Tao Ren - 桃仁 - Semen Persicae - Peach Kernel
| Pharmaceutical Latin: | Semen Persicae |
| Common English: | Peach Kernel |
Category
Herbs that Regulate Blood: Herbs that Invigorate BloodProperties
| Taste | Temperature | Entering Meridians | Dosage |
| Bitter Sweet | Neutral | Heart Large Intestine Liver Lung | 4-10g Tincture: 2-4ml Crush before decocting. |
Actions And Indications
| Actions | Indications/Syndromes |
Breaks up Blood Stasis and invigorates Blood circulation | Menstrual disorders, abdominal pain, traumatic injury, flank pain, Lung abscess and Intestinal abscess with fixed abdominal masses associated with Blood Stasis |
Moistens the Intestines and unblocks the bowels | Constipation due to dry Intestines |
Drains abscesses | Lung and Intestinal abscesses |
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
| Flos Carthami | Flos Carthami | Rz. Zingiberis Preparatum |
Invigorates the Blood for all types of Blood Stagnation such as dysmenorrhea, amenorrhea with abdominal pain, clotting and scanty flow, swollen painful sores and chest pain due to Blood Stasis. Rheumatoid arthritis. | Menstrual pain, amenorrhea or irregular menstruation due to Blood Stasis. Trauma with pain. | Lochioschesis and abdominal pain. |
| Rx. et Rz. Rhei | Rx. et Rz. Rhei | Rx. et Rz. Rhei |
Intestinal abscess with pain and swelling. Trauma with constipation. | Severe abdominal infections. | Blood Stasis and Heat in the Lower Jiao. |
| Sm. Coicis | Sm. Armeniacae | Sm. Armeniacae |
Lung abscess. | Chronic constipation due to Deficiency and/or Stagnation. | Constipation due Lung Qi Stagnation. Blood Stasis with pain in the chest, abdomen or throughout the body. Wheezing and coughing due to Lung constraint. |
Rx. Angelicae Sinensis | Flos Carthami | Tabanus |
Postpartum abdominal pain with profuse uterine bleeding. | External and sports injuries with bleeding and pain. | Blood Stasis in the abdomen due to traumatic injury. |
Flos Lonicerae | Sm. Cannabis | |
Sores and abscesses. | Constipation. |
Notes
- It is frequently paired with Flos Carthami Hong Hua.
- Its usual role is to aid the circulation of Blood.
- It is commonly combined with Rx. et Rz. Rhei Da Huang to strengthen Blood activation and relieve constipation.
- It is well suited to constipation in elderly and debilitated patients.
- Once the old, stagnant Blood has been expelled, it helps new Blood to be generated.
- It acts on Wind Bi.
- It relieves coughing and upward rebellious Qi, reduces hardness below the Heart, stops sudden, violent hemorrhage, breaks up fixed and mobile abdominal masses, unblocks the vessels and eases pain.
- It drains stagnant Blood from the abdomen, expels Blood Heat, Dryness and itching, and moves congealed Blood in the skin.
- Tao Ren and Flos Carthami Hong Hua both invigorate the Blood, dispel Blood Stasis, unblock menstruation and relieve pain. Tao Ren is heavy and sinking, so it descends Qi and attacks Blood Stagnation in the interior and lower body; it also moistens the Intestines to relieve constipation and stops coughs and wheezing. Hong Hua is light and floats upward, traveling to the upper body and exterior. At excessively high doses it can send too much Blood to the head.
- Stripped Peach Kernel Guang Tao Ren enters the Small Intestine and treats difficult stool and constipation from Blood Dryness, since it moistens, cools and harmonizes the Blood to open clumps and unblock Stagnation.
- Dry-fried Peach Kernel Chao Tao Ren breaks up Blood Stasis more strongly and is more moistening.
- In De-fatted Peach Kernel Tao Ren Shuang the moistening ability has been removed entirely. It is used for Blood Stagnation in people with loose stools from Spleen Deficiency.
- Paired with Hong Hua as a Dui Yao for heart or chest pain, amenorrhea, dysmenorrhea and irregular menstruation.
From Class
- Ectopic/missed miscarriage: SP-6, SP-10, LI-4, GB-21: When the embryo has died, normally contraindicated points can activate the uterus; post-surgery Yunnan Baiyao, Dan Shen, Yi Mu Cao, Tao Ren reduce scarring. (Lewis)
- Blood movers: Dan Shen, Chuan Xiong, Hong Hua, Tao Ren, Mo Yao, Ru Xiang, Yu Jin: Pericardium-affinity blood invigorators; resins (myrrh, frankincense) help heal wounds inside the vessels. (Gioioso)
- E Zhu (Curcuma zedoaria) + San Leng (Sparganium): E Zhu breaks blood and food stasis, is anti-angiogenic and treats fire/blood toxins; classically paired with San Leng; avoid Da Huang as too harsh on spleen. (Yuen)
- The 'ren' seeds of virtue: Tao Ren, Bai Zi Ren, Sha Ren, Xing Ren, Huo Ma Ren, Yi Yi Ren: The 'ren' seeds are allies for cultivating Ren (compassion); Yi Yi Ren represents postnatal qi aware of cultivation; take a few drops of tincture daily as ritual affirmation. (Yuen)
- Da Huang Mu Dan Tang / Tao Ren formulas for zheng jia: Popular Shang Han formulas for masses/fibroids: rhubarb and peony bark, rhubarb and persica decoctions. (Yuen)
- Qing Hao (Artemisia annua) / Tao Ren / Da Huang: Qing Hao (first used for malaria) is studied for anti-cancer properties; about 3,000 of 2.5 million researched herbs show anti-cancer activity but must fit the individual.