Long Yan Rou - 龍眼肉 - Arillus Longan - Euphorbia Longan

Pharmaceutical Latin:	Arillus Longan
Common English:	Euphorbia Flesh of the Longan Fruit Longan

Properties

Taste	Temperature	Entering Meridians	Dosage
Sweet	Warm	Heart Spleen	6-30g 9-15g (Secondary source)

Actions

Indications/Syndromes

Tonifies and augments the Heart and Spleen, nourishes the Blood and calms the Spirit

Insomnia, palpitations, forgetfulness and dizziness due to Heart and Spleen Deficiency

It is commonly used for problems associated with over thinking or overwork (can be taken alone as a tea)

CONTRAINDICATIONS

Contraindicated for those with Phlegm-Fire.
Contraindicated for those with Fire from constraint.
Contraindicated for those with Phlegm with Qi Stagnation.
Contraindicated for those with Dampness in the Middle Jiao.
Contraindicated for those with Wind-Heat in the Lungs and cough with Phlegm or Blood.
Contraindicated for those with a Yang constitution.
Contraindicated for those with Fire in the Heart or Lungs.
Contraindicated for those with fullness in the Middle with nausea or vomiting.
Contraindicated for those with constrained Qi clumped in the epigastrium.
Use caution with Spleen and Stomach Deficiency.

INCOMPATIBILITIES

HERB/DRUG INTERACTIONS

Rx. Angelicae Sinensis Dang Gui Rx. Ginseng Ren Shen Sm. Zizyphi Spinosae Suan Zao Ren (Rx. Astragali) (Huang Qi)	Bul. Lilii Bai He	Rz. Acori Tatarinowii Shi Chang Pu
Palpitations and insomnia due to Heart Blood Deficiency especially in cases with Spleen Qi Deficiency	Mild insomnia and excitability	Forgetfulness, dizziness and fatigue due to Heart Qi and Blood Deficiency
White Sugar	Rz. Zingiberis Recens Sheng Jiang Fr. Jujube Da Zao	Rz. Zingiberis Recens Sheng Jiang Rz. Atractylodis Macrocephalae Bai Zhu Rz. Dioscoreae Shan Yao Sm. Coicis Yi Yi Ren
Insufficiency of Qi and Blood	Postpartum exhaustion of Qi and Blood with floating edema	Diarrhea from Spleen Deficiency
Rx. Astragali Huang Qi Rx. Ginseng Ren Shen Or Rx. Astragali Huang Qi Rx. Panacis Quinquifolii Xi Yang Shen	Grain-Based Liquor
Qi and Blood Deficiency	Soak and drink daily for Qi and Blood Deficiencies with Cold due to Yang Deficiency

It is frequently used for problems linked to overwork or an Excess of pensiveness.
For the elderly, the weak, those convalescing from illness and women after delivery, use it alone in porridge.
Taken on its own, it treats Heart and Spleen Deficiency.
Keep it refrigerated.
In people with Blood Deficiency, it supplements the Qi of the Heart and Spleen.
It serves as a food and a confection; overuse will damage the Spleen.
Historically, this herb was noted to treat aversion to food and to quiet the emotions.
Taken over the long term, it strengthens the ethereal and corporeal Souls, sharpens the intelligence, lightens the body, prevents aging and promotes enlightenment of the Spirit.
It has a reputation for treating menopause. It is said to make the skin diaphanous and the eyes radiant and sexually vibrant.
Long Yan Rou and Fr. Jujube Da Zao are both sweet and warm; they augment Blood and Qi, tonify the Stomach and Spleen, and calm the Spirit. Da Zao calms the Spirit less well, but it can moderate the harshness of other herbs so they do not injure the Spleen. Long Yan Rou is sweeter and warmer, which enhances the Spleen, and it is more moistening, so it tonifies Blood more than Qi. It is better at calming the Spirit, enriching the Heart and enhancing the emotions.

Long Yan Rou (longan): Builds spleen blood when hematocrit is low. (Yuen)
Long Yan Rou (longan): For emotions and poor memory. (Yuen)
Gui Pi Tang (?): Formula built around a qi herb (ginseng) and a blood herb (Long Yan Rou) used for low platelets; builds spleen and liver.