When it comes to building lean muscle, Chinese medicinal herbs and foods can help dramatically.  Unlike synthetic drugs or supplements, Chinese herbs are extremely safe and work intelligently with the body.  Many synthetic supplements can lead to imbalances in mineral ratios, or an overabundance of a particular vitamin.  Synthetic supplements are also not recognized by the human body due to the fact that most supplements or inorganic.

Fortunately, there are various Chinese herbs that can help build “Jing” in the body and assist in muscle growth and repair.  For those unaware, Chinese Medicine classifies Jing as a person “essence,” or physical body, and is part of the three treasures; Shen, Qi, and Jing.  Increasing Jing should be at the top of everyone’s list who are currently trying to build lean muscle mass.

As we age, we naturally loose our Jing and building muscle becomes much more difficult.  Luckily, we have written before about how to increase Jing levels in the body naturally.

With that said, before we get into the best Chinese herbs and foods for building muscle, let’s first talk about proper diet.

The Best Diet for Building Muscle

Traditional Chinese Medicine classified foods in their ability to nourish specific treasures.  Since the goal is to build lean muscle, individuals should focus on consuming more Jing building foods.  Below is a small list of the best Jing building foods according to Chinese Medicine.

• Organic grass fed beef
• Pastured eggs
• Bone soups / broths
• Black sesame seeds
• Goji Berries
• Organic animal organs (beef, liver, kidney, heart, thyroid, adrenals)
• Royal Jelly
• Maca root
• Pine pollen

When viewing this list, it can be seen that the majority of the foods are animal foods.  This is because Chinese Medicine viewed animal foods as being building to the body and can assist repair in the body in ways in which plant foods cannot.  In fact, it’s been shown that amino acids are essential for building and maintaining muscle mass, especially in elderly individuals (1).  Unfortunately for vegetarians and those who abstain from meat, all the essential amino acids required for health can only be found in animal products.

Also, as a rule of thumb, if the food is black in color, it’s going to be Jing building.  It’s for this reason that black sesame seeds are favored over white sesame seeds in Chinese Medicine when looking to build the body.

The Best Chinese Herbs and Foods for Building Lean Muscle

Reishi Mushroom

Ganoderma Lucidum, or Reishi mushroom, is one of the best adaptogenic herbs for building lean muscle mass.  Although this herb is famous for treating those with various forms of cancer, Reishi can also help improve the rate in which an individual builds lean muscle.

This is because Reishi Mushroom effectively modulates the individual’s immune system so that it works better and more efficiently (2).  This leads to lower stress levels in the body and essentially puts the body in an anabolic state so that it can build muscle much easier.

In fact, numerous strength trainers around the world recommend Reishi mushroom to their clients and athletes in order help bring the body down to single digit body fat percentages.  However, if we revisit history, we can see that ancient Chinese Martial artists frequently used this medicinal mushroom in order to enhance focus, speed, and strength.

It also contains an abundance of polysaccharides which have been shown to help improve weight loss and correct digestive issues (3).

Pine Pollen

Quite possibly one of the greatest foods on the planet for men, Pine Pollen is an amazing Chinese herb that can naturally raise testosterone levels in men.  However, unlike synthetic drugs, Pine Pollen naturally increases the body’s ability to produce testosterone and does not lead to unwanted side effects that are often associated with drugs.

With that being said, keeping testosterone levels high is essential for male health.  In fact, the common belief that testosterone levels become higher in males as they age is a complete myth.  However, an excessive amount of testosterone converting into estrogen is highly likely in aging males.

It’s for this reason that supplementing with Pine Pollen is a great way to maintain testosterone levels in the body.  Also, building lean muscle is not possible without adequate amounts of free testosterone circulating in the body.  This is why aging males tend to lose their lean muscle mass and put fat on much easier than their younger counterparts.

Simply taking pine pollen each day can do wonders for anyone looking to enhance their muscle building, stay lean, and prevent premature ageing (4).  It’s by far one the best herbs in all of Chinese Medicine when it comes to building lean muscle and staying fit.

Black Sesame Seeds

As mentioned before, black foods are typically an indication of Jing building.  Both the oil and seeds of Black Sesame have been used medicinally and for nourishment in Traditional Chinese Medicine.  Due to their ability to build the body and assist in recovery, black sesame seeds are typically prescribed to those recovering from illness.

Also, just like pine pollen, black sesame seeds are highly anabolic and naturally promote muscle growth.  There are stories of individuals putting on over 10 lbs. of solid muscle with no changes to diet except for the addition of black sesame seeds.  In fact, many bodybuilders, athletes, and fitness enthusiasts will add a spoonful of black sesame seeds to their shakes in order to promote anabolic activity in the body.

As well as being great for muscle building, Research published in Frontiers in Physiology found that soccer players who supplemented with sesame seed paste showed an increase in aerobic capacity and a reduction in oxidative stress and muscle damage (5).

Bone Broth Soups

Bone broth soups are an amazing source of amino acids, vitamins, minerals, and collagen.  In fact, bone broth contains every single nutrient needed to build lean muscle.  Its ability to soothe the digestive lining and correct several digestive disorders is unsurpassed when compared to any other food.  Bone broth is an excellent source of L-glutamine which has been scientifically proven to promote faster recovery in the body after exercise and naturally increases strength (6).

Chinese Medicine believes that bone broth soups are essential for maintaining digestive fire and nourishing the body.  Ideally, bone broth should be made at home with organic bones from grass fed animals.  This will ensure you get all the vital nutrients that bone broth is well known for.

Grass Fed Beef/Organs

Although not talked about often, animal organs are easily the most vitamin and mineral rich foods on the planet.  They’re full of essential amino acids that serve as building blocks for building lean dense muscle.  If you can get your hands on high quality organ meats, definitely give these Jing building foods a go.

Chinese Medicine believed that if an individual was experiencing problems with a particular organ, than they should consume the same animal organ in order to assist in regeneration.  With that being said, consuming liver once a week is a great way to load up on essential vitamins and minerals that are often deficient in the modern diet.  These vitamins and minerals can help aid in repair of muscle tissues so that muscle can be properly built in the body.

Royal Jelly

Chinese Martial artist Bruce Lee made Royal Jelly famous.  Although royal jelly was already well established in Chinese Medicine as being a Jing building food, Bruce made this substance well known throughout America.

Unlike regular honey, royal jelly is the honey secreted by workers bees that is then fed to the queen and potential queen larvae.  Many refer to this substance as “liquid gold” and its ability to nourish the body is extremely effective.

Interestingly, researchers found that Royal Jelly naturally increased testosterone in healthy patients after six months of continuous intake.  It also helped improve glucose tolerance and mental health (7).

With that being said, if you can afford the steep prices of Royal Jelly it’s definitely worth taking due to its anabolic activity in the body.