Shu Di Huang
| 0.9g | |
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Pinyin: Shu Di Huang
Chinese: 熟地黄
Pharmaceutical: Radix Rehmanniae Preparata
Taxonomy: Rehmannia glutinosa
English: Prepared Chinese Foxglove Root
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Tastes: Sweet, slightly warm
Meridians Entered: Kidney and Liver
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Actions & Indications:
- Nourishes the Blood
Blood Deficiency with facial pallor, dizziness, palpitations, insomnia, irregular menstruation, uterine bleeding and postpartum bleeding
- Nourishes Liver and Kidney Yin
Kidney and Liver Yin Deficiency with a weak low back and limbs, dizziness, tinnitus, tidal fevers, night sweats and nocturnal emissions
- Strongly enriches Yin and relieves wasting and thirsting disorder
Lower Jiao wasting (it can be used as a stand-alone herb for this)
- Nourishes Jing and Blood and fills the Marrow
Exhausted Jing and Blood problems such as delayed development during childhood, blunted affect, premature aging, diminished mental acuity, graying of hair, impotence and memory loss
- Arrests coughing and wheezing
Kidney Deficient coughing, wheezing and asthma, such as inability of the Kidneys to grasp Qi
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Standard Dosage: 10-30g in decoction.
Cautions: It should be used with cautions for spleen and stomach deficiency, loose stool due to fullness in abdomen and qi stagnation with excessive phlegm because it is greasy and will produce indigestion. |
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Bai Shao
| 0.9g | |
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Pinyin: Bai Shao
Chinese: 白芍
Pharmaceutical: Radix Paeoniae Alba
Taxonomy: Paeonia lactiflora
English: White Peony Root
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Tastes: Bitter, sour, sweet, slightly cold
Meridians Entered: Spleen and Liver
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Actions & Indications:
- Nourishes the Blood and regulates menstruation
Liver Blood Deficiency with menstrual dysfunction, vaginal discharge and uterine bleeding accompanied by a pale face, a lusterless complexion and dull, lusterless nails
Anemia
Breast distention and premenstrual syndrome
- Astringes Yin and adjusts the Ying and Wei
Yin Deficiency sweating Sweating due to Yin Collapse
Disharmony between the Liver and Spleen
Disharmony between the Ying and Wei with non-productive sweating
- Calms Liver Yang and Liver Wind and alleviates pain
Liver Qi Stagnation with Liver Yang Rising
Liver Wind with Yin and Blood Deficiency
Bi syndrome due to Blood Deficiency with pain and spasms
- Softens the Liver and relieves pain
Diarrhoea, borborygmus and abdominal pain
Dysenteric disorders with tenesmus
- Tonifies the Blood while suppressing Parasites
Gu Sydnrome (Fruehauf, 1998)
Chronic inflammatory disease (Fruehauf, 2015)
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Standard Dosage: 10-30g in decoction.
Cautions: Caution with anticoagulants as it may slow clotting time. May also slow the absorption of phenytoin. |
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Chuan Xiong
| 1.2g | |
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Pinyin: Chuan Xiong
Chinese: 川芎
Pharmaceutical: Rhizoma Ligusticum
Taxonomy: Ligusticum chuanxiong syn. striatum syn. wallichii
English: Sichuan Lovage root / Cnidium root
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Tastes: Pungent, warm
Meridians Entered: Liver and Pericardium
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Actions & Indications:
- Invigorates the Blood and promotes the movement of Qi
Blood Stasis, especially in gynecology with dysmenorrhea, amenorrhea, difficult labor or retained lochia
Qi and Blood Stagnation with pain and soreness in the chest, flanks and hypochondria
- Expels Wind and alleviates pain
Externally contracted Wind with headache, dizziness or painful obstruction (Bi Syndrome) - especially useful for headaches due to Wind-Heat, Wind-Cold or Blood Deficiency (depending on the combination)
Wind skin disorders
- Relieves the symptoms of Gu Syndrome while suppressing parasites (Fruehauf, 1998)
Chronic inflammatory disease (Fruehauf, 2015)
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Standard Dosage: 3-10g in decoction.
Cautions: It is contraindicated for headache due to Liver Yang rising or Yin deficiency with effulgent Fire because of its warm and dry properties.
Use with caution during pregnancy or in those who bruise or bleed easily.
May have synergistic effects in those taking anticoagulant drugs. |
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Ding Xiang
| 1.2g | |
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Pinyin: Ding Xiang
Chinese: 丁香
Pharmaceutical: Flos Caryophylli
Taxonomy: Caryophyllus aromaticus / Syzygium aromaticum
English: Clove
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Tastes: Pungent, warm
Meridians Entered: Spleen, Stomach, Lung and Kidney
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Actions & Indications:
- Warms the Middle Jiao, relieves pain and descends Qi
Stomach Cold with vomiting, hiccup, abdominal pain and diarrhoea
Spleen and Stomach Deficiency Cold with anorexia, vomiting and diarrhoea
Bad breath (chew whole clove), toothache (apply oil to gum)
- Warms the Kidneys and assists Yang
Impotence or clear vaginal discharge from Cold in the Womb (usually accompanied by weak legs) due to Kidney Yang Deficiency
- Kills Parasites and expels Demons
Gu Sydnrome (Fruehauf, 1998)
Chronic inflammatory disease (Fruehauf, 2015)
Can also be used as an insect repellent.
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Standard Dosage: 1-3g in decoction.
Cautions: It is incompatible with Yu Jin (nineteen incompatibilities). It should be used with cautions for heat syndrome and yin deficiency with interior heat. |
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Ai Ye
| 3g | |
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Pinyin: Ai Ye
Chinese: 艾叶
Pharmaceutical: Folium Artemisiae argyi
Taxonomy: Artemisia argyi (may also refer to vulgaris and indica species)
English: Mugwort Leaf
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Tastes: Pungent, bitter, warm, slightly toxic
Meridians Entered: Liver, Spleen and Kidney
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Actions & Indications:
- Warms the channels, warms the womb, stops bleeding and calms the fetus
Excess and/or prolonged menstrual bleeding due to Deficiency Cold
Restless fetus, lower abdominal pain and vaginal bleeding (threatened miscarriage)
Infertility due to Cold womb
- Disperses Cold and alleviates pain
Cold abdominal pain
Cold menstrual pain
- Eliminates Dampness and stops itching
Decocted and applied externally as a wash for skin problems marked by Dampness and itching
- Resolves Phlegm and stops cough and asthma
As an extracted oil for wheezing, and coughing with profuse sputum
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Standard Dosage: 3-10g in decoction.
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Dang Gui
| 3.6g | |
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Pinyin: Dang Gui
Chinese: 當歸
Pharmaceutical: Radix Angelicae sinensis
Taxonomy: Angelica sinensis
English: Chinese Angelica Root / Tang-Kuei / Dong Quai Root
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Tastes: Sweet, Pungent, Warm
Meridians Entered: Heart and Liver
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Actions & Indications:
- Tonifies the Blood and regulates the menses
Blood Deficiency, especially when affecting the Heart and Liver with pale, ashen complexion, lusterless nails, tinnitus, blurred vision and palpitations
Blood Deficiency associated irregular menstruation, amenorrhea and dysmenorrhea
- Invigorates and harmonizes the Blood and disperses Cold (stops pain due to Blood Stasis)
Blood Stasis causing abdominal pain and carbuncles and pain due to Blood Stasis from traumatic injury, especially when accompanied by Deficiency Cold
Postpartum menstruation
Pregnancy (use with caution)
Blood Deficiency with chronic Wind-Damp-Bi
- Moistens the Intestines and unblocks the bowels
Dry Intestines due to Blood Deficiency
- Reduces swelling, expels pus, generates flesh and alleviates pain
Sores and abscess (Chuang Yung), internally and topically
- Stops coughing and treats dyspnea
Used adjunctively for coughing
- Tonifies the Blood while suppressing Parasites
Gu Sydnrome (Fruehauf, 1998)
Chronic inflammatory disease (Fruehauf, 2015)
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Standard Dosage: 6-12g in decoction.
Cautions: It is contraindicated in cases of Damp-Heat stagnating in the Middle, Lung Heat with Phlegm Fire, and Yin deficiency with effulgent Yang because it is warm and sweet in properties. In addition, it should be used with caution in cases of loose stool because it can moisten intestines to smooth stool.
Many sources recommend using caution, avoiding or only taking under guidance of a TCM physician during pregnancy as it can cause uterine contractions. However, there are no studies supporting this and the only scientific literature seems to suggest that Z-Ligustilide has anti-spasmodic activities that alleviate dysmenorrhoea by inhibiting uterine contractions (Du et al., 2006; Dietz et al., 2016).
Caution is also advised in breast cancer patients due to its oestrogen stimulating activity. This based upon Lau et al (2005) who found it may stimulate breast cancer growth in vitro, however Yue et al, (2019) demonstrated that it is not that stimulatory in breast cancer both in vitro and in vivo through a series of tests, although they suggested it should still be used with caution in estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer. Conversely, a large population study in Taiwan by Wu et al (2014) found it reduced the subsequent risk of endometrial cancer in breast cancer survivors taking tamoxifen, especially in those of reproductive age. |
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E Jiao
| 1.8g | | (dissolve into strained decoction) |
Pinyin: E Jiao
Chinese: 阿胶
Pharmaceutical: Colla Corii Asini
English: Donkey-Hide Gelatin / Ass-Hide Glue
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Tastes: Sweet, neutral
Meridians Entered: Lung, Liver, Kidney and Heart
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Actions & Indications:
- Tonifies the Blood
Blood Deficiency with dizziness, sallow or pale complexion and palpitations
- Nourishes the Blood and stops bleeding
Any kind of bleeding, especially consumptive disorders with hemoptysis, hemafecia, menorrhagia or metrorrhagia
- Nourishes and moistens Yin
Yin Deficiency with irritability and insomnia in the aftermath of a Warm febrile disease
- Moistens the Lungs and Large Intestine
Dry Lung coughs due to Yin Deficiency or consumption
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Standard Dosage: 5-10g in decoction.
Cautions: It should be used with cautions for spleen and stomach deficiency, poor appetite, loose stool due to spleen deficiency because it is greasy and will produce indigestion.
Animal products are prohibited from use in the UK under the Medicines Act 1968 ch. 67 which restricts herbalists to the use of plant products only. It may be substituted with a variety of Blood and Yin tonics depending on the formula, or gelatin from other animal sources such as pigs or cows included as dietary advice, provided it is not supplied by the herbalist as part of the prescription. |
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