Zhi Zi
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Zhi Zi in TCM:

Explore the properties of Zhi Zi according to Chinese
Nutrition and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM):


Factoids:

English Name: gardenia, cape jasmine fruit
Pharmacuetical Name: Fructus Gardeniae
Properties: bitter, cold


Temperature: cold

Channels: LU, ST, HT, LV, SJ

Flavors: bitter

Special Properties:
circulates blood, clears heat, clears damp, stops bleeding


    Alternate Forms:
  • sheng- to drain fire
  • chao- to avoid nausea and vomiting
  • chao tan- to stop bleeding

Actions / Indications:
  • Drains Fire, Relieves irritability (restlessness, irritability, delirious speech, stifling sensation in chest)
  • Drains Damp Heat (damp heat in lower jiao with PUD; jaundice, hepatitis, damp-heat in Liver/Gallbladder or middle jiao with hypochonidria pain, jaundice; damp-heat in upper jiao in Gallbladder/San Jiao channels of the face, nose, eyes, or sores of the mouth and face region)
  • Cools blood and stops bleeding (heat in blood level: hematemesis, epistaxis, hematuria, hematochezia)
  • Reduces Toxic Swelling (boils, carbuncles, swelling due to trauma; apply topically or take internally)
  • (cc: loose stool or loss of appetite due to deficient cold)
  • (cooking: crush before decocting)

    Special Notes:
  • Charred Zhi Zi is generally best to stop bleeding, however if the cause of bleeding is excessive heat driving blood out from the vessels then unprepared Zhi Zi should be used since charred Zhi Zi loses most of its function to clear heat when it is charred into ashes.
  • Zhi Zi has a sedative effect and should not be combined with barbituates or other sedatives.
  • Zhi Zi drains heat from all 3 jiaos