Properties: Sweet, astringent, neutral
Meridans Entered:
Primary: Spleen, Kidney and Heart
Extraordinary Vessels: Yin Wei
Traditional Actions/Indications:
- Tonifies the Spleen and astringes diarrhoea
Spleen Deficiency with chronic diarrhoea and loss of appetite
- Tonifies the Kidneys and astringes Jing
Premature ejaculation and spermatorrhea due to unstable Deficient Kidneys
Excessive uterine bleeding and vaginal discharge
- Nourishes the Heart and calms the Spirit
Palpitations with anxiety and irritability associated with Deficiency and insomnia
Especially useful for Lack of Communication Between the Heart and Kidneys (Heart and Kidney Yin Deficiency)
- 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, slow ageing, make one
free from hunger, and prolong life. 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: 10-15g in decoction.
Notes:
Lian Zi is a nyctinastic herb, meaning that it moves in response to the alternation of day and night. In the lotus, it changes its leaf orientation in accordance with daylight. This gives these herbs a particular affinity for treating problems of circadian rhythms such as insomnia.
Appears in 10 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.
