He Shou Wu Vine Decoction

Category: Herbal Tea

Herbal Tea Name: He Shou Wu Vine Decoction

Chinese Name: 首乌藤饮

Formula

500 grams of tender He Shou Wu stems and leaves; chopped scallions, salt, MSG, and refined vegetable oil to taste.

Main Ingredients

How To Make

Pick and wash the He Shou Wu stems and leaves, blanch them briefly in a pot of boiling water, remove, and cut into sections. Place them in a pot, add water, and simmer for 30 minutes; then add the seasonings to serve.

Efficacy

Clears heart fire, calms the liver, and soothes the mind. Suitable for insomnia caused by excessive heart fire, and particularly suitable for those with hypertension.

Usage

Take one dose in the morning and one in the evening.

Commentary

Tender He Shou Wu stems and leaves function as the chief herb, anchoring the herbal tea formula overall action. Chopped scallions (Cong-hua) act as the deputy ingredient. Pungent-warm in property, it enters the Lung, Stomach meridians and works to disperse wind-cold and releases the exterior. Refined vegetable oil to taste lends further support to the chief action. Finally, salt (Yan) acts as the coordinating (envoy) herb; its role is to guides the formula downward and clear heat and coordinate the herbs. In sum, the prescription clear heart fire, calm the liver, soothe the mind, aimed squarely at the insomnia pattern rather than at isolated symptoms.

He Shou Wu Vine Decoction，From *Proven Tea, Decoction, and Soup Recipes for Common Ailments*,Clears heart fire, calms the liver, and soothes the mind. Suitable for insomnia caused by excessive heart fire, and particularly suitable for those with hypertension.

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