Pearl – 1 lb (454 g)

Pearl, known in Chinese as 珍珠 (Zhēnzhū) and scientifically as Margarita, 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 Pearl carefully sourced to preserve its therapeutic properties.

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

Trusted for centuries, Pearl 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 Pearl, 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 item is also known as Zhenzhu, Bangzhu, Yaozhu, and Zhuzi. It is the pearl formed by stimulation in bivalve mollusks such as Pteria martensii (Dunker) of the family Pteriidae, Hyriopsis cumingii (Lea) of the family Unionidae, or Cristaria plicata (Leach). The former is seawater pearl, mainly produced in Guangdong, Guangxi, Taiwan, etc.; the latter two are freshwater pearls, mainly produced in Heilongjiang, Jiangsu, Anhui, etc. They can be harvested year-round by collecting the shells from water, extracting the pearls, washing, and drying.

[Properties] Taste is sweet and salty; nature is cold. Enters the Heart and Liver meridians.

[Actions] Calms the spirit and settles fright; clears the liver and brightens the eyes; detoxifies and promotes tissue regeneration.

[Applications]
1. Used for palpitations, restlessness, and insomnia. Pearl powder can be taken alone or mixed with honey. For palpitations and insomnia caused by phlegm-heat, it can be combined with Cinnabar (Zhusha), Amber (Hupo), and Calculus Bovis (Tianzhu Huang), as in Jinbo Zhenxin Wan; for deficiency of qi and blood, it can be combined with Ginseng (Renshen), Angelica (Danggui), Poria (Fushen), and Ziziphus seed (Suanzaoren).
2. Used for convulsions, epilepsy, and spasms. For pediatric acute convulsions or epilepsy caused by phlegm-heat, often combined with Rehmannia (Sheng Dihuang), Coptis (Huanglian), Arisaema (Dan Nanxing), and Calculus Bovis (Niuhuang); for convulsions and coma caused by high fever, combined with Gypsum (Shigao), Coptis (Huanglian), Forsythia (Lianqiao), and Moutan bark (Danpi).
3. Used for red, swollen, painful eyes and corneal opacity. For eye redness and swelling caused by liver wind-heat or liver fire rising, often combined with Abutilon seed (Qingxiangzi), Chrysanthemum (Juhua), and Abalone shell (Shijueming), as in Zhenzhu San; if liver deficiency with heat causes red eyes and opacity with soreness, it can be combined with Calamine (Luganshi) and Borneol (Bingpian) ground into very fine powder for eye drops.
4. Used for oral ulcers and sore throat. For oral ulcers, often combined with Borax (Pengsha), Indigo naturalis (Qingdai), Borneol (Bingpian), and Coptis (Huanglian), ground into powder and applied to affected areas; for sore throat and dental caries, combined with Calculus Bovis (Niuhuang), ground into powder and blown onto affected areas.
5. Used for chronic non-healing ulcers, combined with Calamine (Luganshi), Amber (Hupo), Borneol (Bingpian), and calcined Dragon bone (Duan Longgu), ground into powder and sprinkled on affected areas to promote healing.
Additionally, pearl has the effect of clearing heat and resolving phlegm, often combined with Fritillaria (Chuan Beimu), Calculus Bovis (Niuhuang), Calculus Bovis (Tianzhu Huang), and Arisaema (Dan Nanxing), used for pediatric bronchitis and asthmatic bronchitis; pearl cooked with oyster shell (Muli) and then removing the oyster to make pills can treat deficiency-related night emissions. Pearl powder is also commonly used in cosmetics for freckle removal and skin protection.

[Dosage and Administration] Internal use: powder, 0.1–0.3 g per dose, mostly used in pill form, not in decoctions. External use: appropriate amount, powdered for sprinkling, eye drops, or throat blowing.

[Cautions] Use with caution during pregnancy.

[Modern Research]
1. Chemical components include various inorganic elements, mainly calcium carbonate, followed by silicon, sodium, and magnesium. Pearl keratin contains 16 amino acids, with higher contents of alanine and glycine, followed by aspartic acid, leucine, and arginine.
2. Pharmacological effects: Pearl powder has anti-aging effects; it significantly shortens the larval stage and prolongs the adult stage of silkworms; intraperitoneal injection of pearl powder suspension reduces lipofuscin in heart and brain tissues; total porphyrin components in pearl significantly inhibit sarcoma S180 in mice after intraperitoneal injection; pearl powder promotes granulation tissue growth in wounds and significantly shortens the time for fresh granulation tissue to appear.
3. Clinical reports:
1) Hypertension: 21 cases with elevated systolic and diastolic pressure treated with instant pearl powder capsules; 10 cases effective for systolic pressure, 13 cases markedly effective for diastolic pressure, 6 cases effective, 2 cases ineffective; total effective rate 90.5% (P<0.01). [Hunan Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1995, 11(3):8] 2) Traumatic headache: Oral pearl calming capsules, 1 capsule twice daily, severe cases 2 capsules twice daily after meals; 38 cases treated, 26 cases (72.22%) completely relieved after 15 days, 5 cases (13.89%) moderately relieved, 4 cases (11.11%) mildly relieved, 3 cases (13.95%) ineffective; total effective rate 86.05%. [Chinese Journal of Emergency Traditional Chinese Medicine, 2003, 12(2):170] 3) Pressure ulcers: Sterilized pearl powder evenly sprinkled on ulcer surface, covered with sterile gauze once daily until healing; 21 cases treated, 19 healed, 2 no obvious effect. [Journal of Practical Traditional Chinese Medicine, 2004, 20(2):87] 4) Pediatric oral ulcers: Pearl powder 0.05–0.1 g, 3–4 times daily, externally applied or 0.1 g orally 3 times daily; 60 cases treated, 47 markedly effective, 10 effective, 3 ineffective; total effective rate 95%. [Guangming Journal of Chinese Medicine, 1998, 13(77):53] 5) Herpes simplex keratitis (HSK): Pearl brightening eye drops applied; for punctate HSK, once every 10 hours; for dendritic or geographic HSK, twice hourly; 32 cases treated, 25 superficial type all cured; 7 deep type, 5 cured, 2 improved. [Chinese Journal of Practical Ophthalmology, 1995, 13(12):765] 6) Traumatic skin defects: After local disinfection, pearl powder applied once daily; 50 cases treated, 100% cure rate. [Hebei Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1991, 13(5):20] 7) Cervical erosion: After local disinfection, 0.1–0.2 g pearl powder evenly sprayed on erosion surface, pressed with dry cotton ball or gauze to ensure full contact, once daily; 64 cases treated, 37 cured, 14 markedly effective, 11 improved, 2 ineffective; total effective rate 97%. [New Drugs and Clinical, 1992, 11(5):296]