Chi Xiao Dou - 赤小豆 - Semen Phaseoli - Aduki Bean

Pharmaceutical Latin:	Semen Phaseoli
Common English:	Aduki Bean Phaseolus / Adzuki bean Rice Bean

Category

Herbs that Drain Dampness (Diuretics)

Properties

Taste	Temperature	Entering Meridians	Dosage
Sweet Sour	Neutral	Heart Small Intestine (Spleen)	9-30g

Actions And Indications

Actions	Indications/Syndromes
Promotes urination and reduces edema	Abdominal swelling and fullness due to edema, urinary difficulty and leg Qi
Clears Damp Heat	Mild jaundice due to Damp-Heat
Disperses Blood Stasis, reduces swelling and reduces Fire toxicity (dispels pus)	Chuang Yung (sores, carbuncles, furuncles)

*Contraindications, Incompatibilities And Herb/Drug Interactions

Major Combinations

Carp	Peanuts Fr. Jujube Da Zao	Pedicellus Melo Gua Di
As a soup for edema due to Kidney Deficiency.	Deficiency edema. (as in malnutrition)	Food Stagnation or Phlegm obstructing the chest and diaphragm.
Hb. Ephedrae Ma Huang Fr. Forsythiae Lian Qiao Cx. Mori Sang Bai Pi	Rx. Angelicae Sinensis Dang Gui	Spica Schizonepetae Jing Jie Sui
Damp-Heat jaundice. (mild case)	Resolves toxicity, disperses Blood and expels pus, for Intestinal Wind due to Damp-Heat (the passage of Blood preceding the stool) or Lung or Large Intestine abscesses or bleeding hemorrhoids. Topically as a plaster for Chuang Yung. (abscesses etc.)	Clears Heat, promotes the flow of Blood, reduces rashes and alleviates itching for itchy Wind-Rash and swollen, toxic sores.

Notes

1. Taken over the long term, this herb can promote weight loss.
2. As a food, it drains water or Dampness downward and out of the body.
3. According to some sources, it clears Heat from the Heart.
4. It directs downward and enters both the Qi and Blood levels.
5. It reduces edema, resolves Summerheat and alleviates thirst, treating many kinds of edema, Summerheat and insatiable thirst due to Stomach Heat.
6. Chi Xiao Dou, Sm. Phaseoli Lu Dou and Sm. Glycinis Hei Dou all promote urination, eliminate edema and resolve toxicity, and they treat skin lesions, abdominal distention, Damp-Heat jaundice and Heat-toxin abscesses and swelling. Chi Xiao Dou is sweet, sour, and neutral or slightly cool, and enters the Heart and Small Intestine channels. In the Qi level it benefits the Stomach, cools Heat and promotes urination, leading pathogenic water or Summerheat out through the urine to treat edema, diarrhea or dysenteric disorders and jaundice. In the Blood level it descends Fire, moves the Blood and reduces Heat toxin, treating boils, abscesses and ulcerations caused by intense heat toxin in the Blood. It may be used externally or internally. Lu Dou is sweet and cool, enters the heart and Stomach channels, cools Summerheat and lessens toxic reactions to other herbs. It is well suited to Heat Stroke and insatiable thirst and is frequently paired with Rx. Glycyrrhizae Gan Cao as an antidote for poisoning, particularly poisoning from herbs. Compared with Chi Xiao Dou, it suppresses Heat and resolves toxins more strongly and without drying. Hei Dou Black Soybeans are sweet and neutral and enter the Spleen and Kidney channels; they move Blood, promote urination, expel Wind and resolve toxicity. They treat edema, reduce distention, descend rebellious Qi, control Wind-Heat, invigorate the Blood and reduce toxicity. With Rx. Glycyrrhizae it serves as an antidote for all herbal poisoning, and it is commonly combined with other herbs for Wind-predominant Bi with spasms, postpartum convulsions, and Heat toxin swellings and abscesses. It may be used both externally and internally.