{ "version": "v1", "type": "herb", "slug": "bai-shao", "page_url": "https://bencaoindex.com/herbs/bai-shao/", "api_url": "https://bencaoindex.com/api/v1/herbs/bai-shao.json", "last_modified": "2026-09-18T18:05:37.648564+00:00", "names": { "pinyin": "bai shao", "chinese": "白芍", "latin": "Radix Paeoniae Alba", "english": "peony", "japanese": "Byakushaku", "korean": "baekjack", "sanskrit": null, "pinyin_alternates": [], "other": [] }, "prepared_form_of": null, "preparation": null, "prepared_forms": [ "bai-shao-chao" ], "categories": [ { "slug": "astringents", "name": "Astringents" }, { "slug": "anti-inflammatory", "name": "Anti-inflammatory" }, { "slug": "alteratives", "name": "Alteratives" }, { "slug": "antispasmodic", "name": "Antispasmodic" }, { "slug": "tonify-blood", "name": "Tonify Blood" }, { "slug": "analgesics", "name": "Analgesics" }, { "slug": "antimicrobials", "name": "Antimicrobials" } ], "temperature": [ "Slightly Cold" ], "flavour": [ "Bitter", "Sour" ], "channels": [ "Spleen", "Liver" ], "part_used": [], "family": "Ranunculaceae", "species": "Paeonia Lactiflora", "actions": [ { "action": "Nourishes Blood and regulates menstruation", "traditionally_used_for": [ "Liver Blood deficiency showing as irregular periods, uterine bleeding or vaginal discharge, with a pale dull complexion and brittle nails", "Painful periods, and disorders of pregnancy or the postpartum period, from Blood deficiency weakening the Ren and Chong vessels", "Anemia", "Premenstrual tension with breast distension" ] }, { "action": "Preserves Yin and harmonises the Ying and Wei", "traditionally_used_for": [ "Night sweats and spontaneous sweating from Yin deficiency", "Sweating from collapse of Yin", "Ying and Wei out of harmony, with sweating that does not resolve the exterior condition", "Liver and Spleen disharmony" ] }, { "action": "Calms Liver Yang and extinguishes Liver Wind", "traditionally_used_for": [ "Yang of the Liver rising on a base of Yin and Blood deficiency: headache, dizziness and vertigo, ringing in the ears, redness of the eyes and face, and irritability", "Internal Wind from depleted Blood and Yin, with tremor, twitching and muscle spasm, progressing to convulsions in severe cases", "Liver Qi constraint with Liver Yang rising" ] }, { "action": "Softens the Liver and relieves pain", "traditionally_used_for": [ "Cramping and spasm of the sinews and muscles, including the calves", "Hypochondriac, intercostal or abdominal pain from Liver and Spleen disharmony", "Abdominal pain, borborygmus and diarrhea", "Painful Bi with spasm, from Blood deficiency", "Dysentery with tenesmus" ] } ], "cautions": [ { "kind": "contraindication", "text": "Diarrhea from Cold due to Yang deficiency of the Middle Jiao; its cool, astringent nature can make it worse" }, { "kind": "contraindication", "text": "A Wind-type rash or eczema that has not yet fully come out, since astringing may hold the pathogen in" }, { "kind": "contraindication", "text": "After childbirth while bleeding continues or where there is Blood stasis" }, { "kind": "caution", "text": "Avoid large doses and long courses in people with liver disease" }, { "kind": "caution", "text": "Can make some people drowsy; take care before driving or using machinery" } ], "safety": { "toxic": false, "toxicity_grade": null, "toxicity_graded_by": null, "external_use_only": false, "contains_aristolochic_acid": false, "caution_in_pregnancy": false }, "contains": [], "herb_interactions": [ { "kind": "antagonistic", "herb_slug": "shi-hu", "note": "Antagonistic pairing with Shi Hu (Dendrobium)" }, { "kind": "antagonistic", "herb_slug": "xiao-ji", "note": "Antagonistic pairing with Xiao Ji (Cirsium)" } ], "drug_interactions": [ { "drug": "anticoagulants and antiplatelets", "severity": null, "note": "Anticoagulant and antiplatelet medicines (warfarin, heparin, enoxaparin, aspirin, dipyridamole, clopidogrel): use together only with caution" }, { "drug": "antidiabetics", "severity": null, "note": "Insulin and oral antidiabetics such as tolbutamide, glipizide and glyburide: the combination may push blood sugar too low" }, { "drug": "sedatives", "severity": null, "note": "Sedatives, including barbiturates: the herb has a calming, pain-relieving effect of its own and has lengthened barbiturate-induced sleep" } ], "formulas": [ "ai-fu-nuan-gong-wan", "ba-zhen-tang", "bai-he-gu-jin-tang", "bu-gan-tang", "chai-ge-jie-ji-tang", "chai-hu-shu-gan-san", "chai-hu-si-wu-tang", "da-chai-hu-tang", "da-ding-feng-zhu", "da-fang-feng-tang", "da-huang-zhe-chong-wan", "da-qin-jiao-tang", "da-yuan-yin", "dan-gui-san", "dang-gui-ji-xue-teng-tang", "ding-xiang-jiao-ai-tang", "du-huo-ji-sheng-tang", "e-jiao-ji-zi-huang-tang", "fang-feng-tong-sheng-san", "fu-zi-tang", "ge-gen-jia-ban-xia-tang", "ge-gen-tang", "gu-jing-wan", "gui-zhi-er-yue-bi-yi-tang", "gui-zhi-fu-zi-tang", "gui-zhi-jia-ge-gen-tang", "gui-zhi-jia-hou-po-xing-ren-tang", "gui-zhi-jia-long-gu-mu-li-tang", "gui-zhi-jia-shao-yao-tang", "gui-zhi-ma-huang-ge-ban-tang", "gui-zhi-tang", "guo-qi-yin", "hei-xiao-yao-san", "huang-qin-tang", "jia-jian-fu-mai-tang", "jia-wei-bai-tou-weng-tang", "jia-wei-mai-men-dong-tang", "jia-wei-si-wu-tang", "jia-wei-xiao-yao-san", "jian-ling-tang", "ling-jiao-gou-teng-tang", "nei-shu-huang-lian-tang", "ning-xue-tang", "qin-lian-si-qu-tang", "qing-jing-san", "qing-re-zhi-beng-tang", "qing-yi-tang", "qu-feng-zi-bao-dan", "ren-shen-yang-ying-tang", "san-bi-tang", "san-huang-si-wu-tang", "san-jia-fu-mai-tang", "she-quan-da-bu-tang", "sheng-yang-yi-wei-tang", "shu-jing-huo-xue-tang", "shun-jing-tang", "si-ni-san", "si-wu-tang", "tao-hong-si-wu-tang", "tong-xie-yao-fang", "wu-ji-san", "wu-ji-wan", "wu-tou-gui-zhi-tang", "wu-tou-tang", "xiang-sha-ping-wei-san", "xiao-yao-san", "yang-yin-qing-fei-tang", "yi-qi-cong-ming-tang", "yi-yi-ren-tang-2", "yu-zhu-san", "zhen-gan-xi-feng-tang", "zhen-wu-tang" ], "attribution": { "text": "bai shao — Bencao Index", "html": "bai shao — Bencao Index" }, "terms": { "licence": "Free to use and republish with visible attribution and a link back to the source page. The catalogue is a reference work and is knowingly incomplete; nothing in it is medical advice.", "url": "https://bencaoindex.com/api/#terms" } }