INDIVIDUAL HERBS
| Pharmaceutical Latin: | Radix Glycyrrhizae Radix Glycyrrhizae Preparata (Zhi Gan Cao) |
| Common English: | Licorice Root Baked Licorice Root Ural Licorice Root |
| Taste | Temperature | Entering Meridians | Dosage |
Sweet |
Neutral (raw) (Gan Cao) Warm (dry-fried) (Zhi Gan Cao) |
Heart Lung Spleen Stomach (All twelve channels) (Yang Wei) |
1.5-14g Large dosage up to 30g Tincture: 1-4ml |
| Actions | Indications/Syndromes |
Tonifies the Spleen and augments Qi |
Spleen Qi Deficiency with shortness of breath, lassitude and loose stools Qi and Blood Deficiency with an irregular pulse and/or palpitations Heart Qi Deficiency or Heart Yang Deficiency |
Moistens the Lungs, resolves Phlegm and stops coughing |
Lung Heat or Cold Productive or non-productive coughing |
Moderates spasms and alleviates pain |
Painful muscle spasms of the abdomen and legs |
Clears Heat and relieves Fire toxicity |
Raw for Toxic Heat with sore throat or carbuncles and sores (Chuang Yung) |
Antidote for many toxic substances (internal and topical) |
Poisoning |
Moderates and harmonizes the harsh properties of other herbs and guides the herbs to all twelve channels |
|
CONTRAINDICATIONS |
|
INCOMPATIBILITIES |
|
HERB/DRUG INTERACTIONS |
|
Rx. Codonopsis |
Rx. Codonopsis |
|
Anorexia, fatigue and loose stools due to Spleen Deficiency. Palpitations due to Heart Qi Deficiency. |
Strengthens the Spleen and augments Qi. |
Palpitations due to Heart Qi Deficiency. |
Rx. Codonopsis |
Hb. Ephedrae |
Rx. Platycodi |
Heart Qi and Blood Deficiency with an irregular heart beat and palpitations. |
Coughing or wheezing due to Wind-Cold Attacks the Lungs. |
Pain and swelling of the throat. |
Rx. Paeoniae Alba |
||
Wind-Heat Invading the Lungs. |
Coughing due to Lung Heat. |
Moderates spasms and alleviates pain, for painful spasms of the leg or abdomen. |
Rx. Paeoniae Alba |
Endoconcha Sepiae |
|
Abdominal pain and dysenteric diarrhea from Damp-Heat. |
Hypochondriac pain due to Liver Qi Stagnation. |
Peptic ulcer pain. |
Endoconcha Sepiae |
Flos Lonicerae |
Hb. Taraxaci |
Gastric discomfort with hyperacidity. Epigastric pain caused by Stomach ulcer. |
Damp rashes or acne. |
Internally or externally for abscesses or other toxic swellings. |
Flos Lonicerae |
Rx. Rehmanniae Preparata |
Flos Genkwa |
Yang sores marked by redness, swelling and pain. |
Chronic Yin-type swellings that do not ulcerate or have dark purplish ulcerations that do not close. |
Topically for chilblain. (frostbite) |
Rx. Platycodi |
Sm. Armeniacae |
Sm. Phaseoli Radiati |
Sore throat with significant swelling or pus. |
Heat induced dry cough. |
Antidote for a wide variety of toxins. |
Rx. Ginseng |
Fr. Arctii |
Sm. Phaseoli Radiati |
Relieves palpitations and anxiety. |
Strongly clears the throat and Lungs to treat Wind-Heat attacks the Lungs or Fire toxin flaring upwards. |
Antidote for poisoning from toxic herbs such as Aconite Fu Zi, Chuan Wu or Crotonis Ba Dou. As a summertime beverage to prevent Summerheat and Heat rash and to reduce the probability of poisoning from spoiled food. |
Fr. Jujube |
Fr. Jujube |
Fol. Mori |
Dry or restless organ disorder. |
Dry organ disorder with Shen disturbance. |
Cough and wheezing due to Wind-Heat. |
Rz. Zingiberis |
Rx. Glehniae |
Rz. Dioscoreae |
Coughing due to Wind-Cold with sputum. |
Cough and wheezing due to Dryness. |
Abdominal pain due to Middle Jiao Deficiency Cold. |
Rx. Paeoniae Alba |
Mel |
Rx. Paeoniae Alba |
Diarrhea, dysentery, and abdominal pain caused by Damp-Heat. |
Burns topically. Drug poisoning internally. |
Leg cramps due to Blood Deficiency. |
Talcum (15g) |
Sm. Armeniacae |
Sm. Phaseoli Radiati |
12g Gan Cao, for herbicide or pesticide poisoning in decoction 3 times daily. |
Lead poisoning. |
Arsenic poisoning. |
- It improves digestion.
- It has anti-aging properties.
- It prevents drying of membranes.
- It occurs in about 2/3 of all formulas. It has both an ascending and descending nature.
- It treats both Internal and External diseases.
- It sensitizes organs to the effects of other herbs.
- This herb inhibits the growth of cancer cells.
- This herb tonifies in mediating formulas, clears fever in cooling formulas, dispels pathogens in the muscles in diaphoretic formulas and nourishes the Blood and expels toxins in relaxing formulas.
- For Wei (atrophy) Syndrome, use Gan Cao alone.
- For uncomplicated sores, use alone topically.
- For erysipelas, use alone in decoction topically.
- For red lesions, with eczema and itching, use alone in decoction topically.
- For a mild sore throat, use alone.
- When extremely Hot or extremely Cold herbs are used, this herb must be added to mediate the intensity.
- When Cold and Hot herbs are used in the same formula, this herb must be included to harmonize the properties.
- For food poisoning from beef, use alone as a decoction.
- It neutralizes the toxicity of Rx. Aconiti Lateralis Preparata Zhi Fu Zi.
- It controls the warm property of Rz. Zingiberis Gan Jiang to prevent damage to Yin.
- It prevents the cold properties of Gypsum Fibrosum Shi Gao and Rx. Anemarrhena Zhi Mu from damaging the Stomach.
- It reduces the initial peak effect of Rx. et Rz. Rhei Da Huang and Natrii Sulfas Mang Xiao and prolongs the overall duration of their effects.
- It reduces the initial peak effect of Rz. Atractylodis Macrocephalae, Bai Zhu, Rx. Codonopsis Dang Shen, Rx. Rehmanniae Shu Di Huang, and Rx. Angelicae Sinensis Dang Gui, and prolongs their overall effects.
- Both Gan Cao and Maltose Yi Tang tonify the Qi of the Middle Jiao, moderate urgency and relieve pain. Gan Cao resolves toxicity, but does not nourish Blood. It moistens the Lungs to stop cough but has less fluid generating capability than Yi Tang which generates fluids especially in the Lungs, relieves thirst and nourishes Blood.
- Dry-fried Licorice Chao Gan Cao has enhanced warming ability. Dry-frying with bran boosts its ability to harmonize the Stomach.
- Honey-prepared Licorice Mi Zhi Gan Cao has increased ability to tonify the Middle, augment the Heart and Spleen and harmonize the properties of other herbs.
- Licorice tips Gan Cao Shao are cool in nature, drain Fire and resolve toxicity. They excel in treating Damp-Heat Pouring Downward into the Bladder and causing urethral pain.
- It boosts adrenal and pancreatic weaknesses, especially in those with functional blood sugar Deficiency.
- Powdered Rx. Glycyrrhizae Gan Cao Fen is considered to be of higher quality than regular Rx. Glycyrrhizae Gan Cao.