li zhi he

About li zhi he

Names

Classification

Category

Regulate Qi

Channels

Stomach, Liver

Flavour

Sweet

Temperature

Warm

Family

Sapindaceae

Species

Litchi Chinensis

Tags

Chinese Herbs, Common

Actions and indications

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

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