Any Chinese medicinal herb that takes promoting digestion and relieving dyspepsia, restoring transportation and transformation of the spleen and stomach as the dominant actions, and meanwhile can treat the syndrome of indigestion is considered as food retention relieving Chinese medicinal herbs.
In addition to digesting and relieving food accumulation and stagnation, most of them have the actions of increasing appetite and harmonizing the stomach and spleen. They are indicated for indigested syndrome with epigastric and abdominal fullness, belching, acid regurgitation, nausea, vomiting, lack of appetite, and irregular bowel movement such as constipation or diarrhea, etc., which are all due to food accumulation.
When they are used, they are usually combined with qi regulating medicinal herbs to promote digestion and relieve dyspepsia, and meanwhile other appropriate medicinal herbs must be combined with separately according to different conditions, such as those for warming the spleen and stomach, clearing away heat or eliminating dampness. For indigestion due to deficiency of the spleen and stomach, those for nourishing the spleen and stomach must be taken as dominants and the digestive herbs as assistants.
Shanzha Fructus Crataegi
The source is from the fruit of Crataegus cuneata Sieb. et Zucc., or C. pinnatifida Bunge, family Rosaceae. The medicinal material is mainly produced in the provinces of Henan, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui, etc., collected in the end of autumn and the early stage of winter, dried in the sun. The raw or the stir-baked one can be used.
Medicinal Properties Sour and sweet in flavor, slightly warm in nature, and attributive to the spleen, stomach and liver meridians.
Actions Digest food and dissipate the food accumulation, circulate the blood and disperse blood stasis.
Application
1. It is indicated for syndrome of indigestion manifested as epigastric fullness and distention, abdominal pain with diarrhea, especially improperly eating meats and fat. For indigestion of food and meats, it can be decocted alone or combined with Shenqu (Massa Medicata Fermentata), and Maiya (Fructus Hordei Germanatus), etc.; for obvious fullness and pain in epigastrium, it is combined with Muxiang ( Radix Aucklandiae ), Zhike ( Fructus Aurantii), etc.; for abdominal pain with diarrhea due to improper diet, the charred one can be ground into powder, which is mixed with water for oral use.
2. It is used for blood-stasis syndrome manifested as postpartum abdominal pain with lochiostasis, hernia with bearing-down distending palm for postpartum blood-stasis, it is usually combined with Danggui (Radix Angelicae Sinensis ) , Chuanxiong ( Rhizoma Chuanxiong ) , and Yimucao (Herba Leonuri); for pain due to hernia, combined with Xiaohuixiang (Fructus Foeniculi), Juhe ( Semen Citri Reticulatae ) , etc..
Besides, it can also be used for hypertension, coronary heart disease and hyperlipemia.
Usage and Dosage 10 - 12 g is used in decoction for oral use, the raw is a bit on the side of promoting digestion and relieving dyspepsia, and the charred one is a bit on the side of relieving diarrhea and dysentary.
Shenqu Massa Medicata Fermentata
This medicinal herb consists of the mixture of fermented powders of wheat flour, Semen Armeniacae Amarum , sprout of Semen Phaseoli , Herba Artmisiae Annuae, Fructus Xanthii, and Herba Polygoni Hydropiperis, etc.. The medicinal material is produced in all parts of China. The crude or the stir-baked is used for medication.
Medicinal Properties Sweet and pungent in flavor and warm in nature and attributive to the spleen and stomach meridians.
Actions Promote digestion and harmonize the stomach.
Application
For dyspepsia with epigastric distention, poor appetite and diarrhea, it is usually combined with Shanzha ( Fructus Crataegi), Maiya ( Fructgs Hordei Germinatus), etc.. Furthermore, it has a little the action of relieving exterior syndrome, so it's more suitable for dyspepsia due to exogenous pathogenic factors.
In addition, if a pill includes mineral and shell medicine that is difficult to be absorbed, Shenqu (Massa Medicata Fermentata) can be added so as to promote digestion and is a excipient as well, such as Ci Zhu Wan (Pill).
Usage and Dosage 5 - 15 g is used in decoction for oral use.
Maiya Fructus Hordei Germinatus
The source is from the germinant fruit of Hordeum vulgare L., family Gramineae. The medicinal material is produced in all parts of China, the crude or the one stir-baked into yellow is used for medication.
Medicinal Properties Sweet in flavor, bland in nature and attributive to the spleen, stomach and liver meridians.
Actions Digest the accumulated food and harmonize the middle energizer, and help stop lactation.
Application
1. It is used for food accumulation and indigestion, epigastric distress and abdominal distention, especially for helping digest starch food, it is usually combined with Shanzha (Fructus Crataegi), Shenqu (Massa Medicata Fermentata ), and Jineijin ( Endothelium Corneum Gigeriae Galli), etc. ; for poor transportation and transformarion due to deficiency of the spleen and stomach, the tonics can be combined with the herb.
2. It can be used for delactation for breast-feeding women or for distention and pain of the breast due to galactostasis, 30 -60 g of the crude one and same amount of the fried one can be decocted and taken separately every day.
Usage and Dosage 10 - 15 g is used in decoction for oral use, large dose can be increased to 30 - 120 g.
Notes It is not suitable to be used in breast-feeding period.
