Sha Shen
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Sha Shen in TCM:

Explore the properties of Sha Shen according to Chinese
Nutrition and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM):


Factoids:
English Name: adenophora, four-leaf / upgright lady-bell root
Pharmacuetical Name: Radix Adenophorae
Properties: sweet, slightly bitter, cool


Temperature: cool

Channels: LU, ST

Flavors: sweet, bitter
Tonifies: yin

Special Properties:
clears heat


    Alternate Forms:
  • bei sha shen - nourish yin and moisten LU, especially after febrile disease has injured yin manifesting as dry throat, thirst, scarlet tongue.
  • nan sha shen - less potent to nourish yin but can also dispel phlegm. More suitable for dry cough and scanty sputum that may be blood streaked and thirst and dryness.

Actions / Indications:
  • Nourishes LU yin; clears LU heat (dry mouth or dry throat, non-productive cough due to LU yin deficiency with fire, consumptive cough with blood in sputum, hoarseness due to chronic cough, LU dryness due to weather)
  • Nourishes ST yin and Generates fluids (chronic ST yin deficiency, sequela of febrile disease; ST yin deficiency with dryness of mouth and throat)
  • (cc: deficient cold of SP and ST with appetite loss and diarrhea)
  • (cc: wind-cold cough)
  • (cc: incompatible with Li Lu)

    Special Notes:
  • Sha Shen is the generic name that refers to both Bei Sha Shen and Nan Sha Shen. Many classic texts did not distinguish between the two herbs.