Areca Seed is the dried mature seed of the Areca Seed plant from the Windmill Palm family. Areca Seed is originally from Malaysia. It thrives in high-temperature and humid climates, is tolerant of fertile soil, but not cold-resistant. It grows best in deep, organic-rich sandy loam soil. It is mostly cultivated and primarily produced in Guangdong, Yunnan, Taiwan, and other regions. Its taste is pungent and bitter, and its nature is warm. It belongs to the stomach and large intestine meridians. Its effects include killing worms, eliminating stagnation, descending qi, promoting water circulation, and preventing malaria attacks. Clinical names include Areca Seed and charred Areca Seed.
bubble_chart Compendium of Materia Medica
Mingyi Bielu: Pungent in taste, warm in nature, non-toxic. Mainly used to promote digestion, expel water, eliminate phlegm, kill three types of parasites, remove hidden corpses, and treat tapeworms.
Yaoxing Lun: Monarch herb, sweet in taste, associated with Great Cold (24th solar term). It can regulate the stagnation of the five zang and six fu organs, break through hard and full qi, reduce edema, and treat heart pain, wind-blood, and abdominal masses.
《海藥 materia medica》: Astringent in taste, warm in nature, non-toxic. Mainly used to treat running-piglet qi, five types of diaphragm qi, wind-cold qi, and indigestion. 《腳氣論》states: Mix one cup of ox urine with one ground Areca Seed and take it warm on an empty stomach to treat foot qi congestion and edema. Qin doctors say: Two Areca Seeds, one raw and one cooked, ground into powder and decocted with wine, are effective in treating bladder qi.
Rihuazi Bencao: Astringent in taste. It eliminates all types of wind, descends all types of qi, unblocks joints, benefits the nine orifices, tonifies five strains and seven injuries, strengthens the spleen, regulates the middle, relieves irritability, breaks up masses, and descends five types of diaphragm qi.
Kaibao Bencao: Pungent in taste, warm in nature, non-toxic. Mainly used to promote digestion, expel water, eliminate phlegm, kill three types of parasites, remove hidden corpses, and treat tapeworms.Bencao Yanyi: It is said to be fast-acting and sharp, and repeated trials have confirmed this.
Yaolei Faxiang: Turbid in qi, pungent in taste.
It treats tenesmus remarkably, and its nature is as heavy as iron and stone, capable of sinking other herbs to the root of the nose.
Yaoxing Fu: Bitter and pungent in taste, warm in qi, non-toxic. Descending in nature, yin in character. Its uses are twofold: it sinks medicinal properties like iron and stone, and treats tenesmus as effectively as a galloping horse.
Tangye Bencao: Warm in qi, pungent and bitter in taste, with a strong taste and light qi, yin within yang. Pure yang, non-toxic.
《象》states: It treats tenesmus remarkably. Its nature is as heavy as iron and stone, capable of sinking other herbs to the root of the nose.
《心》states: Bitter to break stagnation, pungent to disperse pathogens, specifically breaking stagnant qi and descending it.
《珍》states: It breaks stagnant qi and vents the highest qi in the chest.
《materia medica》states: Mainly used to promote digestion, expel water, eliminate phlegm, kill three types of parasites, remove hidden corpses, and treat tapeworms.
Bencao Yanyi Buyi: Pure yang, breaks qi, vents the highest qi in the chest. 《象》states: It treats tenesmus remarkably. Its nature is as heavy as iron and stone, sinking other herbs to the lowest level.
Bencao Fahui: Jiegu states: It treats tenesmus remarkably. Its nature is as heavy as iron and stone, capable of sinking other herbs to the lowest level. 《主治秘訣》states: Warm in nature, bitter in taste, light in qi, strong in taste, sinking and descending, yin within yang. It breaks stagnant qi and descends it, venting the highest qi in the chest.
Bencao Gangmu: It can make the sober drunk, the drunk sober, the hungry full, and the full hungry. Moreover, its nature is疏通而不泄氣, and its taste is严正而更有餘甘. With such virtues, it has such effects.It treats tenesmus after diarrhea, various pains in the heart and abdomen, constipation of qi in the large and small intestines, panting due to phlegm, and various types of malaria, and resists pestilent qi.
Bencao Jingshu: Areca Seed obtains the yang qi of heaven and the metal-pungent of earth, hence it is pungent in taste, warm in nature, and non-toxic. Da Ming mentions its astringency. Yuan Su mentions its bitterness, as it senses the qi of the intense summer fire. It is thin in qi and thick in taste, slightly yin within yang, and descending in nature. It enters the Hand and Foot Yangming meridians. The Foot Yangming is the sea of water and grain, and the Hand Yangming is the official of transmission. These two meridians are interconnected to transport and transform the essence. When these two meridians are diseased, water and grain cannot be digested in time, leading to stagnation and the formation of phlegm and lumps, or dampness-heat that, if retained for a long time, can transform into various worms. This medicine, being pungent, can disperse knots and break stagnation, and being bitter, can kill worms without purging, hence it is indicated for the above-mentioned conditions. Zhen Quan: It promotes the flow of qi in the five zang and six fu-organs, breaks the middle qi in the chest, reduces edema, and treats heart pain and abdominal masses. Rihuazi: It lowers all types of qi, unblocks the joints, benefits the nine orifices, strengthens the spleen, regulates the middle, and breaks masses. Li Xun: It is indicated for running-piglet qi, five types of diaphragm qi, wind-cold qi, foot qi, and retained food that is not digested. All these effects are due to its pungent and warm nature, which disperses and breaks qi, descends accumulation, and can expel tangible substances from the intestines and stomach.
Jian Wu: Areca Seed has the property of sinking qi, and is contraindicated for diseases of the root of the nose due to qi deficiency. It is not suitable for those with spleen and stomach deficiency, even if there is retention of food. Diarrhea without tenesmus should avoid it. Abdominal pain without retention or worm infestation should not use it. Any disease characterized by deficiency of both yin and yang, insufficient middle qi, and not due to gastrointestinal stagnation or food retention with distension, is contraindicated.Bencao Mengquan: It tastes pungent and bitter, with a warm qi. It is thick in taste and thin in qi, descending in nature, and is a yang within yin. It is non-toxic. It expels water and grain, eliminates phlegm, stops heart pain, and kills three types of worms. It treats tenesmus remarkably and sinks various qi extremely downward. It specifically breaks stagnant qi and moves it downward. If taken excessively, it also purges the highest qi in the chest.
Mo's Note: Taking Areca Seed, its bitterness breaks stagnant qi, and its pungency disperses pathogenic qi. Long-term use damages vital qi, and excessive use purges the highest qi. Compared to Submature Bitter Orange and green tangerine peel, this is even more severe. Why do people in the southern mountainous regions, who are usually healthy, consume it daily as if it were normal? They say it can ward off mountain miasma diseases. This custom has become a habit, continuing to this day. Even scholars who serve there follow this custom and consume it, causing their peaceful stomach qi to be constantly depleted. Truly, it is not only unhelpful but harmful, a harmful habit that people continue even unto death without regret! Luo Qian-fu said: Taking medicine without illness is like installing a mouse in the wall, truly a fitting saying! It is often said that using medicine is like using soldiers, something the court does out of necessity to defend against invaders. If there are no invaders to subdue and troops are sent out without cause, not only is it a waste of provisions, but it also harms the innocent. Beware! Beware!
《Materia Medica Cheng Ya》: The text says: Those facing the sun are called Bin; those facing the shade are called Lang. It refers to their nodes like joints, gradually accumulating to allow ascent. Thus, adverse rising is treated by inhibition, like running-piglet's upward rebellion, foot qi rushing to the heart, sudden dizziness, and peak diseases. Treating fallen by raising, like diarrhea with tenesmus, clearing qi aspect's sinking, chest pain radiating to the back, and fullness in the ribs below. Excess is balanced, like retained water, hard accumulations, and chest and abdominal fullness and dryness. Deficiency is supplemented, like extreme fatigue, triple energizer's failure to close, spleen earth's sallow withering, and inability to turn food into flesh. Closed is opened, like organ stagnation, joint blockage, five diaphragms' rebellion, and inability to accept food and water. Opened is closed, like lienteric diarrhea's dysentery, vomiting's upward rush, cholera's spontaneous sweating, and restlessness to the point of death. The drunk are awakened, suddenly released. The awake are drunk, flushed cheeks. The hungry are filled, full of vigorous qi. The full are starved, suddenly qi disperses. As for killing three worms, driving out hidden corpses, eliminating inch white, expelling various worms hidden in the skeleton, causing long-standing unhealed diseases, and transforming into strange symptoms, it follows the path of continuing the life yang of all things, returning to the deep, obscure death yin.
Yaoxing Jie: Areca Seed, with a pungent, sweet, and astringent taste, warm in nature, non-toxic, enters the stomach and large intestine meridians. It mainly digests grain and expels water, promotes the function of zang-fu organs, hardens and moves stagnation, eliminates phlegm, kills three worms, expels hidden corpses, treats inch white, attacks foot qi, resolves various worms, and sinks medicinal properties like iron and stone, treating heaviness like a galloping horse.
Note: Areca Seed, a sweet and warm product, is suitable for the gastrointestinal system. Its sinking yin nature is suitable for the large intestine. Examining its effects, it is taken for its sinking, not for breaking qi. Many in Guangdong and Fujian consume it because the warm and damp climate causes the residents' qi to rise excessively, so they consume the peel to lower it. The long and pointed ones are fast and sharp in effect.
Yaojian: Warm in qi, bitter and pungent in taste, non-toxic, descending, yin in nature. It sinks various medicines downward, thus treating tenesmus remarkably. Its sinking property must be used with Aucklandia Root. 《Supplement》 says it breaks stagnant qi, purges the highest qi in the chest, due to its heavy and sinking nature, causing stagnant qi to disperse and the highest qi to descend. It also says it can kill inch white, not by killing worms, but by its sinking nature, driving worms downward.
Jingyue Quanshu: Pungent and astringent in taste, slightly bitter and slightly sweet, with a mildly warm qi. Thick in taste but thin in qi, descending with a hint of ascending, it is yang within yin. It can eliminate retained food, detoxify alcohol, dissolve phlegm, relieve stagnation, warm the middle, and invigorate qi. It treats abdominal distension and fullness, abdominal mass, heart and abdominal pain, asthma, opens the joints, benefits the nine orifices, expels five diaphragms, running-piglet, bladder qi, kills three types of parasites, eliminates foot qi, and treats various malaria, pestilent qi, and damp evils. The "Materia Medica" states that it treats heavy sensations as if galloping horses, which is due to its warm nature and ability to move stagnation. However, it is not suitable for those with qi deficiency and sinking. It is also said to break qi extremely quickly, even more so than Submature Bitter Orange and green tangerine peel. If so, how can the people of Guangnan consume it daily without harm? In summary, this substance is warm and pungent, thus it can awaken the spleen and benefit qi; it is sweet and astringent, thus it can strengthen the spleen and fortify qi, making it a remedy that both moves and retains.
Bencao Beiyao: Drains qi, promotes water circulation, breaks up distension, and attacks hardness.
Bitter and warm, it breaks stagnation; pungent and warm, it disperses pathogenic factors. It drains the highest qi in the chest, directing it downward. Its nature is as heavy as iron and stone, capable of sinking various medicines down to the root of the nose. It attacks hardness, removes distension, promotes digestion, moves phlegm, drains water, and eliminates wind, killing worms and sobering up from alcohol. It treats phlegm accumulation, hard masses, miasmic pestilent qi, malaria, dysentery, edema, and beriberi. Especially useful for beriberi with qi rushing to the heart, it is taken with child's urine, ginger juice, and warm wine. It treats constipation and tenesmus of both stool and urine. Used with Aucklandia Root, which promotes qi movement. Overuse damages vital qi. In the Lingnan region, where miasma is common, Areca Seed is used as a tea substitute, with four effects: it can sober the drunk, intoxicate the sober, satiate the hungry, and make the full hungry. However, it depletes visceral qi and should be avoided in areas without miasma.
Benjing Fengyuan: Areca Seed drains the highest qi in the chest, directing it downward. Its nature is as heavy as iron and stone, capable of sinking various medicines down to the root of the nose. Thus, it treats disorders of the Chong vessel, counterflow qi, rectal urgency, and effectively relieves qi stagnation, abdominal distension, and fullness. For chest and abdominal pain due to parasitic infestation and food retention, it is an essential medicine when used with Aucklandia Root. Its functions focus on lowering qi, relieving distension, expelling water, eliminating phlegm, killing worms, treating dysentery, breaking up food stagnation, stopping malaria, and treating hernias, beriberi, and miasmic pestilent qi. However, it worsens fullness and blockage in those with qi deficiency and sinking, or with thick phlegm and qi stagnation in the diaphragm. It must not be used after diarrhea or malaria in cases of deficiency. In the miasmic regions of Fujian and Guangdong, people often consume it wrapped in betel leaves. The saying that it can make the full hungry and the drunk sober refers to its ability to lower qi. Making the hungry full and the sober drunk is due to the pungent and warm nature of betel leaves, which open and disperse the qi inside and outside the body to expel miasmic pestilent qi.
Bencao Qiuzhen: [Comment] Treats chest and diaphragm miasmic pestilent qi and distension.
Areca Seed specifically enters the intestines and stomach. Pungent, bitter, and warm, it is said to drain the highest qi, directing it downward to the extreme. Its bitter taste governs descending, and its nature is as heavy as iron and stone, hence its sinking and purgative power. Thus, there is no hardness it cannot break, no distension it cannot relieve, no food it cannot digest, no phlegm it cannot move, no water it cannot drain, no qi it cannot eliminate, and no worm it cannot kill. For example, to remove lice from pubic hair, boil it in water for washing. It opens both stool and urine; many medicines for opening the two excretions contain it. Therefore, for tenesmus, it is used with Aucklandia Root. For miasmic pestilent qi malaria, as in Membrane-Source-Opening Decoction for epidemics. Also for edema, beriberi, and alcohol intoxication, all rely on its bitter, warm, pungent, and astringent nature to open, discharge, and move qi, breaking up stagnation. The saying that it can make the full hungry and the drunk sober refers to its ability to lower qi. Making the hungry full and the sober drunk is due to Areca Seed being chewed wrapped in betel leaves.
Depei Bencao: Sweet, pungent, warm. Enters the qi aspect of the Yangming channels of the hands and feet. Drains the highest qi in the stomach, sinks various medicines down to the root of the nose, reaches the membrane source, and disperses epidemic pathogens. Treats diarrhea and dysentery, breaks stagnation, attacks hard accumulations, stops various pains, disperses phlegm accumulations, kills three types of worms, eliminates water distension, and treats miasmic malaria.
With child's urine, treats rising qi in the feet; or with ginger juice. With tangerine peel, treats incised wounds and nausea. Paired with Galangal, treats heart and spleen pain; with Ophiopogon Tuber, treats severe constipation and blood strangury; with Immature Orange Fruit and Coptis Rhizome, treats cold-damage disease with fullness.
Contraindicated in non-miasmic malaria, qi deficiency with sinking, and conditions resembling dysentery but not actually dysentery.
Benjing Shuzheng: Plants and trees have nodes, which must be due to being hollow in the middle; if not hollow, they must have branches. Those that are neither hollow nor have branches but still have nodes are only the Areca Seed. The leaves of plants and trees that grow in clusters arise from the ground; if they do not arise from the ground, they must have branches. If they neither arise from the ground nor have branches but sprout from the treetop, it is also only the Areca Seed. The fruit that grows between its leaves moves upward to the extreme and then downward. Not only does it move internally without obstruction, but even if there are traces of obstruction externally, it does not hinder the flow of qi. However, the Areca Seed moves through the nodes without any obstruction and primarily aids in digesting grains and expelling water. Why does it share the same principle as the Gansui Root, which has solid nodes and removes persistent fluid retention, retained food, breaks abdominal masses, and benefits the water and grain passages? The root is where growth originates, hence it promotes ascent; the fruit is where storage returns, hence it promotes descent. Gansui Root is a herbaceous root, while Areca Seed is a woody fruit. Gansui Root can descend due to its bitter taste and cold nature, so why can't Areca Seed ascend due to its pungent taste and warm nature? Moreover, a single stem grows straight up without branching, only sprouting leaves after reaching a height of five to seven zhang, indicating a strong upward surge of qi. However, as it returns to its root and fulfills its destiny, what rises greatly must also descend greatly, hence its fruit descends. Once the plant touches water and soil, it can grow upward again, so after descending, it can still ascend, not necessarily due to its pungent taste and warm nature. Therefore, digesting grains leads them downward, and upon reaching the soil, it grinds them down, yet still allows the rising of qi to emerge. Expelling water guides it downward, ensuring it reaches the regulating pathways, yet still allows the essence to ascend. This is its function in the middle path. Removing phlegm and obstructions by searching and dredging ensures no hidden or remote places remain, which is its function on the sides. When water and grains are regulated and qi movement flows smoothly, no pathogenic qi dares to interfere, and no worms or evils arise. If it solely descends and breaks and discharges, like Gansui Root, then why, when compared to fruits that people chew all day, do we not see sudden major harm? This is how we can understand the reason.
Bencao Xinbian: Areca Seed, pungent and bitter in taste, warm in qi, descending, yang within yin, non-toxic. Enters the spleen, stomach, large intestine, and lung meridians. Dissolves water and grains, eliminates phlegm accumulation, stops heart pain, kills three types of parasites, treats heavy sensation in the lower body with miraculous effect, brings down various qi to the extreme lower part, specifically breaks stagnant qi and moves it downward. If taken in excess, it may instead purge the highest qi in the chest. Excellent for dispelling miasma, people in Guangdong and Guangxi still chew it as they did in the past. The ancients suspected it depletes vital qi, advising people to regulate the stomach and avoid eating Areca Seed. This is also a reasonable view, but not a comprehensive theory. In the miasma-filled regions of Lingnan, the poisonous qi of snakes and insects, combined with the steaming heat, is exhaled and inhaled at mountain peaks and water streams, and the mountain and water miasma qi together invade people, causing immediate fullness, stuffiness, dizziness, and vertigo. Without chewing Areca Seed, how else can one quickly relieve these symptoms? The way of heaven and earth is such that for every poison, there is a remedy. Areca Seed, sensing the most upright qi of heaven and earth, grows in Guangdong and Guangxi, originally to save the people there. Moreover, this substance descends and does not rise; although it can disperse qi, it does not rise much, dispersing only the evil and not the righteous qi. This is why people in Guangdong and Guangxi can take it for a long time without harm. However, once they leave these regions, it is not suitable to take it for a long time, as there is no evil to disperse, and it will inevitably injure healthy qi.
Someone asked: Areca Seed is a substance for dispelling miasma, seemingly only suitable for treating miasma, why is it necessary for treating dysentery? Answer: Although Areca Seed can treat dysentery, it is only suitable at the initial stage and not for chronic dysentery. There is no stopping method for dysentery; using Areca Seed is to expel the accumulated filth, so it must be used at the initial stage of dysentery. In chronic dysentery, there is no accumulated filth in the intestines; if treated as in the initial stage, the weak will become weaker, and the dysentery will worsen, so Areca Seed must not be used in chronic dysentery. However, I believe that Areca Seed should not be used alone even in the initial stage of dysentery; using Chinese Angelica and Peony Root as the main ingredients, supplemented by Areca Seed, can easily cure dysentery without damaging healthy qi, truly a balanced approach to treating dysentery.
Someone doubted: If Areca Seed removes food retention, it should be used alone, why use Chinese Angelica as a corrigent? Chinese Angelica, though tonifying, is also slippery, aiding its attacking nature. Why use white bean's sour astringency, which can achieve results? It is not understood that Areca Seed must be supplemented to carry out its attack. The stagnation of accumulation is due to the drying up of qi and blood. If only Areca Seed is used to attack food retention, qi and blood will be further injured, and the stagnant filth will be more blocked and not cleared. Therefore, Chinese Angelica must be used to generate qi and blood, then the large intestine will naturally be moistened, creating an opportunity for clearance. However, liver wood overcomes spleen earth; when wood is vigorous, fire is vigorous, and vigorous fire will inevitably dry up qi and blood. What Chinese Angelica generates is not enough to counteract what it overcomes, so Peony Root must be added to calm the liver, then the liver will not overcome the spleen, and the sourness of Peony Root can also generate blood, aiding the moistening effect of Chinese Angelica. Thus, working together, they enhance the efficacy of Areca Seed. Therefore, astringency is precisely what enables its attack.
Bencao Fenjing: Bitter, pungent, warm. Can bring down various medicines, attack hardness and break distension, dissolve food and move phlegm, expel water and disperse evil, kill worms and sober up, purge the highest qi in the chest down to the root of the nose. Those with qi deficiency and sinking should use with caution.
bubble_chart Modern Pharmacology
- Areca Seed alkaloid is the effective component of Areca Seed for expelling parasites, having a paralyzing effect on pork tapeworms.
- Areca Seed has an anti-schistosome effect.
- Areca Seed has an anti-fungal effect.
- Areca Seed has an anti-viral effect.
- Areca Seed has a parasympathomimetic effect, and Areca Seed alkaloid's stimulation of the parasympathetic nerve is similar to acetylcholine.
- Areca Seed contains tannins that antagonize the effects of its alkaloids, and can cause spasms in the uterus during animal pregnancy, so caution is needed when used by pregnant women.