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Cura x Cura

Long Yan Rou龙眼肉

Longan Arillus · Longan Fruit Flesh · Dried Longan Aril

Herbs that Tonify the Blood 补血药《神农本草经》

Overview

The dried flesh of the longan fruit — sweet, warm, and as much a food as a medicine. It tonifies Heart and Spleen together and nourishes blood, which is precisely the combination called for when overthinking and overwork have left someone tired, pale, forgetful and unable to sleep. It gives Gui Pi Tang 归脾汤 its character, and because it tastes good it is one of the easiest things to give a depleted patient over a long period.

Nature & Flavor

Sweet · Warm

Channels

Heart · Spleen

Typical Dosage

10–25 g in decoction
龙眼肉Photography for this entry is on its way.

Actions

2 core actions

  • Tonifies Heart and SpleenFatigue, poor appetite, pallor and breathlessness where thinking and worry have worn down the middle burner.
  • Nourishes blood, calms the spiritPalpitations, forgetfulness, anxious light sleep and insomnia arising from blood deficiency.

In Formulas

Formulas containing Long Yan Rou

Indications & Clinical Uses

  • Fatigue, pallor and poor appetite from Heart–Spleen deficiency
    - Palpitations and forgetfulness
    - Insomnia and anxious, unrefreshing sleep from blood deficiency

Western Medical Keywords

Searchable condition terms

AnemiaInsomniaFatiguePalpitations

Contraindications

Cautions

Sweet, warming and cloying: it is wrong where there is phlegm-damp, abdominal fullness and distension, or heat shut in — it will thicken and warm what is already stuck, and can bring on a dry mouth, sores or a restless night in a heat-prone patient. It is also largely sugar, so anyone managing diabetes should count it as food and agree the amount with their clinician.

Contraindicated in pregnancy: Used with caution in pregnancy — sweet and warming, and it can add heat; practitioner supervision required

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.