Author: Various
Source: Chinese Medicinal Wines and Elixirs (2008)
Category: Formulas that Expel Wind
Pattern: Blood deficiency and stagnation with Wind
Key Symptoms: Numbness and pain in the joints
Ingredients
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Hei Dou
| 500g | |
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Pinyin: Hei Dou
Chinese: 黑豆
Pharmaceutical: Semen Sojae nigrum
English: Black Soy Bean |
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Tastes: Sweet, warm
Meridians Entered: Spleen, Stomach and Kidney |
Actions & Indications:
- Tonifies the Kidneys and relieves low back and knee pain
Low back and knee pain and arthralgia
Fidgeting, night sweats and Heat sensations due to Yin Deficiency
- Nourishes the skin and muscles
Physical appearance
- Clears Heat and relieves toxicity
Poisoning, hyperhydrosis
Overdose
- Nourishes Blood and Jing and clears vision
Dizziness
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Standard Dosage: 15-30g or up to half a cup, eaten as food.
Cautions: Beans generally have a high FODMAP score and soy beans in particular have no low FODMAP threshold (George Eats, April 2024) and so should be avoided in cases of abdominal distension due to Spleen Dampness. |
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Bai Jiu
| 650ml | | |
Pinyin: Jiu
Chinese: 酒
Pharmaceutical: Alcohol
English: Rice Wine |
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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
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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. |
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Subsitutions:
Bai Jiu (white alcohol) traditionally means rice wine but can be substituted with any other high strength spirit.
Preparation: Place the soybeans in a large jar with 650ml of alcohol and seal the lid. Place in a pan and bring to boil several times. Remove the jar, allow to cool, remove the dregs and store for use. Drink one teacup twice per day.
Actions: Nourishes and invigorates the Blood, extinguishes Wind
Contraindications: Damp-Heat conditions, pregnancy and long term in the young and middle aged use due to the harmful effects on continuous alcohol consumption.
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.
