Properties: Sweet, neutral
Meridans Entered:
Primary: Lung and Large Intestine
Traditional Actions/Indications:
- Moistens the Lung and relieves asthma
Cough and asthma due to deficiency
Constipation due to intestine dryness
Suggested Daily Dosage: 6-9g in decoction.
Notable Constituents:
- Amygdalin
Cyanogenic glycoside present in all species almonds but can reach up to 5% in bitter almonds, whereas only trace levels are found in sweet almonds (<0.05% amygdalin). Amygdalin was claimed to be a cancer cure by Ernst T. Krebs who attempted to reclassify it as "Vitamin B17" but it has not proven effective. This may also be the substance responsible for suppressing cough as small amounts of cyanide may do this (Xu et al, 2017) but it has a narrow therapeutic index (Lin, Chang & Wu, 2016) so should be a supportive herb and not used singularly or as the primary herb for cough.
Once converted into a cyanide, it acts as an inhibitor of cytochrome c oxidase in the fourth complex of the electron transport chain of the mitochondrial membrane. It complexes with the ferric iron atom in this enzyme preventing the transport of electrons from cytochrome c oxidase to oxygen, resulting in disruption of the electron transport chain and the cell being no longer able to produce ATP aerobically. The lethal dose in humans is between 0.5 and 3.5 mg/kg of body weight (Aranguri-Llerena & Siche, 2020).
Does not appear in any formulae listed on this site
Research Links & References: (click to display)
Research Links:
Reference Notes:
Individual herb information has sourced mainly from TCM Wiki and American Dragon for basic data and then updated manually with my own notes. Zhou, Xie and Yan (2011): Encyclopedia of Traditional Chinese Medicines, Vol. 5, and A+ Medical Encyclopaedia have been used for entries not available from those sources with additional material searched for and filled in where available. Western herbs not appearing in the Chinese literature have used Ross (2010): Combining Western Herbs and Chinese Medicine: A Clinical Materia Medica, White Rabbit Institute of Healing and therapeutika.ch. Choices of which source to use or combine have been my own.
These pages are intended to assist clinicians and are not intended for self-diagnosis or treatment for which a qualified professional should be consulted. Actions and indications are taken from traditional uses and do not necessarily reflect the evidence base which should be researched independently. Dosages are for guidance only and will vary dependening on the potency of the batch and the tolerance of the individual so should be evaluated by a professional based on individual needs.
