Pinyin: Ling Zhi  Chinese: 靈芝
Pharmaceutical: Sporocarp Ganodermae
Taxonomy: Ganoderma Lucidum
English: Reishi Mushroom / Ganoderma

Tastes: Sweet, neutral
Meridians Entered: Heart, Lung, Spleen and Kidney

Actions & Indications:

1. Tonifies Heart Qi, nourishes Heart Blood and calms the Spirit
   Heart Blood and Heart Qi Deficiency failing to nourish the Spirit with insomnia, fright, palpitations and forgetfulness (can be used as a stand-alone herb)
2. Tonifies the Lung Qi, transforms Phlegm and stops cough and wheezing
   Cough and wheezing in patients with Deficiency Cold or Phlegm Dampness (can be used as a stand-alone herb)
   Wheezing due to Lung and Kidney Deficiencies
3. Tonifies Qi and nourishes Blood
   Deficiency consumption with shortness of breath, lack of appetite and either icy extremities or irritability with a dry mouth
4. Aids fasting
   Several types differentiated by colour are mentioned in the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing as part of the superior class of herbs which can, with protracted taking, make the body light, prevent forgetfulness, prolong life and makes one an immortal. This may suggest it was part of supplementing the diet when engaging in an "avoiding grain" (Bigu 辟穀) fasting regime to cultivate life (Yangsheng 養生).

Standard Dosage: 6-12g in decoction. Mushrooms should ideally be decocoted for at least 40 minutes and preferably 1-2 hours to fully extract the polysaccharides from within the chitin cell walls.

Pinyin: Ku Shen  Chinese: 苦參
Pharmaceutical: Radix Sophorae
Taxonomy: Sophorae flavescentis
English: Shrubby Sophora Root

Tastes: Bitter and cold
Meridians Entered: Liver, Gallbladder, Stomach, Large Intestine and Bladder

Actions & Indications:

1. Clears Heat and dries Dampness
   Damp-Heat in the Lower Jiao with jaundice, diarrhoea, dysenteric disorders, vaginal discharge and sores, viral hepatitis
2. Disperses Wind, kills parasites and stops itching
   Damp-toxin skin lesions or infestations with chronic itching, scabies, seepage and bleeding (internal and topical)
   Genital itching and vaginal discharge (internal and topical)
   Bronchial asthma
3. Clears Heat and promotes urination
   Damp-Heat in the Small Intestine
   Painful urinary dysfunction
   Hot oedema
4. Tonifies the Middle Jiao
   Said in the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing to be among the middle class of herbs which can tonify the Middle Jiao to treat abdominal distension.
5. Improves eyesight
   Also said in the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing to improve eyesight and stop tearing
6. Expels Gu Parasites
   Chronic inflammatory disease (Fruehauf, 2015)

Standard Dosage: 3-6g in decoction.
Cautions: It is contraindicated for deficiency cold syndrome. Overdose will weaken appetite and consume fluids, and may produce salivation, abnormal gait, dyspnpoea and tachycardia. In larger doses, nervous system stimulation with muscle spasm and seizures can occur.

This herb can not be used together with Li Lu being listed in the eighteen antagonisms.

Pinyin: Gan Cao  Chinese: 甘草
Pharmaceutical: Radix Glycyrrhizae
Taxonomy: Glycyrrhiza uralensis seu glabra seu inflata
English: Liquorice Root

Tastes: Sweet, slightly cold
Meridians Entered: Heart, Lung and Spleen (and all 12 meridians)

Actions & Indications:

1. Tonifies the Spleen and augments Qi
   Spleen Qi Deficiency with shortness of breath, lassitude and loose stools
   Qi and Blood Deficiency with an irregular pulse and/or palpitations
   Heart Qi Deficiency or Heart Yang Deficiency
2. Moistens the Lungs, resolves Phlegm and stops coughing
   Lung Heat or Cold
   Productive or non-productive coughing
3. Moderates spasms and alleviates pain
   Painful muscle spasms of the abdomen and legs
4. Clears Heat and relieves Fire Toxicity
   Raw for Toxic Heat with sore throat or carbuncles and sores (Chuang Yung)
5. Antidote for many toxic substances (internal and topical)
   Poisoning
   Bites (after washing the wound, chew Gan Cao and apply a thick layer on the bite wound, changing whenever it dries out; Bao Xiang-Ao, 1846, New Compilation of Proven Formulas)
6. Moderates and harmonizes the harsh properties of other herbs and guides the herbs to all twelve channels
   Often added in small doses to harmonise formulas
7. Tonifies the Qi while suppressing Parasites
   Gu Sydnrome (Fruehauf, 1998)
   Chronic inflammatory disease (Fruehauf, 2015)
8. Aids fasting
   Mentioned in the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing as part of the superior class of herbs which can, with protracted taking, make the body light and prolong life. This may suggest it was part of supplementing the diet when engaging in an "avoiding grain" (Bigu 辟穀) fasting regime to cultivate life (Yangsheng 養生).

Standard Dosage: Typically 1.5-9g in decoction. Large doses can be up 30g.
Cautions: It is contraindicated for combining with Hai Zao, Da Ji, Gan Sui and Yuan Hua because of "eighteen antagonisms". It is also contraindicated in cases of dampness obstruction in middle energizer and edema because it can help dampness obstruct qi, and it is prohibited from long-term usage in large dosage (more than 20g/day) and should be avoided or used with extreme caution in patients with high blood pressure because it may raise aldosterone levels in the blood causing retention of sodium.

The NHS recommends avoiding during pregnancy.