Details of Gentiana Combination Gentiana cools to calm the spirit and make you cool of course. ;)
Mentioned in these formula finders: urinary health , women’s health
Alternative Names:
long dan xie gan tang lung tan hsieh kan tang long dan xue gan tang Gentian Liver-Draining Decoction Gentian Liver-Purging Decoction ryutan syakan to Ryūtan-shakan-tō 竜胆瀉肝湯 りゅうたんしゃかんとう TJ76; TJ-76; TJ 76 lóng dǎn xiè gān wán 龍膽瀉肝丸 Benefits:
cools redness in the face calms restlessness calms rage. supports vaginal health supports bladder health
One-sided headaches arise from the Gallbladder channel
toxicity located along the trajectory of the Liver and Gallbladder (acupuncture) channels . Specifically, it is said to eliminate “damp-heat” from these two channels. Because heat rises and damp is a heavier fluid we often find more damp indications lower in the body and more heat indications higher in the body.Heat rising in the Gallbladder channel causes headaches that arise on one side of the head , potentially arising from the point GB 21 (at base of skull above neck), extending to the acupuncture point GB 14 (right above the mid-point of the eyebrow), and zig-zagging across the temple and side of the head. Because this heat has some dampness in it too, it may additional cause a sense of muzziness or brain fog associated with the headache addressed by this formula.
Dampness that descends within the Liver channel often manifests with weeping, oozy sores. Because this damp is warm or hot (we call it “damp-heat”) these weeping sores usually arise on a red base .
Thick coat with optional red dots (indicating heat).
genitals, the ribs and flank, and the lips . (The Liver channel isn’t just one discrete channel, but it has tributaries, like a river with streams feeding into it.)Because the Liver is particularly sensitive to stress, we find that these symptoms of damp-heat are all aggravated by stress . However, in the absence of a thick yellow tongue coating, one should choose other formulas. A thick tongue coating is defined as one that is so thick, you can’t see through it to the tongue body beneath. Many tongues are only thick in the rear, this would suggest that *maybe* this is a good formula for you.
NOTE:
Ingredients
Long Dan Cao : 龍膽草 Chinese gentian root, gentiana root Radix Gentianae LongdancaoChai Hu : 柴胡 hare’s ear root, thorowax root, bupleurum Radix Bupleuri [caution ]Zhi Zi : 梔子 cape jasmine fruit, gardenia Gardeniae FructusHuang Qin : 黃苓 baical skullcap root, scutellaria, scute Radix Scutellariae Baicalensis [Pregnancy Note ]
The above four herbs all have one thing in common, they enter the Gallbladder or Liver channels. They’re cool and drying . Cool and dry properties entering the Gallbladder and Liver channels is exactly what we want to treat “damp-heat”. Cool and dry is the opposite of hot and damp, get it? Dang Gui : 當歸 tangkuei, Chinese angelica root Radix Angelicae Sinensis [Pregnancy Note ]Sheng Di Huang : 生地黃 Chinese foxglove root, rehmannia (fresh),Rehmannia root Radix Rehmanniae Glutinosae
These two herbs both nourish the blood. The major function of this formula is to cool and dry. These two herbs prevent too much drying as they both nourish the healthy appropriate moistening elements of the body. Sheng Di also cools the blood, which might be indicated for those with red dots on the tongue such as the tongue picture on this page. Mu Tong : 木通 akebia caulis Caulis Mutong (not included in online purchase) [Pregnancy Note ]Che Qian Zi : 車前子 plantago seeds Semen PlantaginisZe Xie : 澤瀉 alisma rhizome, water plantain Rhizoma Alismatis Orientalis [Pregnancy Note ]
One method by which both damp and heat are removed from the body is through the urinary track. These three ingredients are all diuretics that are cool or cooling in nature . Gan Cao : 甘草 licorice root Radix Glycyrrhizae [caution ]
As it is commonly used, this very sweet herb helps soften the harsh effects of the bitter cold drying herbs in this formula to protect the stomach and prevent side-effects of tummy ache for instance.
Recommended for these body types :
Hearty
Slightly Hearty
Balanced
Recommended for these thermal natures :
Hot
Warm
Neutral
Dosage This formula can be used to support health with or without symptoms. If symptoms are present, take 1 level teaspoon of the powder (8 capsules) three times daily. When symptoms are not present, take 1/2 level teaspoon (4 capsules), two times daily. More... ]
At this dosage, your order will last approximately this long (? ):
50 grams powder (capsules only): 1 to 2 weeks . 100 grams powder (capsules or powder): 2-4 weeks 200 grams powder (powder only): 1-2 months . Last updated
02/07/2011
01/09/2012 at 12:13 pm
One interesting side-note. There’s a classic soft-drink called “Moxie” that was big in the first half of the last century. Their advertising slogan promoted the word “moxie” to describe one with style, guts, courage, chutzpah. I tried some Moxie recently and found it to taste like a black licorice soda with a slightly bitter mediciny aftertaste to it. I looked at the ingredients, and was surprised to see Gentiana root was one of its ingredients. I don’t suggest you drink Moxie for damp-heat, but I was certainly tickled by finding that ingredient in this classic soft-drink.
I note from the Wikipedia page that this formula is supposed to provide some sense of calm thanks to a special ingredient from South America. Obviously this is a gentiana root of some sort, perhaps not that from China, but apparently close enough in terms of function.