shan zha

山楂·Fructus Crataegi

Chinese hawthorn fruit

About shan zha

Shan Zha (山楂) is the fruit of Chinese hawthorn, recorded as Fructus Crataegi. It is sour and sweet in flavour and slightly warm, entering the Liver, Spleen and Stomach channels. The catalogue files it among the herbs that relieve food stagnation.

Names

Pinyinshan zha
Chinese山楂
Latin NameFructus Crataegi
English NameChinese hawthorn fruit·Crataegus Fruit
Japanesesansa
Koreansansa

Classification

Channels
Stomach, Spleen, Liver
Flavour
Sweet, Sour
Temperature
Slightly Warm
Part used
Fruit
Family
Rosaceae
Species
Crataegus pinnatifida
Tags
Chinese Herbs, Common

Actions and indications

Reduces Food Stagnation and transforms accumulations

  • Stagnation from meat or greasy, fatty food, with abdominal bloating, pain, indigestion or diarrhea
  • Food stagnation on a background of Spleen deficiency, combined with Spleen-strengthening herbs

Transforms Blood stasis, invigorates Blood and dissipates clumps

  • Abdominal pain and clumps after childbirth from Blood stasis
  • Amenorrhea with Blood stasis
  • Hernia and bulging disorders

Stops diarrhea

  • Chronic diarrhea of a dysentery-like kind, using the charred or toasted herb

Lowers blood pressure and cholesterol

  • High blood pressure
  • Raised serum cholesterol
  • Coronary heart disease and angina

Combinations

Dosage

AgeRawGranuleTinctureConcentrateFrequency
Any 8-16g; 30-120g when used alone; Tincture: 2-4ml8-16 g2-4 ml

Cautions

Interactions

Drug interactions

Prepared forms (1)

shan zha jiao

山楂·Fructus Crataegi

Shan zha jiao (山楂) is the scorched form of shan zha, the fruit of crataegus, a Rosaceae tree supplied as Fructus Crataegi. The catalogue files it among the substances that relieve food stagnation, on the Liver, Spleen and Stomach channels.

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