The History Of Cistanche: A Review Of Ancient Medical Records

Known as the "Ginseng of the Desert", Cistanche is a highly representative tonic Chinese medicinal herb. Growing in deserts and Gobi deserts, it is parasitic on the roots of plants such as Haloxylon ammodendron and Tamarix chinensis. With its mild medicinal properties and remarkable effects, it has run through the thousands of years of China's medical development history. From its first recorded name in the Eastern Han Dynasty's Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing (Shen Nong's Classic of Materia Medica) to the systematic sorting out by works such as Compendium of Materia Medica in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, ancient physicians continuously enriched and improved the understanding of Cistanche's medicinal value through clinical practice and literature research, making it an indispensable member of the treasure trove of traditional Chinese medicine. Focusing on ancient medical records, this paper sorts out the medicinal history of Cistanche, analyzes the records of physicians of various dynasties on its morphology, producing areas, efficacy, usage, and identification, and restores the medicinal evolution process of this "desert fairy grass".

superman herbs cistanche

The earliest records of Cistanche in ancient Chinese medical books can be traced back to Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing in the Eastern Han Dynasty, which is the earliest existing monograph on materia medica in China and the first classic that formally included Cistanche into the medicinal system. The book classifies medicinal herbs into three grades: superior, middle, and inferior. Cistanche is listed as a superior herb, indicating its important position in the minds of ancient physicians. Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing records: "Rou Song Rong (Cistanche), sweet in taste and slightly warm in nature. It treats five strains and seven injuries, tonifies the middle energizer, relieves cold-heat pain in the stem, nourishes the five zang-organs, strengthens yin, benefits essence and qi, promotes fertility, and treats abdominal masses in women. Taking it for a long time makes the body light. It grows in mountain valleys." Here, "Rou Song Rong" is the early name of Cistanche. Although it does not describe its morphology in detail, it clearly defines its nature, flavor, core efficacy, and growing environment, laying the foundation for the research on Cistanche in later generations.

In terms of nature and flavor, Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing clearly states that it is "sweet in taste and slightly warm in nature". The sweet taste can tonify, harmonize, and relieve, while the warm nature can dispel cold and assist yang. This description of nature and flavor accurately captures the core medicinal characteristics of Cistanche and explains the theoretical basis of its tonic effect. In terms of efficacy, "treating five strains and seven injuries and tonifying the middle energizer" establishes its core role in tonifying qi and blood and regulating strain. "Five strains and seven injuries" is an ancient general term for various chronic strain diseases, including damage to blood from prolonged watching and damage to qi from prolonged lying. The record of Cistanche's effect of tonifying the middle energizer indicates its application value in regulating chronic consumptive diseases; "relieving cold-heat pain in the stem" points to its therapeutic effect on diseases of the urinary and reproductive systems; "nourishing the five zang-organs, strengthening yin, benefiting essence and qi, and promoting fertility" further refines its tonic effect, especially emphasizing the nourishment of liver and kidney yin essence and the regulation of reproductive function, providing a theoretical basis for its later use in tonifying the kidney and essence, and assisting pregnancy and preventing miscarriage; "treating abdominal masses in women" indicates that Cistanche is also used in the treatment of blood stasis accumulation diseases in women; "taking it for a long time makes the body light" reflects its health-preserving and longevity-promoting effect, which is consistent with the characteristics of superior herbs that "nourish life to respond to heaven". In addition, the record of "growing in mountain valleys", although relatively brief, initially points out the cool and humid characteristics of its growing environment, laying the groundwork for the refinement of producing area records in the future.

What does cistanche do

After the Eastern Han Dynasty, the records of Cistanche in medical books of the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties were further enriched, among which Tao Hongjing's Ben Cao Jing Ji Zhu (Commentary on the Materia Medica) is the most important. On the basis of Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing, this book supplements the morphology, producing areas, and identification methods of Cistanche, making people's understanding of Cistanche more specific. Tao Hongjing recorded: "Cistanche grows in the mountain valleys of Hexi and Yanmen of Daijun. It is collected on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month and dried in the shade. It is born from the essence of wild horses falling to the ground. When it is alive, it looks like meat. Making mutton soup with it is excellent for tonifying deficiency and fatigue, and it can also be eaten raw. It is very abundant in Henan. Today, the best one comes from Longxi, which is flat, broad, soft, and moist, with many flowers and a sweet taste. The next one comes from the northern countries, which is short and has few flowers. There are also some in Badong and Jianping, but they are not as good." This record fills the gap in the morphological description in Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing, and for the first time clarifies the core morphological characteristic of Cistanche that "it looks like meat when alive". At the same time, it describes the morphological differences of Cistanche from different producing areas - those produced in Longxi are flat, broad, soft, moist, with many flowers and a sweet taste; those produced in the northern countries are short and have few flowers; those produced in Badong and Jianping are of poor quality. This is also the first time that ancient Chinese medical books have graded the genuine producing areas of Cistanche, establishing Longxi as the genuine producing area of Cistanche.

It is worth noting that Tao Hongjing's statement that "it is born from the essence of wild horses falling to the ground", although mythical, reflects the ancient people's lack of understanding of the parasitic growth characteristics of Cistanche, but also reflects the scarcity and mystery of Cistanche at that time. At the same time, the record of "making mutton soup with it is excellent for tonifying deficiency and fatigue, and it can also be eaten raw" supplements the eating methods of Cistanche, indicating that it was not only used as a medicinal herb in the Wei and Jin Dynasties, but also used in diet therapy, reflecting the concept of "medicine and food homology". In addition, Ben Cao Jing Ji Zhu also records the harvesting time and processing method of Cistanche - "collected on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month and dried in the shade". This processing method is still used today to ensure the preservation of Cistanche's medicinal effect. Wu Pu Ben Cao (Wu Pu's Materia Medica) in the same period also records Cistanche, mentioning that it is "three to four inches long and grows in clusters", further refining its morphological characteristics, which is consistent with the records in Ben Cao Jing Ji Zhu and enriches people's understanding of Cistanche's morphology. Ming Yi Bie Lu (Supplementary Records of Famous Physicians) supplements the producing area range of Cistanche, recording that it "grows in the mountain valleys of Hexi and Yanmen of Daijun", which is consistent with the records in Ben Cao Jing Ji Zhu, further clarifying that its main growing areas are concentrated in the northwest and northern regions of China.

Professor Cistanche Research on the Growth of Cistanche deserticola

In the Sui and Tang Dynasties, China's traditional Chinese medicine industry entered a stage of rapid development. The records of Cistanche in medical books were more systematic, not only improving its efficacy and usage, but also distinguishing it from similar medicinal herbs. Xin Xiu Ben Cao (Newly Revised Materia Medica), compiled by Su Jing and others in the Tang Dynasty, is the first official materia medica in China. Based on inheriting the records of previous generations, this book further revised and supplemented the records of Cistanche. Xin Xiu Ben Cao records: "Cistanche, sweet, sour, and salty in taste, warm in nature. It treats five strains and seven injuries, tonifies the middle energizer, relieves cold-heat pain in the stem, nourishes the five zang-organs, strengthens yin, benefits essence and qi, promotes fertility, and treats abdominal masses in women. Taking it for a long time makes the body light. It grows in the mountain valleys of Hexi and Yanmen of Daijun. It is collected on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month and dried in the shade. This note discusses Cao Cong Rong (Herbaceous Cistanche), which Tao did not see the fleshy one. Today, what people use is also Cao Cong Rong with flowers scraped off to replace the fleshy one. There is Cistanche in the Ben Jing, which is much more effective. Recently, physicians sometimes use it." This record has two important breakthroughs: first, it supplements the "sour and salty" tastes of Cistanche, improving the record of its nature and flavor. The salty taste can enter the kidney, further strengthening the theoretical basis of its effect of tonifying the kidney and essence; second, it clearly distinguishes Cistanche from Cao Cong Rong (Herbaceous Cistanche), pointing out that what Tao Hongjing saw was mostly Cao Cong Rong, while the Cistanche recorded in Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing is more effective. At that time, physicians had begun to use the real Cistanche, correcting the previous confusion between Cao Cong Rong and Cistanche, reflecting the improvement of ancient Tang physicians' understanding of medicinal herb identification.

Meng Shen's Shi Liao Ben Cao (Dietary Materia Medica) in the Tang Dynasty focuses on the dietary therapeutic effect of Cistanche, recording: "Cistanche tonifies deficiency, benefits yang, treats male impotence, female infertility, moistens the five zang-organs, grows muscles, warms the waist and knees, and treats male spermatorrhea, hematuria, enuresis, leukorrhea, and yin pain." This record further refines the tonic effect of Cistanche, especially emphasizing its regulatory effect on the reproductive function of men and women, clearly indicating that it can be used to treat male impotence, female infertility, and other diseases. At the same time, it supplements its effect of "moistening the five zang-organs, growing muscles and warming the waist and knees", expanding its application scope. In addition, Shi Liao Ben Cao also records the dietary methods of Cistanche, such as "making soup and eating on an empty stomach", further enriching its eating methods and promoting the application of Cistanche in the field of diet therapy. Yao Xing Lun (Treatise on the Nature of Drugs) in the same period records: "Cistanche benefits the marrow, improves complexion, prolongs life, treats women's uterine bleeding, strengthens yang, greatly tonifies, and treats leukorrhea with blood and white discharge." It supplements its effects of "benefiting the marrow, improving complexion and prolonging life", elevating its health-preserving value to a new height, and adding the diseases of "treating women's uterine bleeding and leukorrhea with blood and white discharge", expanding its clinical application scope.

Chinese herb cistanche

In the Five Dynasties period, the records of Cistanche in medical books mainly inherited the cognition of the Tang Dynasty, and further refined its morphology and processing methods. Ri Hua Zi Ben Cao (Ri Hua Zi's Materia Medica) in the Five Dynasties records: "Cistanche treats male impotence, female infertility, moistens the five zang-organs, grows muscles, warms the waist and knees, and treats male spermatorrhea, hematuria, enuresis, leukorrhea, and yin pain." It is basically consistent with the records in Shi Liao Ben Cao, further consolidating its core efficacy. Shu Ben Cao (Sichuan Materia Medica) supplements the morphological description of Cistanche: "The root is more than a foot long, the skin is like pine scales, the stem is purple, and 5 to 12 inches long", making people's understanding of Cistanche's morphology more specific. The description of "the skin is like pine scales" has become one of the important characteristics for identifying Cistanche in later generations.

In the Song Dynasty, the development of traditional Chinese medicine tended to mature. Physicians' records of Cistanche were more comprehensive, not only improving its efficacy and usage, but also systematically sorting out its genuine producing areas, processing methods, and clinical applications. Kai Bao Ben Cao (Kaibao Materia Medica) in the Song Dynasty records: "Cistanche, sweet, sour, and salty in taste, warm in nature, non-toxic. It treats five strains and seven injuries, tonifies the middle energizer, relieves cold-heat pain in the stem, nourishes the five zang-organs, strengthens yin, benefits essence and qi, promotes fertility, and treats abdominal masses in women. Taking it for a long time makes the body light. It grows in the mountain valleys of Hexi and Yanmen of Daijun. It is collected on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month and dried in the shade." It basically follows the records in Xin Xiu Ben Cao, and at the same time emphasizes that it is "non-toxic", further clarifying its medication safety. Ben Cao Tu Jing (Illustrated Materia Medica) describes the morphology and producing areas of Cistanche in more detail, recording: "Cistanche grows in the mountain valleys of Hexi and Yanmen of Daijun, and is now found in many prefectures in Shaanxi. Westerners often use it as food. It sprouts in spring, with flesh-like and red color, scales, flat, red-yellow and soft texture, skin like pine scales, soft and moist like meat; the root is more than a foot long. In addition, there is 'Cao Cong Rong' with short roots and purple stems, which is often used to counterfeit Cistanche, but its efficacy is inferior." This record supplements the growth cycle and seedling morphology of Cistanche, clarifies its characteristics of "sprouting in spring, flesh-like and red color, with scales", and distinguishes Cistanche from Cao Cong Rong again, pointing out that Cao Cong Rong is often used as a counterfeit, reminding physicians to pay attention to identification. In addition, Ben Cao Tu Jing also records that the genuine producing area of Cistanche expanded to Shaanxi, and Westerners used it as food, further reflecting its characteristics of "medicine and food homology".

Ben Cao Yan Yi (Commentary on the Materia Medica) in the Song Dynasty supplements the processing methods and efficacy of Cistanche, recording: "Cistanche has skin like pine scales; the tender ones can be made into soup, and the old ones are bitter. When using it, it must first be soaked in clear wine overnight, and the next day, the sand, soil, and floating scales are brushed off with a palm brush, split open the center, and remove a layer of white membrane like bamboo silk grass, which can block the qi in front of the heart and cause qi inversion. Steam it in a steamer from noon to evening, take it out, and then roast it with butter until appropriate." This record details the processing steps of Cistanche, including soaking in wine, removing sand and soil, removing white membrane, steaming, roasting with butter, etc., emphasizing the impact of processing on the medicinal effect of Cistanche. At the same time, it points out that "the tender ones can be made into soup, and the old ones are bitter", distinguishing the eating taste and quality differences of Cistanche with different maturity. In addition, Ben Cao Yan Yi also supplements the efficacy characteristics of Cistanche, pointing out that it is "tonic but not drastic", providing a basis for its later use as a mild tonic herb.

​

Cistanche powder health benefits

In the Jin and Yuan Dynasties, physicians' understanding of Cistanche was further deepened, especially in terms of efficacy mechanism and clinical application. Zhang Yuansu, one of the Four Great Masters of the Jin and Yuan Dynasties, recorded in Yi Xue Qi Yuan (Origin of Medical Science): "Cistanche, sweet and salty in taste, warm in nature. It treats five strains and seven injuries, tonifies the middle energizer, benefits essence and qi, strengthens yin, warms the waist and knees, treats impotence and female infertility." It focuses on its effects of tonifying the kidney and essence, warming the waist, and strengthening yang, focusing its core application field on diseases such as liver and kidney deficiency and decreased reproductive function. Li Dongyuan used Cistanche in the treatment of strain diseases caused by spleen and stomach weakness and insufficient qi and blood in Pi Wei Lun (Treatise on the Spleen and Stomach), believing that it "tonifies the middle energizer and qi, and nourishes the five zang-organs", expanding its clinical application scope. In addition, medical books in the Jin and Yuan Dynasties also recorded the compatibility and application of Cistanche with other medicinal herbs, such as compatibility with Angelica sinensis and Rehmannia glutinosa to enhance the effect of nourishing blood and essence; compatibility with Cuscutae chinensis and Morinda officinalis to strengthen the effect of tonifying the kidney and strengthening yang, providing a reference for clinical compatibility in later generations.

The Ming and Qing Dynasties were a period of summary of China's traditional Chinese medicine classics, and the records of Cistanche reached their peak, among which Li Shizhen's Compendium of Materia Medica is the most systematic and comprehensive. Compendium of Materia Medica classifies Cistanche into the mountain herb category of the herb department, and comprehensively sorts out and summarizes its name origin, morphology, producing areas, efficacy, usage, processing, and identification. Li Shizhen explained the origin of the name Cistanche in the book: "This thing is tonic but not drastic, so it is named Cong Rong (Cistanche). Cong Rong means mild and moderate." It accurately summarizes the characteristics of Cistanche's mild medicinal properties and mild tonic effect, and also explains the implication of its name. In terms of morphological description, Compendium of Materia Medica records: "Cistanche grows in the sand land of Hexi, grows in clusters, each plant is about a foot long, the stem is round and flat, fleshy, with scales, purple-brown color, pale purple flowers, and fruits like lotus seed pods." It supplements the morphology of its flowers and fruits, making people's understanding of the overall morphology of Cistanche more complete, and at the same time clarifies that it grows in "Hexi sand land", further refining its growing environment.

Chinese herb cistanche

In terms of efficacy, Compendium of Materia Medica systematically summarizes the efficacy of Cistanche, recording: "Cistanche tonifies kidney yang, nourishes kidney yin, benefits essence and blood, and moistens the intestines to relieve constipation. It is used for male impotence, female infertility, soreness and weakness of the waist and knees, weakness of muscles and bones, intestinal dryness and constipation, tinnitus and blurred vision, leukorrhea and stranguria." This record for the first time clearly puts forward the two-way regulatory effect of Cistanche of "tonifying kidney yang and nourishing kidney yin", correcting the previous one-sided understanding of physicians who emphasized its effect of tonifying kidney yang, pointing out that it can not only tonify yang, but also nourish yin, making it a herb that tonifies both yin and yang, especially suitable for various diseases caused by liver and kidney yin deficiency and kidney yang insufficiency. At the same time, it supplements its effect of "moistening the intestines to relieve constipation", clearly indicating that it can be used to treat intestinal dryness and constipation caused by essence and blood deficiency, which is still widely used in clinical practice today. In addition, the Compendium of Materia Medica also records the health-preserving effect of Cistanche, believing that "taking it for a long time makes the body light and prolongs life", which can be used for daily health preservation and delaying aging.

In terms of processing and usage, the Compendium of Materia Medica details various processing methods of Cistanche, including soaking in wine, steaming, roasting with butter, stir-frying with salt, etc., pointing out the differences in efficacy of different processing methods. For example, soaking in wine can enhance its effects of warming yang to dispel cold and activating blood circulation to unblock collaterals, and stir-frying with salt can enhance its effect of tonifying the kidney and essence. At the same time, it records various usages of Cistanche, including decocting with water, making pills, making powders, diet therapy, etc., such as "decocting with water, 3 to 5 qian; adding to pills and powders according to the prescription; it can also be cooked into porridge or soaked in wine for consumption", providing detailed reference for clinical medication in later generations. In terms of identification, the Compendium of Materia Medica clearly distinguishes Cistanche from similar medicinal herbs such as Cao Cong Rong and Orobanche coerulescens, recording: "Cao Cong Rong has short roots and purple stems, no scales, and inferior efficacy; Orobanche coerulescens is similar in shape to Cistanche, but the stem is thin and not fleshy, and its efficacy is far inferior to that of Cistanche", further improving the identification method of Cistanche and avoiding the confusion of medicinal herbs.

Effects of cistanche-improve kidney function

Click here to view Cistanche for Kidney disease products

【Ask for more】 Email:cindy.xue@wecistanche.com / WhatsApp: 0086 18599088692 / Wechat: 18599088692

Other medical books in the Ming and Qing Dynasties also supplemented the records of Cistanche. For example, Ben Cao Cheng Ya Ban Jie (Half Jottings on the Materia Medica) in the Ming Dynasty records: "Cistanche sprouts in spring, with flesh-like and red color and scales; it is flat, red-yellow and soft, tonic but not drastic, moist but not dry, and is an essential herb for tonifying the kidney and essence." It emphasizes its characteristics of mild medicinal properties and moist but not dry. Ben Cao Xin Bian (New Compilation of Materia Medica) records: "The genuine Cistanche is plump and has scales; it grows like grass every year, sweet and salty in taste, warm in nature, non-toxic, tonifies the kidney and essence, moistens the intestines to relieve constipation, and treats male impotence, female infertility, soreness and weakness of the waist and knees, and intestinal dryness and constipation." It further clarifies the identification points and core efficacy of Cistanche. Ben Cao Bei Yao (Essential Materia Medica) in the Qing Dynasty records: "Cistanche is as long and thick as an arm, weighing up to a catty, and those with pine scales are good. It tonifies the kidney and essence, moistens the intestines to relieve constipation, and treats impotence, infertility, soreness and weakness of the waist and knees, and intestinal dryness and constipation." It emphasizes the morphological characteristics of high-quality Cistanche, providing a basis for identifying high-quality Cistanche in later generations. Ben Cao Shu Gou Yuan (Commentary and Annotation on the Materia Medica) records: "Cistanche is soft, red and plump, with ointment-like texture, sweet and salty in taste, warm in nature, non-toxic, tonifies the kidney and essence, nourishes the five zang-organs, moistens the intestines to relieve constipation, and takes it for a long time to make the body light and prolong life." It supplements the details of its morphology and efficacy, further enriching people's understanding of Cistanche.

Sorting out the records of Cistanche in ancient medical books, it can be found that its medicinal history presents obvious phased characteristics: the Eastern Han Dynasty was the initial recording stage, establishing the superior status and core efficacy of Cistanche; the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties were the supplementary and improving stage, enriching its morphology, producing areas and identification methods; the Sui and Tang Dynasties were the systematic development stage, improving its nature, flavor and efficacy, and distinguishing Cistanche from similar medicinal herbs; the Song Dynasty was the comprehensive expansion stage, refining its processing, usage and genuine producing areas; the Jin and Yuan Dynasties were the deepening stage, focusing on its efficacy mechanism and clinical compatibility; the Ming and Qing Dynasties were the summary stage, comprehensively sorting out and summarizing it, forming a systematic medicinal cognitive system.

It is worth noting that the records of Cistanche in ancient medical books not only reflect the continuous deepening of ancient Chinese physicians' understanding of medicinal herbs, but also reflect the social culture and medical development level at that time. From the mythical legend of "born from the essence of wild horses falling to the ground" to the gradual understanding of its parasitic growth characteristics, from the simple records of nature, flavor, and efficacy to the systematic processing, identification, and compatibility application, every step embodies the wisdom and practical experience of ancient physicians. At the same time, the genuine producing areas of Cistanche have always been concentrated in the desert areas of northwest and northern China, which is closely related to the local climate and soil conditions, and also reflects the ancient Chinese concept of "genuine medicinal herbs". In addition, the record of Cistanche's "medicine and food homology" also reflects the ancient Chinese traditional concept of "dietary therapy and health preservation", which still has important reference significance for modern health preservation.

Planting of Cistanche tubulosa

As the "Ginseng of the Desert", the medicinal value of Cistanche has been fully affirmed in ancient medical books. Its mild medicinal properties and remarkable tonic effect make it a common medicinal herb used by physicians of all dynasties in the treatment of consumptive diseases and health preservation. The records of Cistanche in ancient medical books not only provide important theoretical basis and practical reference for clinical medication in later generations, but also lay the foundation for the research and development of modern Cistanche. Today, with the development of modern medical technology, people have a deeper understanding of the chemical composition and pharmacological effects of Cistanche, but its core efficacy is still consistent with the records in ancient medical books, which fully reflects the scientificity and vitality of China's traditional Chinese medicine.