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Knowledge baseHerbs

Jue Ming Zi決明子

Semen CassiaeCassia Seeds

Also known asSemen Cassiae Torae · Fetid Cassia Seeds · Sickle Senna Seed

Category
** Herbs that Clear Heat in the *Qi* Stage **Liver Calming and Wind Extinguishing Herbs**
Nature
slightly cold
Taste
bitter, sweet, salty
Channels entered
Liver, Large Intestine, Kidney
Secondary channels
Gallbladder
Dosage
9–15 g

Usual doses

Dosage
9–15 g
Powder
3–6 g
Tincture
2–4 ml

Actions & indications

Clears the Liver (Heat), clears the vision and benefits the eyes (Expels Wind-Heat)
  • Red, swollen and painful eyes from Liver Heat or Wind-Heat in the Liver channel.
  • Eye problems such as photosensivity, night blindness and insidious loss of vision without visible physical changes to the eye, easy tearing in the Wind
Calms the Liver and anchors Liver *Yang*
  • Liver Yang Rising or Liver Fire with headaches and dizziness
  • Hypertension
Moistens the Intestines and unblocks the bowels
Chronic constipation with dry or infrequent stools especially if there is Liver Yin Deficiency
Reduces blood pressure and serum cholesterol
  • High blood pressure
  • High cholesterol

Contraindications

  • Avoid in patients with diarrhea due to Spleen-Stomach Deficiency Cold.
  • Avoid in patients with low blood pressure.
  • Use cautiously in pregnancy, since it stimulates the uterus.

Incompatibilities

Should not be combined with Sm. Cannabis Huo Ma Ren.

Interactions

Taking this herb together with diuretics such as chlorothiazide, hydrochlorothiazide, furmoside (Lasix), bumetinide (Bumex), or torsemide (Demadex) may increase water and/or electrolyte loss.

Combinations

Notes

  • According to some sources, this herb also benefits the Kidney.
  • Compared with Flos Chrysanthemi Ju Hua, Sm. Cassiae Jue Ming Zi is stronger at clearing Liver Fire and benefiting the Kidneys, whereas Ju Hua is better at calming the Liver and dispersing Wind-Heat.
  • Applied topically to the eyes, it treats redness, infection, and cataracts.
  • Taken alone at 30g, it lowers cholesterol.
  • Used by itself, it addresses night blindness and optic nerve atrophy.
  • As a single-herb tea, it treats mild constipation.
  • This herb can also be stuffed into a pillow.
  • Some classify this herb among the antimalarial herbs.
  • In its raw form it is more effective at clearing Liver Fire and Wind-Heat attacking the Liver channel, making it better for eye disorders, though its cold nature may cause diarrhea.
  • Jue Ming Zi and Sm. Celosiae Qing Xiang Zi both improve vision. Jue Ming Zi's bitter, sweet, salty, cold nature gives it a broader scope — it nourishes Liver and Kidney Yin, moistens the Intestines, and disperses Wind-Heat — so it suits both Excess and Deficiency-type eye disorders or headache, and is especially fitting when constipation is present. Qing Xiang Zi, by contrast, is suited only to eye disorders from Excess Heat; being bitter and cold, it drains Liver-channel Fire and disperses Wind-Heat from the Blood level of the Jue Yin channels. It clears superficial visual obstruction and can dilate the pupils, and may be used alone for this when Wind-Heat in the Liver channel has caused the pupils to constrict.
  • Jue Ming Zi and Concha Haliotidis Shi Jue Ming both clear Liver Heat and improve vision, and are combined for eye disorders and eye-related headaches. Jue Ming Zi, bitter and cold, is more effective at cooling Liver Fire to brighten the eyes and also moistens the Intestines, while Shi Jue Ming, salty, cold and heavy, sedates rising Liver Yang.
  • Dry-fried Cassia Chao Jue Ming Zi cools the Liver and expels Wind less strongly, but tonifies the Liver and Kidney more effectively for treating eye problems.
  • It is highly effective for excessive tearing.

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