Three Needles refers to the root bark or stem bark of plants in the Berberidaceae family, such as Mahonia fortunei, Mahonia bealei, and Berberis wilsoniae. Three Needles can be used internally or externally, and many people like to drink it by steeping it in water. If you want to know more about the efficacy and functions of Three Needles, let's take a look together!
Image of Three Needles
【Efficacy and Functions of Three Needles】
According to traditional Chinese medicine, Three Needles has the effects of clearing heat, promoting diuresis, and dispersing stasis. It is mainly used for treating dysentery, jaundice, sore throat, red eyes, and injuries from falls or blows. Three Needles is bitter and cold, so it should be used with caution by those with spleen and stomach deficiency cold.
1. Clearing heat and promoting diuresis
Used for jaundice, dysentery, sore throat, painful and difficult urination, eczema, and fever caused by dampness.
2. Clearing liver and brightening eyes
Used for liver fire ascending, red and swollen eyes, excessive tearing, restlessness, bitter taste in the mouth, and yellow coating on the tongue with a rapid pulse.
3. Dispersing stasis and reducing swelling
Used for initial stage of injuries from falls or blows, blood stasis and poor blood circulation, local redness, swelling, and heat; suitable for those with blood heat and stasis.
【Differentiating Medicines】
Three Needles and Viola yedoensis have the effect of clearing heat and detoxifying, but Three Needles is often used for clearing heat and dampness, and is commonly used for damp-heat diarrhea, jaundice, eczema, and other damp-heat conditions.
Viola yedoensis is a heat-clearing and detoxifying herb, commonly used for clearing heat and cooling blood, detoxifying, and reducing swelling. It is often used to treat blood heat stagnation, carbuncles, and swelling and toxicity.
Image of Three Needles
【Compatibility and Application of Three Needles】
1. With Gardenia fruit
When these two herbs are used together, they can clear heat and promote diuresis, resolve jaundice. Gardenia fruit can promote bowel movements, while Three Needles can promote diuresis. They work together to eliminate damp-heat through urine and feces, and have excellent effects on treating jaundice.
2. With Coptis
Coptis is extremely bitter and cold, and is a specific medicine for treating dysentery by clearing heat and drying dampness. Although Three Needles is not as bitter and cold as Coptis, it can cool blood and relieve bleeding, and is good at clearing heat and toxins in the blood. When used together, they can treat dysentery, clear heat and promote diuresis, cool blood and relieve bleeding, and have better effects.
3. With Mint
Mint has a refreshing fragrance and can relieve wind-heat, especially for treating throat problems. Three Needles is bitter, cold, and can clear upper burner fire and cool blood to reduce swelling. When used together, they both travel through the lung meridian, so they can clear the lungs, relieve throat problems, and resolve heat toxins, greatly enhancing the efficacy.
4. With Chrysanthemum
Chrysanthemum is cool in nature, light and dispersing, with a pungent fragrance, which can clear the liver and brighten the eyes. Three Needles is bitter, cold, and can clear fire and detoxify. When used together, they have a synergistic effect in clearing and purging, and can greatly enhance the treatment of conditions.
5. With Achyranthes
Achyranthes is pungent, sweet, bitter, and warm, and enters the liver and kidney meridians. It promotes blood circulation and treats bone and joint injuries. Three Needles is bitter, cold, and can cool blood, stop bleeding, disperse stasis, and relieve pain, so it is commonly used for bone and joint injuries. The former is more nourishing and does not stagnate, while the latter cools the blood and does not cause reckless movement. When used together, they nourish and purge at the same time, and can treat injuries from falls or blows, as well as acute and chronic illnesses with good results.
【Modern Research】
Three Needles has a broad-spectrum antibacterial effect, such as inhibiting Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus hemolyticus, Pneumococcus, Shigella, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus, as well as Treponema pallidum.
It has a strong inhibitory effect on Candida albicans. It also has anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, white blood cell elevation, platelet aggregation inhibition, anti-thrombotic, anti-experimental myocardial ischemia and cerebral ischemia, anti-arrhythmia, hypotensive, sedative, uterine excitatory, and muscle relaxant effects.
