Ge Gen - 葛根 - Radix Puerariae - Kudzu

Pharmaceutical Latin:	Radix Puerariae
Common English:	Kudzu Root Pueraria

Category

Herbs that Release the Exterior: Cool, Acrid Herbs that Release the Exterior (Wind-Heat Diaphoretics)

Properties

Taste	Temperature	Entering Meridians	Dosage
Sweet Acrid	Cool	Spleen Stomach	4-21g Maximum dose: 60g Tincture: 2-4 ml 9-12g (Secondary source)

Actions And Indications

Actions	Indications/Syndromes
Discharges Exterior conditions and releases the muscles, especially of the neck and upper back	Wind-Heat or Wind-Cold lodged in the muscles of the upper back and neck
Relieves Heat and generates fluids (relieves thirst)	Thirst due to Stomach Heat or Wind-Heat or Wasting and Thirsting
Vents and discharges measles	Measles with incomplete expression of the rash
Raises Spleen Yang and stops diarrhea	Diarrhea or dysentery due to Heat Diarrhea due to Spleen Deficiency (with appropriate herbs)
Alleviates symptoms of hypertension	Hypertension symptoms such as headache, dizziness, tinnitus or paresthesia

Contraindications, Incompatibilities And Herb/Drug Interactions

Major Combinations

Rx. Bupleuri Chai Hu Rx. Scutellariae Huang Qin (Talcum) (Hua Shi) Or Rx. Bupleuri Chai Hu Rx. Scutellariae Huang Qin (Gypsum Fibrosum) (Shi Gao)	Hb. Ephedrae Ma Huang Ram Cinnamomi Gui Zhi Or Ram Cinnamomi Gui Zhi Rx. Paeoniae Alba Bai Shao	Rz. Cimicifugae Sheng Ma (Rx. Paeoniae Alba) (Bai Shao) Rx. Glycyrrhizae) (Gan Cao)
Wind-Heat.	Wind-Cold with stiffness and tension in the upper back and neck.	Early stage measles where the rash has not yet appeared.
Rz. Cimicifugae Sheng Ma (Rx. Paeoniae Alba) (Bai Shao) Hb. Schizonepetae Jing Jie Hb. Menthae Bo He	Rx. Trichosanthis Tian Hua Fen Tub. Ophiopogonis Mai Men Dong Rx. Rehmanniae Sheng Di Huang	Rz. Coptidis Huang Lian Rx. Scutellariae Huang Qin
Early stage measles where the rash has not yet appeared with a stronger effect.	Thirst due to Stomach Heat. Wasting and thirsting syndrome.	Heat induced diarrhea. Dysenteric disorders due to Damp-Heat.
Rx. Dioscoreae Shan Yao	Rx. Bupleuri Chai Hu	Fr. Gardeniae Zhi Zi
Diarrhea due to Heat where the fluids are injured. Diarrhea due to Spleen and Stomach Qi Deficiency.	Exterior patterns where the the chills gradually improve while the fever gradually increases along with stiffening of the neck and upper back and absence of sweating.	Irritability.
Flos Puerariae Ge Hua Or Flos Chrysanthemi Ju Hua	Rx. Trichosanthis Tian Hua Fen Tub. Ophiopogonis Mai Men Dong Rx. Astragali Huang Qi	Rx. Ginseng Ren Shen Rx. Atractylodis Macrocephalae Bai Zhu Poria Fu Ling Rx. Aucklandiae Mu Xiang Or Rx. Codonopsis Dang Shen Rx. Atractylodis Macrocephalae Bai Zhu Poria Fu Ling Rx. Aucklandiae Mu Xiang
Relieves drunkenness or hangover.	Internal Heat with Body Fluid Deficiency.	Diarrhea due to Spleen Deficiency.
Rx. Trichosanthis Tian Hua Fen Tub. Ophiopogonis Mai Men Dong Rx. Rehmanniae Sheng Di Huang Gypsum Fibrosum Shi Gao Rz. Anemarrhenae Zhi Mu	Rz. et Rx. Notopterygii Qiang Huo Rx. Bupleuri Chai Hu Gypsum Fibrosum Shi Gao Rx. Scutellariae Huang Qin
Wasting and thirsting disorder.	Half Exterior - half Interior syndrome.

Notes

1. This herb has a dual action: it relieves surface complaints involving flushing up (shoulder/neck tension, headache, sinus congestion etc.) and is also valuable for gastrointestinal problems such as diarrhea.
2. It is highly starchy and is commonly used as a starch in Japan.
3. The flowers, Ge Gen Hua, are sweet and neutral; combined with Rx. Codonopsis Dang Shen, Fr. Amomi Bai Dou Kou and Per. Citri Reticulatae Chen Pi at a dosage of 3-12 gm, they treat alcoholic poisoning (hangover), thirst, hemorrhoidal bleeding, dysentery and intestinal gas.
4. The vine is used for coughs and general weakness.
5. Recent research indicates that Ge Gen has restorative and relaxant effects on coronary and cardiac function and is very successful in treating problems such as angina, hypertension and migraine.
6. Pueraria leaf is used for bleeding wounds and snakebite.
7. It lifts the Clear Yang Qi of the Yang Ming.
8. It is also reported to relieve sinus congestion and counteract toxins.
9. It is said to help people who tire easily, have difficulty losing weight and struggle to stand in one place for long.
10. Ge Gen and Rx. Trichosanthis Tian Hua Fen both treat wasting and thirsting disorder. Ge Gen lifts the Yin, whereas Tian Hua Fen moistens the Lung and Stomach and expels Lung and Stomach Heat. Ge Gen raises the Stomach Yang fluids to nourish the Lungs, disperses exterior pathogens and releases the muscle layer. It treats fever by acrid dispersal of Heat, whereas Tian Hua Fen treats fever by cooling it with its cold nature. Ge Gen relieves thirst by drawing on Stomach Yang fluids for nourishment and can therefore exhaust Stomach fluids, whereas Tian Hua Fen generates fluids. When diarrhea is present, Ge Gen can lift the Yin fluids to stop it.
11. Ge Gen and Rx. Ephedrae Ma Huang both gently lift, disperse and drive out Excess, yet they enter entirely different channels. Ge Gen is a Yang Ming channel herb that also enters the Spleen, which governs the muscles and flesh, whereas Ma Huang is a Tai Yang channel herb that enters the Lungs, which govern the skin and hair.
12. Unprepared Kudzu Sheng Ge Gen or Dried Kudzu Gan Gen Gen is used to release the muscle layer, raise fluids, relieve thirst and vent rashes.
13. Roasted Kudzu Wei Gen Gen is less cooling and dispersing, so it specifically raises and brings out the clear Yang Qi of the Spleen and Stomach. Its harmonizing and antidiarrheal actions are stronger, making it suitable for diarrhea from Spleen Deficiency.
14. Kudzu Starch Ge Fen is very cold. It is stronger at generating fluids and relieving thirst and more effective at cooling Heat and relieving irritability, so it treats stifling Heat in the chest with thirst, irritability and restlessness.
15. Flos Puerariae Ge Hua is sweet and neutral and enters the Stomach channel. It relieves hangovers and awakens the Spleen, and it is used for headaches, fever, irritability, thirst, fullness and bloating in the chest and diaphragm, and vomiting from excessive alcohol use. It is usually combined with Rx. Ginseng Ren Shen, Fr. Amomi Rotundus Bai Dou Kou and Per. Citri Reticulatae Chen Pi, at a dosage of 3-12g. It also treats hemorrhoidal bleeding.
16. Kudzu Leaf Ge Gen Ye is used at 15-60g for bleeding wounds and snakebites.