More Information:
Other Common Names
Hawthorn Fruit or Berry
Page Number In Ancient Wisdom of the Chinese Tonic Herbs
205
Pharmaceutical
Latin
Fructus Crataegi
Pinyin
Shan Zha
Treasures
None. Crataegus is not a tonic herb. It is a
digestive.
Treasure Rating
Atmospheric
Energy
Slightly warm
Taste
Sour, Sweet.
Organ Meridian
Systems
Spleen, Stomach, Liver
Part Used and
Form
The ripe fruit which has been sliced and sun
dried.
Primary Functions
To improve digestion and remove food stagnation.
Qualities
Crataegus strengthens digestion. This very useful
herb helps to remove stagnated food from the digestive tract and to restore
normal functioning of the Spleen and Stomach in digesting, transporting and
distributing nutrients. Crataegus a very commonly used herb, used to relieve
indigestion which has resulted in abdominal distention, belching, acid regurgitation,
stuffiness, anorexia, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and irregular bowel
movements (diarrhea or constipation) due to food retention. In China, Crataegus
is often consumed as the main ingredient in a tea, or combined on a couple
of other digestive herbs, when one has consumed too much meat or greasy food.
Crataegus is excellent at digesting these.
Crataegus has become an extremely popular herb in Europe because of its
very beneficial influence on hypertension (high blood pressure), hyperlipemia
(high blood fat) and high cholesterol. In China it is combined with Cassia
tora seed to improve this function and consumed as a tea or in capsules. Crataegus
can be used to treat symptoms of coronary heart disease, especially when
combined with herbs that improve circulation, such as Salvia, Pseudoginseng,
Ginkgo and Ligusticum.
Primary Combinations
Combine with:
1. Ginseng Root, Citrus Peel and Atractylodes to tonify the Spleen and
remove stagnation in the Stomach
Varieties
and Grading
Crataegus is best when it is freshly processed.
If it appears old, overly dry and discolored, look for another supply. It
should look like good dried fruit that you would eat. Both stir-baked Crataegus
and unprocessed, sun dried Crataegus are available. The stir-baked variety
is best for digestion, while the unprocessed (sun dried only) Crataegus is
best for hypertension, high cholesterol, etc
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