Nature: sweet, bitter, cool

Enters: Liver, Kidney

Actions: Nourishes kidney and liver Yin; clears liver heat; improves vision; clears Yin deficiency heat.

Indications:
• Kidney and liver Yin deficiency: dizziness, weak lumbar region and knees, premature aging, early greying of the hair, diminished visual acuity, blurry vision, tinnitus.
• Yin deficiency heat: fever.
• As a tonifying seed, this herb is sometimes thought of as promoting fertility.
• No greasy side effects – good for Yin deficient patients with poor digestion.
• This herb is not a powerful Yin tonic.
• Doctrine of signatures: black and shaped like a kidney – nourishes the kidneys.
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine: Lowers serum cholesterol; improves blood supply to the heart.
• Acne: may help by regulating endocrine function.
• Lowers blood sugar.
• Treats cirrhosis of the liver.
• Hyperthyroidism.
• Brown spots on the skin.
Michael & Leslie Tierra: Immune tonic to counter effects of radiation and chemotherapy.
Hong-Yen Hsu (Oriental Materia Medica): Cardiotonic, purgative, nutritive, may inhibit tumor growth.
Dui Yao (Sionneau): With Han lian cao to effectively supplement the liver and kidneys, cool the blood and stop bleeding, and blacken the hair. See Han lian cao in this category for specific indications and notes on this combination.

Dose: 4.5-15g