'Shanghuo' increases disease susceptibility: Modern significance of an old TCM theory

摘要

Ethnopharmacological relevance: "Shanghuo", a concept based on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) theory, describes a status of Yin-Yang imbalance when Yang overwhelms Yin. The imbalance of Yin-Yang resembles the breaking of homeostasis and manifests by the impaired physiological functions, which leads to the onset, recurrence, and progression of diseases. Since ancient times, Chinese Materia Medica (CMM), such as herbal tea, has been applied as a treatment for "Shanghuo".