Morinda Root Steeping Tea (Daily Kidney-Yang Care)
Ingredients
- Morinda root (bajitian) 3–6 g to steep (6–10 g if decocted)
- Dodder seed (tusizi) 6–12 g (optional)
Principle
Bajitian is sweet-acrid and mildly warm; tonifies kidney yang, strengthens sinews and bones, dispels wind-damp. Suited to kidney yang insufficiency (syndrome differentiation required). Research notes gonad-like and immune effects—**single-herb steeping is limited; not all ‘kidney deficiency’ patterns fit**.
Effects & uses
Adjunct for **kidney yang deficiency**: cold sore weak back/knees, aversion to cold, impotence, seminal loss (syndrome differentiation required). **Contraindicated in yin deficiency with heat or damp-heat.**
Method
- Rinse morinda; steep in boiling water 10–15 minutes, rebrew until weak.
- Optional dodder seed in same cup; goji or eucommia pairing per pattern.
How to use
- Drink warm once daily; pause after about 1–2 weeks or follow a clinician’s course.
Caution
**Do not use with yin deficiency/heat or damp-heat.** Avoid during febrile illness or acute UTI. Not for infants or high-dose long-term use in pregnancy. Caution combining with cardiac glycosides or reserpine-like antihypertensives—ask your prescriber. Food-care only.
Source
China Medical Information Platform (Hua Guodong, Wang Lixia, Li Peihong reviewed); Yibin Second People’s Hospital; 39 Health net pattern warnings; Guangzhou TCM Hospital morinda-cistanche tea references. Start at 3 g; keep morinda under about 10 g per dose. To be manually verified.