Properties: Sweet, neutral
Meridans Entered:
Primary: Spleen and Lung
Traditional Actions/Indications:
- Moistens the Lungs and soothes the stomach
Dry cough
Nausea
- Tonifies the Spleen
Leg Qi
Abdominal pain and Cold accumulation in the abdomen
Insufficient lactation
- Regulates the Blood
Dry fried to promote blood circulation
Suggested Daily Dosage: 30-60g in decoction.
Cautions: It is contraindicated in case of diarrhea and deficiency cold with damp stagnation. Can also cause severe allergic reaction in susceptible individuals resulting in anaphylactic shock which must be treated with immediate adrenaline.
Notable Constituents:
- Glycine
Non-essential amino acid that is important in the formation of collagen and glutathione which has been found to be depleted in older adults and supplementation can restore.
- Peanut Agglutinin
Lectin protein that comprises ~0.15% peanut weight. It binds to galactose derivative Gal-Β(1-3)-GalNAc and causes cells with this expression on their surface to agglutinate. This includes red blood cells, potentially affecting clotting. It has also been associated with tumour cell spreading and metastasis (Wang et al., 2021). It can be inhibited by lactose and galactose which compete for the binding site.
- Thiamine
Vitamin B1. Peanutes contain approx. 0.640 mg / 100 g, which equates to 53% RDA (Arya et al., 2016). Deficiency results in beri-beri which may result in the symptoms described as "Leg Qi."
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.
