🌿 Folk Prescriptions

Yin-nourishing herbs
These are herbs that can nourish the body’s yin fluids, possess functions of generating body fluids, moistening, and relieving dryness, and are used to treat yin deficiency syndromes. Yin deficiency syndromes include kidney yin deficiency, lung yin deficiency, liver yin deficiency, and stomach yin deficiency.
① Ophiopogon Root
Ophiopogon root is the small tuber from the rhizomes of *Ophiopogon japonicus* or *Ophiopogon grandiflorus*, a perennial herb of the Liliaceae family. Contains various steroidal saponins, glucose, mucilage, vitamin A-like substances, β-sitosterol, etc. It increases blood cells, prolongs antibody existence, enhances immune function and nucleic acid synthesis rate, promotes production of antibodies, complement, interferon, lysozyme, etc. It improves oxygen tolerance, has cardiotonic effects increasing cardiac contraction amplitude, lowers blood sugar, and helps restore pancreatic cells.
Traditional Chinese Medicine considers it slightly cold in nature, sweet in taste, with functions to moisten lungs, nourish yin, clear heart fire, relieve irritability, nourish stomach, and generate body fluids. Used for dry cough due to lung yin deficiency, sticky phlegm difficult to expectorate, dry cough, blood-tinged sputum, restlessness, insomnia, dry mouth, constipation due to insufficient body fluids.
Dosage: 10–15 grams. Avoid in cases of spleen and stomach deficiency-cold or excessive phlegm-dampness due to its greasy nature.
② Heavenly Gate Root
Heavenly gate root is the tuber of the perennial climbing herb *Asparagus cochinchinensis* from the Liliaceae family. Contains asparagine, β-sitosterol, steroidal saponins, furfural derivatives, mucilage, etc. Research confirms it increases blood cells and prolongs antibody existence; also has expectorant and antitussive effects.
Traditional Chinese Medicine considers it very cold in nature, sweet and bitter in taste, with functions to nourish yin, clear heat, moisten lungs, and stop cough. Used for dry cough with little phlegm due to lung yin deficiency, chronic cough with hemoptysis, heat injury to yin after febrile diseases, internal heat due to yin deficiency, dry mouth and tongue, diabetes, constipation due to intestinal dryness.
Dosage: 6–15 grams. If washed and soaked in water, peel and remove core, mash, then decoct gently in a clay pot until reduced to one-third of original volume, add honey, boil into a paste, store in a bottle. After 7 days, take 1 tablespoon each morning and evening on an empty stomach, mixed with warm water. Long-term use moisturizes the five organs and nourishes the body.
③ Polygonatum Rhizome
Polygonatum rhizome is the rhizome of the perennial herb *Polygonatum odoratum* from the Liliaceae family. Contains convallarin, convallamarin, sugars, mucilage, vitamin A-like substances. It improves abnormal electrocardiograms caused by myocardial ischemia, strengthens heartbeats, but large doses may inhibit the heart.
Traditional Chinese Medicine considers it neutral in nature, sweet in taste, with functions to nourish yin, moisten lungs, benefit the stomach, and generate body fluids. Used for dry cough due to lung yin deficiency, dry mouth and thirst due to stomach yin deficiency, also for diabetes with increased appetite, and palpitations and chest tightness due to coronary heart disease.
Dosage: 10–15 grams. Avoid in cases of fullness in the stomach, poor drinking, excessive phlegm, thick greasy coating due to abundant damp-phlegm.
④ Dendrobium Stem
Dendrobium stem is the stem of *Dendrobium nobile* and related species from the Orchidaceae family. Contains abundant mucilage and dendrobine. It promotes gastric juice secretion, aids digestion, and has fever-reducing and analgesic effects.
Traditional Chinese Medicine considers it slightly cold in nature, sweet and bland in taste, with functions to nourish the stomach, generate body fluids, nourish yin, and clear heat. Used for sore or weak waist and knees, persistent low-grade fever, dry mouth and thirst, reduced sperm count in men.
Dosage: 6–15 grams. Do not use with gypsum, croton seed, leech, silkworm pupa.
⑤ Ligustrum Fruit
Ligustrum fruit is the mature fruit of the evergreen tree *Ligustrum lucidum* from the Oleaceae family. Contains glucose, oleanolic acid, mannitol, palmitic acid, fatty acids, malic acid, etc. Experiments prove ligustrum fruit promotes lymphocyte transformation in healthy individuals, increases white blood cell count, and prolongs antibody existence, thus enhancing immune function.
Traditional Chinese Medicine considers it neutral in nature, sweet and bitter in taste, with functions to tonify the kidneys, nourish yin, nourish the liver, and improve vision. Used for dizziness, tinnitus, sore or weak waist and knees, premature graying hair, blurred vision, declining eyesight due to liver and kidney yin deficiency.
Dosage: 1–15 grams. Avoid in cases of spleen and stomach deficiency-cold or diarrhea.
⑥ Eclipta Prostrata
Eclipta prostrata is the entire herb of the annual herb *Eclipta prostrata* from the Asteraceae family. Contains saponins, volatile oils, tannins, vitamins A, and eclipta prostrata glycoside.
Traditional Chinese Medicine considers it cool in nature, sweet and sour in taste, with functions to nourish yin, tonify the kidneys, cool blood, and stop bleeding. Used for dizziness due to liver and kidney yin deficiency, premature graying hair, hematemesis, hematuria, epistaxis, melena, bloody dysentery, leukorrhea, turbid urine.
Dosage: 1–15 grams. Avoid in cases of loose stools.
⑦ Cornus Fruit
Cornus fruit is the fruit of the shrub *Cornus officinalis* from the Cornaceae family. Contains vitamin A, cornus glycoside, saponins, tannins, ursolic acid, gallic acid, malic acid, tartaric acid. Has diuretic and hypotensive effects. It can increase cell counts reduced by chemotherapy. When combined with herbs like goji berries and rehmannia root, it can be used in tonifying yin dishes to treat hypertension, neurasthenia, and sexual dysfunction.
Traditional Chinese Medicine considers it neutral in nature, sweet and sour in taste, with functions to nourish the liver and kidneys, consolidate yin, stop sweating, and prevent collapse. It is a key herb for tonifying kidney yin, mainly used for liver and kidney yin deficiency manifesting as sore or weak waist and knees, dizziness, tinnitus, impotence, frequent urination, excessive sweating.
Dosage: 3–9 grams. Avoid in cases of hyperactivity of fire, damp-heat, urinary retention, or painful urination.
⑨ Cordyceps
Cordyceps is the fruiting body and larva of the fungus *Cordyceps sinensis* parasitizing larvae of moths from the Hepialidae family. Superior quality is indicated by bright yellow, plump specimens. Contains proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamin B12, cordycepin, cordycepic acid, etc. It dilates bronchi, has sedative and hypnotic effects, and inhibits tuberculosis bacilli, pneumococcus, streptococcus, and Staphylococcus aureus.
Traditional Chinese Medicine considers it warm in nature, sweet in taste, with functions to nourish the lungs, tonify the kidneys, consolidate essence, invigorate Qi, stop cough, and resolve phlegm. Used for phlegm-induced asthma, cough, hemoptysis, spontaneous sweating, night sweats, impotence, seminal emission, sore or weak waist and knees, post-illness weakness.
It is known as the “primary tonic for deficiency,” a precious remedy for lung and kidney tonification.
If stewed: commonly stewed with chicken, duck, or lean pork to nourish the body. If decocted, 6–9 grams per dose.
⑨ Adenophora Root
Adenophora root comes in two types: Northern and Southern. Northern adenophora is the root of *Adenophora stricta* from the Umbelliferae family. Southern adenophora is the root of perennial herbs from the Campanulaceae family including *Adenophora tetraphylla*, *Adenophora paniculata*, and *Adenophora macrophylla*. Contains essential oils, triterpenic acids, daucosterol, β-sitosterol, alkaloids, and starch. Has expectorant and antispasmodic effects. Additionally, it enhances lymphocyte transformation, increases white blood cells, and prolongs antibody existence, thus boosting immune function.
Traditional Chinese Medicine considers it slightly cold in nature, sweet in taste, with functions to moisten lungs, stop cough, nourish the stomach, and generate body fluids. Used for dry cough with little phlegm due to lung heat and yin deficiency, chronic cough with hoarse voice, hemoptysis, and stomach yin deficiency with dry mouth and thirst.
Generally, northern adenophora has stronger yin-nourishing effects, while southern adenophora excels in clearing lung phlegm.
Dosage: 10–15 grams. Do not use with *Veratrum*.
⑩ Polygonatum Rhizome
Polygonatum rhizome is the rhizome of *Polygonatum sibiricum*, *Polygonatum cirrhifolium*, or *Polygonatum kingianum*, perennial herbs of the Liliaceae family. Contains nicotinic acid, quinones, sugars, mucilage, starch, alkaloids, cardiac glycosides. Experiments show polygonatum enhances human T-lymphocytes. It also lowers blood sugar and cholesterol, and has preventive effects on common age-related diseases like cardiovascular disease and diabetes, thus promoting longevity. As recorded, Eastern Han physician Hua Tuo gave his disciple Fan A the formula “Qiyeh Qinglin San” (a mixture of lacquer leaf and green moss), where “qinglin” refers to polygonatum. Fan A persisted in consuming it and lived over 100 years. Jin dynasty writer Zhang Hua wrote in *Baiwu Zhi*: “The sun’s herb is called Huangshao; eating it enables eternal life.”
Traditional Chinese Medicine considers it neutral in nature, sweet in taste, with functions to nourish the lungs, kidneys, and stomach. Used for dry cough due to lung deficiency, sore or weak waist and knees, dizziness, weak feet, spleen deficiency with fatigue and poor appetite, stomach yin deficiency with dry mouth and poor intake, and diabetes.
If steamed: cook with chicken. When chicken is done, eat. If stewed: cook with pork, optionally adding honey or rock sugar. If decocted: 9–15 grams per dose; fresh version, 30–60 grams.
⑩ Ganoderma
Ganoderma is the fruiting body of *Ganoderma lucidum* or *Ganoderma sinense* from the Polyporaceae family. Contains polysaccharides, organic acids, mannitol, ergosterol, resins, proteins. Medical research shows ganoderma protects the liver, lowers blood sugar, regulates autonomic nervous system, reduces cholesterol, increases blood cells, enhances physical strength, and boosts resistance to disease. Commonly used in treating hepatitis, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, decreased blood cells, and fatigue.
Traditional Chinese Medicine considers it neutral in nature, sweet in taste, with functions to tonify the spleen and lungs, nourish the liver and kidneys, calm the mind, strengthen the body. Used for chronic fatigue, cough, palpitations, insomnia, indigestion, sore or weak waist and knees, tinnitus, dizziness.
If soaked in alcohol: cut ganoderma into chunks, soak in rice wine for 20 days, drink 1 small cup each time, twice daily. If decocted: 3–15 grams per dose. If swallowed: dry and grind into fine powder, 2–6 grams per dose.
⑩ Platycladus Seed
Platycladus seed is the seed kernel of the conifer *Platycladus orientalis*. Contains fatty oils, saponins, volatile oils, etc.
Traditional Chinese Medicine considers it neutral in nature, sweet in taste, with functions to nourish the heart, calm the spirit, moisten the intestines, and relieve constipation. Used for palpitations, insomnia, seminal emission, night sweats, constipation.
Dosage: 3–9 grams. Avoid in cases of excessive phlegm or loose stools.