Wu Zhu Yu

English Name: evodia fruit

Pharmaceutical Name: Fructus Evodiae

Medica Category: Interior-Warming Herbs

Properties: Wu Zhu Yu enters the Liver, Spleen, and Stomach channels; it is acrid and bitter in nature and hot in temperature.

What is Wu Zhu Yu?:

The Chinese Herb Wu Zhu Yu is the dried, immature fruit of the evodia tree (Evodia rutaecarpa (Juss.) Benth; with several other botanical variations listed). The evodia tree is deciduous and native to woodlands in North China and Korea. It blooms with clusters of white flowers in the summer which give way to reddish-brown fruits by late summer. It is at this time (before they mature and turn black) that the fruits are harvested and dried for use as medicine.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Therapeutic Actions of Wu Zhu Yu:

Wu Zhu Yu dispels cold, dries dampness, and regulates qi to relieve a wide variety of types of pain caused by cold stagnation, including migraines and vertex headaches (w/vomiting and nausea), abdominal pain and cramping (including menstrual pain), and hernial pain.

Wu Zhu Yu promotes the movement of qi in the Liver channel (i.e. “spreads the Liver”) and descends rebellious qi (i.e. stops vomiting) to address abdominal and stomach pain with nausea and acid reflux with vomiting that has as its root cause what is called in TCM “Liver attacking the Spleen” (which can be thought of as a severe case of Liver qi stagnation).

Wu Zhu Yu warms the Spleen to stop diarrhea from Spleen (and Kidney) yang deficiency. This is chronic, watery, non-burning diarrhea, possibly with bits of undigested food in it that tends to occur in the early morning hours.

–safety note: Wu Zhu Yu is not recommended for long-term use or to be used in large doses at one time.