ba yue zha

八月札·Fructus Akebiae

Akebia Fruit

About ba yue zha

Ba Yue Zha (八月札) is the fruit of akebia, recorded as Fructus Akebiae. It is bitter in flavour and neutral in temperature, enters the Liver and Stomach channels, and is filed among the herbs that regulate Qi. The record adds that the confusion of names around Mu Tong makes it worth confirming the botanical source of any material bought.

Names

Pinyin	ba yue zha
Chinese	八月札·八月炸
Latin Name	Fructus Akebiae
English Name	Akebia Fruit
Korean	yejija

Classification

Category: Regulate Qi
Channels: Stomach, Liver
Flavour: Bitter
Temperature: Neutral
Part used: Fruit
Family: Lardizabalaceae
Species: Akebia Trifoliata
Tags: Chinese Herbs, Common

Actions and indications

Spreads Liver Qi, regulates Qi and relieves pain

Constrained Liver Qi with pain in the chest and flanks
Liver and Stomach disharmony with epigastric pain, or stomach ache brought on by emotional strain
Hernial pain
Indigestion and food stagnation

Expels Phlegm and dissipates masses

Scrofula
Lumps in the breast, or masses of the digestive tract, from stagnant Phlegm and Qi

Promotes urination and relieves restlessness

Urinary dysfunction, including difficult urination or urination obstructed by stones
Excessive thirst
Dysentery
Lower back pain

Invigorates Blood

Blood stasis
Painful periods
Uterine tenesmus

Kills intestinal parasites

Intestinal parasites

Resolves toxicity

Toxic Heat

Combinations

xiang fu + zhi ke + chuan lian zi
Chest and hypochondriac pain from disharmony of the Liver and Stomach
kun bu + zhe bei mu
Scrofula.
xiang fu + zhi ke + chuan lian zi + yan hu suo
Liver Qi Stagnation.

Dosage

Age	Raw	Granule	Tincture	Concentrate	Frequency
Any	6-30 g	—	—	—	—

Cautions

pregnancy Avoid in pregnancy; one source advises caution and the other contraindicates it
caution Yin deficiency or depleted fluids: by promoting urination it can injure fluids and make dryness worse
caution Any lump, nodule or cyst needs medical diagnosis; the mass-dissipating action is a traditional pattern description, not a treatment for growths
caution Because of the Mu Tong naming confusion, confirm the botanical name of purchased material rather than relying on the pinyin
caution In the United Kingdom, medicinal products containing Akebia trifoliata are prohibited under the 2001 Mu Tong Order; this is a name-based precaution, not a finding that Akebia is toxic

Interactions

Drug interactions

Diuretics and medicines cleared by the kidneys: no documented interaction, but awareness is reasonable because the herb promotes urination (theoretical)