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Alternative Names: Bupleurum.
Chinese Thoroughwax is one of the more important herbs used in Oriental medicine. It has a reputation for its ability to relieve liver tension and digestive disturbances, and because it is detoxifying and antimicrobial. Bupleurum has the ability, when combined with other herbs to clear stagnation virtually anywhere in the body. It can be used to relieve spasms, muscle tension, lumps, bleeding due to heat and menstrual irregularity.
In traditional Chinese medicine, bupleurum is not usually used alone, but rather as part of various herbal remedies. Bupleurum formulas are extremely useful at the early stages of tonic use in helping to establish radiant health. They serve the purposes of relieving blocks, imbalances and tension while eliminating toxins. As time goes by, these formulas become less and less necessary until they are only used occasionally, if at all.
Function; Reasons For Use
The essential oil in Bupleurum is responsible for its ability to relieve surface heat. The active ingredients in bupleurum root include saponins and plant sterols, which have been shown to lower fevers and reduce inflammation in animal studies.
Bupleurum is the primary herb in dozens of classical formulations which serve a wide variety of harmonizing activities, all of which regulate body energy, allowing it to flow freely and in a balanced manner, and for relieving blockages in the body and then discharging the toxin safely out of the system.
It is used for a variety of conditions, including inflammatory conditions, angina, nausea, vomiting, and fever. It also strengthens the stomach and intestines and promotes blood circulation to the liver.
Directions
The amount of Bupleurum to be taken depends in large part on the condition being treated. For general use, many practitioners recommend 1.5-6gm of dried root in a decoction, or 3-12ml of a 1:2 extract.
Side-Effects; Counter-Indicators and Warnings
Although safe in normal doses, large amounts of bupleurum may cause dizziness or diarrhea.
Bupleurum should not be taken by patients with high blood pressure or by women who are pregnant or nursing.
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Chinese Thoroughwax can help with the following: | | | | | Organ Health |  Hepatitis | Contains steroid-like substances that reduce liver inflammation. |
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KEY | | Likely to help |
GLOSSARY
Angina
Angina Pectoris: Severe, restricting chest pain with sensations of suffocation caused by temporary reduction of oxygen to the heart muscle through narrowed diseased coronary arteries. Often triggered by exertion. Angina Vasomotoria: Like the previous, but less dangerous and more frequently caused by purely neurologic stimulus. The pain is more spasmodic and there is usually little actual blood vessel blockage.
Antimicrobial
Tending to destroy microbes, hinder their multiplication or growth.
Decoction
Liquid prepared by boiling plant material in water for a period of time.
Diarrhea
Excessive discharge of contents of bowel.
Essential Oil (Essential Oils)
Volatile terpene derivative responsible for the odor or taste of a plant.
Gram (gm, gms, Gramme, Grammes, Grams)
A metric unit of weight, there being approximately 28 grams in one ounce.
Herbs (Herb, Herbal)
Herbs may be used as dried extracts (capsules, powders, teas), glycerites (glycerine extracts), or tinctures (alcohol extracts). Unless otherwise indicated, teas should be made with one teaspoon herb per cup of hot water. Steep covered 5 to 10 minutes for leaf or flowers, and 10 to 20 minutes for roots. Tinctures may be used singly or in combination as noted. The high doses of single herbs suggested may be best taken as dried extracts (in capsules), although tinctures (60 drops four times per day) and teas (4 to 6 cups per day) may also be used.
Liver (Hepatic)
The largest and one of the most complex organs of the body, the liver is responsible for much of the metabolism of fats, proteins and carbohydrates. It is the site of much of the body's detoxification. It is connected very closely with digestion and the regulation of blood sugar, among many other functions. Found behind the ribs on the right side of the abdomen, it has many important functions such as removing harmful material from the blood, making enzymes and bile that help digest food, and converting food into substances needed for life and growth. Hepatic: Pertaining to the liver.
Menstruation (Menses, Menstrual, Menstrual Cycle, Menstrual Cycles, Menstrual Flow, Menstrual Phase, Monthly Cycle)
The periodic discharge of blood, tissue fluid and mucus from the endometrium (lining of the uterus) that usually lasts from 3 - 5 days. It is caused by a sudden reduction in estrogens and progesterone.
Milliliter (mL)
0.001 or one thousandth of a liter.
Nausea
Symptoms resulting from an inclination to vomit.
Saponin (Saponins)
Any of various mostly toxic glucosides that occur in plants (as soapwort or soapbark) and are characterized by the property of producing a soapy lather.
Sterols (Sterol)
A large subgroup of steroids.
Stomach
A hollow, muscular, J-shaped pouch located in the upper part of the abdomen to the left of the midline. The upper end (fundus) is large and dome-shaped; the area just below the fundus is called the body of the stomach. The fundus and the body are often referred to as the cardiac portion of the stomach. The lower (pyloric) portion curves downward and to the right and includes the antrum and the pylorus. The function of the stomach is to begin digestion by physically breaking down food received from the esophagus. The tissues of the stomach wall are composed of three types of muscle fibers: circular, longitudinal and oblique. These fibers create structural elasticity and contractibility, both of which are needed for digestion. The stomach mucosa contains cells which secrete hydrochloric acid and this in turn activates the other gastric enzymes pepsin and rennin. To protect itself from being destroyed by its own enzymes, the stomach’s mucous lining must constantly regenerate itself.
Last updated: Apr 13, 2008
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