Dong Chong Xia Cao - 冬虫夏草 - Cordyceps
| Pharmaceutical Latin: | Cordyceps |
| Common English: | Chinese Caterpillar Fungus Cordyceps |
Category
Herbs that Tonify the YangProperties
| Taste | Temperature | Entering Meridians | Dosage |
| Sweet Sweet, Salty (Secondary source) | Warm (Neutral) | Lung Kidney Large Intestine, Kidney (Secondary source) | 3-14g Tincture: 2-4ml 9-21g (Secondary source) |
Actions And Indications
| Actions | Indications/Syndromes |
Tonifies the Kidneys, strengthens Yang and augments Jing | Kidney Yang Deficiency with impotence, and sore and weak lower back and lower extremities Kidney Jing Deficiency Kidney Yin Deficiency |
Nourishes Lung Yin, transforms Phlegm and | Lung Yin Deficiency with chronic cough and wheezing Consumptive coughs with Blood-streaked sputum Asthma due to Kidney and Lung Deficiencies |
*Contraindications, Incompatibilities And Herb/Drug Interactions
| CONTRAINDICATIONS |
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| INCOMPATIBILITIES |
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| HERB/DRUG INTERACTIONS |
Major Combinations
| Cx. Eucommiae | Duck, Chicken, Pork or Fish | Rx. Astragali |
Spermatorrhea, premature ejaculation, and low back and lower extremity pain from Kidney Deficiency. | As a stew for weakness, dizziness, spontaneous sweat, and other symptoms of debility and lowered resistance from weak Wei Qi. | Sweating due to weakened Wei Qi. |
| Rx. Adenophorae/Glehniae | Gecko | Rx. Ophiopogonis |
Cough, wheezing coughing up blood and chest pain from Lung Yin Deficiency. | Asthma with Lung and Kidney involvement. | Served daily as a beverage for Lung cancer. |
Cx. Eucommiae | Cornu Cervi Pantotrichum | Fr. Lycii |
Bone and joint disorders. | Impotence. | Tinnitus. |
Rx. Astragali | Bul. Fritillariae Cirrhosae | Gecko |
As a stew for spontaneous sweating during recovery from chronic illness. | Chronic cough due to Kidney and Lung Yin Deficiencies with scanty, Blood-streaked sputum. | Chronic feeble cough and weakness due to Kidney and Ling Qi Deficiencies. |
Notes
- Its name, Winter Bug Summer Herb, comes from the fact that it is a fungus that grows on the molt of a caterpillar.
- Because it tonifies both Yin and Yang, it can safely be taken over long periods.
- Although costly, it can be gathered locally.
- Focal distention and pain from Deficiency respond well to it.
- Sharp pangs of pain in the low back and knees are treated with it.
- It protects the Lungs and firms the pores and interstices.
- In addition, it tonifies Jing and augments the marrow.
- Research shows that it suppresses the growth of cancer cells.
- More recently it has been applied to cancer, hyperlipidemia and hypertension.
- Its life-extending qualities are often likened to those of Rx. Ginseng Ren Shen.
- Dong Chong Xia Cao and Gecko Ge Jie both tonify the Lungs and Kidneys, warm the Yang, augment Jing, and settle cough and wheezing. Ge Jie is salty and neutral; it calms wheezing and stops cough by helping the Kidneys grasp Qi, and it also strongly tonifies Lung Qi. Dong Chong Xia Cao calms wheezing and stops cough by descending rebellious Qi. It further transforms phlegm, stops bleeding, and stops sweating by reinforcing Wei Qi.