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:

1. 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
2. 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
3. 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.

Pinyin: Fu Pen Zi  Chinese: 覆盆子
Pharmaceutical: Fructus Rubi
Taxonomy: Rubus idaeus but also chingii, idaeopsis, coreanus, and corchorifolius
English: Chinese Raspberry

Tastes: Sweet, sour, slightly warm
Meridians Entered: Liver and Kidney

Actions & Indications:

1. Tonifies and stabilizes the Kidneys and astringes Jing and urine
   Urinary frequency, enuresis, impotence, spermatorrhea, premature ejaculation or wet dreams due to Kidney Yang Deficiency
2. Tonifies Yang and improves vision
   Poor vision, soreness of the lower back and impotence due to Liver and Kidney Deficiencies
3. 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 prevent forgetfulness. 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: 5-10g in decoction.

Pinyin: Che Qian Zi  Chinese: 車前子
Pharmaceutical: Semen Plantaginis
Taxonomy: Plantago asiatica
English: Plantago Seeds / Plantain Seeds / Psyllium Seeds

Tastes: Sweet, slightly cold
Meridians Entered: Kidney, Bladder, Liver and Lung

Actions & Indications:

1. Promotes urination and clears Damp-Heat
   Damp-Heat, generally Damp-Heat in the Lower Jiao with oedema, painful urinary dysfunction
2. Promotes urination to solidify the stool
   Diarrhoea due to Damp-Heat
   Summerheat with Dampness
3. Clears Liver Heat and clears the eyes
   Eye problems due to Liver and Kidney Yin Deficiency with dry eyes and diminished visual acuity
   Heat in the Liver Channel with red, painful, swollen eyes and sensitivity to light
   Hypertension, high blood sugar, diabetes, obesity and hyperlipidemia (Chen et al., 2022; Zhu et al., 2024)
4. Clears the Lungs, expels Phlegm and stops coughing
   Lung Heat induced cough with yellow copious Phlegm
5. 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 slow ageing. 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: 9-15g in decoction.

Pinyin: Tu Si Zi  Chinese: 菟丝子
Pharmaceutical: Semen Cuscutae
English: Chinese Dodder Seeds

Tastes: Sweet, astringing, slightly warm
Meridians Entered: Kidney, Spleen and Liver

Actions & Indications:

1. Strengthens Yang, nourishes Yin, astringes Jing and urine and benefits the marrow
   Kidney Yang Deficiency with impotence, nocturnal emissions, premature ejaculation, tinnitus, urinary frequency, sore painful back and vaginal discharge
2. Tonifies the Kidneys and Liver and improves vision
   Deficient Liver and Kidney Yin, Yang and Jing with dizziness, tinnitus, blurred vision or spots before the eyes
3. Benefits the Kidneys and Spleen and stops (astringes) diarrhoea
   Diarrhoea, loose stools and anorexia from Spleen and Kidney Deficiency
4. Calms the fetus
   Habitual or threatened miscarriage
5. Aids fasting
   Mentioned in the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing as part of the superior class of herbs which can, with protracted taking, brighten the eyes, 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: 10-15g in decoction.
Cautions: It is contraindicated in cases of yin deficiency with effulgent fire and difficult urination because of its warm property and tonifying and astringing actions.

Pinyin: Wu Wei Zi  Chinese: 五味子
Pharmaceutical: Fructus Schisandrae
Taxonomy: Schisandra chinensis
English: Schisandra Fruit / Chinese Magnolia-vine Fruit

Tastes: Sour, sweet, warm
Meridians Entered: Lung, Heart and Kidney

Actions & Indications:

1. Astringes the leakage of Lung Qi and stops coughing
   Chronic cough and wheezing due to Lung Qi Deficiency
   Lung and Kidney Deficiency patterns
   The Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing places it in the middle class of herbs and says it is indicated for "counterflow cough with ascent of Qi."
2. Tonifies the Kidneys, binds up Essence (astringes Jing) and stops diarrhoea and spermatorrhea
   Kidney Deficiency with nocturnal emissions, spermatorrhea, vaginal discharge and urinary frequency
   Spleen and Kidney Deficiency with daybreak diarrhoea
   In the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing it indicated for "strengthening Yin and boosting Jing Essence in men."
3. Astringes sweat and generates fluids
   Excessive sweating. especially when accompanied by thirst or a dry throat
   In combination, it is used for spontaneous sweating, night sweats and wasting and thirsting disorder
4. Quiets the Spirit and calms and contains Heart Qi
   Heart and Kidney Blood and Yin Deficiency, with irritability, palpitations, dream-disturbed sleep and insomnia
5. Tonifies Qi
   Heart and Spleen Qi Deficiency
   The Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing says it is indicated for "boosting Qi ... taxation damage with gauntness [and] supplementing insufficiency."

Standard Dosage: 3-6g in decoction. 1-3g as powder.
Cautions: It is contraindicated in cases of external pathogen existence, internal excess heat, acute cough, early stage of measles.