Let me start by exploring the definition of the word tonic. In the field of herbalism, this is a word that has meant many different things to many different people and cultures. In Chinese and Indian medicine systems, the word tonic refers to plants that have overall health giving properties that act globally amongst multiple systems to improve stamina and resiliency. There are heating and stimulating tonics (such as Asian ginseng) and calming and strengthening tonics (such as ashwaghanda). A number of asian tonic herbs are sweet and polysaccharide rich (astragalus, codonopsis, ginseng).