleurum (Chai Hu) to help. Bupleurum can soothe the liver and relieve depression, like giving the liver an outlet so our mood clears and liver qi flows smoothly.

Now let’s talk about the spleen. The spleen is like the body’s “nutritionist,” responsible for digesting food and supplying nutrition. If dampness traps the spleen, you’ll experience decreased appetite, abdominal bloating and poor digestion, loose stools, and so on. At that point, we need Poria (Fu Ling) to help. Poria can strengthen the spleen and eliminate dampness, like giving the spleen a little helper so it recovers and digestion becomes smooth.

Now let’s talk about the lungs. The lungs are like the body’s “humidifier,” responsible for regulating internal moisture. If invaded by dry pathogenic factors, you’ll feel dry mouth and thirst, sore throat, and the like. At that point, we need Ophiopogon (Mai Dong) to help. Ophiopogon nourishes yin, generates fluids, moistens the lungs, and stops cough, like giving the lungs a little caretaker so they become moisturized and breathing is smooth.

Finally, let's talk about the kidneys. The kidneys are like the body's "energy store," governing our yang energy. If kidney-yang is deficient, you may feel cold, have cold hands and feet, cold and painful lower back and knees, urinary frequency and urgency, and in men sexual function may decline. At that point, we should use cinnamon bark (Rougui) to help. Cinnamon bark can warm the kidneys and support yang, guiding the fire back to the source — like giving the kidneys a little stove to warm them up and restore their energy.

But, although these medicinal materials all have good regulatory effects, before we use them it's best to consult a professional doctor and listen to their advice. After all, everyone's physical condition is different, and the treatment must be targeted.