Properties: Sweet, bitter, cool
Meridans Entered:
Primary: Liver
Traditional Actions/Indications:
- Calms Liver Yang, clears Liver Fire and extinguishes Wind
Liver Yang Rising or Liver Fire with dizziness, headaches, vertigo, irritability, restlessness and insomnia
Hypertension
- Clears Heat and facilitates urination
Edema and urinary difficulty with Heat
- Nourishes the Heart and Calms the Shen
Insomnia, palpitations, generalized nervous conditions
Post-concussion syndrome
- Enhances Health in the middle-aged and elderly
Suggested Daily Dosage: 3-15g in decoction. Can be used as a stand-alone herb.
Cautions: It is contraindicated for chronic convulsions with Spleen deficiency. Long-term use can also lead to hypokalemia.
Ingestion of the leaves can cause vomiting, diarrhea, epigastric discomfort, dry mouth, abdominal tension, weakness, wheezing or pain over the Liver.
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, 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.
