Immune System Support
The Chinese word qi describes a kind of energy, or bioenergy, that circulates through the body. When this energy circulates with the proper balance through the various organ systems, you are in good health. When you are ill, that energy balance is disturbed or blocked in some way.
Qi Tonics
Qi tonics nourish spleen and lung qi, and by extension, build the qi of the channels, the ying and wei. Deficiency of an organ can lead to deficiency of its qi which interferes with organ function and immune responsiveness. This can account for generalized fatigue as well as act as the root cause of many illnesses.
Deficiency fo spleen can cause poor digestion, loose stool and weak limbs. Products that tonify qi for proper digestion are listed under Spleen Qi Deficiency category.
Symptoms of lung weakness include difficulty breathing, weak voice, spontaneous sweating, and susceptibility to allergies.
Qi tonics tend to be warming. They can also be cloying, that is, stagnating. Because in the main they go to the interior ying level, qi tonics are often discontinued during acute pathogenic wind presentations (colds, flu, etc), especially when taking formulas to dispel wind pathogens outwards.
