Gastrodia Tuber – 1 lb (454 g)

Gastrodia Tuber, known in Chinese as 天麻 (Tiānmá) and scientifically as Rhizoma Gastrodiae, 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 Gastrodia Tuber carefully sourced to preserve its therapeutic properties.

As a herbal supplement, Gastrodia Tuber 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, Gastrodia Tuber provides a safe, natural way to experience the benefits of traditional Chinese medicine.

Trusted for centuries, Gastrodia Tuber 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 Gastrodia Tuber, 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 Chijian, Chitianjian, Mingtianma, and Dingfeng Caogen. It is the rhizome of Gastrodia elata Bl., a plant of the Orchidaceae family. The main production areas are Guizhou, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Yunnan, and Hubei provinces. It is harvested from the beginning of winter (Lidong) to before the Qingming solar term of the following year. After digging, it is immediately cleaned, steamed thoroughly, and dried at low temperature in the open air. The rhizome harvested in winter is called “Winter Ma” and is of better quality; that harvested in spring is called “Spring Ma.”

[Properties] Sweet in taste, neutral in nature. Enters the liver meridian.

[Actions] Calms endogenous wind and pacifies the liver; dispels wind and unblocks the collaterals.

[Applications]
1. Used for internal liver wind causing convulsions and spasms. For pediatric convulsions, it is often combined with Gou Teng (Uncaria), Jiang Can (Bombyx batryticatus), Quan Xie (Scorpio), etc. If wind-phlegm with heat is present, it can be combined with Dan Nan Xing (Arisaema cum Bile), Tian Zhu Huang (Bamboo sap), Ban Xia (Pinellia), etc. For chronic pediatric convulsions, it may be combined with Ren Shen (Ginseng), Bai Zhu (Atractylodes), Quan Xie, etc. For stroke with facial paralysis and limb spasm or numbness, it is often combined with Gou Teng, Bai Shao (Paeonia), Di Long (Earthworm), Niu Xi (Achyranthes), etc. For tetanus-induced convulsions with opisthotonos, it is commonly combined with Tian Nan Xing (Arisaema), Fang Feng (Saposhnikovia), Bai Zhi (Angelica dahurica), Qiang Huo (Notopterygium), Bai Fu Zi (Typhonium), etc., as in the formula Yu Zhen San.

2. Used for dizziness and headache. For dizziness caused by liver yang rising, it is often combined with Gou Teng, Shi Jue Ming (Abalone shell), Huang Qin (Scutellaria), Niu Xi, etc., as in Tian Ma Gou Teng Yin. For dizziness caused by wind-phlegm disturbing the upper body, it is often combined with Ban Xia, Fu Ling (Poria), Bai Zhu, etc., as in Ban Xia Bai Zhu Tian Ma Tang. For unilateral or bilateral headache due to wind invasion, it is often combined with Chuan Xiong (Ligusticum), Jing Jie (Schizonepeta), Ban Xia, Mu Xiang (Aucklandia), etc. If due to liver blood deficiency, it is combined with Dang Gui (Angelica sinensis) and Bai Shao. For headache with wind attacking and unilateral or bilateral headache, it can be combined in equal amounts with Chuan Xiong to form pills, as in Tian Ma Wan.

3. Used for limb numbness, hemiplegia, and difficulty in joint flexion and extension. For hemiplegia and limb numbness after stroke, it can be combined with Mo Yao (Myrrh), processed Wu Tou (Aconite), She Xiang (Moschus), etc., as in Tian Ma Wan. For wind-damp bi syndrome with joint stiffness, it is combined with Qin Jiao (Gentiana), Qiang Huo, Sang Zhi (Mulberry twig), etc., as in Qin Jiao Tian Ma Tang. Additionally, Tian Ma can be used for red eyes with visual obstruction and dimness, combined with Dang Gui, Shu Di Huang (Rehmannia), Chan Shi Yi (Cicada slough), Mu Zei (Equisetum), Ju Hua (Chrysanthemum), etc., as in Tian Ma Tui Yi San.

[Dosage and Administration] Oral administration: decocted, 3–9 g; or used in pills or powders. Raw Tian Ma has a strong effect in dispelling wind and relieving pain, mainly used for headache and bi syndrome; stir-fried Tian Ma has a stronger sedative and anticonvulsant effect, mainly used for dizziness and controlling convulsions.

[Cautions] Use with caution in cases of severe qi and blood deficiency.

[Modern Research]
1. Chemical constituents include gastrodin, gastrodigenin ether glycosides, p-hydroxybenzyl alcohol, p-hydroxybenzaldehyde, 4-hydroxybenzyl methyl ether, 4-(4-hydroxybenzyloxy)benzyl methyl ether, bis(4-hydroxybenzyl) ether, vanillyl alcohol, methyl citrate, succinic acid, palmitic acid, β-sitosterol, etc. It also contains polysaccharides and various trace elements.

2. Pharmacological effects: aqueous extracts of Tian Ma have sedative effects and can antagonize pentylenetetrazol-induced clonic convulsions; both cultivated and wild Tian Ma show significant analgesic effects; Tian Ma can reduce peripheral vascular, cerebral vascular, and coronary artery resistance, and has antihypertensive and heart rate slowing effects; Tian Ma polysaccharides enhance nonspecific immunity, cellular immunity, and humoral immunity; Tian Ma also has antifatigue effects, shortens Drosophila larval development time, and prolongs adult lifespan, showing anti-aging effects; Tian Ma injection also has anti-inflammatory effects.

3. Clinical reports: 1) Dizziness: Tian Ma extract injection 600 mg added to 5% glucose 500 ml, intravenous drip, once daily for 7 days per course, two courses consecutively. In 64 cases of middle-aged and elderly dizziness, the total effective rate was 98.4%. [Chinese Journal of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, 2003, 8(4):471] 2) Facial muscle spasm: 6% Tian Ma injection (2 ml per vial, containing 0.12 g crude drug) intramuscular injection, 2–4 ml each time, once daily, continuous treatment for 2–3 months. In 94 cases observed (71 cultivated Tian Ma, 23 wild Tian Ma), the significant effective rates and total effective rates were 32.39%, 61.97% and 26.09%, 69.56%, respectively, with no significant difference between groups (P>0.05). [Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine Research, 1989, (1):34] 3) Vascular headache: 6% Tian Ma injection, 2 ml per vial containing 0.12 g crude drug, intramuscular injection 2–4 ml each time, one vial daily, 7–10 days per course. In 54 cases treated, the total effective rate was 79.6%. [Journal of Nanjing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1986, (4):26] 4) Tetanus: Tian Ma injection prepared by water extraction and alcohol precipitation, intramuscular injection 1.2 g each time, every 2–6 hours. In 34 cases of mild tetanus, onset of effect was observed within 15–120 minutes, patients became calm, convulsions decreased, sensitivity to electrical stimulation reduced, and some fell asleep. This method was not effective for severe tetanus. [Shaanxi New Medicine, 1981, (1):45]