Product Overview
Parts used: Dried ripe seed
TCM category: Herbs that nourish the Heart and calm the Spirit
TCM nature: Neutral
TCM taste(s): SourSweet
Meridian affinity: Gallbladder Heart Liver
Scientific name: Ziziphus jujuba
Other names: Red date seed, Chinese date seed, Korean date seed, Indian date seed
Use of jujube seeds (Suan Zao Ren) 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: Harvest mature fruits, remove flesh and seed shells, collect seeds and dry them
Dosage: 6 - 18 grams
Main actions according to TCM*: Nourishes the Heart Yin and calms the spirit. Contains Fluid leakage.
Primary conditions or symptoms for which jujube seeds may be prescribed by TCM doctors*: Insomnia Palpitations Restlessness Night sweats
Contraindications*: Should not be used when there is extreme Fire in the body nor in cases of severe diarrhea.
Common TCM formulas in which jujube seeds are used*:
For irritability, restlessness, nervous anxiety and insomnia combine jujube seeds with lotus seeds (Lian Zi), lily bulbs (Bai He), glehnia roots (Bei Sha Shen), biota seeds (Bo Zi Ren) and poria-cocos mushrooms (Fu Ling).
For insomnia caused by Spleen Qi and Heart Blood Deficiency combine jujube seeds with codonopsis roots (Dang Shen) and poria-cocos mushrooms (Fu Ling).
For Deficient Qi and Blood with symptoms of palpitations, insomnia and forgetfulness combine jujube seeds with longans (Long Yan Rou), ginseng (Ren Shen), milkvetch roots (Huang Qi) and dong quai (Dang Gui).
Key TCM concepts behind jujube seeds (Suan Zao Ren)'s properties
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), jujube seeds are plants that belong to the 'Herbs that nourish the Heart and calm the Spirit' category. These herbs are substances that tranquilize the mind and treat symptoms such as restlessness, palpitations, anxiety or insomnia. They tend to have sedative properties by tonifying Heart Yin and Blood as in TCM it is believed that the Heart is the store of the mind.
Furthermore jujube seeds are plants that are Neutral in nature. This means that jujube seeds typically don't affect the balance in your body. Balance between Yin and Yang is a key health concept in TCM. Eating too many "Hot" (Yang) ingredients can lead to an imbalance whereby one has a Yang excess. The inverse is true as well: too many "Cold" (Yin) ingredients can lead to a Yin excess. The Neutral nature of jujube seeds means that you don't have to worry about that!
Jujube seeds also taste Sour and Sweet. 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 jujube seeds help with digestion and restrain abnormal discharges of fluids from the body, such as diarrhea or heavy sweating. On the other hand Sweet ingredients tend to slow down acute reactions and detoxify the body. They also have a tonic effect because they replenish Qi and Blood.
The tastes of ingredients in TCM also determine what organs and meridians they target. As such jujube seeds are thought to target the Gallbladder, the Heart and the Liver. Similar to modern medicine, in TCM the Gall Bladder stores and releases bile produced by the Liver. It also controls the emotion of decisiveness. In addition to regulating blood flow, the Heart is believed to be the store of the "spirit" which basically refers to someone's vitality. The Liver is often referred as the body's "general" because it is in charge of regulating the movements of Qi and body fluids. It also takes a leading role in balancing our emotions.
