Medicinals

bái guǒ / 白果 / 白果 / ginkgo [nut]

Latin pharmacognostic name: Ginkgo Semen

Alternate English names:

Alternate Chinese names: 灵眼 líng yǎn; 白果仁 bái guǒ rén; 白果肉 bái guǒ ròu; 银杏 yín xìng; 银杏肉 yín xìng ròu; 佛指甲 fó zhǐ jiǎ

Origin: Plant

Use: medicinal and alimentary

Category: Phlegm-transforming cough-relieving panting-calming agents / Cough-relieving panting-calming agents

Properties: Sweet, bitter, astringent; balanced; slightly toxic.

Channel entry: lung channels. (some sources add kidney channel.)

Indications:

Dosage & Method:

Oral: 5–10g in decoctions; crush before use. bái guǒ is more toxic if it is used raw and then can easily cause poisoning, so the dosage should be carefully controlled. Clinically, it is generally used in its stir-fried form because heat reduces its toxicity.

Warning:

bái guǒ is toxic and should be not be used excessively; it should be used with care in children. Use of excessive quantities can cause digestive tract symptoms, or in severe cases, respiratory paralysis and death. The toxicity can be reduced by heating (stir-frying or boiling); adverse reactions are rare when consumed by decoction, and generally occur from overconsumption of ginkgo nuts as a food. Side effects include headache, heat effusion, cramp, heart vexation, and panting. These side effects can be treated with a 6g decoction of gān cǎo (Glycyrrhizae Radix) or a 30g decoction of the ginkgo shell.

Product Description:

The dried seed is obovate or elliptical, and slightly flat. It is 1.5–2.5 cm long, and 1–1.5 cm thick. The seed coat is white or pale gray, smooth, and hard, with a ridge running around the margins. At the tip is the scar of the funiculus. The actual seed is spheroid, pale yellow, or yellowish green, with a white, farinaceous interior and a hollow core. Close to the tip are two cotyledons or more.

Quality:

White seed coats and full seeds that are white on the inside are best.

Product Area:

Most areas of China, with principal production in Guǎngxī, Sìchuān, Hénán, Shāndōng, Húběi, and Liáoníng; also produced in Japan, and Korea.

Etymology:

bái guǒ 白果, literally ""white fruit,"" and yín xìng 银杏, ""literally ""silver apricot,"" reflect the color of this item. The English name ginkgo is a Japanese (mis)transcription (should be ginkyo) of the latter name.

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