Atractylodes Rhizome – 1 lb (454 g)

Atractylodes Rhizome, known in Chinese as 苍术 (Cāngzhú) and scientifically as Rhizoma Atractylodis, 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 Atractylodes Rhizome carefully sourced to preserve its therapeutic properties.

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

Trusted for centuries, Atractylodes Rhizome 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 Atractylodes Rhizome, 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 Chi Shu, Qing Shu, Xian Shu, and Mao Shu. It is the rhizome of plants from the Asteraceae family: Atractylodes lancea (Thunb.) DC. (Mao Cang Zhu) or Atractylodes chinensis (DC.) Koidz. (Bei Cang Zhu). Mao Cang Zhu is mainly produced in Hubei, Jiangsu, Henan, etc., with the best quality from the Maoshan area in Jiangsu, hence the name Mao Cang Zhu; Bei Cang Zhu is mainly produced in Hebei, Shaanxi, and other places. The rhizomes are harvested in spring and autumn, cleaned of soil, sun-dried, the fibrous roots removed by pounding, then fully dried in the sun.

[Properties] Taste: acrid, bitter; nature: warm. Enters the Spleen, Stomach, and Liver meridians.

[Actions] Dries dampness and strengthens the spleen; dispels wind and scatters cold; brightens the eyes.

[Applications]
1. Used for signs of dampness obstructing the spleen and stomach. When the spleen is encumbered by dampness and its transportive function is impaired, symptoms include epigastric and abdominal distension, poor appetite, vomiting, and diarrhea. Often combined with Hou Po (Magnolia bark), Chen Pi (Citrus peel), etc., as in the formula Ping Wei San. If cold-damp predominates, it may be combined with Gan Jiang (dried ginger), Fu Zi (aconite), etc.; if damp-heat predominates, it may be combined with Chuan Lian (Coptis), Huang Qin (Scutellaria), Pu Gong Ying (dandelion), etc. If the spleen is weak and unable to transport fluids, causing edema, it may be combined with Bai Zhu (Atractylodes macrocephala), Fu Ling (Poria), Ze Xie (Alisma), etc. For spleen meridian damp-heat with symptoms of sweet and greasy mouth, excessive saliva, and foul breath (spleen dysentery), it can be used alone as a decoction, e.g., Lan Cao Tang.
2. Used for dampness invading the exterior. For wind-cold with dampness invading the muscle layer, causing heaviness and pain in head and body, chills and fever without sweating, often combined with Qiang Huo, Bai Zhi, Gao Ben, Chuan Xiong, etc. For early-stage warm-damp with aversion to cold and no sweating, heaviness of body and headache, often combined with Xiang Ru, Huo Xiang, Qiang Huo, etc. For summer-damp syndrome with fever, chills, heaviness of head and body, diarrhea, often combined with Huo Xiang, He Ye (lotus leaf), Qing Hao (Artemisia), etc.
3. Used for wind-damp painful obstruction and atrophy syndrome. For wind-damp painful obstruction with predominant dampness causing soreness and heaviness of limbs, often combined with Fang Feng, Bi Xie, Yi Yi Ren (Coix seed), etc. If damp-heat predominates, combined with Zhi Mu, Huang Qin, Qin Jiao, etc. For damp-heat sinking downward causing swelling and pain of feet and knees or atrophy and impaired movement of feet, often combined with Huang Bai, as in Er Miao San, which is also commonly used for lower body damp sores and female damp-heat vaginal discharge.
4. Used for night blindness and blurred vision. Can be used alone as a powder taken with cooked pig or lamb liver decoction, or combined with Shu Di Huang (Rehmannia), Hei Zhi Ma (black sesame), Jue Ming Zi (Cassia seeds), Ye Ju Hua (wild chrysanthemum), etc. Currently often used clinically for treatment of corneal softening.

[Dosage and Administration] Internal use: decoction, 3–9 g; can be made into paste, pills, or powder. External use: appropriate amount, powdered and applied topically.

[Cautions] Contraindicated in cases of yin deficiency with internal heat and qi deficiency with spontaneous sweating. For wind-dampness on the exterior, use raw; for dampness obstructing the middle burner, use stir-fried.

[Modern Research]
1. Chemical constituents: The rhizome of Mao Cang Zhu contains volatile oils, whose main components are atractylol, hinesol, and β-eudesmol. It also contains β-selinene, borneol, 3β-acetoxyatractylol, 3β-hydroxyatractylol, 3β-acetoxyatractone, and 3β-hydroxyatractone. The rhizome of Bei Cang Zhu contains volatile oils with main components including atractylol, atractylon, hinesol, eudesmol, and α-muurolol, as well as atractylenolide and acetylatractylenolide.
2. Pharmacological effects: Atractylodes shows significant inhibitory effects on stress-induced ulcers and regulates gastrointestinal function; small doses of its volatile oil have sedative effects on frogs and increase spinal reflex excitability, while larger doses have inhibitory effects leading to respiratory paralysis and death; it has anti-hypoxia and hepatoprotective effects and can raise blood glucose; it inhibits esophageal cancer cells; oral decoction in rats does not have diuretic effects but significantly increases sodium and potassium excretion; it exhibits significant killing effects on mumps virus, influenza virus, karyotype polyhedral virus, pneumonia mycoplasma, oral mycoplasma, beta-hemolytic streptococcus, Staphylococcus aureus, aflatoxin, and other pathogenic fungi.
3. Clinical reports: 1) Pediatric diarrhea: finely powdered Hu Lian and Cang Zhu are stored moist in a bottle. Using glutinous rice wine lees, a lump about the size of a duck egg is mashed into a paste, sprinkled with 9–10 g of Hu Lian and Cang Zhu powder, formed into a round cake, applied externally to the Shenque acupoint on the child’s navel, covered with plastic film and bandaged tightly, applied 1–2 times daily for 4–6 hours each time. In 500 cases treated, the total effective rate was 97.6%. [Journal of Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine, 1991, 11(10):635] 2) Night blindness: Cang Zhu 30 g, Shi Jue Ming (Abalone shell) 15 g, Ye Ming Sha (night bright sand) 15 g, pig liver 100 g (divided into 2 doses). The first three herbs are decocted in 500 ml water to 200 ml, divided into morning and evening doses to cook pig liver for consumption; generally effective after 2–6 doses. [Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1981, 22(12):52] 3) Rickets: Using microcapsules of Cang Zhu volatile oil (each capsule equivalent to 0.093 ml volatile oil), 2 capsules per dose, 3 times daily for 1–2 weeks, re-examined after one month. In 120 children aged 2–3 years with rickets, symptoms and signs improved in most cases, wrist X-rays showed significant improvement, with an effective rate of 85.4%. [Chinese Medicine Bulletin, 1986, (11):58]