Properties: Pungent, warm, possibly toxic
Meridans Entered:
Primary: Stomach, Lung, Spleen, Large Intestine
Traditional Actions/Indications:
- Dispels Wind and Resolves the Exterior
Common cold with headache, fever and cough, earache, sinusitis
Cough and wheezing with Cold-Phlegm
Summerheat stroke
- Transforms Dampness and harmonises the Middle Jiao
Food stagnation with non-digestion, loss of appetite with no though of food or drink
Distention, fullness and pain in epigastrium and abdomen
Vomiting and diarrhea
Hiccups, flatulence, toothache, bad breath
- Moves Qi and invigorates Blood
Wind-Damp Bi Syndrome
Irregular menstruation, breast tenderness and inflammation, insufficient lactation
- Resolve Toxicity and disperses swelling
Damp sores of the skin, dormant papules with itching, acne
Knocks and falls, snake or insect bites
Suggested Daily Dosage: 5-15g in decoction.
Cautions: It is contraindicated in case of qi deficiency and blood dryness, pregnancy and may cause irritation when applied topically.
Notable Constituents:
- Estragole
Phenylpropanoid with the odour of anise that has been identified as genotoxic and carcinogenic. target="_blank">European Medicines Agency recommends to limit safe exposure to 1 mg/person/day. It is insoluble in water so is primarily a concern in ground herbs or ethanol extracts. Basil has approximately 0.4% estragole content.
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.
