Gou Qi 枸杞 — Chinese Herbal Medicine

Gou Qi (枸杞) At a Glance

• Herb: Gou Qi
• Chinese name: 枸杞 (Gou Qi)
• Latin name: Lycii Fructus
• Nature: Neutral
• Taste: Sweet
• Meridian: Lung
• Category: Nourish KD LIV Yin

Gou Qi Zi is the ripe fruit of Lycium barbarum, prized in Chinese medicine for over two thousand years as a premier Yin and Jing tonic. Entering the Liver, Kidney, and Lung meridians, it replenishes depleted essence, quiets deficiency-fire patterns, and sustains the Liver’s role in nourishing the eyes. Its neutral nature makes it broadly applicable across age-related decline, visual disorders, and consumptive conditions.

Actions & Therapeutic Effects

• Nourishes Liver and Kidney Yin
• Replenishes Jing (essence) and nourishes Blood
• Brightens the eyes and alleviates visual disturbance
• Moistens the Lungs and arrests deficiency-dryness cough
• Calms deficiency-heat arising from Yin insufficiency
• Strengthens sinew, bone, and lumbar regions

Clinical Applications in TCM

• Liver and Kidney Yin deficiency — dizziness, tinnitus, sore lumbar; paired with Shu Di Huang and Shan Zhu Yu in Qi Ju Di Huang Wan (杞菊地黃丸)
• Blurred vision, night blindness, dry eyes from Liver Blood and Kidney Yin depletion; combined with Ju Hua and Shu Di in Ming Mu Di Huang Wan (明目地黃丸)
• Lung Yin deficiency with dry, unproductive cough or low-grade fever; used with Mai Men Dong and Bei Sha Shen
• Kidney Yang and Essence deficiency — cold limbs, infertility, impotence; combined with Lu Jiao Jiao and Tu Si Zi in You Gui Wan (右歸丸)
• Xiao Ke (wasting-thirsting disorder) with Yin deficiency heat; paired with Tian Hua Fen, Sheng Di Huang, and Huang Qi
• Premature greying, hair loss, and early ageing due to Jing-Blood insufficiency; used alone as a daily tonic or with He Shou Wu

Precautions & Safety

• Standard decoction dose: 6–12 g; up to 15–20 g as a sole tonic; may be eaten raw or infused in wine
• Contraindicated in exterior pathogenic invasion (Wind-Cold, Wind-Heat); use with caution in Spleen deficiency with loose stools, dampness accumulation, or profuse phlegm — its rich, moistening nature may exacerbate these conditions

Classical TCM Formulas

• Qi Ju Di Huang Wan (杞菊地黄丸): Liu Wei Di Huang Wan + Gou Qi Zi, Ju Hua — nourishes Liver-Kidney and brightens eyes. Source: Yi Ji.
• Zuo Gui Wan (左归丸): Shu Di Huang, Shan Yao, Shan Zhu Yu, Gou Qi Zi, Tu Si Zi, Lu Jiao Jiao, Gui Ban Jiao — tonifies Kidney Yin. Source: Jing Yue Quan Shu.
• Gou Qi Zi Jiu (枸杞子酒): Gou Qi Zi steeped in wine — for premature ageing.

Herb Combinations

• Gou Qi Zi (枸杞子) + Ju Hua (菊花): the premier eye-brightening pair for blurred vision, dry eyes, and floaters from Liver-Kidney Yin deficiency. Source: Qi Ju Di Huang Wan.
• Gou Qi Zi (枸杞子) + Shu Di Huang (熟地黄) + Shan Zhu Yu (山茱萸): the Liu Wei Di Huang Wan core — tonifies Kidney Yin.
• Gou Qi Zi (枸杞子) + Tu Si Zi (菟丝子) + Wu Wei Zi (五味子): tonifies Kidney and astringes essence for impotence and spermatorrhea.

Pharmacology & Research

Betaine (0.1%): hepatoprotective; inhibits hepatic lipid accumulation and fibrogenesis.
Zeaxanthin dipalmitate: selectively deposits in the macula; filters high-energy blue light and scavenges retinal free radicals.
Lycium barbarum polysaccharides (LBPs): immunomodulatory; upregulate NK-cell activity and exert neuroprotective effects via anti-apoptotic pathways.
Lutein: synergises with zeaxanthin in photoreceptor protection and reduces oxidative-stress-induced cell death in retinal pigment epithelium.
Scopoletin (coumarin): mild anti-inflammatory; inhibits COX-2 expression and reduces pro-inflammatory cytokine release.

Classical Descriptions

• Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing (神農本草經, ca. 1st–2nd c. CE): “Jiu fu, jian jin gu, qing shen bu lao” — “Taken long-term, it fortifies sinew and bone, lightens the body, and resists ageing.”
• Ben Cao Gang Mu (本草綱目, Li Shi Zhen, 1578): “Zi yin bu shen, run fei ming mu” — “It enriches Yin, supplements the Kidney, moistens the Lung, and brightens the eyes.”