☯ TCM Properties
Clears Liver Fire, strengthen the Stomach, clears the Lungs, disperses swelling, removes toxicity, relaxes the bowels and clears vision
Traditional Chinese Uses
Wang Jiang Nan Zi is the seed of Senna occidentalis (coffee senna, Fabaceae). Bitter (and reputedly sweet) with a cold nature, it enters the Stomach and Large Intestine channels to clear Liver Fire and brighten the eyes, strengthen the Stomach, clear the Lungs, disperse swelling and toxicity, and gently loosen the bowels. Traditional indications include red, swollen, painful eyes and headache or dizziness from Liver-fire rising, indigestion and stomach pain, constipation, damp-heat dysentery, and sores and boils.
It is decocted in small amounts (about 6–9 g) or given as a powder, and must be properly processed before use.
Botanical Description
Senna occidentalis, coffee senna, is a robust annual to short-lived perennial subshrub of the Fabaceae family (Caesalpinioideae), native to the American tropics and naturalized throughout warm regions worldwide, including southern China. The plant grows erect to about one to two meters, with smooth green to purplish stems and alternate, even-pinnate compound leaves bearing four to six pairs of ovate-lanceolate leaflets that emit a fetid odor when crushed. Bright yellow five-petalled flowers are borne in short axillary racemes, producing slender flattened curved pods up to twelve centimeters long. The pods contain numerous flat, dull-brown seeds arranged transversely; these seeds, sometimes roasted as a coffee substitute, are the principal medicinal part used in TCM and have a hard, dark seedcoat that requires processing.
Dosage
| Form | Amount | Frequency | Duration | Population | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| decoction | 6-15g | Daily | — | — | — |
This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications.
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