INDIVIDUAL HERBS

Pharmaceutical Latin: Semen Zizyphi Spinosae
Common English: Spiny Zizyphus Seeds
Sour Jujube Seeds
Zizyphus
Spiny Date Seeds
Substances that Calm the Spirit
Taste Temperature Entering Meridians Dosage
Sweet
Sour
(Acrid)
Neutral
Gallbladder
Heart
Liver
Spleen
9-18g
Powder:1.5-3g
Tincture: 2-4ml
Actions Indications/Syndromes

Nourishes Heart Yin, tonifies Liver Blood and calms the Spirit

Liver Blood Deficiency or Heart Yin Deficiency with Deficiency Fire Rising with irritability, insomnia and palpitations with anxiety

Astringes sweat and generates fluids

Abnormal sweating, either spontaneous sweating or night sweats

CONTRAINDICATIONS
  • Use caution in cases of severe diarrhea.
  • Use caution in cases of Heat from Excess.
  • Use caution in cases of insomnia due to Excess Heat or Hot Phlegm.
  • Use caution for those with an Exterior condition.
  • Use caution during pregnancy.
INCOMPATIBILITIES
HERB/DRUG INTERACTIONS
  • This herb prolongs sleeping time produced by barbiturates, antihistamines, narcotic analgesics, benzodiazepines and others.

Rx. Paeoniae Alba
Bai Shao
Rx. Angelicae Sinensis
Dang Gui
Rx. Polygoni Multiflori
He Shou Wu

Rz. Anemarrhenae
Zhi Mu
Poria
Fu Ling

Rx. Codonopsis
Dang Shen
Poria
Fu Ling
Arillus Longan
Long Yan Rou

Irritability, insomnia, and palpitations with anxiety due to Heart Blood and Yin Deficiency.

Insomnia and irritability due to Liver Yin Deficiency and its accompanying Heat.

Insomnia, palpitations and irritability due to Spleen Qi and Heart Blood Deficiency.

Fr. Schisandrae
Wu Wei Zi
Rx. Astragali
Huang Qi
Fr. Corni
Shan Zhu Yu
(Concha Ostreae)
(
Mu Li)

Rx. Polygalae
Yuan Zhi

Rz. Anemarrhenae
Zhi Mu

Spontaneous sweating and night sweats.

Balances the contracting, introverted and dispersing, extroverted manifestations of Spirit to ensure the proper balance of openness and sobriety.

Nourishes Liver Blood and Heart Yin to clear Deficiency Fire.

Fr. Schisandrae
Wu Wei Zi

Rx. Ginseng
Ren Shen
Rx. Astragali
Huang Qi
Rx. Angelicae Sinensis
Dang Gui
Arillus Longan
Long Yan Rou

Rx. Paeoniae Alba
Bai Shao
Caul. Polygoni Multiflori
Ye Jiao Teng
Concha Haliotidis
Shi Jue Ming
Rx. Rehmanniae
Sheng Di Huang
Poria Pararadicis
Fu Shen
Concha Ostreae
Mu Li
Fossilia Ossis Mastodi
Long Gu

Altitude sickness.

Shen disturbance due to Spleen and Heart Deficiency.

Shen disturbance due to Liver Yin Deficiency.

Rx. Rehmanniae
Sheng Di Huang
Fr. Schisandrae
Wu Wei Zi
Rx. Angelicae Sinensis
Dang Gui
Sm. Platycladi
Bai Zi Ren

Fr. Schisandrae
Wu Wei Zi
Rx. Astragali
Huang Qi
Rx. Codonopsis
Dang Shen

Fr. Corni
Shan Zhu Yu
Concha Ostreae
Mu Li
Fr. Schisandrae
Wu Wei Zi

Shen disturbance due to Heart and Kidney Deficiency.

Spontaneous sweating.

Night sweats.

  1. This is the most commonly used of the sedative herbs. It has a gentle energy and a nourishing quality.
  2. Both this herb and Sm. Platycladi Bai Zi Ren are similar and treat insomnia due to Blood and Yin Deficiency. Bai Zi Ren is better for Heart Blood Deficiency, while Suan Zao Ren is better for Heart Yin Deficiency.
  3. It tonifies the Interior while astringing the Exterior. It tonifies Blood to quiet the Spirit and resolves and astringes the Yin to stop sweating.
  4. It can be used alone for neurasthenia, as a powder before bedtime.
  5. It tonifies all five Yin organs: Heart Qi Deficiency, Lung Qi Deficiency, Liver Yin and Blood Deficiency, Kidney Qi Deficiency, Spleen Qi Deficiency and Gallbladder Qi Deficiency.
  6. Suan Zao Ren, Rx. Polygalae Yuan Zhi, and Sm. Platycladi Bai Zi Ren all enter the Heart channel, calm the Spirit, and treat fright, palpitations and insomnia. Suan Zao Ren and Bai Zi Ren are sweet, neutral and nourish the Heart Yin and Liver Blood and are most appropriate for irritability and insomnia from Deficiency. Bai Zi Ren primarily treats the Heart and moistens and lubricates the Intestines to treat dry constipation while Suan Zao Ren primarily treats the Liver. primarily treats the Liver. It restrains and inhibits, astringing sweat and generating Fluids to treat thirst due to injured Fluids and profuse sweating from Deficiency. Yuan Zhi is acrid-dispersing , bitter-draining and warm to unblock, assisting Heart Yang and augmenting Heart Qi to reestablish harmonious communication between the Heart and Kidneys, calm the Spirit and strengthen resolve. It is more appropriate for palpitations and insomnia due to loss of communication between the Heart and the Kidneys with confusion, loss of concentration and forgetfulness. It disperses Stagnation, , expels Phlegm, reduces swellings, and disperses sores and can be used for cough due to Cold-Phlegm and for Cold Obstructing the Qi allowing Phlegm and Dampness to enter the collaterals and cause toxic swollen sores.
  7. Dry-fried Spiny Zizyphus Chao Suan Zao Ren is warmly tonifying to nourish the Heart and astringe the Liver. It calms the Spirit, facilitates sleep and treats irritable thirst and sweating from Deficiency.