Wu Wei Zi - 五味子 - Fructus Schisandrae
| Pharmaceutical Latin: | Fructus Schisandrae |
| Common English: | Chinese Magnolia-vine Fruit Orange Magnolia-vine Fruit Schisandra Fruit |
Category
Herbs that Stabilize and Bind (Astringents)Properties
| Taste | Temperature | Entering Meridians | Dosage |
| Sour Sweet (Acrid) (Bitter) (Salty) | Warm | Heart Kidney Lung (All 5 Zang) | 1.5-9g Tincture: 2-4ml (1-2ml for chronic cough) (6-9g as a tonic) 3-6g (Secondary source) |
Actions And Indications
| Actions | Indications/Syndromes |
Astringes the leakage of Lung Qi and stops coughing | Chronic cough and wheezing due to Lung Qi Deficiency Lung and Kidney Deficiency patterns |
Tonifies the Kidneys, binds up Essence (astringes Jing) and stops diarrhea and spermatorrhea | Kidney Deficiency with nocturnal emissions, spermatorrhea, vaginal discharge and urinary frequency Spleen and Kidney Deficiency with daybreak diarrhea |
Astringes sweat and generates fluids | Excessive sweating. especially when accompanied by thirst or a dry throat In combination, it is used for spontaneous sweating, night sweats and wasting and thirsting disorder |
| Quiets the Spirit and calms and contains Heart Qi | Heart and Kidney Blood and Yin Deficiency, with irritability, palpitations, dream-disturbed sleep and insomnia |
Tonifies Qi | Heart and Spleen Qi Deficiency |
Contraindications, Incompatibilities And Herb/Drug Interactions
| CONTRAINDICATIONS |
|
| INCOMPATIBILITIES |
| |
| HERB/DRUG INTERACTIONS |
|
Major Combinations
| Rx. Ginseng | Rx. Rehmanniae | Rz. Zingiberis |
Lung Deficiency with chronic coughing and wheezing. | Lung and Kidney Deficiency with coughing and wheezing. | Cold in the Lung channel with incessant coughing and wheezing. |
| Rz. Zingiberis | Galla Chinensis | Fossilia Ossis Mastodi |
Coughing and wheezing from Cold Thin Mucus. | Coughing at dusk due to Yin Deficiency Fire Blazing upward and irritating the Lungs. Spermatorrhea, metrorrhagia, vaginal discharge, chronic diarrhea or dysentery, rectal or uterine prolapse, spontaneous sweat, night sweats, and coughing and wheezing due to Lung Qi Deficiency. | Spontaneous emissions. |
| Fr. Psoraliae Or Fr. Psoraliae | Rx. Ginseng | Fr. Evodiae |
| Kidney Deficiency with chronic dysentery and daybreak diarrhea. | Exhaustion of Qi and Yin with shortness of breath, coughing, and thirst. Spontaneous night sweats with Qi Deficiency. | Fried together as a powder for chronic diarrhea due to Spleen and Kidney Deficiency Cold. |
| Concha Ostreae | Concha Ostreae Or Rx. Ephedrae | Concha Ostreae Or Rx. Astragali |
Sweating. | Night sweats due to Yin Deficiency. | Spontaneous sweating due to Qi Deficiency. |
| Rx. Astragali | Rx. Astragali | Sm. Zizyphi Spinosae |
| Yang Deficiency with spontaneous sweat. | Wasting and thirsting with intense thirst. | Heart Deficiency with insomnia, irritability and forgetfulness. |
| 160 proof alcohol | Hb. Asari | Bul. Lilii |
Wind-Rash with itchiness and irritation of the skin. | Regulates the opening and closing of the Lungs, alleviating coughing and calming wheezing for patients with existing thin mucus who are exposed to Wind-Cold leading to acute wheezing and coughing of clear thin sputum. | Chronic consumptive cough. |
Rx. Ginseng | Hb. Ephedrae | Ootheca Mantidis |
Asthma. | Coughing due to Wind-Cold. | Spermatorrhea. |
Tub. Ophiopogonis | Tub. Ophiopogonis | Rx. Rehmanniae Preparata |
Night sweats. | Thirst. | Thirst as a symptom of Xiao Ke. |
Sm. Platycladi | Fossilia Ossis Mastodi | Rx. Linderae |
Insomnia due to Heart Yin and Blood Deficiency. | Nocturnal emissions. | Polyuria. |
Ootheca Mantidis | ||
Enuresis or urinary incontinence. |
Notes
- Heartburn may occur on occasion.
- The name Wu Wei Zi translates as five flavor fruit.
- Taken as a whole, the fruit tastes salty.
- Its peel and pulp taste sweet and sour.
- Its kernel tastes pungent and bitter.
- By preventing the leakage of Lung Qi above and enriching Kidney Yin below, it treats coughs effectively.
- It is often used for many kinds of insomnia.
- Its astringent nature allows it to Nourish the Yin of the five organs.
- Through nourishing Kidney and Liver Yin, it strengthens the sinews and bones and brightens the eyes.
- Current research suggests that it has a restorative effect on the brain and central nervous system.
- By tonifying the adrenal cortex and Liver, it modulates endocrine and immune function.
- Southern Schisandra Nan Wu Wei Zi has no tonifying action, but it regulates Qi, transforms Dampness and reduces Phlegm, and is helpful for Externally contracted Cold and wheezing from Phlegm.
- Dry-fried Schisandra Chao Wu Wei Zi, enriches the Kidneys and tonifies Deficiency more strongly and is used for Spleen and Kidney Deficiency with daybreak diarrhea.
- Prepared Schisandra Zhi Wu Wei Zi, is more strongly tonifying.
- Wine Prepared Schisandra Jiu Zhi Wu Wei Zi is used to enrich the Kidneys.
- Vinegar Prepared Schisandra Cu Zhi Wu Wei Zi is more strongly astringent.
- Wu Wei Zi and Fr. Mume Wu Mei both astringe the Lungs, generate fluids and bind up the Intestines. Wu Wei Zi astringes Lung Qi more powerfully to stop coughs while also strengthening Lung Qi, grasping Kidney Qi, astringing Essence and sweat and calming the Spirit. Wu Mei is stronger at generating fluids and relieving thirst. It also harmonizes the Stomach and eliminates roundworms, and it is important in treating irregular uterine bleeding or Hematuria.
- It has recently been used to improve hepatitis.
- Dui Yao pair with Wu Mei: for sweating, whether spontaneous sweating or night sweats, and for wasting and thirsting disorder (Xiao Ke, diabetes). Used together in Jiu Xian San.
From Class
- Astringents: Qian Shi (fox nut) vs kidney astringents; Wu Wei Zi: Postnatal astringents like Qian Shi stop spleen leakage; Wu Wei Zi brings the po back via lung-kidney; astringency 'buys time' and isn't used when helping someone leave. (Yuen)
- Wu Wei Zi (Schisandra): Calms shen while restraining jing; lung-kidney affinity (kidney grasping lung qi) — anchors the spirit. (Yuen)
- Yu Ye Tang (Jade Fluid Decoction): High-dose Shan Yao tonifies Spleen yin, with Huang Qi, Zhi Mu, Tian Hua Fen, Ge Gen, Wu Wei Zi (polyuria) and Ji Nei Jin (hardness, bedwetting). (Rabinowitz)