Shan Dou Gen
English Name: sophora root
Pharmaceutical Name: Radix Sophora Tonkinensis
Medica Category: Heat-Clearing and Toxin-Eliminating Herbs
Properties: Shan Dou Gen enters the Lung channel; it is bitter in nature and cold in temperature.
What is Shan Dou Gen?:
The Chinese Herb Shan Dou Gen is dried sophora root from Sophora Tonkinensis, a shrubby plant growing in forests on sunny slopes, scrub and on stony mountainsides in Guangxi, Guizhou, Yunnan provinces in China.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Therapeutic Actions of Shan Dou Gen:
Shan Dou Gen clears heat-toxins and sedates Lung fire to address sore throat. In China, it is also used to treat cancers of the lung and throat in combination with other heat-clearing herbs.
**Safety note: Sophora tokinensis roots contain cytosine, which in large doses is toxic; so this herb should be used with care and under the supervision by a trained health care practitioner.