Product Overview
Parts used: Dried ripe fruits
TCM category: Warm herbs that transform Phlegm and stop Cough
TCM nature: Warm
TCM taste(s): Sour
Meridian affinity: Spleen Stomach Heart Lung
Scientific name: Hippophae rhamnoides
Use of sea buckthorn fruits (Sha Ji) in TCM
Please note that you should never self-prescribe TCM ingredients. A TCM ingredient is almost never eaten on its own but as part of a formula containing several ingredients that act together. Please consult a professional TCM practitionner, they will be best able to guide you.
Preparation: Collect the ripe fruits and dry them.
Dosage: 3 - 10 grams
Main actions according to TCM*: Expels phlegm and stops coughing. Strengthens the Spleen and smooths digestion. Activates Blood circulation and eliminates Blood stasis.
Primary conditions or symptoms for which sea buckthorn fruits may be prescribed by TCM doctors*: Loss of appetite Indigestion Abdominal pain Coughing Phlegm Amenorrhea Muscle cramps Edema Carbuncles
Key TCM concepts behind sea buckthorn fruits (Sha Ji)'s properties
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), sea buckthorn fruits are plants that belong to the 'Warm herbs that transform Phlegm and stop Cough' category. In TCM Phlegm is a condition of Stagnation of Fluids which tends to start in the Spleen and then goes to the Lungs. If this overly accumulates it thickens and becomes pathological Phlegm. Phlegm, being a form of Stagnation, often starts as being Cool and transforms to Hot as the condition progresses. The herbs in this category are Warm in nature so they treat the early stages of the Stagnation: Cold-Phlegm and Wet-Phlegm with symptoms of wheezing, vomiting and nausea.
As suggested by its category sea buckthorn fruits are plants that are Warm in nature. This means that sea buckthorn fruits tend to help people who have too much "cold" in their body, although with less effect than a plant that would be Hot in nature. Balance between Yin and Yang is a key health concept in TCM. Those who have too much cold in their body are said to either have a Yin excess (because Yin is Cold in nature) or a Yang deficiency (Yang is Hot in Nature). Depending on your condition sea buckthorn fruits can help restore a harmonious balance between Yin and Yang.
Sea buckthorn fruits also taste Sour. The so-called "five elements" theory in Chinese Medicine states that the taste of TCM ingredients is a key determinant of their action in the body. Sour ingredients like sea buckthorn fruits help with digestion and restrain abnormal discharges of fluids from the body, such as diarrhea or heavy sweating.
The tastes of ingredients in TCM also determine what organs and meridians they target. As such sea buckthorn fruits are thought to target the Spleen, the Stomach, the Heart and the Lung. In TCM the Spleen assists with digestion, blood coagulation and fluid metabolism in the body. The Stomach on the other hand is responsible for receiving and ripening ingested food and fluids. It is also tasked with descending the digested elements downwards to the Small Intestine. In addition to regulating blood flow, the Heart is believed to be the store of the "spirit" which basically refers to someone's vitality. In addition to performing respiration, the Lungs are thought to be a key part of the production chain for Qi and the body fluids that nourish the body.
Use of sea buckthorn fruits (Sha Ji) as food
Sea buckthorn fruits are also eaten as food. It is used as an ingredient in dishes such as Panna Cotta Sea Buckthorn Cake.
