Hyacinth Bean … Classic Formulas
Bian Dou · Semen Dolichoris
Primary Actions
- Strengthens the Spleen and transforms dampness - Bian Dou is a classic gentle bean medicinal for weak digestion with damp heaviness, loose stool, and post-meal fatigue.
- Harmonizes the middle and relieves summer-damp - it is used when humid weather causes vomiting, diarrhea, poor appetite, chest oppression, or a sluggish abdominal feeling.
- Stops diarrhea and helps with damp leukorrhea - especially in people whose discharge or loose stool reflects chronic Spleen weakness with lingering dampness.
Classic Formulas
- Xiang Ru San - classic summer-damp formula context where Bian Dou helps harmonize the middle and stop vomiting or diarrhea.
- Shen Ling Bai Zhu San - digestive-deficiency pattern in which bean-like Spleen support and damp control are central.
- Bian Dou with Huo Xiang, Shan Yao, or Bai Zhu - common pairing logic for poor appetite, loose stool, and damp-heavy digestion.
Classical Text References
- Official Chinese materia medica references describe Bian Dou as sweet and slightly warm, entering the Spleen and Stomach to strengthen the Spleen, transform dampness, and relieve summer-heat.
- Traditional texts repeatedly pair it with vomiting, diarrhea, poor appetite, and leukorrhea when weakness and dampness coexist.
- Compared with the flower and seed coat, the seed is considered the strongest at actually tonifying the Spleen.