The Sour Jujube Seed Decoction originated from the book "Synopsis of the Golden Chamber" by the famous physician Zhang Zhongjing in the Han Dynasty. It is composed of sour jujube seed, zhimu, fuling, chuanxiong, and licorice. It not only nourishes the liver and blood to calm the mind and spirit, but also clears internal heat and relieves irritability. Modern studies have shown that Sour Jujube Seed Decoction has sedative and hypnotic effects, as well as anti-convulsant, anti-depressant, anti-anxiety, and memory-enhancing effects. It is particularly suitable for modern people who suffer from liver blood deficiency, insomnia, dizziness, dry throat, and other symptoms due to fast-paced lifestyles, high stress levels, and excessive workload.
The 4 best ways to consume Sour Jujube Seeds for anti-aging and longevity
1. Combination with lily and jujube for better sleep.
Take 15 grams of sour jujube seeds (lightly fried and crushed, first decoct for 20 minutes), 3 grams of licorice, 6 grams each of zhimu, fuling, and chuanxiong. Decoct them in water for 20 minutes and extract 200 milliliters of the decoction. Take it one hour before bedtime. You can also use this recipe to cook porridge with an appropriate amount of lily and jujube for daily consumption, which helps improve sleep. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that "one cannot concentrate during the day and cannot sleep at night", so people with insomnia should also engage in proper exercise during the day, which helps promote a good night's sleep.
2. Relieve headaches and reduce irritability.
Chuanxiong in the original formula is known as the "go-to herb for headaches." It can be combined with bai zhi and goji berries, each 10 grams, and 5 grams of white chrysanthemum. Decoct them in water and take it orally. This is especially suitable for people with liver blood deficiency and liver meridian malnourishment who experience top-of-the-head pain accompanied by emotional instability, irritability, and easy anger. For daily use, simmer the ingredients in this recipe, then brew a small amount of tea leaves in the hot medicinal soup and drink it frequently for better results.
3. Nourish the mind and improve memory.
When the heart and liver are deficient in blood, the spirit is not nourished, which can manifest as memory decline and a cloudy expression. The original Sour Jujube Seed Decoction can be combined with yizhi, yejiaoteng, and fuxiaomai, each 10 grams, and 30 grams of floating wheat. Decoct them in water and take it orally, which can calm the mind, improve memory decline, and enhance intellectual abilities.
4. Beauty benefits.
Sour jujube seeds have a sweet and sour taste and moisturizing properties, making them an excellent medicinal and food source. They not only have sedative and hypnotic effects but also have the functions of lowering blood lipids, reducing blood pressure, protecting the heart, promoting beauty, and enhancing immunity.
For daily use, sour jujube seeds can be combined with goji berries, chrysanthemum, rose petals, honey, fruit and vegetable juice, etc., to make herbal tea, which has good brain-boosting, thirst-quenching, and anti-aging effects.
