Sha Yuan Zi - 沙苑子 - Semen Astragali Complanati
| Pharmaceutical Latin: | Semen Astragali Complanati |
| Common English: | Complanate Astragalus Seed / Flat‐stem milkvetch seed Flattened Milk Vetch |
Category
Herbs that Tonify the YangProperties
| Taste | Temperature | Entering Meridians | Dosage |
| Sweet | Warm | Kidney Liver | 6-20g Tincture: 2-4ml 9-18g (Secondary source) |
Actions And Indications
| Actions | Indications/Syndromes |
Tonifies Kidney Yang and astringes Jing | Kidney Yang Deficiency with lower back pain, tinnitus, impotence, premature ejaculation, urinary frequency or incontinence and vaginal discharge |
Nourishes Liver Blood and improves vision | Diminished visual acuity or blurred vision from Liver Blood Deficiency |
Contraindications, Incompatibilities And Herb/Drug Interactions
| CONTRAINDICATIONS |
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| INCOMPATIBILITIES |
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| HERB/DRUG INTERACTIONS |
Major Combinations
| Fr. Rubi | Sm. Euryales | Sm. Euryales |
Impotence, premature ejaculation, enuresis, incontinence and vaginal discharge. | Nocturnal emission and spermatorrhea. | Chronic spermatorrhea, enuresis, fatigue, lower back pain or vaginal discharge from Kidney and Liver Deficiency. |
| Cx. Eucommiae | Fr. Lycii | Sm. Cuscuta |
Low back pain from severely deficient Liver and Kidneys. | Blurred vision from Deficient Liver and Kidneys. | Blurred vision in patients with Deficient Kidney and Liver Yin. |
| Fr. Lycii | Fr. Tribuli | Sm. Cassiae |
Senile cataracts. | Tonifies the Liver and Kidneys to ensure that the eyes are nourished, anchors Liver Yang and expels Wind-Heat to treat many eye disorders, especially when there is Liver and Kidney Deficiencies with either Liver Qi Stagnation with Liver Yang Rising or External Wind-Heat affecting the eyes. | Blurred vision due to Deficient Liver and Kidney Yin. |
Cervi Cornu Degelatinatum | Fr. Corni | Ootheca Mantidis |
General Kidney Deficiency with leakage of Jing. | Impotence and spermatorrhea. | Polyuria or urinary incontinence. |
Notes
- It is used when a person's health is declining rapidly.
- It helps to conserve Jing and to restore strength to the lower body.
- Its species differs from that of Rx. Astragali Huang Qi.
- It astringes Jing and urine and benefits Jing and marrow.
- Apart from their shared use for the eyes, Sha Yuan Zi and Fr. Tribuli Bai Ji Li differ entirely in appearance and actions. Bai Ji Li dredges the Liver and expels Wind to brighten the eyes and does not tonify. Sha Yuan Zi brightens the eyes by tonifying the Liver and Kidneys. The two are frequently combined for eye diseases.
- Sha Yuan Zi, Fr. Lycii Gou Qi Zi and Sm. Cuscutae Tu Si Zi all tonify Kidney Yin and Yang and are frequently combined. Gou Qi Zi is better at nourishing Kidney and Lung Yin, mildly tonifies Kidney Yang and tonifies Liver Blood to improve vision. Tu Si Zi and Sha Yuan Zi both lean toward the Yang and astringe Jing.
- Dry-fried Complanate Astragalus Seed Chao Sha Yuan Zi tonifies the Kidneys and astringes Jing more effectively, treating urinary frequency, vaginal discharge, spermatorrhea and premature ejaculation from Kidney Yang Deficiency.
- Salt-prepared Complanate Astragalus Seed Yan Sha Yuan Zi travels directly to the Kidney channel and strongly tonifies the liver and Kidneys, treating headache, dizziness, tinnitus, deafness and aching weakness of the lower back and knees. It should not be used when these symptoms stem from Kidney Yin Deficiency with Empty Heat.
- Also known as Sha Yuan Ji Li.