Cistanche Deserticola – 1 lb (454 g)

Cistanche Deserticola, known in Chinese as 肉苁蓉 (Ròucōngróng) and scientifically as Herba Cistanches, 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 Cistanche Deserticola carefully sourced to preserve its therapeutic properties.

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

Trusted for centuries, Cistanche Deserticola 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 Cistanche Deserticola, 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 Congrong, Dayun, Cunyun, and Jinsun. It is the fleshy stem with scale leaves of Cistanche deserticola Y.C.Ma, a plant of the Orobanchaceae family. It is mainly produced in Gansu, Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Inner Mongolia. It is mostly harvested in spring when the seedlings have not yet emerged or have just emerged from the soil, with the inflorescence removed, cut into sections, and sun-dried.

[Properties] Taste: sweet and salty; nature: warm. Enters the Kidney and Large Intestine meridians.

[Actions] Tonifies Kidney Yang, nourishes essence and blood, moistens intestines and unblocks bowels.

[Applications]
1. Used for Kidney Yang deficiency and insufficiency of essence and blood manifesting as impotence, premature ejaculation, spermatorrhea, infertility, soreness and weakness of the lumbar region and knees, tinnitus and deafness, frequent and urgent urination. For impotence, infertility, or decreased libido, it can be used alone or combined with Morinda officinalis (Bajitian), Rehmannia glutinosa (Shudi), and Schisandra chinensis (Wuweizi), as in the formula Huanshaodan; if Yang deficiency is pronounced, it is combined with Cervi Cornu (Lurong), Bombyx mori (Canmo), and Cuscuta chinensis (Tusizi). To treat spermatorrhea, frequent urination, and dribbling, it is combined with Euryale ferox (Sangpiaoxiao), Cornus officinalis (Shanzhuyu), and Euryale seeds (Qianshi). For tinnitus, deafness, dizziness, blurred vision, and forgetfulness due to Kidney essence deficiency, it is often combined with Rehmannia glutinosa (Shudi), Lycium barbarum (Qizi), and Magnetitum (Cishi). For women with irregular menstruation, uterine cold, and infertility, it can be combined with Cervi Cornu Colla (Lujiao Jiao), Artemisia argyi (Aiye), and Rehmannia glutinosa (Shudi).
2. Used for constipation due to elderly Kidney deficiency and intestinal dryness, as well as postpartum blood deficiency and fluid insufficiency after illness. It can be decocted in large doses alone, stewed with pork, or soaked in wine for oral administration; it can also be combined with Cannabis sativa seed (Maren) and Aquilaria sinensis (Chenxiang), as in the formula Runchang Wan. If blood deficiency is also present, it can be combined with Angelica sinensis (Danggui) and Rehmannia glutinosa (Shudi). For constipation due to Kidney Qi deficiency with symptoms of dry stools, clear and long urination, soreness and coldness of the lumbar region, it is combined with Angelica sinensis (Danggui), Achyranthes bidentata (Niuxi), and Citrus aurantium (Zhike), as in the formula Jichuan Jian.

[Dosage and Administration] Internal use: decoction, 6–9 g; or incorporated into pills or powders; or soaked in wine.

[Cautions] Contraindicated in cases of hyperactive fire due to Yin deficiency, diarrhea with loose stools, or constipation due to excess heat.

[Modern Research]
1. Chemical constituents: This herb contains Cistanoside A, B, C, H, eugenol glycosides, echinacoside, and various other glycosides, as well as 15 amino acids including phenylalanine, valine, leucine, and succinic acid, triacontanol, and polysaccharides.
2. Pharmacological effects: Decoctions of Cistanche can enhance humoral and cellular immune functions, increase the phagocytic ability of mononuclear macrophages; aqueous extracts lower blood pressure in experimental animals and promote salivary secretion in mice; have anti-atherosclerotic effects in rabbits; regulate endocrine function, promote metabolism, enhance memory, strengthen the body, and exhibit certain anti-aging effects; its inorganic salts and hydrophilic mucopolysaccharides significantly increase intestinal motility and shorten defecation time in mice, while inhibiting water absorption in the large intestine.
3. Clinical reports: (1) Senile polyuria: Cistanche 30 g and polished rice 30 g cooked together as porridge, taken once daily for one week, treated dozens of cases with normalization of urination frequency. [Zhejiang Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1995, (2):76] (2) Recurrent oral ulcers: Cistanche 10 g taken three times daily with warm water. Treated one case of multiple recurrent oral ulcers lasting over a year; ulcers resolved after 10 days of treatment and did not recur. [Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1996, 37(3):187]