San Zi Yang Qin Tang — Three-Seed Decoction to Nourish One’s Parents
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Overview
San Zi Yang Qin Tang — the “Three-Seed Decoction to Nourish One’s Parents” (the name reflects filial piety: a son’s gentle three-seed remedy for an elderly parent’s chronic cough) — is a Ming-dynasty formula. It addresses chronic productive cough with copious Phlegm in older adults, where stronger Phlegm-resolving herbs would damage the depleted Qi.
Just three seeds: Bai Jie Zi (white mustard seed), Su Zi (perilla seed) and Lai Fu Zi (radish seed). Mild but effective, suited to chronic use in older patients.
I prescribe San Zi Yang Qin Tang as part of bespoke herbal formulas from pharmaceutical-grade granules sourced from Sun Ten in Taiwan.
TCM pattern
San Zi Yang Qin Tang is prescribed for chronic Phlegm cough with food retention in older adults:
- Cough with copious thin to thick white phlegm
- Wheezing or chest tightness
- Reduced appetite
- Bloating after eating
- Worse in winter or with cold weather
- Older patient, often with chronic respiratory illness
- Tongue — pale, white greasy coat
- Pulse — slippery, possibly soft
Key herbs
- Bai Jie Zi (white mustard seed) — warms Lung and dries Phlegm in the membranes
- Su Zi (perilla seed) — descends Lung Qi and stops cough
- Lai Fu Zi (radish seed) — transforms Phlegm and resolves food retention
Formula actions
- Transforms Phlegm
- Descends Lung Qi
- Resolves food retention
- Stops cough and wheeze
Conditions treated
- Chronic bronchitis in older adults
- COPD with productive cough
- Post-viral persistent cough with Phlegm
- Asthma with Phlegm pattern in older adults
- Chronic cough in the elderly
Cautions
Persistent productive cough needs medical assessment, especially in smokers and older adults, to exclude lung cancer, TB and other serious conditions.
Not appropriate for Yin-deficient dry cough or Heat-pattern cough with yellow phlegm.
Use cautiously in pregnancy.
Always consult a qualified Chinese herbalist registered with the RCHM.
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