Black Sesame Seed (Heizhima)
| Pharmaceutical Name: | Semen Sesami |
| Botanical Name: | Sesamum indicum nigrum L. |
| Common Name: | Black Sesame seed |
| Source of Earliest Record: | Shennong Bencao Jing |
| art Used & Method for Pharmaceutical Preparations: | The ripe sesame seeds are gathered in autumn, then they are dried in the sun. |
| Properties and Taste: | Sweet and neutral |
| Meridian: | Liver and kidney |
| Functions: | To tonify the essence and blood To moisten the intestines and move feces |
| Indications and Combinations: | 1. Deficient essence and blood manifested as dizziness, blurred vision and early graying of hair. *Use with Mulberry leaf (Sangye) in the formula San Ma Wan. 2. Constipation due to dryness in the intestines. *Use with Chinese angelica root (Danggui), Cistanche (Roucongrong) and Arborvitae seed (Baiziren). |
| Dosage: | 10-30 g (The herb is most effective when fried.) |
| Cautions: | This herb should not be used in cases with diarrhea. |