Page 8 - Acupuncture Times April 2022

8 광고 Apr 1, 2022 Vol. 37 Hani Times
Herbal Medicine

Finding A Guiding Herb Makes Easier to Find the Most Efficient Formula ⑨ Zhi Zi

Yin-natured, Dark Skin Color with a Heavy drinker, Fatty liver,

and Insomnia Are Clues of Zhi Zi Selection.

Zhi Zi is used for various symptoms caused by hyperactive liver metabolism and increased body temperature
By Hyunchang Cho, L.Ac., Ph.D ([email protected])

★Zhi Zi ness and heat.
Symptom Indicator Score+ ⑥Heavy drinking, or contrastingly,
Frequency of Use++ alcohol intolerance.
CAPE ⑦Increased GOT, GPT, fatty liver,
and resultant fatigue ☞Various liver
Appearance (body type): normal to disorders due to weak liver function.
overweight, with normal to good ⑧Skin disorders with redness and rash
stamina. due to increased toxins in the blood-
②Color: dark complexion with skin stream from consumption of alcohol,
pigmentation. Patients with pale food, and such (poor liver detoxification).
complexion are rare. ⑨Insomnia w/frequent awakenings.
③Yellow eyes.
④Personality is Yin-natured and Tendencies
△Fu Ling and Zhi Zi are the most common herbs for insomnia
emotionally stable. ⑩Clean TIOM chart, meaning few treatment for Yin-natured patients. imageⓒAdobeStock_
physical symptoms. Photographee.eu
Possible Symptoms ⑪Skin rash and redness upon
⑤Aversion to heat or localized red- scratching. In our body, heat production and becomes hard to sustain deep sleep
metabolic activity are most active in with elevated body temperature
1. Pharmacological Hypothesis of Zhi Zi skeletal muscles and the liver. This throughout the night. Huang Lian
is why most body heat is produced and Fu Ling’s insomnia w/ difficulty
Decreased liver functions in skeletal muscles and the liver. The falling asleep differs from Zhi Zi’s

↓ ↓ ↓ liver can produce heat and increase insomnia w/ frequent awakenings.
core body temperature through Patients would say things like ‘I
active metabolism. Increased liver usually don’t have problems with
Increased AST, ALT lev- Decreased liver detox- Increase in body
el, fatty liver leading to ification + food toxins temperature due to metabolism means more body heat. falling asleep, but frequently wake
fatigue and elevated bil- leading to more toxins heat produced from In such cases, Zhi Zi can enhance up during the night and cannot go
irubin levels in the bloodstream the stressed liver liver functions, thereby cooling back to sleep,’ ‘I frequently wake
heat produced by the liver and, as up at night, or ‘I wish to sleep
↓ ↓ ↓ a result, body temperature as well. more, but I tend to wake up

Zhi Zi is used for various symptoms early and cannot sleep more.
Liver disorders, jaun- Skin disorders w/ Aversion to heat or lo- caused by hyperactive liver Our body temperature needs
dice, yellow eyes, redness and rash calized heat metabolism and increased body to go down first to sleep well at
dark complexion w/ Redness and heat due to temperature, such as aversion to night. With Zhi Zi patients, their
skin pigmentation localized acute inflammation
Insomnia w/ frequent heat, localized heat, redness and body temperature remains high,
awakenings heat due to acute inflammation, which translates to frequent
insomnia w/ frequent awakenings, etc. awakenings during the night and
(1) Zhi Zi promotes liver functions the eyes. Facial complexions tend and small and large intestinal We assume that Zhi Zi’s insomnia is early awakening, as their body
and detoxification, increases bile to turn darker and yellowish if liver functions should be normalized. caused by increased body temperature temperature rises earlier than
secretion, and lowers bilirubin functions are weak. This is why Zhi Food is first absorbed in the due to hyperactive liver metabolism. It other people in the morning.
levels. It cleanses poisonous Zi patients tend to have darker skin small and large intestines and
2. Clinical Signs of Zhi Zi
alcohol from our bodies. tones and many pigmented spots on then through the portal veins,
(2) Decreased liver detoxification their faces. Therefore, Zhi Zi can be eventually reaching the liver. In Shang Han Lun and Jin had such difficulties in my early
+ food toxins leading to more used for various liver disorders, Too many toxins entering the Kui Yao Lue, Zhi Zi formulas days as well.
toxins in bloodstream → skin including hangovers from too liver will put pressure on the can be divided into 1)Zhi Zi As I have come to understand the
disorder w/redness and rash. much drinking, jaundice, etc. detoxifying capacity of the liver. formulas w/o Xiang Chi and concept of CAPE and tacit knowledge,
(3) Zhi Zi lowers increased Poor liver detoxification and Herbs like Da Huang, Mang 2)Xiang Chi + Zhi Zi formulas. the process of distinguishing two
body temperature due to heat increased food toxins may lead to Xiao, Hou Po, Zhi Shi, and Gan With Zhi Zi formulas w/o Xiang herbs (and their formulas) became
produced from the stressed liver. more toxins in the bloodstream, Jiang can normalize intestinal Chi, insomnia may be 1) absent, 2) much easier. Physical symptoms
(4) As a result, Zhi Zi seems to resulting in various skin disorders functions, reducing the number mild, or 3) when severe, it would of difficulty to fall asleep, chest
treat aversion to heat, localized w/ redness and rash. of food toxins entering the liver still appear as frequent awakenings discomfort, Upper Heat, and
heat, redness, and heat due to Zhi Zi formulas consist of herbs and promoting liver detoxification. rather than the difficulty to fall redness of the skin can appear in
localized inflammation, insomnia that promote liver functions and asleep. With Xiang Chi + Zhi Zi both Huang Lian and Xiang Chi +
w/ frequent awakenings, and such. herbs that normalize small and formulas, difficulty to fall asleep Zhi Zi formulas. The difference is
Zhi Zi appears to have liver-related large intestinal functions. Herbs is almost always present and that Xiang Chi + Zhi Zi patients
effects. It promotes liver functions and promoting liver functions are Zhi prominent, which is accompanied are Yin-natured, with the main
detoxification. In <Pharmacological Zi, Yin Chen Hao, Huang Bai, Xiang by chest discomfort (chest fullness) emotions of sorrow, oppression,
Interpretation of Oriental Medicine>, Chi, etc. Herbs that normalize small and sometimes Upper Heat and and melancholy, and Huang
Zhi Zi enhances bile secretion and and large intestinal functions are redness of the skin as well. In Lian patients are Yang-natured,
inhibits increasing bilirubin levels in Da Huang, Mang Xiao, Hou Po, Zhi clinical practice, Xiang Chi + Zhi with the main emotions of anger,
the blood. In <Picture Encyclopedia Shi, Gan Jiang, etc. This means we Zi formulas, with their difficulty engagement, and excitement.
of Clinically Used Traditional Herbs>, can speculate that Zhi Zi formulas falling asleep, chest discomfort, You can distinguish these two
Zhi Zi is said to protect the liver. would include such herbs as the ◁Blood from the digestive Upper Heat, and redness of the herbs/formulas with the tacit
tract, including the large and
Too much bilirubin in the blood can main ingredients. To enhance small intestines, enters the skin, are often hard to distinguish knowledge of Yin/Yang nature
cause yellowing of the whites in liver detoxification, liver functions liver through the portal vein. from Huang Lian formulas. I (personality) and main emotions.