Four Natures

Four Natures

Traditional Chinese medicine
The classification of foods and herbs in Chinese herbal medicine as either cold, cool, warm or hot, which relates to their ability to balance chi, the energy of life. Each of the four natures is further classified as having either yin or yang forces; according to the Chinese construct, a warm/hot or yang herb would be used to treat a cool/cold or yin disease; some of the herbs are nature-neutral and can be used to treat either warm/hot/yang or cool/cold/yin diseases.