Sterculia Seed – 1 lb (454 g)

Sterculia Seed, known in Chinese as 胖大海 (Pàngdàhǎi) and scientifically as Semen Sterculiae Lychnophorae, is a valued herb in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). This TCM herb has been traditionally used to support natural wellness, maintain vitality, and encourage holistic balance. At TCMforyou.com, we provide premium-quality Sterculia Seed carefully sourced to preserve its therapeutic properties.

As a herbal supplement, Sterculia Seed helps promote overall well-being and supports natural energy, immunity, and balance. Integrating this herb into your wellness routine offers a gentle, time-tested approach to enhancing daily health. Whether brewed as tea, added to herbal remedies, or taken as part of a TCM formula, Sterculia Seed provides a safe, natural way to experience the benefits of traditional Chinese medicine.

Trusted for centuries, Sterculia Seed has been used in TCM to harmonize the body and encourage optimal functioning of key systems. At TCMforyou, we prioritize authenticity and quality. Each batch undergoes rigorous testing to ensure purity and potency, delivering an herbal product aligned with traditional practices.

Experience the natural support of Sterculia Seed, promoting immune health, vitality, and holistic well-being. Embrace the wisdom of TCM and incorporate this gentle, effective herbal remedy into your daily wellness journey.

[Overview] This herb is also known as Annanzi, Dadongguo, Dahai Zi, and Dahailan. It is the mature seed of Sterculia lychnophora Hance, a plant of the Sterculiaceae family. It is produced in Vietnam, India, Malaysia, Thailand, and other countries. Currently, it is introduced and cultivated in Guangdong, Hainan, and Yunnan provinces of China. Mature seeds are harvested when the fruit cracks open from April to June and then sun-dried.
[Properties] Taste: sweet and bland; nature: cool. Enters the Lung and Large Intestine meridians.
[Actions] Clears heat and moistens the lungs, benefits the throat and detoxifies, clears the intestines and promotes bowel movements.
[Applications] 1. Used for lung-heat dry cough, sore and swollen throat, hoarseness. Treats wind-heat invasion and lung-heat obstruction causing dry cough without phlegm, dry and painful throat, and hoarse voice. It can be taken alone as a decoction or infusion, or combined with herbs such as mint (Bohe) and cicada slough (Chanyi). For more severe lung heat and intense throat pain, it can be combined with honeysuckle (Jinyinhua) and scrophularia (Xuanshen). For phlegm transformation when lung heat injures fluids causing cough with thick phlegm and constipation, it is often combined with mulberry bark (Sangpi) and lycium root bark (Digupi) to stop cough and relieve constipation.
2. Used for heat-induced constipation or accompanied by headache, red eyes, and toothache. Mild cases can be treated with the herb alone as an infusion; severe cases are combined with rhubarb (Dahuang), mirabilite (Mangxiao), and bitter orange (Zhishi). If heat toxin accumulates causing dry stools with intestinal heat and bleeding, several seeds of Semen Sterculiae Lychnophorae can be soaked with rock sugar and taken as a drink; it can also be combined with stir-fried pagoda tree flower (Chao Huaihua), charred sanguisorba (Diyutan), and charred schizonepeta (Jingjietan) decocted together.
[Dosage and Administration] Internal use: decoct or soak 2–3 seeds in boiling water; or used in powdered form.
[Cautions] Use with caution in cases of spleen and stomach deficiency cold with diarrhea.
[Modern Research] 1. Chemical constituents: The seed coat contains xyloglucan mucilage; the pericarp contains galactose and pentose sugars.
2. Pharmacological actions: The seed extract of Semen Sterculiae Lychnophorae can increase intestinal peristalsis, thus having a mild laxative effect; a 25% solution of the seed kernel administered intravenously, intramuscularly, or orally can significantly lower blood pressure in dogs and cats; aqueous extracts of the seed coat, soft shell, and kernel have diuretic and analgesic effects.
3. Clinical reports: (1) Acute tonsillitis: 4–6 seeds (8 seeds for severe cases) are placed in a bowl, boiled water poured over, covered and steeped for half an hour, then slowly consumed; repeated every 4 hours. In 100 cases treated, 68 were cured, 21 markedly improved, and 11 had poor results. [Zhejiang Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1996, 9(5):14] (2) Bacterial dysentery: 15 g of seeds placed in a bowl with 200 ml boiling water; for dysentery with red stools add 15 g white sugar, for white stools add 15 g brown sugar; drink the infusion and eat the seed flesh. Over 200 cases treated with good results, generally cured within 1–3 doses. [Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1987, (9):45] (3) Infantile constipation: 2 seeds soaked in about 150 ml boiling water for 15 minutes until swollen, then small amounts frequently sipped. In 32 cases treated, all showed significant effect. Generally, bowel movements normalized within one day. [Zhejiang Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1990, 25(1):12]