Shan Zha - 山楂 - Fructus Crataegi - Hawthorn Berry
| Pharmaceutical Latin: | Fructus Crataegi |
| Common English: | Asian Hawthorn Fruit Crataegus Fruit Hawthorn Berry Hawthorn Fruit Mountain Hawthorn |
Category
Herbs That Relieve Food Stagnation (Digestives)Properties
| Taste | Temperature | Entering Meridians | Dosage |
| Sour Sweet | Slightly Warm | Liver Spleen Stomach | 8-16g 30-120g when used alone Tincture: 2-4ml |
Actions And Indications
| Actions | Indications/Syndromes |
Reduces and guides out Food Stagnation and transforms accumulations | Accumulation of meats or greasy foods (proteins and fats) with abdominal distention, pain or diarrhea |
Transforms Blood Stasis, invigorates Blood circulation and dissipates clumps | Postpartum abdominal pain and clumps due to Blood Stasis Hernial disorders (hernia) |
Stops diarrhea | Diarrhea in chronic dysentery-like disorders (toasted) |
Treats hypertension, elevated serum cholesterol and coronary artery disease | Hypertension, elevated serum cholesterol, angina and coronary artery disease |
Contraindications, Incompatibilities And Herb/Drug Interactions
| CONTRAINDICATIONS |
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| INCOMPATIBILITIES |
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| HERB/DRUG INTERACTIONS |
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Major Combinations
| Fr. Hordei Germinatus | Fr. Hordei Germinatus | Fr. Aurantii |
Abdominal distention, belching, diarrhea and anorexia due to Food Stagnation. Childhood nutritional impairment due to improper breast feeding. | Abdominal distention, belching, and anorexia due to Food Stagnation with more intense symptoms such as pain. Childhood nutritional impairment due to improper breast feeding with more intense symptoms such as pain. | Epigastric and abdominal distention. |
| Rx. Aucklandia | Rx. Ligustici Chuanxiong | Rx. Salviae Miltiorrhizae |
Abdominal distention and pain, diarrhea, and dysenteric disorders. (Dry-fry Shan Zha before decocting ) | Menstrual pain and postpartum lower abdominal pain due to Blood Stasis. | Painful obstruction of the chest due to Blood Stasis in the Heart channel. |
| Fr. Foeniculi | Sm. Raphani | Massa Medicata Fermentata |
Hernial disorders with testicular pain and swelling associated with prolapse. | Reduces Stagnation and accumulation caused by overindulgence in food and drinks of all types. | General indigestion and Food Stagnation. |
Rx. Aucklandia | Fr. Aurantii Immaturus | Rz. Gastrodiae |
Indigestion with abdominal distention and pain. | Phlegm and Food Stagnation with palpable masses in the abdomen. | Hypertension. |
Rx. Salviae Miltiorrhizae | Rx. Salviae Miltiorrhizae | Sm. Cassiae |
Coronary artery disease. | Angina. | Hypercholesterolemia. |
Notes
- Food Stagnation from overindulgence in meat (proteins and fats) responds best to this herb.
- It is an important herb for transforming Stagnant Blood.
- It inhibits cancer cell growth.
- Entering the Qi level, it opens constrained Phlegm clumps.
- It has a particularly harmonious and calm nature.
- Digestive juices and Fluids are increased by it.
- It stimulates the appetite.
- After birth, it helps the uterus contract.
- Epigastric distention, amenorrhea, hernia Qi pain and chest Bi are treated by it.
- For indigestion and abdominal pain, take 10g of charred Shan Zha as an herbal powder.
- Dry-frying Crataegus Chao Shan Zha strengthens its capacity to reduce Food Stagnation and guide out obstruction, and allows it to stop diarrhea when Spleen/Stomach obstruction is combined with overeating.
- Prepared Crataegus Zhi Shan Zha avoids injuring the Blood or normal Qi.
- Carbonized Crataegus Shan Zha Tan transforms Stagnation and stops bleeding more readily, and is frequently used for postpartum abdominal pain, prolonged lochia and red dysenteric disorders.
- Folium Crataegi Shan Zha Ye promotes circulation, normalizes Heart rhythm, lowers the likelihood and severity of angina attacks, and prevents cardiac complications in elderly patients with influenza and pneumonia. Crataegus leaf extract is taken by mouth to relieve chronic Heart conditions, mainly congestive Heart failure, but also angina and arrhythmias. It may also help lower Blood pressure, dilate the vessels to the Heart and improve Blood flow.
- Shan Zha and Endothelium Corneum Gigeriae Galli Ji Nei Jin both reduce Food Stagnation strongly. Shan Zha reduces accumulated blockage from overconsumption of meat, moves Qi and breaks up Blood Stasis, and is used for amenorrhea, bulging disorders and chest pain from obstructive Stagnation. Ji Nei Jin, by contrast, treats every type of Food Stagnation, strengthens the Stomach, stops enuresis and dissolves stones.
- Dosage: 9-12g (Secondary source)
From Class
- Lipase: Shan Zha, ox bile, Wen Dan Tang: High lipase: damp heat/qi stagnation; low lipase: spleen yang can't process damp — use enzymes, Shan Zha, ox bile and Wen Dan Tang for a sluggish gallbladder. (Lewis)