Properties: Sweet and acid in flavour, neutral in nature, it acts on the heart, liver and gallbladder channels. This herb is sweet in flavour and moist in nature. The sweetness and sourness can tonify Yin and nourishing liver and bladder, nourishing the heart and calming the mind. It is often used of insomnia and dreaminess due to deficiency of both Qi and blood and insufficient nourishing of heart and mind. This herb is sour in taste and astringing sweating. It can be used for treatment of hyperhidrosis due to general deficiency.
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Basic Instruction
The Spine Date Seed or Chinese Sleeping Elixir,What is Semen Ziziphi Spinosa?
English Name:Spine Date Seed
Common name: Wild or Sping Jujuba Seed,suan zao ren,Chinese Sleeping Elixir,Sour Jujube,Zizyphus Seed
Botanical Source: Semen Ziziphi Spinosae, dry seeds of Ziziphus spinosa Hu
Botanical Description: low shrub, height 1-3m, sticky branch. Cross leaves,2~3.5cm length, 6~12mm width. flower yellow to green color,fruit september.Origin from west and north china.
Properties: Sweet and acid in flavour, neutral in nature, it acts on the heart, liver and gallbladder channels. This herb is sweet in flavour and moist in nature. The sweetness and sourness can tonify Yin and nourishing liver and bladder, nourishing the heart and calming the mind. It is often used of insomnia and dreaminess due to deficiency of both Qi and blood and insufficient nourishing of heart and mind. This herb is sour in taste and astringing sweating. It can be used for treatment of hyperhidrosis due to general deficiency.
Name Identification:
Zizyphus refers to the seed of Zizyphus jujuba, var. spinosa, often labeled simply as Zizyphus spinosa.
The Chinese name for the herb is suanzaoren [suan = sour; zao = date; ren = seed; hence, seed of the sour date], or just zaoren.
This herb is related to the one commonly called jujube, which comes from the fruit of Zizyphus jujuba; the Chinese name for jujube is dazao (da = large; a smaller, red variety is called hongzao; hong = red).
Both zizyphus and jujube are said to have sedative properties, with zizyphus being the primary sedative derived from a plant in the practice of traditional Chinese medicine (the mineral cinnabar has long been relied upon as a sedative).
The Shennong Bencao Jing (ca. 100 A.D.) includes a description of zizyphus:
Zizyphus is sour and balanced [in nature; being neither too warming or cooling, but combining both warming and cooling effects]. It mainly treats heart and abdominal cold and heat and evil binding qi, aching, pain in the limbs, and damp impediment. Protracted taking may quiet the five viscera, make the body light, and prolong life. It grows in rivers and swamps.
The reference to "protracted taking" and the resulting beneficial effects refers to the practices of the Taoists seeking immortality, and is a formulaic presentation rather than providing any specific information about the herb. The main indications provided here are the herb's balanced nature and its ability to treat problems of the heart, including cold, heat, and bound qi.
A typical modern presentation of the indications for zizyphus is this one from Chinese-English Manual of Commonly Used Herbs in Traditional Chinese Medicine: "1. Nourish the heart, benefit the liver, and tranquilize the mind; 2. Stop sweating." The latter indication is relied on when treating insomnia accompanied by night sweating, as commonly occurs with menopausal insomnia and insomnia associated with prolonged feverish diseases (i.e., consumptive diseases).
Zizyphus seeds are usually stir-fried prior to use; the seeds are turned rapidly in a hot wok and then allowed to cool in straw baskets(See pictures). The fried herb is said to be especially useful for nourishing the liver blood, calming the spirit, and stopping sweating; the raw herb may be used to drain the liver and gallbladder; it also calms the spirit, but is less nourishing. Pharmacology evaluations indicate that both the raw and fried seed have similar sedative actions. The reference in the ancient literature to the sour taste of the herb depicts the fruit pulp; the seed itself is deemed sweet, in fact, the taste is relatively bland.
Zizyphus is probably best known in the system of ancient Chinese medicine for its key role in the formula Suanzaoren Tang (Zizyphus Combination) of the Jingui Yaolue (220 A.D.). In that text, the formula is described simply as follows: "Zizyphus Combination treats weakness fatigue, and distress due to weakness, which causes insomnia." Zizyphus is the main ingredient of the formula both in terms of the quantity used and its central action for the treatment of deficiency and insomnia, which are the formula's main indications. Even today, if one discusses sedative formulas with prominent physicians in China, this formula is mentioned as being particularly effective; in books about using traditional formulas, Zizyphus Combination is among the first to be listed.
Laboratory animal studies of zizyphus extract confirm a sedative effect, though the constituents that contribute this effect have not all been specifically identified. Some sedative effects were shown to be produced by several different components. The only components of zizyphus that are present in quantities likely to be responsible for the observed clinical effects are triterpenes. The unique triterpenes for this herb are known as jujubosides (see pictures). Additionally, there are related triterpene compounds (such as betulic acid and oleanolic acid) that are found in several other herbs. Structurally, the jujubosides are nearly identical to the active constituents found in ginseng, an herb that is traditionally used as a sedative and a tonic. According to one analysis, the triterpene level in zizyphus is 2%, so that an 18 gram dose, as used in Zizyphus Combination, would yield about 300 mg of triterpenes, a level typically relied upon for most triterpenes. The simple powder of zizyphus, consumed orally, appears to be effective in relatively low dosage. One report indicates that good effects were obtained using 0.8-1.2 grams of the powder before bed.
In one of the best known patent remedies for insomnia, Tianwang Buxin Dan (Ginseng and Zizyphus Formula), many herbs with triterpenes are combined together, including zizyphus, ginseng, platycodon, and polygala. The formula also provides herbs that contain steroid saponins (e.g., ophiopogon and asparagus) that have a similar structure and that are likely to have similar effects. The indications and applications of this large formula are almost identical to that of the smaller and more ancient Zizyphus Combination. The famous tonic mushroom ganoderma contains triterpenes similar to those found in ginseng and zizyphus, and is classified, like zizyphus, as a tonic sedative. It is sometimes recommended as a single herb remedy for insomnia.
Research of Zizyphus spinosa seed:
1). Constituents of Zizyphus spinosa seed:
Following the elucidation of jujubosides A1 and C and acetyljujuboside B, novel protojujubogenin type triterpene bisdesmosides, protojujubosides A, B, and B1, were isolated from Zizyphi Spinosi Semen (the pharmaceutical name), the seeds of Zizyphus jujuba (also called Zizyphus vulgaris var. spinosa Bunge) var. spinosa Hu (the botanical name). The structures of protojujubosides A, B, and B1 were determined on the basis of chemical and physiochemical evidence, which included the conversion of protojujubosides to known jujubosides using enzymatic hydrolysis. Protojujubosides A and jujubosides A, B, and C were found to show potent immunological adjuvant activity.
Zizyphus spinosa seeds (A.K.A. semen Zizyphus vulgaris var. spinosa Bunge) were extracted with methanol and six compounds were isolated from this extract. There were four triterpenoid saponins including jujubosides A and B, phenolic and ferulic acids. A new flavonoid compound (4"-beta-D-glycopyranosyl swetisin) was discovered and named 'zivulgarin'.
2). Sedative and hypnotic activity of Zizyphus spinosa seed:
Flavonoids and saponins from Zizyphus spinosa (Chinese 'suan zao ren') seeds were tested for sedative activity. All compounds tested showed activity in potentiating hexobarital induced hypnosis as well as reducung ladder climbing and caffeine induced hyperactivity. Swertisin was the most potent and was tested for type of action. It was found that these compounds produced sleep but were not anticonvulsant or muscle relaxant.Shin, Woo and Lee: Sedative action of flavonoids and saponins from the seeds of Zizyphus vulgaris var. spinosa Bunge.
Alkaloids from Zizyphus spinosa seeds were examined for sedative activity. Compounds included sanjoinine, zizyphusine and nuciferine (a compound also found in the Chinese herb lotus- Nelumbo nucifera). Both sanjoinine A and nuciferine prolonged the sleeping time produced by hexobarbital. When the sanjoinine A was heated it was found to produce an isomer with even greater sedative activity. This may support the traditional practice of roasting or boiling the seeds before use.
The alkaloids sanjoinine A, nuciferine and their cogeners were found to have sedative activity. Upon heat treatment sanjoinine A produced sanjoinine Ah1, which had greater activity. This may support the traditional practice of roasting or boiling the seeds before use.
3). Radioprotective activity of Zizyphus spinosa seed:
The traditional herb formula Kuei pi tang (Gui pi tang) was found to increase endogenous spleen colony formation and jejunal crypt cell survival. Low and high doses of gamma irrradiation were given and there was significant protection with less cell death occuring as a result. Further study of the ingredients in Kuei pi tang determined that several herbs likely had radioprotective effects, including Zizyphus spinosa seeds. The authors note that although the mechanisms of action remain to be elucidated, the formula is suggested for protection due to it's being a relatively non-toxic natural product.Kim et. al.: The radioprotective effect of Kuei pi tang as a prescription of Traditional Chinese Medicine in mice.
A Chinese patent was filed for a medicine to treat and prevent the damage from electromagnetic radiation. The ingredients were several herbs and minerals including Zizyphus spinosa seeds, Calcium and Zinc. The medicine was prepared as a decoction (boiled tea) but it was suggested that the ingredients could be added to food as well.
4). Protection from anoxia (lack of oxygen) and reoxygenation damage:
The heart cells of rats were deprived of oxygen and then reoxygenated. This was done both with and without Zizyphus spinosa seed saponins. In the group given the Zizyphus spinosa seed saponins more intracellular malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were active and there was less membrane fluidity, all signs of better protection and recovery. This study proved that Zizyphus spinosa seed saponins protect against lipid peroxidation induced by anoxia and reoxygenation.
Neonatal heart cells of rats were deprived of oxygen and glucose or treated with the drugs chlorpromazine ad mitomycin. Increases of the production of lactate dehydogenase were measured. Pretreatment with Zizyphus spinosa seed saponins showed a reduction or elimination of these ill effects due to oxygen/glucose deprivation of drug administration. The authors conclude that Zizyphus spinosa seed saponins are an effective protective drug for myocardial cells.
5).Effects on the central nervous system:
Suan Zao Ren has significant sedative and hypnotic effects. Suan Zao Ren oil emulsion and Suan Zao Ren total flavone are shown to inhibit autonomous activities in mice. Combined use of Suan Zao Ren oil emulsion and pentobarbital on mice can lengthen the subjects' sleep time. Similarly, combined use of Suan Zao Ren total flavone and pentobarbital inhibits the central nervous system, and can counteract benzedrine-induced central excitation. Suan Zao Ren's central inhibitory effect appears to be dosage-dependent.
6).Protective effects on cardiac cells:
Experiments show that at 33mg/ml, total zizyphus saponin can significantly decrease cardiac cells' release of lactic dehydrogenase induced by deoxyglucose, chloropromazine, or mytomycin C.
7).Anti-neoplastic effects:
Administered i.g. at 1.40 ml/kg or 0.35 ml/kg, Suan Zao Ren oil can lengthen the survival time of cancerous mice by a factor of 50%. It can inhibit weight increase in the late stages of cancerous mice's lives.
8).Enhancing immunity:
Experiments show that administered to mice at 0.1g/kg for 16 consecutive days, Suan Zao Ren can enhance the subjects' humoral and cell-mediated immune functions. Furthermore, Suan Zao Ren has a protective effect against radiation damage in mice.Administered to mice at 5g/kg for 20 consecutive days, alcohol-based extract of Suan Zao Ren can counteract cyclophosphamide-induced suppression of delayed hypersensitivity reaction in mice.
9).Lowering blood lipid level and counteracting platelet aggregation:
Administered to male quails of modeled high cholesterol levels, both Suan Zao oil at 2.5ml/kg and Suan Zao extract at 20g/kg can significantly decrease the subjects' levels of total cholesterol level, low-density lipoprotein, and triglycerides. It can also significantly decrease the liver's fatty degeneration. denaturation of liver lipid. Administered i.g. at 2.5ml/kg per day for 5 consecutive days, Suan Zao oil can significantly inhibit blood platelet aggregation in rats.
10).Counteracting peroxydation:
Suan Zao Ren has a protective effect against endotoxin-induced decrease in superoxide dismutase (SOD) in feverish mice.
11).Protective effects against ischemic cerebral damages:
Total zizyphus saponin can decrease the content of water and MDA in ischemic cerebral tissues. It increases the activity of superoxide dismutase, creatine phophatase, and lactic dehydrogenase in cerebral tissues, decreases the content of lactic acid, and ameliorates damage to nerve cells.
Traditional Theory of Insomia due to fatigue:
While there are many causes of insomnia, serious fatigue is seen as both a cause and result of insomnia:
According to ancient teaching, the liver is the root of extreme fatigue. A high degree of exhaustion causes serious overnight insomnia, irascibility, dizziness of head and eyes: all indicating the extreme glowing of liver yang, imbalance of yin and yang, and an inability of yang to return to yin....Also, inability of blood to nourish the heart with exhaustion of the heart (mental fatigue) leads to wandering of the heart spirit from its shelter, causing insomnia with heart palpitations.
The liver- and heart-nourishing zizyphus seed, with its astringent quality that helps prevent the heart spirit from wandering too far, is an ideal remedy for this type of disorder. Another explanation of insomnia was provided by an orient physician:
According to the ancient teachings: 'The day is yang; the night is yin. The wei qi circulates in the yang [the body surface] during the day and circulates in the yin [the central viscera] at night. In other words, the yang enters the yin in the night. The meeting of yin and yang creates a peaceful serene state, which is sleep. If the yin is deficient and unable to receive the yang, or the yang is in excess and unable to enter the yin, this causes disconnection of yin and yang with resultant insomnia.'...As stressed by Zhang Jingyue [famous physician of the Ming Dynasty]: 'The insufficiency of genuine yin, essence, and blood will cause disconnection of yin and yang, thus disturbing the peace of the spirit and generating insomnia. The heart shelters the spirit and is the house of the yang....Sleep occurs when the wei qi enters the yin and creates a quiet environment. In the words of the ancients, when the yang has a home to return to, the sleep will ensue. When the heart is disturbed by worry and shakes the spirit, restlessness occurs, which generates insomnia.'
Zizyphus is used to help assure that the yang has a home to return to by nourishing the yin and blood of the heart and liver (essentially, making them soft and comforting). According to Xu Dachun, a Qing Dynasty physician: "Everyone knows that one employs zizyphus and fu-shen if one can not sleep." Fu-shen is part of the herb known as hoelen, one of the ingredients of Zizyphus Combination. The herb is a fungus that grows on the roots of pine trees; fu-shen is the portion that includes the root, while hoelen is the portion that does not include the root.
While zizyphus is useful for the cases of yin and blood deficiency, it is not deemed suitable for all cases of insomnia. A modern Chinese physician, identified only as Liu , expressed some specific reservations, as relayed by translator C.S. Cheung:
Liu is reluctant to use zizyphus indiscriminately. Although it is a good agent for nurturing the heart and calming the spirit and is excellent for the treatment of restless heart insomnia with palpitations [due to anxiety and fright], yin deficiency, and profuse perspiration, it is not indicated for insomnia of wet phlegm evil heat or for liver stagnation and qi stagnation. This is because it possesses a sour, astringing property, which may prevent the dissipation of evil [phlegm accumulation and stagnated qi] and therefore delay the recovery from the illness.
To a certain extent, this concern is overstated, in that the fried seed that is actually used is not sour, though it does have a tonifying and astringent quality that can be considered a contraindication for the conditions described here. The concern about phlegm accumulation is often addressed by including polygala with zizyphus in formulas; polygala has both sedative and phlegm-resolving qualities. Qi stagnation may be addressed by inclusion of saussurea, which regulates qi and has secondary sedative effects. As one example, a widely used sedative preparation is Guipi Tang (Ginseng and Longan Combination), which is a spleen tonic formula (includes ginseng, astragalus, atractylodes, ginseng, and licorice to tonify spleen qi) that incorporates sedatives: zizyphus, polygala, saussurea, jujube, and longan (longan, like jujube, is a sweet fruit that is said to benefit the spleen and have a calming effect). Another example is provided by the modern physicians Wu Zimou and Li Hongjian, who described differentiation of complexes associated with insomnia and suggested a formula with for the type characterized as "stagnated obstruction of phlegm-heat." The formula includes a high dose (20 grams) of zizyphus, indicating that they believe it can still be used, but it also is comprised of several phlegm-resolving herbs-pinellia, citrus, chih-shih, bamboo, trichosanthes fruit, and polygala. Citrus and chih-shih also disperse central qi stagnation.
By contrast, if a sedative formulation is made up of many rich tonifying herbs, then the concern expressed by Liu will apply. His hesitance to provide zizyphus in that context is reflected in the statement, from Commonly Used Chinese Herb Formulas with Illustrations (14), that the tonic prescription Tianwang Buxin Dan (Ginseng and Zizyphus Formula) should not be used by "those having gastrointestinal [spleen] weakness with moist tenacious sputum." Although the formula contains herbs that benefit the spleen and others that resolve phlegm (sputum), its strong focus on nourishing yin and blood is considered sufficient to cause concern for those who have the problem of stagnated and accumulated fluids. Zizyphus is one of the ingredients at issue; others are the oily biota seed and the richly sweet herbs rehmannia and scrophularia.
It's estimated that while 10% of the population suffers from chronic insomnia, fully 50% experience significant insomnia at some time, originating from emotional upsets, pain, or physical disorders.
While some people turn to drugs or alcohol, which often exacerbates the problem, others find help through meditation or exercise. Those consumers in-the-know are finding healthy solutions on the herbal products shelf as well. However, there has been some negative press recently about kava kava, one of the most widely used herbs for relaxation. It seems that there is some possibility of its role in a few cases of liver damage, although the brevity of the adverse event reports has left many insiders with questions about the quality of the evidence. Even so, the bad press has damaged kava's reputation and left many manufacturers to consider alternatives.
It has recently been discovered that Valerian, another commonly used relaxation herb, may also negatively impact liver health in specific cases.
Wild Jujube seed is a very interesting solution to this problem. The herb has been highly regarded by the Chinese for centuries for its excellent relaxation properties and extremely low toxicity, yet has remained for the most part undiscovered by western consumers. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Wild Jujube seed is the most popular sedative herb, calming the heart and spirit, and reinforcing liver yin. That is, it actually enhances liver function in the process of reducing anxiety..
This clearly represents a new and exciting possibility for consumers looking for a supplement that calms, relaxes, reduces stress, promotes sleep, and is not just safe, but beneficial for the liver. For herbal products manufacturer's this also represents a terrific marketing opportunity to fill an important niche, one that is currently occupied by herbs like Kava and Valerian.
Kava is currently under fire for its role in about 25 adverse event reports of liver damage. The reports, however, show no conclusive evidence that Kava is actually at cause in any one of the cases. There may be other reasons to consider adding an alternative to Kava to your product line, though. First, Kava has a history of ritual and recreational use. Many of its users are not taking it medicinally for purposes of healing or even symptomatic relief. Second, long term use of kava is known to cause ichthyosis, a pathological skin condition characterized by scaly skin with lesions. It is thought that this may be due to an interference with cholesterol metabolism.
Wild Jujube seed has a calming sedative effect on the user's mental state, but the effect is distinct from that of Kava. Wild Jujube is a safe herb that simply does not present itself as one that would be used recreationally.
The Wild Jujube herb is the seed from the fruit of the subspecies Zizyphus jujuba var. spinosa (also spelled Ziziphus), which is a spiny deciduous tree native to East Asia. The seed is removed from the ripe drupe collected during late autumn and early winter and is dried in the sun. "Sour Date Seed" or "Suanzaoren" is believed in Traditional Chinese Medicine to be the best herb in the TCM repertoire for calming disturbed "shen" (spirit) with symptoms of nervous exhaustion, fatigue, irritability, and insomnia. Classified as a nutritive sedative, it calms the mind, relaxes and nourishes muscles, nourishes the blood, spleen and liver, helps to conserve energy, and is analgesic.
Scientific studies with animals have shown Wild Zizyphus seed to have anti-anxiety and hypnotic effects, causing a reduction in the speed of conditioned reflexes, a reduction in hyperactivity, and a lowering of blood pressure. Oral administration of the decoction of the herb prolonged sodium pentobarbital induced sleep in mice and significantly caused a subthreshold dose of sodium thiopental to induce anesthesia in rabbits. In human clinical studies, a significant tranquilizing effect of Zizyphus was found to measurably potentiate the concurrent administration of tranquilizing drugs.
Other effects of Wild Jujube seed augment its calming and sleep inducing effects, revealing potential for additional product applications. Because of its muscle relaxing effects, the herb is sometimes used as an anticonvulsant. Animal studies have demonstrated it effectiveness in reducing pain sensation and increasing pain tolerance, further substantiating its use as an analgesic. The herb could be useful in products for arthritis, backache, headache or any type of pain that interferes with sleep. In addition, for those with hypertension, Wild Jujube seed has been shown to produce significant, persistent and prolonged reductions in blood pressure.
The phytocompounds found in significant quantities in Wild Jujube seed are triterpene saponins, jujubosides A and B, flavone glycosides, and ferulic acid. The triterpene constituents include betulinic acid, betulin, ceanothic acid, alphitolic acid and daucosterol. The fleshy fruit surrounding the seed also contains triterpene saponins and has sedative effects, but the effects are milder than those from the seed.
Wild Jujube can be used alone or in the context of a formula. The renowned TCM Zizyphus formula, "Suanzaoren Tang", containing calming herbs like Poria cocos, has been confirmed scientifically in its ability to treat insomnia and restlessness.
While Wild Jujube Seed is the true star of Chinese herbal sedatives, product developers seeking alternatives should be careful not to overlook Chinese Skullcap (Scutellaria baicalensis), which contains among the highest levels of naturally occurring melatonin, and has constituents that bind to benzodiazepine receptors (Xanax?, Valium?, or Restoril? are tranquilizers of the benzodiazepine class). Another powerful relaxing and adaptogenic herb is "shen" tonic Reishi mushroom (Ganoderma lucidum).
Wild jujube seed helps to sleep well:Mechanism:
Sleep is closly relation with underground water vein.If water vein go across under your bed,you can't sleep well because of water energy wave prevent your sound sleep.Are you incredible? NO that's science.If you always haven't deep sleep,check the water vein with water rod detector or pendulum detector and move your bed another spot in your room.Probably you can sleep well.
Sleep is the condition that your mind entrusts to repair, remove, and replenish your body. It also regulates your bodies ability to grow. Therefore, it makes sense to put yourself in an ideal sleeping environment so that you can reap from its growth enhancing rewards. You will discover:
The left upper picture presents the depth of the sleep,the low picture presents different Hgh release volume from the depth of the sleep.
When he sleep in depth,the HGH release volume is 4~5 times than he toss about in sleep.Therfore you must have A sound sleep whenever your sleep,go to bed before 9 o'clock until 02 o'clock at the latest,if possible.The HGH release volume is very much from 10 o'clock to 02 o'clock!
*Why your spine stretches and lengthens during sleep?-Stretching is important!
*Why you can be up to 1/2 an inch taller after a good nights sleep? -Stretching is important!
*Discover the proper amount of sleep that will allow you to manufacture human growth hormone to another level!
*Sleep inducing items that will trigger your sleep quickly and comfortably.-herbs & jujube seed.
Parts used. Seeds.
Description.A spiny, deciduous shrub 1-3 m high, leaves alternate, elliptic or ovoid-lanceolate, 2-3.5 cm long by 0.6-1.2 cm wide. Apex obtuse; base rounded, slightly oblique; margin sermlate, 3-veined. Inflorescence an axillary cyme; summer-autumn. Flowers perfect, 2-3 in each cl~ster. Drupe 1.0-1.5 cm long, oval, dark reddish-brown when mature. The fruit tastes sour. Seed compressed-rounded or compressed-elliptic, 5-9 cm long by 5-7 mm wide and 3 mm in thickness, purplish-red or purplish- brown, smooth and shiny.
Picture : jujube seed close-up
Habitat. On dry slopes and hills and by roadsides(picture2)
Distribution. China, India,Mongolia.
Indication of Jujube Seed:A liver-healthy anti-anxiety Herb
Jujube seeds are used for medicinal purpose. It is used as a remedy for irritability, insomnia, anxiety, oedema, congestive heart failure, asthma and throat diseases.
Scientific studies with animals have shown Zizyphus jujuba seed to have anti-anxiety and hypnotic effects, causing a reduction in the speed of conditioned reflexes, a reduction in hyperactivity, and a lowering of blood pressure. Oral administration of the decoction of the herb prolonged sodium pentobarbital induced sleep in mice and significantly caused a subthreshold dose of sodium thiopental to induce anesthesia in rabbits. In human clinical studies, a significant tranquilizing effect of Zizyphus was found to measurably potentiate the concurrent administration of tranquilizing drugs.
Other effects of Jujube seed augment its calming and sleep inducing effects, revealing potential for additional product applications. Because of its muscle relaxing effects, the herb is sometimes used as an anticonvulsant. Animal studies have demonstrated it effectiveness in reducing pain sensation and increasing pain tolerance, further substantiating its use as an analgesic. The herb could be useful in products for arthritis, backache, headache or any type of pain that interferes with sleep. In addition, for those with hypertension, Jujube seed has been shown to produce significant, persistent and prolonged reductions in blood pressure.
Jujube General Information:
Jujube has been a part of Chinese medicine for at least 2,500 years. The Chinese used it as a qi tonic to strengthen liver function. Jujube has a pleasant taste as well as a high nutritional value. The fruit contains vitamins A, B2, and C, and saponins, flavonoids, sugars, mucilage, calcium, phosphorus, and iron. Though the West had dismissed Jujube as having any medicinal qualities, since the 17th century, Europeans have recognized its usefulness as a tonic for all parts of the body, especially the lungs and kidneys.
Jujube Uses & Scientific Evidence For:
Today, depending on the culture, all parts of the tree are used. Pits that have been aged for 3 years can be used to treat wounds and abdominal pain; the leaves for typhoid fever and parasites in the intestinal tract. The heartwood is a powerful blood tonic; the Jujube root is used to promote hair growth and for treating fevers caused by smallpox, measles, and chickenpox. Jujube fruit is often prescribed for weight gain and increased muscular strength and stamina. The bark is used to make an eyewash for inflammations. A Jujube tonic is said to have positive effects when used in part of a treatment plan for hepatitis and cirrhosis, and tones the spleen and stomach. It has mildly sedative effects and can be taken for restlessness and irritability. Jujube fruit is used to treat coughs and congestion, soothe internal organs, and reduce water retention.
Jujube Dosage Information:
Jujube is an ingredient in many products. For best results, read and follow product label directions.
Jujube Safety & Interaction Information:
Jujube is general regarded as safe when taken in the recommended doses; however, using it to treat hepatitis and cirrhosis should only be done under the supervision of your physician. It is not meant to replace the quality healthcare a licensed physician can provide. Safety in young children, or pregnant or nursing women is not known.
Indications and applications of Zizyphus:
1. Irritability, dryness of eye, dizziness, insomnia and dreaminess due to deficiency of liver-yin , it is often used with Rhizoma anemarrhenae, Poria, Rhizoma ligustici, chuanxiong, and Radix glycyrrhizae to nourish the liver, calm heart and tranquilize the mind. For insomnia and amnesia due to deficiency of both Qi and blood and insufficient nourishing of heart and mind, this herb can be used with Radix ginseng. Radix angelicae sinensis, Arllus longan, Semen biotae, Poria, etc. to nourishing the heart to calm the mind, as in Ginseng Spleen Invigorating Bolus.
2. For treatment of spontaneous sweating due to Qi-deficiency, and night sweat due to Yin-deficiency, this herb can be used with herbs of benefiniting vital energy and strengthening superfices and herbs of tonifying Yin and astringing sweat, to relieve primary and secondary symptoms at the same time.
3. Nourishing the heart to tranquilize the mind, promoting generation of body fluid and arresting sweating.
4. Nourishing liver and gall, pacifying nerve.
Dosage and Administration: 10-15g, it can be ground into powder for an oral dose, 1.5-3.0g each time.
Plus:Sleep Inducer (Zaoren Anshen Ye) is and old Chinese herbal sleep tonic that has been around for hundreds of years, and is one of the best and original oral liquids for the relief of insomnia & dream disturbed sleep.
Ingredients: Zizyphus spinosa (Spine Date) seed, Schizandra chinensis fruit, Saliva miltiorrhiza root and rhizome. Contains fructose, sucrose and glucose from honey.
A modern presentation of the formula is (4):
Zizyphus (suanzaoren) 18 g
Anemarrhena (zhimu) 10 g
Hoelen (fuling) 10 g
Cnidium (chuanxiong) 5 g
Licorice (gancao) 3 g
The actions of the formula, as described in the modern text, are to nourish the blood, clear heat, relieve restlessness, and treat insomnia. Anemarrhena is a cold-natured herb that contributes the action of clearing heat; as indicated in the Shennong Bencao Jing passage, zizyphus also contributes to clearing heat, even though it doesn't have a cold nature. Zizyphus provides all the other actions attributed to the formula. Its blood nourishing effect is complemented by that of cnidium, while both licorice and hoelen provide additional sedative effects and contribute to the overall tonification therapy by improving the spleen functions.
In the context of analyzing Zizyphus Combination, one can mention the use of the related herb jujube in the well-known sedative formula Ganmai Dazao Tang (Wheat and Jujube Combination):
Wheat (fuxiaomai) 15 g
Jujube (dazao) 14 g
Licorice (gancao) 9 g
The dosage of jujube is usually measured by the number of fruits, in this case; the seeds are removed and the remaining fruit is about 2 grams. The actions of this small formula are to nourish the heart, normalize the function of stomach and spleen, calm the mind, and treat insomnia and spasms. The role of wheat, which is normally consumed by many people in large quantities (as in the form of noodles or bread), may be to treat B-vitamin deficiencies that can arise in people who do not normally eat wheat or other sources rich in these vitamins (B-vitamins play an important role in nervous system functions). This type of deficiency has been a common problem in the Orient. For example, in Java, until quite recently, beri beri (a Vitamin B1 deficiency that causes leg edema) was a common disorder because the diet lacked good sources of the vitamin, which is found in whole grains). The combination of jujube and licorice in this formula serves as a spleen tonic and sedative, which is a role similar to that of zizyphus and licorice in Zizyphus Combination.
Generally Speaking, this herb is traditionally used for weakness, fatigue, debility, restlessness, hysteria and to assist in the actions of other herbs, as we believe it does in this formula. This herb contains vitamins A, B-2, C, calcium, phosphorus, iron and complex sugars. This herb is considered to nourish both the blood and the energy, which are mutually interdependent.
Precautions:
1. Exercise caution when prescribing this formula to patients of excessive syndromes and patients of loose stool.
2. Reported adverse effects include allergic reaction, fever with aversion to cold, joint pain, and cold sweat.
Toxicity and Side Effects:
Zizyphus is reported to have very low toxicity when taken orally. In laboratory animals (mice and rats), a huge single dose of 50 grams herb per kilogram of body weight produced no toxic symptoms, and a daily dose of 20 grams per kilogram for 30 days did not produce toxic reactions. Side effects are not reported. Modern pharmacology evaluation of zizyphus seed oil and zizyphus extract suggest that with prolonged feeding they can reduce serum triglycerides and cholesterol (mainly LDL), and reduce fatty degeneration of the liver. These properties have also been attributed to the triterpenes of ginseng and ganoderma.
Acute Toxicity:
Decoction.Oral.20 g daily.30 days.Calm and peace,average weight increase higher than comparative group,no big difference on appetite.
Formula decoction.LD50.Lethal dose,50 npercent death.Mice.Peritoneal injection.: 14.3 ¡À 2.0 g/kg.
Reference: Huang Hou Ping, et al. The tranquilizaing effect of Suan Zao Ren. Guizhou Journal of Medicine. 1982;(1):17.
Scientific References:
1.The Spine Date Seed or Chinese Sleeping Elixir,What is Semen Ziziphi Spinosa?
Claims & Warning:
Claims: Information this web site presented is meant for Nutritional Benefit and as an educational starting point only, for use in maintenance and promotion good health in cooperation with a common knowledge base reference...Furthermore,it based solely on the traditional and historic use or legend of a given herb from the garden of Adonis. Although every effort has been made to ensure its accurate, please note that some info may be outdated by more recent scientific developments......
Pharmakon Warning: The order of knowledge is not the transparent order of forms and ideas,as one might be tempted retrospectively to interpret it; it is the antidote....(Dissemination,Plato's Pharmacy,II.The Ingredients:Phantasms,Festivals,and Paints;138cf. Jacques Derrida.).
And as it happens,the technique of imitation,along with the production of the simulacrum,has always been in Plato's eyes manifestly magical,thaumaturgical:......and the same things appear bent and straight to those who view them in water and out,or concave and convex,owing to similar errors of vision about colors, and there is obviously every confusion of this sort in our souls.And so scene painting (skiagraphia) in its exploitation of this weakness of four nature falls nothing short of witchcraft (thaumatopoia), and so do jugglery and many other such contrivances.(Republic X,602c-d;cf.also 607c).
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Serie No.:R029.Basic Data Sheet Download
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seminal trace...Semen Ziziphi Spinosae Extract.5:1,10:1.Spine Date Seed.jujuboside A,jujuboside B,betulinic acid,betulin,jujuba flavones....
The Shennong Bencao Jing (ca. 100 A.D.) includes a description of zizyphus:
Scientific References:
Claims & Warning:
