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TCM Treasures - Nu zhen zi 女贞子
By Zhang Qian |
April 20, 2012, Friday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
TINY dark beans/berries shaped like kidneys and growing on holly-like trees are widely used in TCM to reinforce the kidneys, based on the theory of "like reinforces like." It's called nu zhen zi, literally female Zhenzi, the woman in a legendary love story.
Zhenzi's husband joined the army shortly after marriage. Zhenzi fell sick from heartache after hearing he had died. Zhenzi pined away and before she died, she asked his sister to plant holly on her tomb to show her loyalty to him. The husband returned alive and wept for three days at Zhenzi's tomb. He fell ill with deficient yin energy and excessive internal "heat" (yang energy) in kidneys and liver. Watered by his tears, the tree blossomed and bore kidney bean-like fruit. The husband ate the fruit and was cured. People realized the tree was not holly but an herbal tree benefiting the kidneys and liver. They called it nu zhen zi (female Zhenzi).
Nu zhen zi is a "cool" herb that is used to reinforce liver and kidney and relieve related problems such as lower back pain, prematurely white hair and visual impairment. Modern research shows it helps reduce blood fat and treat hardening of the blood vessels.
Prescriptions & Usage:
Nu zhen zi wine
? Put dried nu zhen zi fruit (200g) in distilled white spirit (500ml) and seal for a week.
? Drink about 10ml once and thereafter 1-2 times a day.
Benefits: Reinforces liver and kidneys, activates blood circulation, delays aging, treats senile plaques.
Fat-lowering soup
? Boil nu zhen zi (15g), red-rooted salvia (20g), fleece-flower root (20g) and hawthorn (20g).
? Drink often as tea.
Benefits: Helps lower cholesterol and blood fat, improves metabolism, reduces blood pressure and thins blood.
Zhenzi's husband joined the army shortly after marriage. Zhenzi fell sick from heartache after hearing he had died. Zhenzi pined away and before she died, she asked his sister to plant holly on her tomb to show her loyalty to him. The husband returned alive and wept for three days at Zhenzi's tomb. He fell ill with deficient yin energy and excessive internal "heat" (yang energy) in kidneys and liver. Watered by his tears, the tree blossomed and bore kidney bean-like fruit. The husband ate the fruit and was cured. People realized the tree was not holly but an herbal tree benefiting the kidneys and liver. They called it nu zhen zi (female Zhenzi).
Nu zhen zi is a "cool" herb that is used to reinforce liver and kidney and relieve related problems such as lower back pain, prematurely white hair and visual impairment. Modern research shows it helps reduce blood fat and treat hardening of the blood vessels.
Prescriptions & Usage:
Nu zhen zi wine
? Put dried nu zhen zi fruit (200g) in distilled white spirit (500ml) and seal for a week.
? Drink about 10ml once and thereafter 1-2 times a day.
Benefits: Reinforces liver and kidneys, activates blood circulation, delays aging, treats senile plaques.
Fat-lowering soup
? Boil nu zhen zi (15g), red-rooted salvia (20g), fleece-flower root (20g) and hawthorn (20g).
? Drink often as tea.
Benefits: Helps lower cholesterol and blood fat, improves metabolism, reduces blood pressure and thins blood.
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