Knowledge Base/Herbs/Buddha's Hand Citron
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理气药 · Qi-regulating

Buddha's Hand Citron fó shǒu · 佛手

Citrus medica var. sarcodactylis

Nature and flavour. Acrid, bitter and sour, warm; Liver, Spleen, Stomach and Lung systems.

The citron fruit. Compared with the stronger qi-moving herbs it is gentle: it is used to loosen constrained Liver qi, to settle the stomach, and to dry dampness and transform phlegm in classical descriptions. It is also a food and a tea ingredient, which is why it turns up outside the clinic.

性味归经。辛、苦、酸,温;归肝、脾、胃、肺经。

香橼的变种果实。与力道较强的理气药相比,它的作用较缓和:传统记载其疏肝理气、和胃止痛、燥湿化痰。它同时是食材与茶饮材料,因此在治病之外也常见于日常。

Classical category · no formulas, no dosages, no herb-drug combinations are given.
Safety. Mild by reputation, yet the classical sources still caution where there is no qi constraint, and in patterns of yin deficiency with heat. It is a citrus fruit; whether it affects the way the body handles medication the way grapefruit does has not been established, so ask a pharmacist if you take medication regularly.

历来认为较为平和,但传统仍指出无气滞者、以及阴虚有热者不宜使用。它属于柑橘类;是否会像西柚那样影响人体对药物的处理,目前未被证实,正在规律用药者请先咨询药师。

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