Nervous tension, anxiety treated with TCM sandalwood

What is sandalwood(Santalum Album, Tan Xiang)?
It refers to the woody heartwood of Santalum album L., which is a member in the family Santalaceae. Other common names of this herb are Chandana, Sandal Tree, Yellow Saunders, Lignum Santali Albi, Chandan, White Sandalwood, sandal wood, Tanxiang, Sanderswood, Bai Tan, Yellow Sandalwood, and White Saunders, more. It is mainly produced in India, Australia, and Indonesia. In China it is distributed in Hainan, Guangdong, Yunnan and Taiwan. The preferable harvesting season is summer. After the harvest, it needs to remove the sapwood and chip or cut into extremely thin slices with a special knife. Medicinally it is usually used raw.

Sandalwood benefits
It highly aromatic heartwood can be used to make artifacts and medicine. In temples it is burned directly or in the form of incense sticks to worship Buddha. As mentioned above, Santalum Album is a semi-parasitic plant, which grows very slowly and usually takes decades of years to grow to full size. That makes it one of the slowest growing trees but the mature trees can be up to 10 meters. This tree is so delicate that its seedlings survive only when parasiting on plants of phoenix tree, ormosia hosiei, Acacia rachii, and the like. As a result, the production of sandalwood is very limited. For that reason, since ancient time it has long been the rare, expensive wood and gift from nature. Today synthetic fragrances and perfumes dominate the world. But compared to this valuable natural spice, they are actually nothing.

Sandalwood as medicine and worship tool has a long history, which was recorded in the ancient Sanskrit classics and Chinese medicinal books. Sandalwood essential oil was used in religious rituals long time ago. It is said that ancient Egyptians imported sandalwood for a variety of purposes, including medicine, antisepsis, worship in religious ceremonies, and carving art. Actually many statues of the Buddha were directed carved with sandalwood wood. Ayurveda, a traditional medicine system from the Indian subcontinent, points out that it owns tonic, astringent, and antipyretic properties. And sandalwood paste was and is used to treat skin inflammation, abscesses and tumors. Similarly, this is also an important herb in traditional Chinese medicine. Today it is still widely used in treatment of various symptoms, such as biliary disease, cystitis, gonorrhea, abdominal pain, fever, and vomiting. What’s more, it especially works wonders for chapped skin, housewives’ eczema, dark spots on skin and face, insect bites, and the like. This herb has so many health benefits, but the top 5 are as follows:

1) Psychological effectiveness. Smelling scent with a sandalwood diffuser is a good way for relaxing since it can soothe nervous tension and anxiety. In addition, it receives a positive response from many users who often find themselves in the state of being obsessed and want to improve it;

2) Physiological effects. It is extremely helpful to the genitourinary system. It can improve cystitis. When used to massage the kidney area, it is able to clear blood and reduce inflammation; its aphrodisiac properties can improve sexual problems, such as frigidity and Impotence; it make patients who suffer from mucosal inflammation feel comfortable and sleep better. It can stimulate the immune system to prevent bacterial infection; it has a preventive action on allergic skin, benefits dry Eczema and aging dry skin, makes the skin softer, and improves itchy or inflamed skin; the use of sandalwood incense or other products can help sleep.

3) Cosmetic effect. Pure sandalwood oil is suitable for aging, dry skin. It can promote skin metabolism, speed up the growth and renewal of skin cell, accelerate the healing of wounds and scars, and help repair damaged skin cells. In addition, it also has good antibacterial effect, which can improve skin conditions like irritation and itch and thereby get rid of Acne. So, you can improve your skin by homemade sandalwood mask.

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TCM Panax notoginseng, one of the best herbs for blood stasis

What is Tienchi ginseng(Panax Notoginseng, San Qi)?
When particularly used as a medicine, it refers to the dried root of Panax notoginseng (Burk) F. H. Chen (PNG). Along with ginseng, this is a species belonging to the genus Panax of the family Araliaceae. Because of its amazing medicinal uses on checking bleeding, people have given it quite a few different names, such as Tianqi, pseudoginseng root, Sanqi, Nepal ginseng, Sanchi, three-seven root, Himalayan ginseng, mountain paint, Radix Notoginseng, and more. In China it is mainly produced in Yunnan and Guangxi provinces. It is usually dug out in late summer early autumn before the bloom time or in winter after the seeds mature. Based on the different collecting seasons, it can also be divided into "Chun Qi" (Spring Seven) and "Dong Qi" (winter seven). Before used to treat medical problems, it still needs to remove dirt, clean, and dry in the sun. And it is normally used raw or ground.

Panax notoginseng is a perennial herb. Bamboo-root-like rhizome is short, crosswise, and with 2 or more than 2 fleshy roots that is cylindrical, about 2 to 4cm long, and about 1cm in diameter, and with longitudinal wrinkles when dried. Solitary stem is about 40cm in height, glabrous, with vertical stripes and base with persistent scales. 4 palmately compound leaves forming one whorl at the top of stem. Single umbel is acrogenous, about 3.5cm in diameter, and with 20 to 50 flowers; peduncle is about 12cm in length, hairless, and with vertical stripes; pedicels is slender, hairless, and about 1cm long; bracts are unconspicuous; flowers are yellow-green; cuppy calyx, male calyx being top-shaped, is with edge that has 5 triangular teeth; petals are 5; stamens are 5; ovary is with 2 rooms; styles are 2 (but the pistillode in male flowers is 1), free, and anaclastic. No fruits are found. Habitats are confined to a narrow zone that is near latitude 23.5° and 1,500 to 1800 meters above sea level in southwest China. The wild species are rare and now most of them are cultivated.

Tienchi ginseng benefits 
As a native produce to Yunnan and Guangxi provinces, it is one of the earliest medicinal and edible plants. Since ancient times it has been recognized as one of the best herbs to promote blood circulation to remove blood stasis, reduce inflammation, and relieve pain. Thanks for that amazing healing properties, it enjoys a high reputation and people used to call it "more precious than gold" and "miraculous grass from Southland."

It is more than just a hemostatic herb. As a matter of fact, it also generates and invigorates blood. In the past it was once considered such a priceless drug that no one was willing to exchange it even for gold. Today it becomes one of favorite tonic. Ben Cao Gang Mu Shi Yi (Supplements to Compendium of Materia Medica), a famous medical work written in Qing Dynasty, had ever given a good review on this herb, "Panax ginseng is the No.1 pick on tonifying Qi while Panax notoginseng is the second-to-none choice on enriching the blood. Because of the same flavor and healing properties, it is thus called Tienchi ginseng, which is the most precious one in all Chinese herbs."

And here is the fact you probably don’t know – Yunnan Baiyao and Pien Tze Huang, the most popular medicines used in surgery and traumatology departments, are based on the ingredient notoginseng. Therefore, it is widely used for a range of different diseases, such as upper gastrointestinal bleeding, hyphema, cerebral thrombosis, Hyperlipidemia, sequelae of concussion, prostatic hypertrophy, bed sores, severe hepatitis, Coronary Heart Disease, lung disease, keloids, postoperative adhesions, Hemorrhoids, and more.

Chronic atrophic gastritis treated with TCM portulaca oleracea

What is portulaca oleracea(Purslane, Ma Chi Xian)?
Medicinally it refers to the dried aboveground part of Portolaca oleracea L., which is a plant in the family Portulacaceae. Other names include Moss rose, Verdolaga, Herba Portulacae, Pursley, Pigweed, horse tooth amaranth, Little Hogweed, and so on. Usually it is harvested during summer and autumn.

Purslane plant is an annual herb, which can reach up to 35cm. Lower part of stem creeps and branches; upper part is slightly erect or decumbent, succulent, green or lavender, and entirely smooth and hairless. Simple leaf is alternate or nearly opposite; blade is fleshy, oblong, spatulate, or obovate, 0.6 to 2.7cm long and 0.4 to 1.1cm wide, and with rounded apex, entire margin, and broadly cuneate base that resembles horse teeth. Yellow purslane flower blooms in summer, 3 to 5 of them cluster at the top of branch. Conical capsule contains many small black flat round seeds and cracks into shape of cap from the waist. Habitats include roadside, field, gardens and other sunny places.

Portulaca oleracea health benefits
Though considered an invasive weed in some place, it is actually a pretty tasty leaf vegetable. As mentioned above, it is also an herb with many medicinal uses. According to reports, clinically purslane is a common medication for dysentery, acute gastroenteritis, diarrhea, etc. And it also has a curative effect on a variety of ulcerative dermatosis and would infections, such as mastitis, boils, Erysipelas, Cellulitis, athlete’s foot, and so on. In recent year, fresh portulaca oleracea leaf and stem are also widely used in the healing of psoriasis (1), chronic atrophic gastritis associated with intestinal metaplasia and atypical hyperplasia (2), biliary ascariasis (3), hookworm, Urinary Tract Infections, Herpes Zoster, acne, Diabetes, etc. Thanks to its skin benefits, now it is extensively used in the industries of cosmetics, skin care, and even weight loss, available in many different choices, such as portulaca oleracea supplement, tea, tablets, extract, oil, etc.

Mung beans is useful on treating acne caused by inflammation

What are mung beans(Lu Dou)? Actually it means the dried seeds of Phaseolus radiatus L., a plant in the family Leguminosae. Other names of this bean include Green gram, Mung, Greensoy, Semen Phaseoli Radiati, Moong, Golden gram, Vigna radiata, Mash bean, Monggo, Green bean, and so on. It is produced in almost all the provinces of China. It is usually collected in autumn when the seeds are ripe. After the harvest, winnow out the impurities with a dustpan, wash clean, and dry in the sun. Medicinally it needs to be smashed or powdered before the use.

Mung bean plant is an erect or slightly twining annual herb, about 60cm in height. It is covered with short brown bristles. Ternately compound leaf is alternate; length of petiole is from 9 to 12cm; leaflets are 3, and the blade is from broadly ovate to rhombic-ovate; stipules are broadly ovate and stipels are linear. Racemes are axillary and peduncle is shorter than or as nearly long as the petiole; bracts are ovate or ovate-oblong, with long bristles; flowers are green yellow; calyx is bell-shaped and with 4 teeth; vexil is kidney-shaped; stamens are 10 and diadelphous; ovary is sessile and densely covered with long bristles. Pod is cylindrical, 6 to 8cm long, about 6mm wide, black when ripe, and sparsely covered with brown bristles. Mung bean seeds are oblong and green or dark green. Flowering time is from June to July and fruit season is in August.

Mung beans benefits
Modern pharmacology of mung are reducing blood fat, lowering cholesterol, preventing allergies, inhibiting the growth and multiplication of microorganisms, suppressing tumor growth, increasing appetite, protecting liver and kidney, and so on. And here are the details of its health benefits.

1. Protein and phospholipids can excite nerves and increase appetite, which is necessary to increase the nutrition of many important organs;
2. Polysaccharide can enhance the activity of the serum lipoprotein lipase (LPL) and in turn promote the triglyceride hydrolysis in lipoprotein so that it obtains the lipid-lowering effect, which thus can prevent Coronary Heart Disease and Angina Pectoris;
3. Antimicrobial ingredients like tannin can accelerate local hemostasis and promote wound healing;
4. It is a good raw source for extracting SOD, which has very good anti-aging effect;
5. It has inhibition on staphylococci and certain virus. That’s to say, it can clear heat and detoxify, which is really useful on treating Acne caused by inflammation or endogenous heat;

Deer horns, an ideal option for sexual dysfunction in men

What are deer horns(Lu Jiao Jiao)? Medicinally it mainly refers to the gelatin boiled from the ossified antler horn in Cervus elaphus Linnaeus or Cervus nippon Temminck, which are animals in the family Cervidae. So, other names of it include deerhorn, Deer Antler Glue, Colla Cornus Cervi, Cornu Cervi Degelatinatum, Deerhorn Glue, and so on. By the way, Lu Rong (deer antler velvet) is a different Chinese herb though they literally are the same thing. To put it simply, Lu Jiao is the older form of Lu Rong, which refers to the tender horns of bucks. That is to say, it is harvested when it is the horn is covered with velvet, still bleeding, and not ossified yet. And popular deer antler products include deer antler extract spray, pills, supplement, powder, essence, jelly, juice, tea, and so on.

Horn of Cervus elaphus Linnaeus is usually divided into 4 to 6 branches, 50 to 120cm in length, 3 to 6cm in diameter, and with discoid base, which has irregular tubercles above and sparse small holes around. Surface is brown or brownish and shiny, and with smooth horn apex and tuberculate middle and lower parts. Outer ring of cross section is osseous and white or slightly brown; middle part is mostly taupe or gray and with honeycomb-like holes. It is hard, odorless, and slightly salty.

Deer horn benefits
Deer antlers are often used as dog chews. Apparently it is overkill. As mentioned previously, this herb has long been used for consumptive disease, aching lower back and knees, Nocturnal Emission, uterine bleeding, vaginal discharge, etc.

It acts like velvet antlers but the price is much cheaper. Hence, it is often used as the substitute for deer antler velvet. But it should be mentioned at this point that shed antlers have relatively weaker efficacy. Accordingly it won’t stir up the fire and invigorate yang. Medicinally it is often cut into extremely thin slices, and then consumed in the forms of decoction, powder, or pills. By the way, raw deer antler is preferred in the cases of supporting Yang, invigorating the circulation of blood, getting over the tiredness, and diminishing swelling. In comparison, prepared one or gelatin is better in warming and tonifying liver and kidney and nourishing essence and blood. For instance, Sexual Dysfunction in men often falls into the scope of deficiency of yang and kidney essence, in which the raw one is an ideal option.

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Weight loss, diabetes treated with TCM turmeric roo

What is turmeric root (white)? Actually TCM wise it doesn’t refer to the best known species like Curcuma longa or Curcuma zedoaria. Instead it means their cousin in the family Zingiberaceae – Curcuma phaeocaulis Val. or Curcuma aeruginosa Roxb., Curcuma Kwangsiensis S. G.Lee et C. F. Liang, and Curcuma wenyujin Y.H. Chen et C. Ling. As its name suggested, root is the main medicinal part. It comes with several common names like rhizoma curcumae, Turmeric Rhizome, and so on. But sometimes they are generally called as Zedoaria Rhizome, Zedoary, zedoary root, zedoary rhizome, and more. However, apparently they mean different species on particular occasions.

Curcuma phaeocaulis Val. is mainly produced in Sichuan, Guangdong, and Guangxi. Roots are oval, long oval, conical or fusiform, 2 to 8cm long, 1.5 to 4cm in diameter, and with tip blunt top and obtuse bottom. Surface is from greyish yellow to gray-brown, with raised upper part and rounded or slightly concave fibrous scar or residual fibrous roots. It is heavy, solid, and with grayish brown to blue-brown waxy section. It is lightly scented, and slightly bitter and acrid in flavor; Curcuma Kwangsiensis S. G.Lee et C. F. Liang is primarily from Guangxi. It comes with slightly raised rings and yellow-brown to brown cross section, which is often with light yellow powder and cortex with yellow-white ring pattern; C.wenyujin Y.H.Chenet C.Ling is basically from in Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province. It comes with yellowish brown to dark brown section, which is often with pale yellow to yellow-brown powder. It is scented or slightly scented.

Medicinally turmeric ginger root is harvested in autumn and winter after leaves and stems wither away. The overground part, fibrous roots and scale leaves need to be removed after that. Next clean them, steam or cook them thoroughly, dry them in the sun, slice them, and finally use them raw or processed with rice vinegar.
Main chemical constituents are volatile oil, in which major ingredients include curzerenone, epicurzerenone, curzenene, curdione, curcumol, camphor, borneol, etc.
White turmeric root benefits
As mentioned above, the turmeric root health benefits have been found by ancient herbalists and widely used for various ailments thanks to its great healing properties. Nowadays it is also made into tea, powder, smoothie, juice, extract, supplement, essential oil, drink, curry, capsules, chutney, etc. for cooking and medical purposes. And it has an even more extensive applications on Acne, alzheimer’s, acne scars, arthritis, cancer, gynecomastia, Gout, detox, inflammation, pain, weight loss, skin problems, Diabetes, hair removal, and more.

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Deficient kidney yang, ED treated with TCM psoralea

What is psoralea(Bu Gu Zhi)?
Also known as Fructus Psoraleae Corylifoliae, actually it refers to the seed of Psoralea pinnata. L. or Psoralea corylifolia L. (Psoralea corylifolia Linn.), which is an annual plant growing mainly in provinces of Henan, Anhui, Guangdong, Shanxi, Jiangxi and Sichuan in China. However, it isn’t native to China but west Asia.

The dried psoralea seeds appear mainly as flat ellipse but sometimes shape something like a kidney, 3 to 5mm long, 2 to 4mm in diameter, 1.5mm thick, with a dimple in the middle, and dark brown rough surface with fine reticulate wrinkles and dense glandular spots. The thin pericarp is hard to be peeled off from the testa. Inside there is one kernel and a pair of cotyledon, from light brown to yellowish-brown, and rich in oil. And it has a very light sweet smell and slightly bitter and pungent taste.

The seeds of psoralea coryli folia should be collected when they are ripe in autumn, and then dried in the sun. Medicinally both the raw and the stir-fried with brine are being employed.

What is it used for?
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the properties of Buguzhi are warm, bitter, and acrid. And it covers meridians of kidney pericardium, spleen, stomach, and lung.

Main functions are to tonify kidney yang, respire qi for relieving Asthma, and warm spleen for stopping Diarrhea. Main uses and indications are deficient kidney yang, deficient cold in lower jiao, cold-pain in low back and knee, ED (Erectile Dysfunction), Nocturnal Emission, frequent micturition, enuresis, deficiency of kidney qi failing to control respiring qi, non-stop dyspnea of deficiency type, asthenia of both the spleen and kidney, chronic diarrhea, vitiligo, alopecia areata or hair loss, and psoriasis.

Regular dosage is 6 to 15 grams in decoction, or in wan (teapills) and in San (powder). Externally apply appropriate amount of tinctures on the infected part.
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