Yu Zhi Zi: The TCM Herb for Liver Health and Pain Relief

Hongji Medical
Jun 8
4 min read

Yu Zhi Zi, also known as Melia azedarach seed or China Berry seed, is the dried seed of a tree in the Meliaceae family. It is valued in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for its ability to soothe the liver, relieve depression, promote qi flow, alleviate pain, and clear heat and dampness.

Its earliest mention appears in the Kaibao Bencao (Kaibao Materia Medica), which noted its use for treating chest and abdominal fullness, heart pain, and hernia pain.

Over time, Chinese medical scholars expanded its applications. In the Ming Dynasty, Li Shizhen’s Compendium of Materia Medica described Yu Zhi Zi’s appearance, growing regions, and effects, emphasizing its ability to relieve chest and abdominal discomfort and pain by soothing the liver and promoting qi flow.

It also dismissed the folk belief that it could predict good or bad fortune, focusing instead on its medicinal properties. Later texts like Bencao Tujing further detailed its uses, making it a recognized remedy in TCM.

Properties of Yu Zhi Zi

Nature and Channels

Taste: Bitter, pungent
Nature: Cold
Channels: Liver, Gallbladder, Stomach

Key Components

Yu Zhi Zi contains active compounds that contribute to its medicinal effects, though specific components are not detailed in traditional texts.

Main Benefits

Soothes the liver and relieves depression
Promotes qi flow and alleviates pain
Clears heat and dampness

Dosage

Typical dose: 3–9 grams, boiled in decoctions.

Growing Regions

Found in southern China, including Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, Jiangxi, Hunan, Hubei, and Sichuan.

Identification

Shape: Spherical or slightly flattened, 0.6–1.2 cm in diameter.
Color: Grayish-brown or brownish with net-like wrinkles.
Texture: Hard, difficult to break, with a white, oily seed kernel.
Scent and Taste: Mildly aromatic, bitter, and pungent.

Clinical Uses of Yu Zhi Zi

Yu Zhi Zi is used in TCM to treat various conditions:

Liver Qi Stagnation: It relieves symptoms like chest or rib pain, abdominal fullness, and emotional distress caused by liver qi stagnation.
Damp-Heat Jaundice: It clears heat and dampness, helping with symptoms like yellowing of the skin or eyes, nausea, and loss of appetite.
Hernia Pain: It alleviates lower abdominal pain that may extend to the testicles.
Trauma and Injuries: It reduces pain and swelling from bruises or sprains.

Specific Benefits

Soothing Liver and Mood: Yu Zhi Zi calms liver qi, easing emotional stress and discomfort.
Pain Relief: It promotes qi flow and relieves pain in the chest, ribs, or abdomen.
Clearing Heat and Dampness: Its cold nature helps treat jaundice or diarrhea caused by damp-heat.

Yu Zhi Zi in TCM Formulas

Yu Zhi Zi is often combined with other herbs in TCM formulas to enhance its effects. Here are some examples:

Chai Hu Shu Gan San (Bupleurum Powder to Soothe the Liver): Combines Yu Zhi Zi with Bupleurum, Cyperus, and Tangerine Peel to enhance liver-soothing and pain-relieving effects, used for chest or rib pain and irregular menstruation due to liver qi stagnation.
Yin Chen Hao Tang (Artemisia Capillaris Decoction): Includes Yu Zhi Zi with Artemisia, Gardenia, and Rhubarb to clear heat, remove dampness, and treat jaundice.
Ju He Wan (Tangerine Seed Pill): Pairs Yu Zhi Zi with Tangerine Seed, Toosendan Fruit, and Fennel to promote qi flow, relieve pain, and reduce swelling, used for hernia pain.

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Comparison with Similar Herbs

Yu Zhi Zi shares effects with other TCM herbs but has unique strengths:

Cyperus (Xiang Fu): Soothes liver qi and relieves pain, but it is milder and better for menstrual irregularities due to qi and blood stagnation.
Toosendan Fruit (Chuan Lian Zi): Soothes liver qi and relieves pain but is colder, better for liver fire causing rib pain or bitter taste in the mouth.
Turmeric Root (Yu Jin): Promotes qi and blood flow and relieves pain, with stronger blood-activating effects for chest pain or trauma compared to Yu Zhi Zi’s broader liver-soothing action.

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Modern Applications and Research

Modern research highlights Yu Zhi Zi’s benefits:

Analgesic Effects: Its extracts show significant pain-relieving properties.
Anti-Inflammatory: It reduces inflammation by suppressing inflammatory mediators.
Liver Protection: It lowers liver enzymes and improves liver function.
Anti-Tumor: In lab studies, its extracts show potential to inhibit tumor growth.

Clinically, Yu Zhi Zi is used for chronic hepatitis, cholecystitis, intercostal neuralgia, and breast hyperplasia, with promising results.

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How to Use Yu Zhi Zi Safely

Precautions

Pregnant Women: Use cautiously due to its cold nature and blood-activating properties.
Spleen and Stomach Deficiency with Cold: Avoid use, as its cold nature may harm digestion.

Usage Tips

Yu Zhi Zi is typically boiled in decoctions for internal use. Always consult a TCM practitioner for proper dosage and suitability.

Conclusion

Yu Zhi Zi is a valuable TCM herb known for soothing the liver, relieving pain, and clearing heat and dampness. It treats conditions like liver qi stagnation, jaundice, hernia pain, and injuries, with modern research supporting its analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and liver-protective effects. To ensure safe and effective use, consult a TCM practitioner for guidance on dosage and application.

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中醫知識

Chinese Medicine - Qi

Blood and semen

Heart and lungs

Spleen and Liver

Kidney

Gallbladder, stomach, intestines, bladder

Interrelationships among the five internal organs

Other questions

Qi is the constantly moving subtle substance that constitutes the human body and maintains its vital activities.

There are three main sources of Qi in the human body: the innate essence inherited from parents, the essence of water and grain in food, and the pure Qi existing in nature.

Qi has many important physiological effects on the human body. The normal functioning of the internal organs, meridians, limbs, bones, five senses and nine orifices all depends on the physiological effects of Qi.

Generally speaking, the physiological effects of Qi include five aspects: promotion, warming, defense, consolidation, and qi transformation.

Yuan Qi is the most original Qi in the human body.

Yuan Qi is mainly composed of the essence of the kidneys and is generated from the essence of the kidneys.

The distribution of primordial energy is throughout the body, reaching everywhere. The internal organs, meridians, body parts, five senses and nine orifices are all places where primordial energy rises, falls, enters and exits.

The main physiological functions of Yuan Qi are twofold: one is to promote and stimulate the growth, development and reproduction of the human body. The other is to promote and stimulate the physiological activities of the internal organs and meridians.

If the kidneys are deficient in essence and energy due to congenital deficiency, postnatal malnutrition, or long-term illness, and the kidneys lack the source of vital energy, various diseases may occur.

Zong Qi is the Qi that accumulates in the chest. The place where Zong Qi accumulates is called "Tan Zhong" (between the two breasts). Because it is the place where Zong Qi is most concentrated, it is also called "Qi Hai".

Zong Qi is mainly composed of the fresh air from nature inhaled by the lungs and the essence of water and grain produced by the spleen and stomach from food.

The main functions of Zong Qi are twofold:

1. It is to walk the Xi Dao to control breathing. All breathing, speech, and voice are related to the Zong Qi. When the Zong Qi is abundant, the breathing is slow and the rhythm is even, the speech is clear and the voice is loud; otherwise, the breathing is short and the voice is low.

Second, it is to circulate Qi and blood through the heart meridians. All the beating of the heart and the circulation of Qi and blood are related to Zong Qi. If the pulse is gentle, the rhythm is consistent, and there is spirit and root, it is a manifestation of abundant Zong Qi. On the contrary, if the pulse is agitated, scattered, weak, or irregular, it means that the Zong Qi is insufficient or even weak.

Zhongqi refers to the Qi of the middle burner. Because the spleen and stomach are located in the middle burner, the Qi of the spleen and stomach is generally called "Zhongqi".

It is generally believed that the formation of Zhong Qi is formed by the combination of the Yuan Qi distributed in the Zhongjiao and the water and grain essence produced by the spleen and stomach.

The middle qi is mainly distributed in the middle burner, spreading between the spleen, stomach, and intestines, and it rises and falls, constantly mediating.

The main functions of Zhongqi include three aspects:

1. It controls the rise and fall of Qi. The middle burner is the hub of the rise and fall of Qi. When the middle Qi is abundant and harmonious, the Qi of the liver and spleen will rise healthily, and the Qi of the lungs and stomach will descend smoothly. When the rise and fall are smooth, all organs will be at peace.

Second, it stimulates the spleen and stomach to absorb and transport. When the middle qi is abundant, the spleen rises and the stomach descends normally, the water and grain are received and transported normally, and the essence of water and grain is continuously produced to generate qi and blood, nourishing the whole body.

Third, it maintains the position of the internal organs. The reason why the internal organs maintain their relatively constant position depends on the rise and fall of the qi of the middle jiao spleen and stomach.

Ying Qi, also known as "Rong Qi", is the Qi that flows in the veins.

The distribution and movement of Ying Qi are clearly discussed in Suwen Bi Lun, which points out that Ying Qi "harmonizes the five internal organs, flows through the six bowels, and then enters the meridians."

It explains that the nutrient energy enters the meridians, circulates throughout the body, flows into the internal organs, and reaches the limbs, repeating the cycle over and over again.

The main functions of Ying Qi:

1. It is the transformation of blood.

Second, it nourishes the whole body. The nourishing qi enters the blood vessels and causes the body fluids to penetrate into the blood vessels. The two combine to form blood.

The so-called Qi can produce blood, mainly refers to: Ying Qi transforms into blood. Ying Qi is produced by the refined part of the essence of grains, and is a nutrient necessary for physiological activities such as viscera and meridians, and plays an important role in maintaining human life activities.

The Inner Canon of Medicine states that the Nutritive Qi "harmonises the five internal organs, and spreads throughout the six bowels", "nourishes the four extremities", etc., which emphasizes that the Nutritive Qi has a nourishing effect.

Wei Qi is the Qi that circulates outside the veins. It is so called because it protects the skin and resists external pathogens.

The distribution of Wei Qi is fast, smooth and agile, and is not restricted by blood vessels, so it can "flow through the skin, between the flesh, fumigate the peritoneum, and spread to the chest and abdomen" (Suwen Bi Lun). This shows that Wei Qi spreads throughout the body, externally between the skin and muscles, and internally to the peritoneum of the chest and abdomen - the area inside the diaphragm of the chest cavity.

The main physiological functions of Wei Qi are three-fold:

First, it protects the skin and prevents the invasion of external pathogens. In clinical practice, if a patient is prone to colds and fever, the treatment is usually based on the theory that the Wei surface is not solid. The theoretical basis is here. Second, it warms the internal organs, muscles, fur, etc. Wei Qi has a strong warming effect. If Wei Yang is deficient, the warming power is weakened, and cold symptoms such as cold body, cold limbs and low body temperature may appear. If Wei Qi is stagnant and turns into heat, hot symptoms such as fever and malignant fever may appear.

Third, it regulates the opening and closing of pores and controls sweat excretion, which is what Lingshu Benzang says about the Wei Qi having the function of “controlling opening and closing”.

Yu Zhi Zi: The TCM Herb for Liver Health and Pain Relief

Properties of Yu Zhi Zi

Nature and Channels

Key Components

Main Benefits

Dosage

Growing Regions

Identification

Clinical Uses of Yu Zhi Zi

Specific Benefits

Yu Zhi Zi in TCM Formulas

Comparison with Similar Herbs

Modern Applications and Research

How to Use Yu Zhi Zi Safely

Precautions

Usage Tips

Conclusion

Related Posts

中醫知識

The concept of Qi

Vitality

Zong Qi

Middle Qi

Ying Qi

Health

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