☯ TCM Properties
Dispels Phlegm; Opens the Orifices and revives the Spirit; Dissipates clumps and reduces swellings; Unblocks the bowels and expels roundworms as a suppository
Traditional Chinese Uses
Zao Jiao, the pod of Gleditsia sinensis (Chinese honey locust), is a pungent, warm, phlegm-transforming herb entering the Lung and Large Intestine. Strongly dispersing, it dispels stubborn Phlegm, opens the orifices and revives consciousness, dissipates clumps and reduces swellings, and unblocks the bowels.
A small amount blown into the nose to induce sneezing was classically used to revive sudden collapse with clenched jaw and phlegm obstruction (wind-stroke, seizure). Internally it expels copious sticky phlegm in cough and wheezing; externally and as a suppository it treats abscesses, sores and constipation, and expels roundworms. It is toxic and harshly dispersing: used only in small doses, and contraindicated in pregnancy and in cases with bleeding tendency, Qi deficiency or Yin-deficient Heat.
Western Herbalism Properties
Botanical Description
Zao Jiao is the dried mature pod of Gleditsia sinensis Lam. (Fabaceae), the Chinese honey locust, a large deciduous tree 15–30 m tall native to China and widely planted in temperate East Asia. The trunk and lower branches bear conspicuous, stout, simple or branched, reddish-brown thorns 5–20 cm long (separately used as Zao Jiao Ci). Leaves are once-pinnately compound with 6–14 ovate-lanceolate, finely crenulate leaflets. Small greenish-white flowers are borne in narrow racemes. The legume is a flat, slightly twisted, dark brown to purplish-black pod 12–30 cm long and 2–4 cm wide, woody, with a thick, sticky, saponin-rich mesocarp enclosing several hard, ellipsoid, dark brown seeds. Pods are collected in autumn and sun-dried. In TCM they powerfully open the orifices, expel phlegm, and dispel obstruction; they are saponin-rich, irritant, and contraindicated in pregnancy and in cases of weakness or bleeding.
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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