Tsaoko Fruit – 1 lb (454 g)

Tsaoko Fruit, known in Chinese as 草果 (Cǎoguǒ) and scientifically as Fructus Tsaoko, 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 Tsaoko Fruit carefully sourced to preserve its therapeutic properties.

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

Trusted for centuries, Tsaoko Fruit 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 Tsaoko Fruit, 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 Caoguo Ren, Caoguo Zi, and Old Cardamom. It is the mature fruit of Amomum tsaoko Crevost et Lemaire, a plant of the Zingiberaceae family. It is mainly produced in Yunnan and Guangxi provinces. The fruit is harvested in autumn when ripe, then sun-dried or oven-dried; alternatively, it may be blanched in boiling water for 2–3 minutes before drying.

[Properties] Pungent in taste, warm in nature. Enters the Spleen and Stomach meridians.

[Actions] Dries dampness and warms the middle burner; resolves phlegm and stops malaria.

[Applications]
1. Used for cold-damp obstruction of the spleen and stomach causing epigastric and abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, and dysentery. Commonly combined with Bai Dou Kou (Amomi Fructus) and Sha Ren (Amomi Fructus Rotundus). If dampness is severe, it may be combined with Cang Zhu (Atractylodis Rhizoma), Chuan Po (Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex), and Huo Xiang (Agastache). If cold predominates, it is combined with Gan Jiang (Zingiberis Rhizoma) and Wu Yu (Evodiae Fructus) to warm the middle and disperse cold. For food stagnation and qi stagnation, it may be combined with Shan Zha (Crataegi Fructus), Shen Qu (Massa Medicata Fermentata), and Lai Shi Fu Zi (Raphani Semen).
2. Used for malaria, especially suitable for malarial disorders caused by mountain miasma and turbid dampness. It can be combined with Chang Shan (Dichroae Radix), Zhi Mu (Anemarrhenae Rhizoma), and Bing Lang (Arecae Semen), as in the formula Caoguo Yin (草果饮). If the malaria is miasmatic but with more heat than cold, it may be combined with Huang Qin (Scutellariae Radix) and Chai Hu (Bupleuri Radix), as in Qing Pi Yin (清脾饮). For spleen-cold malaria with persistent chills and slight fever, it may be combined with Fu Zi (Aconiti Radix Lateralis Preparata) and Sheng Jiang (Zingiberis Rhizoma Recens), as in Guo Fu Tang (果附汤). For chronic malaria with deficiency, it may be combined with Ren Shen (Ginseng Radix), Bai Zhu (Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma), Gan Cao (Glycyrrhizae Radix), and Da Zao (Jujubae Fructus).
Additionally, this herb can be used in early-stage epidemic febrile diseases where the pathogen is in the membrane source, causing alternating chills and fever with headache and body pain. It is often combined with Bing Lang (Arecae Semen), Hou Po (Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex), Zhi Mu (Anemarrhenae Rhizoma), Huang Qin (Scutellariae Radix), and Shao Yao (Paeoniae Radix), as in Da Yuan Yin (达原饮).

[Dosage and Administration] Internal use: decoction, 3–6 g; or incorporated into pills or powders.

[Cautions] Contraindicated in individuals with qi and blood deficiency or those constitutionally cold in the yin aspect.

[Modern Research]
1. Chemical constituents: The fruit contains volatile oils, with main components including α-pinene, β-pinene, 1,8-cineole, p-cymene, linalool, α-terpineol, nerolidol, nonanal, trans-2-undecenal, nerol, and others. It also contains trace elements such as zinc, copper, iron, manganese, and cobalt. The seed volatile oil contains 21 components, mainly 1,8-cineole, 2-decenal, nerol, and nerolidol.
2. Pharmacological effects: Decoctions of raw, stir-fried, and ginger-processed Caoguo all increase the tension and amplitude of spontaneous contractions in isolated rabbit duodenum, though sometimes not significantly; they antagonize the inhibitory effect of adrenaline on ileal activity. Caoguo exhibits analgesic, antitussive, expectorant, antibacterial, and antifungal effects.
3. Clinical reports: Post-cesarean section abdominal distension—treatment group received 50 g Caoguo soaked in 200 ml cold water for 30 minutes, boiled for 15 minutes before administration; control group received intramuscular vitamin B1. Both groups had 42 cases observed. The treatment group showed 30 cases markedly effective, 11 effective, with an efficacy rate of 97.62%; the control group showed 10 markedly effective, 21 effective, with an efficacy rate of 71.42%. The difference was statistically significant. [Chinese Journal of Ethnomedicine and Ethnopharmacy, 2003, (5):281]