Medicinals
chì xiǎo dòu / 赤小豆 / 赤小豆 / rice bean;
Latin pharmacognostic name: Vignae Semen
Alternate English names: red bean
Alternate Chinese names: 红小豆 hóng xiǎo dòu; 小红绿豆 xiǎo hóng lǜ dòu; 金红小豆 jīn hóng xiǎo dòu; 朱小豆 zhū xiǎo dòu; 朱赤豆 zhū chì dòu; 赤豆 chì dòu; 红豆[2] hóng dòu
Origin: Plant
Use: medicinal and alimentary
Category: Water-disinhibiting dampness-percolating agents / Water-disinhibiting swelling-dispersing agents
Properties: Sweet and sour; balanced; nontoxic*.
Channel entry: heart and small intestine channels.
Indications:
- Disinhibits water and disperses swelling: Water swelling; leg qì (jiǎo qì) swelling.
- Abates jaundice: Jaundice with reddish urine.
- Resolves toxin and expels pus: Swollen welling-abscesses (yōng zhǒng); cinnabar toxin (dān dú). Also treats bloody stool due to heat toxin.
Dosage & Method:
Oral: Decoct (15–30g) or use in powders or pills. Topical: Grind and apply mixed.
Quality:
Plump beans with deep red seed coats are best.
Product Area:
Phaseolus calcaratus (rice bean): Guǎngdōng, Guǎngxī, Jiāngxī, Shanghai – wild and cultivated. Phaseolus angularis (adzuki bean): Cultivated in most parts of China.