gu ya

Name: gu ya
Creator: Bencao Index

谷芽·Fructus Setariae Germinatus

Barley

About gu ya

Gu Ya (谷芽) is the sprouted grain of millet, recorded as Fructus Setariae Germinatus. It is sweet in flavour and neutral in temperature, entering the Spleen and Stomach channels. The catalogue files it among the herbs that relieve food stagnation.

Names

Pinyin	gu ya
Chinese	谷芽
Latin Name	Fructus Setariae Germinatus
English Name	Barley·grain sprout·Grain Sprouts·Grain Sprouts;Millet;Rice;Barley·Millet·Rice
Japanese	kokuga
Korean	kok·koka

Classification

Category: Relieve Food Stagnation
Channels: Stomach, Spleen
Flavour: Sweet
Temperature: Neutral
Part used: Sprout
Tags: Chinese Herbs, Common

Actions and indications

Reduces food stagnation, aids digestion, descends Qi, opens the Stomach and harmonises the Middle Jiao

Starchy food that has not been digested
Weak Spleen Qi leading to food stagnation
Food retained overnight
Indigestion with a full epigastrium and poor appetite, especially after meals heavy in grain

Strengthens the Spleen and restores appetite

Loss of appetite from Spleen deficiency
Poor appetite, sluggish digestion and diarrhea from a weak Spleen; mild enough for longer use and for frail patients

Combinations

chen pi + sha ren
Food Stagnation with a distended chest and abdomen and poor appetite
dang shen + bai zhu + sha ren + chen pi + gan cao
Spleen and Stomach Deficiency with weak digestion
shen qu + shan zha + bai bian dou + ze xie + fu ling + qian shi
Deficient Spleen and Stomach with diarrhea, eating less and digesting poorly

Dosage

Age	Raw	Granule	Tincture	Concentrate	Frequency
Any 6-20g; Tincture: 2-4ml	6-20 g	—	2-4 ml	—	—

Cautions

caution Prolonged use can harm the Kidneys
lactation Avoid while breastfeeding; some references attach this caution only to Mai Ya (barley sprout) rather than Gu Ya, so confirm which sprouted grain is supplied
caution Not indicated where there is no food stagnation
caution Persistent poor appetite, weight loss or a change in digestion calls for medical evaluation, not just a mild digestive herb

Prepared forms (1)

gu ya Chao

谷芽·Fructus Setariae Germinatus

Gu ya chao (谷芽) is the dry-fried form of gu ya, the germinated sprout supplied as Fructus Setariae Germinatus. The catalogue files it among the substances that relieve food stagnation. No channels, flavour or temperature are recorded.

The catalogue records no separate actions, dose or cautions for this preparation. Unless noted above it follows gu ya.

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