Properties: Sweet, neutral
Meridans Entered:
Primary: Stomach and Large Intestine
Traditional Actions/Indications:
- Expels parasites and alleviates pain
Tapeworms, roundworms, threadworms, Blood flukes and schistosomiasis (used as a stand-alone herb)
Post-addiction, especially opioids (Bao Xiang'ao, Qing dynasty, who attributed addictions to parasites, 蟲 Chong which cause the cravings to re-emerge, Wilcox, 2025)
- Benefits postpartum fluid metabolism
Insufficient lactation
Postpartum swelling of the hands and feet
Suggested Daily Dosage: 30-60g ground into powder and taken with cold water. 60-120g for
tapeworms and 120-200g for schistosomiasis.
Notes:
Pumpkin seeds have been noted for their ability to expel tape worms since at least 1852 in western medical journals where it was combined with castor oil to induce diarrhoea. This has been adopted by the Chinese as a means of controlling parasitic infection, using the purgative action of Bing Lang instead of castor oil (Qian et al., 2020).
Appears in 1 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.
