These are the herbs for the axis for hypothalamus/pituitary/adrenals, and therefore DI.
There is a group for inhibiting the function and a group for increasing the function. I found that reishi has a very good effect for me with respect to not having to wake up as frequently during the night to use the bathroom, so I look at the herbs in that category.
While cordyceps improves energy levels for many people, it did not help me in any way and even made me feel worse, which I consider a confirmation that I need to chose from the herbs that increase function.
Home > Examination and Diagnosis > Chinese Herbs with Hormonal Effects
Chinese Herbs with Hormonal Effects
In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), the
kidney system has a wider function than that of the Western anatomical kidney, regarding it as the root of life and the origin of our individuality as human beings. TCM considers the kidney to be the most important organ of the body since it performs functions pertaining to the genital, urinary, endocrine, skeletal, blood, and central nervous systems.
One of the main tasks of the kidney in TCM is controlling the growth and development and reproduction of the body. Besides the sex glands, other endocrine glands like hypothalamus, pituitary, adrenal and thyroid are all involved actively in the growth and development of the body, as a result, according to the TCM understanding of the kidney, the modern concept of the endocrine system belongs to part of TCM kidney functioning.
The endocrine glands of the body
The endocrine system produces and secretes hormones, which are chemical messengers for coordinating physiological activities. The hypothalamus and pituitary, which are located in the brain, act as a higher control; they regulate the secretions of the adrenal glands, thyroid, breasts, ovaries, uterus, testicles and prostate. The secretions then bind to specific receptors in the target structures triggering various physiological actions. Some of the endocrine glands work together and form a complex regulating network named "functional axis", which are important to maintain the normal physiology of the body. The three commonly describe functional axes are the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal, the hypothalamus-pituitary-thyroid and the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonad. Disturbances in the regulating systems lead to endocrine diseases such as
hyperthyroidism, endometriosis,
missed periods and
infertility. Western medicine tries to solve these conditions by hormonal therapies, while TCM will use a wide variety of herbs to regulate the endocrine functions. Some of the herbs and their hormonal effects are listed below.
1. Hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis
This functional axis controls stress reactions and regulates bodily processes including digestion, the immune system, mood and emotions, energy storage and expenditure. Dysfunctions of this axis can lead to mood disorders and functional illnesses, such as anxiety,
insomnia, post-traumatic stress disorder, chronic fatigue syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome, and alcoholism.
Chinese herbs that can promote or activate this functional axis include:
rhemannia rhizome pilose asiabell root liquorice root poria
ginseng leaf wolfberry ephedra
morinda root
dodder seed tuber fleeceflower root (
he shou wu) reishi mushroom common monkshood daughter root
cassia bark cistanche bupleurum root corydalis rhizome
radish seeds
Chinese herbs that can inhibit this functional axis include:
dried ginger kudzu root baical skullcap root Radix Scrophulariae (
xuan shen)
cardamon seeds pinellia tuber anemarrhena rhizome noto-ginseng
Rhizoma Polygonati (
huang jing)
cordyceps
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