English: Biota twigs and leaves
Chinese: 侧柏叶
Parts used: Dried twigs and leaves
TCM category: Herbs that stop bleeding
TCM nature: Cool
TCM taste(s): Bitter
Organ affinity: Heart Large intestine Liver Lung
Scientific name: Platyclasdus orientalis
Other names: Ce Bai Ye, Chinese thuja twigs and leaves, Oriental arborvitae twigs and leaves, Oriental thuja twigs and leaves, Chinese Arborvitae twigs and leaves
Use of Ce Bo Ye (biota twigs and leaves) in TCM
Please note that you should never self-prescribe TCM ingredients. A TCM ingredient is almost never eaten on its own but as part of a formula containing several ingredients that act together. Please consult a professional TCM practitioner, they will be best able to guide you.
Preparation: Collect twigs and leaves, remove impurities, wash and dry.
Dosage: 6 to 12 g
Main actions according to TCM*: Cools Blood Heat and stops bleeding. Reduces Lung Heat, stops coughing and expels Phlegm. Relieves numb pain from Wind Damp. Cools Heat on the skin and helps burns healing.
Primary conditions or symptoms for which Ce Bo Ye may be prescribed by TCM doctors*: Bloody coughing Bleeding gums Abnormal uterine bleeding Bloody sputum Arthritis Burns Burn infection Hair loss Premature graying Epistaxis Hematemesis Hemoptysis Hematochezia
Contraindications*: Not for people with Heat or Damp. It should also not be used over long periods of time.
Common TCM formulas in which Ce Bo Ye is used*
Shi Hui San
Source date: 1348g
Number of ingredients: 10 herbs
Formula key actions: Cools the Blood and . Stops bleeding. Clears Heat and drains Fire.
Conditions targeted*: Pulmonary tuberculosisBronchiectasis and others
Ce Bo Ye is a deputy ingredient in Shi Hui San. This means it helps the king ingredient(s) treat the main pattern or it serves to treat a coexisting pattern.
In Shi Hui San, Ce Bo Ye , together with other deputy herbs, cools the Blood and stop bleeding.
Together with the key herbs, it clear the Heat that is the source of the bleeding problem while also stopping the bleeding.
Key TCM concepts behind Ce Bo Ye's properties
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Ce Bo Ye belongs to the 'Herbs that stop bleeding' category. Like the name indicates these herbs tend to have hemostatic properties, meaning that they help stop various types of hemorrhages and echymosis. Unlike other herbs they often tend to be used externally.
Furthermore Ce Bo Ye is Cool in nature. This means that Ce Bo Ye tends to help people who have too much 'Heat' in their body, although with less effect than a plant that would be Cold in nature. Balance between Yin and Yang is a key health concept in TCM. Those who have too much Heat in their body are said to either have a Yang Excess (because Yang is Hot in nature) or a Yin deficiency (Yin is Cold in Nature). Depending on your condition Ce Bo Ye can help restore a harmonious balance between Yin and Yang.
Ce Bo Ye also tastes Bitter. The so-called 'Five Phases' theory in Chinese Medicine states that the taste of TCM ingredients is a key determinant of their action in the body. Bitter ingredients like Ce Bo Ye tends to have a cleansing action on the body by clearing Heat, drying Dampness and promoting elimination via urination or bowel movements.
The tastes of ingredients in TCM also determine what Organs and Meridians they target. As such Ce Bo Ye is thought to target the Heart, the Large intestine, the Liver and the Lung. In addition to regulating Blood flow, in TCM the Heart is believed to be the store of the 'Mind' which basically refers to someone's vitality. The Large Intestine on the other hand receives the "impure" parts of the digested food from the Small Intestine, absorbs the remaining fluids and excrete the remainder as feces. The Liver is often referred as the body's "general" because it is in charge of regulating the movements of Qi and the Body Fluids. It also takes a leading role in balancing our emotions. In addition to performing respiration, the Lungs are thought in TCM to be a key part of the production chain for Qi and the Body Fluids that nourish the body.