Pinyin: Sheng Di Huang  Chinese: 生地黃
Pharmaceutical: Radix Rehmanniae
Taxonomy: Rehmannia glutinosa
English: Chinese Foxglove Root / Rehmannia Root

Tastes: Sweet, bitter, cold
Meridians Entered: Heart, Liver, Stomach and Kidney

Actions & Indications:

1. Clears Heat and cools the Blood
   Ying Stage Heat with high fever, thirst and a scarlet tongue
   Xue Stage Heat
   Hemorrhage due to Blood Heat
2. Nourishes Yin, generates fluids, increases saliva and treats wasting and thirsting
   Yin Deficiency with Heat signs
   Injury to fluids
   Throat pain due to Yin Deficiency
   Wasting and thirsting disorder (消渴 Xiao Ke - diabetes)
3. Cools Heart Fire
   Heart Fire
4. Calms the Spirit agitated by Parasites damaging the Yin
   Gu Sydnrome (Fruehauf, 1998)
   Chronic inflammatory disease (Fruehauf, 2015)
5. Breaks up Blood Stasis, expels Cold and Hot Bi, replenishes Bone Marrow and promotes the growth of Muscles and Flesh
   Broken bones or severed sinews from falls and a damaged center (Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing)
6. 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: 10-15g in decoction.
Cautions: It is contraindicated in cases of diarrhea, abdomen distention due to spleen deficiency.

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: Mai Men Dong  Chinese: 麥門冬
Pharmaceutical: Radix Ophiopogonis
English: Dwarf Lilyturf Root

Tastes: Sweet, slightly bitter, slightly cold
Meridians Entered: Stomach, Lung and Heart

Actions & Indications:

1. Moistens the Lungs, nourishes Yin and stops coughing
   Lung Yin Deficiency with a hacking, dry cough or a cough with thick, difficult to expectorate sputum, or hemoptysis
   Pathogenic Warm-Dryness Dryness that has transformed into Fire
2. Nourishes Stomach Yin and generates Fluids
   Stomach Yin Deficiency with dry mouth and tongue
3. Moistens the Intestines
   Constipation, dry mouth and irritability as a result of febrile disease or Yin Deficiency
4. Clears the Heart and eliminates irritability
   Ying Stage Heat with fever and irritability which is worse at night
   Yin Deficiency with fever and irritability which is worse at night
5. Aids fasting
   Mentioned in the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing as part of the middle class of herbs which can, with protracted taking, make the body light, prevent senility and make one free from hunger. 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.

Pinyin: Dang Gui  Chinese: 當歸
Pharmaceutical: Radix Angelicae sinensis
Taxonomy: Angelica sinensis
English: Chinese Angelica Root / Tang-Kuei / Dong Quai Root

Tastes: Sweet, Pungent, Warm
Meridians Entered: Heart and Liver

Actions & Indications:

1. 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
2. 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
3. Moistens the Intestines and unblocks the bowels
   Dry Intestines due to Blood Deficiency
4. Reduces swelling, expels pus, generates flesh and alleviates pain
   Sores and abscess (Chuang Yung), internally and topically
5. Stops coughing and treats dyspnea
   Used adjunctively for coughing
6. Tonifies the Blood while suppressing Parasites
   Gu Sydnrome (Fruehauf, 1998)
   Chronic inflammatory disease (Fruehauf, 2015)

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.

Pinyin: Ju Hua  Chinese: 菊花
Pharmaceutical: Flos Chrysanthemi
English: Chrysanthemum

Tastes: Pungent, sweet, bitter, slightly cold
Meridians Entered: Lung and Liver

Actions & Indications:

1. Disperses Wind and clears Heat
   Wind-Heat from a common Cold or Warm pathogen disease
2. Calms the Liver and clears the eyes
   Dry, swollen and/or painful eyes due to Wind-Heat in the Liver channel or Liver Yang
   Rising Spots in front of the eyes, blurred vision or dizziness due to Kidney and Liver Yin Deficiencies
   Liver and Kidney Yin Deficiencies with heatstroke
3. Calms Liver Yang and extinguishes Wind
   Liver Wind with dizziness, headache and deafness
   Liver Yang Rising (Liver and Kidney Yin Deficiency)
   Hypertension (high blood pressure)
4. Detoxifies (purifies Blood)
   Toxic sores and swellings
5. Promotes the movement of Heart Qi and Blood and stimulates Blood circulation
   Heart Qi and Blood Stagnation
6. Kills Gu Parasites and Scatters Toxins by Releasing the Exterior
   Chronic inflammatory disease (Fruehauf, 1998; 2015)
7. Aids fasting
   Mentioned in the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing as part of the superior class of herbs which can, with protracted taking, disinhibit the Blood and Qi, make the body light, slow ageing 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: 9-15g in decoction.

Pinyin: Bai Shao  Chinese: 白芍
Pharmaceutical: Radix Paeoniae Alba
Taxonomy: Paeonia lactiflora
English: White Peony Root

Tastes: Bitter, sour, sweet, slightly cold
Meridians Entered: Spleen and Liver

Actions & Indications:

1. 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
2. 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
3. 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
4. Softens the Liver and relieves pain
   Diarrhoea, borborygmus and abdominal pain
   Dysenteric disorders with tenesmus
5. Eliminates Evil Qi, breaks up Blood Stasis, disperses accumulations and fortifies Qi
   The Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing places this in the middle class of herbs and says that "It mainly treats Evil Qi and abdominal pain, eliminates blood impediment, breaks hard gatherings and cold and heat mounting conglomeration, relieves pain, disinhibits urination, and boosts the qi.
6. Tonifies the Blood while suppressing Parasites
   Gu Sydnrome (Fruehauf, 1998)
   Chronic inflammatory disease (Fruehauf, 2015)

Standard Dosage: 10-30g in decoction.
Cautions: Caution with anticoagulants as it may slow clotting time. May also slow the absorption of phenytoin.

Pinyin: Mu Dan Pi  Chinese: 牡丹皮
Pharmaceutical: Cortex radicis Moutan
Taxonomy: Paeonia suffruticosa
English: Tree Peony Root Bark / Moutan Peony Root Bark

Tastes: Bitter, pungent, light cold
Meridians Entered: Heart, Liver and Kidney

Actions & Indications:

1. Clears Heat and cools (and harmonizes) the Blood
   Xue Stage Heat with epistaxis, hemoptysis, hematemesis or subcutaneous bleeding
   Menorrhagia due to Blood Heat
2. Clears Deficiency Fire
   Yin Deficiency Heat signs especially in the aftermath of Warm Febrile Disease with fever at night and coolness in the morning (most appropriate when the is no sweating)
3. Invigorates the Blood and dispels Blood Stasis
   Blood Stasis with amenorrhea, abdominal masses, lumps or bruises due to trauma
   Liver Blood Stagnation
4. Clears Liver Fire
   Liver Fire with headache, eye pain, flank pain, flushing and dysmenorrhea
5. Drains pus and reduces swelling
   Non-draining sores (topical)
   Intestinal abscesses (internal)

Standard Dosage: 6-12g in decoction.
Cautions: It is contraindicated in cases of profuse menstruation and pregnant women.

Pinyin: Chen Pi  Chinese: 陈皮
Pharmaceutical: Pericarpium Citri Reticulatae
Taxonomy: Citrus spp.
English: Aged Tangerine Peel

Tastes: Pungent, bitter, warm
Meridians Entered: Spleen and Lung

Actions & Indications:

1. Regulates Qi, adjusts the Middle and relieves the diaphragm
   Spleen/Stomach Qi Stagnation with epigastric or abdominal distention, fullness, bloating, belching, nausea and vomiting
2. Dries Dampness and transforms Phlegm
   Phlegm-Damp Obstructs the Lung with coughing, a stifling sensation in the chest and/or diaphragm and copious, viscous sputum
   Turbid Damp Obstructs the Middle with a stifling sensation in the chest, abdominal distention, anorexia, fatigue, loose stools and a thick, greasy tongue coat
3. Helps prevent Stagnation from tonic herbs
   Tonic herbs causing Stagnation
4. Descends Qi
   Qi Rebellion
5. Aids fasting
   Mentioned in the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing as part of the superior class of herbs which can, with protracted taking, remove foul breath, precipitate the Qi, and enable one to communicate with spirits. 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).
6. Suppresses Gu Parasites
   Gu Sydnrome (Fruehauf, 1998)
   Chronic inflammatory disease (Fruehauf, 2015)

Standard Dosage: 3-10g in decoction.