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Shennong Bencao Jing
009 / 030
Dazao (Jujube) — classical plate
Jujubae Fructus · Jujube Plate 009
Jujubae Fructus
大枣 Dazao
Jujube
Fructus Ziziphae Jujubae
Nature & FlavorSweet; warm
ChannelsSpleen, Stomach, Heart
Actions
Tonifies the centerNourishes bloodCalms the spiritHarmonizes
Six ChannelsAn assisting herb in Taiyang and Shaoyang patterns
The Classic The original text

「味甘平。主心腹邪气，安中养脾，助十二经，平胃气，通九窍，补少气少津液，身中不足，大惊，四肢重，和百药。」

Sweet in flavor, neutral. It treats pathogenic qi in the heart and abdomen, settles the center and nourishes the spleen, assists the twelve channels, levels stomach qi, opens the nine orifices, supplements scant qi and fluids, insufficiency within the body, great fright, and heaviness of the limbs — and it harmonizes the hundred medicinals.

RootBro's note — 'Harmonizes the hundred medicinals' works at a different level from licorice's 'harmonizing the other herbs': dazao supplies nutritional substrate, building a gut environment in which the other herbs can be metabolized well.
PhD Insight A systems-biology reading
Dazao is rich in cyclic AMP (cAMP) — the highest content of any food known. cAMP is the second messenger of cellular signaling, involved in immune regulation, heart-muscle protection and nervous-system calm.
cAMP · 环磷酸腺苷
Second-messenger activation → immune-cell function regulated + heart muscle relaxed + smooth muscle eased. Dazao polysaccharides also feed gut probiotics → a better digestive micro-environment → better absorption of the other herbs.
Why Guizhi Tang pairs fresh ginger with dazao: ginger promotes gastric secretion and gut motility, dazao provides glycogen replenishment and mucosal protection. Together they 'pre-treat' the digestive tract so guizhi and shaoyao are absorbed effectively.
Logic Pairing Classical pairings
Guizhi Tang (Cinnamon Twig Decoction)Xiao Chaihu Tang (Minor Bupleurum Decoction)Zhigancao Tang (Honey-Fried Licorice Decoction)Gan Mai Dazao Tang (Licorice, Wheat & Jujube Decoction)Shi Zao Tang (Ten Jujubes Decoction)
← Previous Zhigancao · 炙甘草

⚠️ Safety note: This page is study material on the Chinese medical classics, offered for cultural and educational understanding only. It is not a diagnosis, a prescription, or a promise of treatment. Herbs are medicine — use them only under the guidance of a licensed practitioner, and never compound or take them on your own.

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