li zhi he

Name: li zhi he
Creator: Bencao Index

荔枝核·Semen Litchi

Leechee Nut

About li zhi he

Li Zhi He (荔枝核) is the seed of the lychee, recorded as Semen Litchi. It is sweet in flavour and warm in temperature, entering the Liver and Stomach channels. The catalogue files it among the herbs that regulate Qi.

Names

Pinyin	li zhi he
Chinese	荔枝核
Latin Name	Semen Litchi
English Name	Leechee Nut·lychee seed
Japanese	reishikaku
Korean	yeojihaek

Classification

Category: Regulate Qi
Channels: Stomach, Liver
Flavour: Sweet
Temperature: Warm
Family: Sapindaceae
Species: Litchi Chinensis
Tags: Chinese Herbs, Common

Actions and indications

Disperses Cold and stagnation and relieves pain

Cold in the Liver channel with bulging disorder (Shan Qi) and pain in the groin or testicles, sometimes with swelling
Heat in the Liver channel, combined with suitable herbs
Running piglet Qi: a shooting sensation rising from the lower abdomen to the chest

Regulates Qi and relieves pain

Liver Qi stagnation with pain in the abdomen and epigastrium
Stagnant Qi and Blood with abdominal pain before periods or after childbirth

Combinations

ju he
Bulging disorders from Cold lodged in the Liver channel. Abdominal masses and ovarian cysts. Running piglet disorder
xiao hui xiang + wu zhu yu + ju he
Cold-related hernia with swollen, painful testicles, and other bulging disorders
long dan cao + chuan lian zi + zhi zi + da huang
Damp-Heat in the Liver channel with red, swollen, painful testicles
mu xiang + yan hu suo + chuan lian zi
Liver Qi Stagnation with long-standing epigastric pain
xiang fu
Pain before menstruation or after childbirth. Abdominal pain
zhi ke
Bulging disorders.
chuan lian zi + xiao hui xiang
Lower Jiao Cold with running piglet disorder
mu xiang + wu zhu yu + rou gui
Ben Tun sensation.

Dosage

Age	Raw	Granule	Tincture	Concentrate	Frequency
Any 6-15g Crush before dispensing; For epigastric pain: 24-30g	6-15 g	—	—	—	—

Cautions

caution Use only for Damp-Cold patterns with obstructed Qi; without Cold or stagnation it has nothing to act on and may aggravate Heat
caution Heat, or deficient Yin
caution Sudden or severe testicular pain, or new swelling in the groin, needs prompt medical assessment
pregnancy Pregnancy: tradition records no ban, yet warming herbs that move Qi are normally given only under professional supervision
caution Diabetes or glucose-lowering treatment: the seed contains hypoglycin A and MCPG, known causes of hypoglycaemia, and seed extracts lower blood sugar in animals; raise it with the prescriber
caution Fasting, undernourished or paediatric patients: an empty stomach and low glycogen stores are what make these compounds dangerous
caution The seed comes from the same plant family as lychee, longan and rambutan; treat an allergy to those fruits as applying to it

Interactions

Drug interactions

Insulin and oral antidiabetics (sulfonylureas, tolbutamide, glipizide, glyburide): the combined effect could bring on hypoglycaemia; theoretical for this herb, so monitor and involve the prescriber

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