Asarum Herb – 1 lb (454 g)

Asarum Herb, known in Chinese as 细辛 (Xìxīn) and scientifically as Herba Asari, 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 Asarum Herb carefully sourced to preserve its therapeutic properties.

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

Trusted for centuries, Asarum Herb 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 Asarum Herb, 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 Shaoxin, Xiaoxin, Xicao, Xitiao. It is the whole herb of plants from the Aristolochiaceae family: Asarum heterotropoides Fr. Schmidt var. mandshuricum (Maxim.) Kitagawa (Northern Asarum), Asarum sieboldii Miq. var. seoulense Nakai (Seoul Asarum), or Asarum sieboldii Miq. (Chinese Asarum). Northern Asarum is mainly produced in Heilongjiang, Jilin, and Liaoning provinces; Seoul Asarum mainly in southeastern Liaoning; Chinese Asarum mainly in Shandong, Anhui, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Henan, Hubei, Shaanxi, and Sichuan. The first two are commonly called “Liao Asarum.” The entire root system is dug up in summer fruit ripening period or early autumn, washed free of soil, and dried in the shade.

[Properties] Pungent in taste, warm in nature. Enters the Heart, Lung, and Kidney meridians.

[Actions] Dispel wind and cold, open orifices and relieve pain, warm the lungs and transform phlegm.

[Applications] 1. Used for external wind-cold syndrome, especially when cold evil predominates, with headache, aversion to cold, and body pain more severe. Often combined with Qiang Huo, Fang Feng, Chuan Xiong, etc., as in Jiu Wei Qiang Huo Tang (Nine-Herb Qiang Huo Decoction). If the patient has underlying Yang deficiency and contracts wind-cold, with pathogenic factors attacking the Shaoyin meridian, symptoms include aversion to cold, fever, absence of sweating, fatigue, desire to lie down, and a deep pulse; can be combined with Ma Huang and Fu Zi, as in Ma Huang Fu Zi Xi Xin Tang (Ephedra, Aconite, and Asarum Decoction). If cold evil stagnates in the blood vessels causing cold extremities, often combined with Dang Gui, Gui Zhi, Tong Cao, etc., as in Dang Gui Si Ni Tang (Angelica Decoction for Frigid Extremities).

2. Used for headache, toothache, wind-damp painful obstruction, especially suitable for wind-cold causes. For wind-cold headache, often combined with Qiang Huo and Chuan Xiong, as in Chuan Xiong Cha Tiao San (Ligusticum Tea Powder). For cold-type toothache, can be used alone as a decoction for gargling or taken as powder; for wind-fire toothache, must be combined with Shi Gao, Huang Qin, etc. For wind-cold-damp painful obstruction with cold and painful lumbar and knees, Asarum can be used in larger doses, combined with Fu Zi, Xi Xian Cao, etc.; if the obstruction is chronic with liver and kidney deficiency and lumbar and knee pain, often combined with Du Zhong, Sang Ji Sheng, etc., as in Du Huo Ji Sheng Tang (Angelica Pubescens and Sangjisheng Decoction). For chest painful obstruction and heart pain, combined with Bing Pian and Tan Xiang.

3. Used for cough and asthma caused by external wind-cold and internal retention of cold-phlegm, with copious clear sputum; often combined with Gan Jiang and Wu Wei Zi, as in Xiao Qing Long Tang (Minor Bluegreen Dragon Decoction).

4. Used for nasal congestion and nasal polyps, often combined with Bai Zhi, Xin Yi, Cang Er Zi, etc.

Additionally, this herb can treat oral ulcers by applying powdered herb to the affected area or powder applied to the navel; powdered herb can induce sneezing to open orifices and is also used for stroke with loss of consciousness to awaken the spirit and open orifices.

[Dosage and Administration] Internal use: decoction, 1.5–3 g; powder, 1–3 g. External use: appropriate amount of powder applied topically, insufflated into the nose, or used as a decoction for gargling.

[Cautions] This herb is slightly toxic; dosage should not be excessive as overdose may cause poisoning. Contraindicated in cases of yin deficiency with exterior deficiency sweating, blood deficiency, qi deficiency with spontaneous sweating, and fire excess with upward blazing. Use with caution in patients with a history of hypertension or renal insufficiency. Avoid combining with Veratrum species.

[Modern Research] 1. Chemical constituents: Asarum contains volatile oils, mainly methyl eugenol and safrole ether. Also contains aristolenone, borneol, isoborneol, eucalyptol, pinene, 2-methoxy safrole ether, carvacrol, etc. Roots of Northern and Chinese Asarum contain levorotatory asarinin. Liao Asarum also contains racemic deoxymuscarine and N-isobutyl dodecatetraenamide.

2. Pharmacological effects: Asarum volatile oil has antipyretic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and anticonvulsant effects; Asarum oil significantly inhibits cellular and humoral immunity and has anti-rejection effects; has local anesthetic effect, with 50% Asarum decoction anesthetic potency close to 1% procaine; volatile oil significantly relaxes tracheal smooth muscle spasms induced by histamine or acetylcholine; isolated racemic deoxymuscarine exhibits adrenergic β-agonist-like broad physiological effects, including cardiotonic, vasodilation, smooth muscle relaxation, enhanced lipid metabolism, and increased blood sugar; Asarum alcohol extract and volatile oil inhibit Gram-positive bacteria, Bacillus subtilis, Salmonella typhi, and fungi.

3. Clinical reports: 1) Headache: 10% Asarum injection at head acupoints, clinical observation of 86 cases showed 51 cured, 21 markedly effective, 13 improved, 1 ineffective. [Hebei Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1990,(6):6] 2) Toothache: Asarum 4.5 g, raw gypsum 45 g; decocted, half used for gargling, half swallowed, one dose daily; treated 38 cases, including 14 wind-fire toothache and 24 stomach-fire toothache, all cured. [Shanxi Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1986, 2(3):29] 3) Neuralgia: Asarum 10 g, Bing Pian 5 g, finely powdered; during use, patient presses left index finger on healthy nostril, about 0.1 g powder placed at affected nostril, patient inhales forcefully to draw powder in; treated 50 cases of toothache and various neuralgias, all effective. [Intermediate Medical Journal, 1983,(11):56] 4) Local swelling caused by intramuscular injection: Asarum 30 g, finely powdered, applied topically with hot water bag; treated over 100 cases, generally effective within 24 hours. [Intermediate Medical Journal, 1982,(1):49] 5) Impotence: Asarum 5 g used as tea substitute; treated 25 cases with over one month of use, all effective. [Intermediate Medical Journal, 1982,(1):49]