Properties: Sweet, sour, slightly warm
Meridans Entered:
Primary: Liver and Kidney
Extraordinary Vessels: Ren, Dai
Traditional Actions/Indications:
- 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
- Tonifies Yang and improves vision
Poor vision, soreness of the lower back and impotence due to Liver and Kidney Deficiencies
- 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).
Suggested Daily Dosage: 5-10g in decoction.
Notes:
Xiao et al., (2019) found that red raspberries aid in postmeal glycemic control in individuals with prediabetes insulin resistance, reducing glycemic burden with less insulin, which may be related to improved tissue insulin sensitivity. This may account for some of its activities to treat urinary frequency.
Appears in 4 formulae listed on this site: (click to display)
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, has 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.
