Author: Various
Source: Chinese Medicinal Wines and Elixirs (2008)
Category: Formulas that Tonify Yin
Pattern: Liver and Kidney Yin deficiency, or accumulation of Wind-Toxins
Key Symptoms: Night blindness and blurred vision, foot and knee atony and weakness, upper back aching and pain, post-partum dizziness and vertigo
Secondary Symptoms: Tearing eyes on exposure to wind, impotence, spermatorrhoea.
Ingredients
|
Gou Qi Zi
| 300g | |
|
Pinyin: Gou Qi Zi
Chinese: 枸杞子
Pharmaceutical: Fructus Lycii
Taxonomy: Lycium barbarum seu chinense
English: Goji Berries / Wolfberries / Boxthorn Berries |
|
Tastes: Sweet, neutral
Meridians Entered: Liver and Kidney |
Actions & Indications:
- Nourishes and tonifies Liver and Kidney Blood and Yin
Blood and Yin Deficiency with sore back and legs, low-grade abdominal pain, impotence, nocturnal emissions, wasting and thirsting disorder and consumption
Liver and Kidney Deficiency
Added to baths during spring to promote skin health and delay aging
- Benefits Jing and brightens the eyes
Liver and Kidney Deficiency where Jing and Blood cannot nourish eyes with dizziness, blurred vision and diminished visual acuity
- Nourishes Yin and moistens the Lungs
Consumptive cough and wasting and thirsting disorder
|
Standard Dosage: 10-15g in decoction.
Cautions: In vitro testing suggests that unidentified wolfberry phytochemicals in goji tea may inhibit metabolism of other medications, such as those processed by the cytochrome P450 liver enzymes. Such drugs include warfarin, or drugs for diabetes or hypertension. However, no in vivo statistics support this. |
|
|
Bai Jiu
| 1.9L | | |
Pinyin: Jiu
Chinese: 酒
Pharmaceutical: Alcohol
English: Rice Wine |
|
Tastes: Hot, pungent, sweet, bitter, toxic
Meridians Entered: Stomach, Heart, Lung and Liver, but reaches every part of the body |
Actions & Indications:
- Nourishes and moves Blood and Qi, opens the Meridians
Taken internally or applied topically as the medium for liniments in Blood stasis, especially from trauma or Bi syndromes in the elderly
- Warms Yang and Expels Cold
All Cold syndromes including Cold Bi, Interior Cold and Yang deficiency
Often serves as the basis for longevity "elixirs" by soaking Yang tonifying herbs
- Strengthens the Shen, dispels sorrow and promotes happiness
Temporary low mood, celebration
|
Standard Dosage: 10-60ml, two to three times per day. Often combined with other herbs to bring out their Blood moving or warming aspects by washing them, or adding to a decoction, or soaking herbs in alcohol to make medicinal wines.
Cautions: Caution with Damp-Heat syndromes or long term consumption in the young and middle aged.
The Materia Dietetica (Shiwu Bencao 食物本草) by Lu He 卢和 from the Ming Dynasty says that excess drinking can hurt the spirit and consume blood, damage the stomach and deplete the body fluid, produce phlegm and induce fire. |
|
Subsitutions:
Bai Jiu (white alcohol) traditionally means distilled rice wine but can be substituted with any clear 40% spirit.
Preparation: Place Gou Qi Zi in a large jar with 1.9L of alcohol and seal the lid for 2 months. Open, remove the dregs and store for use. Take 30-60ml before or after meals.
Actions: Enriches Liver and Kidney Yin, nourishes Blood, brightens the eyes
Contraindications: Damp-Heat conditions and long term use due to the harmful effects on continuous alcohol consumption.
Notes:
Flaws lists an almost identical formula as Ming Mu Jiu (Eye Brightening Wine) with just all ingredients reduced to a quarter (80g of Gou Qi Zi smashed and soaked in 325ml of alcohol for 7 days). The additional symptoms associated with this formula are included under the secondary symptoms.
Research Links:
Reference Notes: (click to display)
Most formulas are found in Scheid, Bensky, Ellis & Barolet (2009): Chinese Herbal Medicine: Formulas & Strategies and Chen & Chen (2015) Chinese Herbal Formulas and Applications. Others are from translations of primary sources. It is recommended that the original material is cross-referenced for mistakes and additional information.
Substitutions have been taken from Ken Lloyd & Prof. Leung (2004): Mayway UK Substitution List or the above publications and are intended as suggestions to help navigate the tight restrictions in the UK quickly. More applicable substitutions may be appropriate in specific situations.
Individual herb information has initially been sourced from TCM Wiki and American Dragon for basic data and then updated manually with my own notes.
These pages are intended to assist clinicians and are not intended for self-diagnosis or treatment for which a qualified professional should be consulted.
