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Bai Zi Ren柏子仁

Platycladi Semen · Chinese Arborvitae Kernel · Biota Seed

Herbs that Calm the Spirit 安神药《神农本草经》

Overview

An oily, sweet seed that feeds the Heart rather than sedating it: it nourishes Heart blood and yin so that sleep settles from within, and its richness also moistens a dry bowel — a useful combination in older or postpartum patients whose insomnia and constipation stem from the same depletion. Dry-frying reduces the oil and with it much of the laxative effect.

Nature & Flavor

Sweet · Neutral

Channels

Heart · Kidney · Large Intestine

Typical Dosage

10–20 g in decoction
柏子仁Photography for this entry is on its way.

Actions

4 core actions

  • Nourishes the Heart, calms the spiritInsomnia, palpitations, anxiety and forgetfulness where Heart blood and yin are insufficient rather than where fire is blazing.
  • Moistens the intestines, moves the stoolDry, hard stool from blood or fluid depletion — in older adults, after childbirth, and during recovery from long illness.
  • Restrains sweatingNight sweats accompanying yin deficiency, usually alongside other yin-nourishing herbs.
  • The dry-fried form differsDry-frying reduces the oil content: choose it when the spirit needs calming but the stools are already loose, and use the untreated seed when the moistening laxative action is wanted.

In Formulas

Formulas containing Bai Zi Ren

Indications & Clinical Uses

  • Insomnia, palpitations and forgetfulness of Heart blood deficiency
    - Constipation from dryness in the elderly, postpartum or debilitated
    - Night sweats with yin deficiency

Western Medical Keywords

Searchable condition terms

InsomniaAnxietyConstipationNight sweats

Contraindications

Cautions

Rich and oily: unsuitable where there are loose stools, or phlegm-damp with copious sputum. Where the spirit needs calming but the bowels are already loose, the dry-fried form is the right choice. Not a sedative — it works by supplementing, so its effect on sleep builds over a course rather than in a single dose.

Contraindicated in pregnancy: Not a classical pregnancy contraindication — practitioner judgment applies, taking the moistening laxative effect into account

For licensed practitioners’ reference only

References

  1. Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing《神农本草经》(classical source, public domain).
    2. Bensky, Clavey & Stöger. Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica, 3rd ed.
    3. 《中华人民共和国药典》.

Professional reference notice. Entries are scholarly references for licensed TCM practitioners and students — not medical advice, and not a recommendation to self-prescribe. Chinese herbal formulas should be used under the guidance of a qualified practitioner. Content is an original editorial compilation by Cura x Cura, cross-checked against the cited references.