Herb

Chinese Yam (Shan yao)

山药shan yao
1 sourceRhizoma Dioscoreae

Supplements the spleen, lung and kidney and boosts qi, astringes essence, checks diarrhea, and engenders fluids.

Used in 3 formulas

Source

Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu)卷二十七·菜部·柔滑类·薯蓣·主治（时珍）

References
  • functions_en self-translated from 本草纲目 traditional_functions (public domain; the Chinese tf carries verbatim excerpt_hash citations). No modern work consulted.
  • WHO IST-TCM terminology-aligned for the English rendering.
  • public pharmacopoeia & botanical facts (public-domain reference facts; no proprietary modern source).
Traditional functions

Classical source text (Chinese) — English summary above.

传统中医记载：《本经》载薯蓣（山药）主伤中、补虚羸、除寒热邪气、补中、益气力、长肌肉、强阴，久服耳目聪明、轻身不饥延年；《别录》充五脏、除烦热；李时珍谓益肾气、健脾胃、止泄痢、化痰涎、润皮毛。

Nature, flavor & meridians

Nature & flavor: 甘，温、平，无毒（《本经》）；《吴普》载神农甘、小温，桐君、雷公甘、凉。·Meridians: 肺（手太阴）, 脾（足太阴）

Used in formulas
Citations
  • Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) · Li Shizhen · 卷二十七·菜部·柔滑类·薯蓣·主治（时珍）Cited from Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) for its traditional functions.
  • Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) · Li Shizhen · 卷二十七·菜部·柔滑类·薯蓣·气味（之才·为使恶）Cited from Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) for its safety notes.
  • Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) · Li Shizhen · 卷二十七·菜部·柔滑类·薯蓣（条目标题·《本经》上品）Cited from Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) for its classification.
  • Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) · Li Shizhen · 卷二十七·菜部·柔滑类·薯蓣·释名Cited from Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) for its alternate names.
  • Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) · Li Shizhen · 卷二十七·菜部·柔滑类·薯蓣·气味（《本经》·吴普）Cited from Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) for its nature & flavor.
  • Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) · Li Shizhen · 卷二十七·菜部·柔滑类·薯蓣·发明（时珍引吴绶：入手、足太阴二经）Cited from Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) for its meridian tropism.
  • Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) · Li Shizhen · 卷二十七·菜部·柔滑类·薯蓣·主治（《本经》）Cited from Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) for its traditional functions.