Bai Guo
bai_guo.jpg

 

Bai Guo in TCM:

Explore the properties of Bai Guo according to Chinese
Nutrition and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM):


Factoids:
English Name: ginko nut, ginko seed
Pharmaceutical Name: Semen Ginkgo
Properties: slightly toxic, sweet, bitter, astringent, neutral


Temperature: neutral

Channels: LU, KD

Flavors: toxic, sweet, bitter

Special Properties:
clears heat, resolves phlegm, resolves dryness


    Alternate Forms:
  • yin xing ye / yin guo ye / bai guo ye (Folium Ginkgo Biloba) - bitter, astringent, neutral; LU; stabilizes LU, calms wheezing, stops pain, invigorates blood; used for cholesterol, hypertension, angina, vascular diseases, 5-10g

Actions / Indications:
  • Stabilizes LU qi; stops cough and wheezing (cough, wheezing, with phlegm due to LU heat, or unproductive cough with LU dryness or due to LU/KD deficiency)
  • Stops vaginal discharge, stabilizes urine (vaginal discharge and for cloudy urine; urinary frequency or incontinence; spermatorrhea)

    Special Notes:
  • (cooking: CRUSH before decocting)
  • Often used with jie geng and ma huang to open LU qi to dispel lingering factors
  • Often combined with ma huang to stop wheeze.

Contraindications:
  • (cc: do not use large quantities or for long term use due to toxicity)