Nature: sweet, warm
Enters: Heart, Spleen
Actions: Tonifies Qi and nourishes blood of the Spleen and Heart; calms the Shen.
Indications:
• Heart and Spleen blood and Qi deficiency: insomnia, palpitations, poor memory, dizziness, excessive worry, fatigue. Can be used alone to nourish the Heart and Spleen. Despite its sweetness, it’s not stagnating in nature. May also be combined with Ren shen, Huang qi, Dang gui, Suan zao ren for this condition (or Gui Pi Tang).
• Qi and blood deficiency: fatigue, weakness, shortness of breath, spontaneous sweating, pale or sallow complexion (commonly seen in chronic illness and elderly).
• Especially for problems associated with excessive pensiveness or overwork.
• For diarrhea due to Spleen deficiency, combine with Sheng jiang, Bai zhu, Shan yao, and Yi yi ren.
• For edema in post-partum women, combine with Sheng jiang and Da zao.
• Like other moistening tonic fruits Sang shen and Gou qi zi, Long yan rou can be safely taken over a long period of time.
• Often eaten alone or taken as an infusion.
• Soaked in grain-based liquor to make a tincture, used for Qi & blood deficiency with cold due to Yang deficiency (drink daily). Also for insomnia from deficiency and cold, take a small portion before sleep.
LL: Very warm. Not for heat patterns except when combined appropriately.
Dose: 6-15g (to 30)
Wonderful website, Peter – don’t think I’ve ever left a comment and I certainly owe you one, for how much use I’ve gotten from the resource you’ve created. Thank you.
Long Yan Rou is wonderful stuff, I hope you give it some more attention at some point.
I doubt there’s a better tasting medicinal in the world, at least for those of us who spend too much time thinking and staring at screens…
Thank you! I added a bit more info for Long Yan Rou. If you have additional insights on this herb, feel free to post them here.