The 6 Tissue States, Tastes, Actions and Constituents

Tissue Elements/Doshas Tastes Actions Constituents

State
Cold/ Earth/Water Aromatics, Stimulants Volatile oils,
Depression Kapha pungents, warm (immune, terpenes,
bitters, diffusives circulatory), phenolic
Deficient in pitta/ anti-septics glycosides,
agni sulfur
compounds
(isothiocyanates

Damp/ Earth/Water Astringents Astringent, Tannins

Relaxation Kapha. Can lead to circulatory
vata (dry) due to stimulants,
water leaking lymphatics

Damp/ Earth/Water bitter, pungents Alteratives, bitter

Stagnation Kapha stimulants compounds
(immune, (iridoids,
Deficient in pitta/ circulatory), saponins,
agni laxatives sesquiterpenes),
anthraquinone
glycosides

Heat/ Fire sour, cooling, Diaphoretics, Organic acids,

Excitation Pitta, vata (if dry) sweet diffusives, bioflavonoids
sedatives,
Deficient in kapha/ demulcents (if
water dry)

Dry/ Air sweet, salty, bitter Nutritives, protein,

Atrophy Vata (if indicated), demulcent/ minerals,
“meaty,” oily, emollient, bitter vitamins, trace
Deficient in kapha/ “mineraly/ tonics, sweet elements, fixed
water Earthen” tonics, immune oils,
tonics, saponins polysaccharides

Wind/ Air acrid, bitters anti-spasmodic, sesquiterpenes,

Tension Vata nervines, volatile oils,
sedatives, valerianic acid
Deficient in kapha/ hypnotics
water

*Note: Much of this information is thanks to Matthew Wood. See “The Practice of Traditional
Western Herbalism” and “The Earthwise Herbal: New World Medicinal Plants”