Yi Zhi Ren - 益智仁 - Fructus Alpiniae Oxyphyllae - Black Cardamon
| Pharmaceutical Latin: | Fructus Alpiniae Oxyphyllae |
| Common English: | Alpinia Fruit Bitter-seeded Cardamon Black Cardamon Sharp-Leaf Galangal Berry |
Category
Herbs that Tonify the YangProperties
| Taste | Temperature | Entering Meridians | Dosage |
| Acrid | Warm | Kidney Spleen | 3-10g Tincture: 2-4ml Crush before use. |
Actions And Indications
| Actions | Indications/Syndromes |
Warms the Kidneys and astringes Jing and urine | Frequent and copious urination, urinary incontinence and spermatorrhea or dribbling of urine due to Kidney Yang Deficiency Kidney Jing not Consolidated Irregular uterine bleeding |
Warms the Spleen, increases the appetite and | Spleen and Stomach Yang Deficiency with diarrhea, Cold abdominal pain, excessive salivation and a thick, unpleasant taste in the mouth Abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhea from Cold entering the Spleen and Kidneys |
Contraindications, Incompatibilities And Herb/Drug Interactions
| CONTRAINDICATIONS |
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| INCOMPATIBILITIES |
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| HERB/DRUG INTERACTIONS |
Major Combinations
| Rx. Linderae | Fr. Amomi | Rx. Codonopsis |
Urinary incontinence, or frequency due to Kidney and Spleen Yang Deficiency. | Diarrhea with abdominal distention. Uterine bleeding during pregnancy. | Vomiting, diarrhea, Cold and pain in the abdomen, decreased appetite and excessive salivation from a Cold Deficient Spleen and Stomach. |
| Rz. Atractylodis Macrocephalae | Rz. Dioscoreae | Rx. Linderae |
Abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea from Cold entering the Spleen and Kidneys. | Prevents development of Heat from Deficiency as a side effect. | Warms and contains the Kidney Qi so that it returns to its source. Secures the urine to treat Lower Jiao Deficiency Cold with incontinence, urinary frequency or urinary dribbling. (worse in the presence of Cold) |
Rz. Dioscoreae | Rz. Atractylodis | Flos Caryophylli |
Spleen Qi and Yang Deficiency. | Profuse salivation, especially at night. | Vomiting of clear fluids. |
Rx. Codonopsis | Fr. Amomi | |
Diarrhea with Qi Deficiency. | Uterine bleeding. |
Notes
- For excessive salivation with a thick, unpleasant taste in the mouth, Fr. Alpiniae Oxyphyllae Yi Zhi Ren is chosen when the cause is Cold, whereas Hb. Eupatorii Pei Lan is chosen when the cause is Heat.
- Taken alone as a powder, it treats uterine bleeding.
- It is frequently paired with Ootheca Mantidis Sang Piao Xiao.
- Traditionally, this herb was used to sharpen intelligence and the mental faculties.
- Yi Zhi Ren and Fr. Psoraliae Bu Gu Zhi both tonify the Spleen and Kidneys, strengthen Yang, stop diarrhea, astringe Jing and urine, and are often used for Spleen and Kidney Yang Deficiency. Bu Gu Zhi mainly warms the Kidneys and in doing so indirectly warms the Spleen Yang. It addresses chronic diarrhea and cock-crow diarrhea arising from Spleen and Kidney Yang Deficiency. Lower back pain is also treated. Yi Zhi Ren has a stronger warming effect on Spleen Yang, with a secondary warming effect on the Kidneys, treating diarrhea linked to Cold affecting the Spleen and Stomach. It also addresses uterine bleeding.
- Salt-prepared Alpinia Yan Yi Zhi Ren is less acrid and drying and goes directly to the Lower Jiao to astringe Jing and urine. It is commonly given for Kidney Yang Deficiency with spermatorrhea, nocturnal emissions, incontinence, terminal dribbling and nocturia.
- Dui Yao pair with Bi Xie: for turbid urine, frequent urination and Lin syndrome from Kidney Deficiency, as well as leukorrhea, urethritis and milky urine (Gao Lin) due to Kidney Deficiency. Used together in Bi Xie Fen Qing Yin.