Properties: Sweet, pungent, warm
Meridans Entered:
Primary: Kidney and Liver
Extraordinary Vessels: Du
Traditional Actions/Indications:
- Tonifies the Kidneys, strengthens Yang and increases the libido
Kidney Yang Deficiency with impotence, infertility, urinary frequency, forgetfulness, withdrawal and painful, Cold lower back and knees
- Dispels Wind-Cold-Dampness and warms and unblocks the flow of Yang Qi (strengthens the sinews and bones)
Wind-Cold-Damp Bi with spasms, or cramps in the hands and feet, joint pain and numbness in the extremities Contractures, numbness or hemiplegia following Wind-Stroke
Suggested Daily Dosage: 5-15g in decoction.
Notable Constituents:
- Icariin
Glycoside flavinoid which may act as a weak PDE5 inhibitor, enhance the production of nitric oxide and mimic the effects of testosterone, although all in vitro or animal studies. It also has roles as a bone density conservation agent, a phytoestrogen and antioxidant.
- Melatonin
A hormone with powerful sleep regulatory, antioxidant and immunoregulatory properties. It is mainly found in animals but Chen et al (2003) found it in 1, 105 ng/g in this herb.
Appears in 12 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, 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.
