Herb

Jin Ying Zi

Cherokee rose fruit | 金樱子

Also known as:

Rosehip Fruit

Jin Ying Zi

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Properties

Astringent / Stabilizing herbs (收涩药) · Neutral

Traditionally supports*

Bladder Health Digestive Health Reproductive Health Men's Health

Parts Used

Fruit (果 guǒ / 果实 guǒ shí)

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

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About This Herb

Traditional Chinese Medicine background and properties

Herb Description

Jin Ying Zi (Cherokee rose fruit) is a stabilizing herb that seals and secures the body's essence, fluids, and digestive function. It is most commonly used for people experiencing involuntary leakage such as frequent urination, incontinence, chronic diarrhea, or excessive vaginal discharge due to underlying weakness. Its neutral temperature makes it gentle and versatile, but because it only controls symptoms rather than building strength, it works best when combined with tonifying herbs.

Herb Category

Astringent / Stabilizing herbs (收涩药) Herbs that secure Essence and reduce urination (固精缩尿止带药)

Main Actions

  • Secures Essence and Stops Enuresis
  • Astringes to stop leukorrhea and stabilize uterine bleeding
  • Astringes the Intestines and Stops Diarrhea

How These Actions Work

'Secures essence and reduces urination' means this herb tightens and holds the body's stored essence (Jing) and fluids in place, preventing them from leaking out. In TCM, the Kidneys store essence and govern the opening and closing of the urinary tract. When Kidney function weakens, the body can 'leak' in various ways: involuntary seminal emission, frequent urination, or bedwetting. Jin Ying Zi's strongly astringent and sour nature acts like a seal on these pathways, helping the body retain what it should not be losing. It enters the Kidney and Bladder channels directly, making it particularly effective for these lower body leakage symptoms.

'Astringes to stop leukorrhea and stabilize uterine bleeding' refers to its ability to address vaginal discharge and abnormal uterine bleeding caused by weakness and deficiency. When the Kidneys and Spleen are too weak to hold fluids and blood in their proper channels, discharge and irregular bleeding can result. The astringent quality of Jin Ying Zi helps contain these losses. This is a symptom-management action, so it is typically combined with herbs that address the root deficiency.

'Astringes the intestines to stop diarrhea' means it helps firm up loose stools and stop chronic diarrhea by tightening the intestinal lining. Because it enters the Large Intestine channel, it is well suited for prolonged diarrhea or dysentery caused by Spleen deficiency, where the digestive system is too weak to absorb properly. It is not appropriate for acute diarrhea caused by infections or excess conditions, where the body actually needs to expel pathogens.

Patterns Addressed

In TCM, symptoms cluster into recognizable patterns of disharmony that reveal what's out of balance in the body. Jin Ying Zi is traditionally associated with these specific patterns.

The following describes this herb's classification within Traditional Chinese Medicine theory and is provided for educational purposes only.

Why Jin Ying Zi addresses this pattern

When the Kidneys are too weak to perform their 'gating' function (holding essence and controlling urination), substances that should be stored leak out. Jin Ying Zi's sour and astringent tastes directly address this loss by tightening and securing the lower body's outflow. It enters the Kidney and Bladder channels, making it a precise fit for the leakage symptoms of Kidney Qi not being firm. However, it only stabilizes and binds; it does not tonify the Kidneys itself, so it must be paired with Kidney-tonifying herbs to address the root cause.

A practitioner would look for one or more of these signs

Frequent Urination

Especially at night or with weak stream

Urinary Incontinence

Involuntary urine leakage due to weakness

Spermatorrhea

Involuntary seminal emission or nocturnal emission

Excessive Vaginal Discharge

Chronic watery or white discharge

TCM Properties

Temperature

Neutral

Taste

Sour (酸 suān), Sweet (甘 gān), Astringent (涩 sè)

Channels Entered
Kidneys Urinary Bladder Large Intestine
Parts Used

Fruit (果 guǒ / 果实 guǒ shí)

This is partial information on the herb's TCM properties. More detailed information is available on the herb's dedicated page

Product Details

Manufacturing, supplier, and product specifications

Product Type

Granules

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Botanical & Sourcing

Quality Indicators

Good quality Jin Ying Zi fruit should be large, intact, obovoid in shape, with a red-yellow to red-orange surface colour. The surface should show small, raised brown dots (remnant bases where the spines were removed) but be cleanly de-thorned without excessive residual bristles. When cut open, the wall of the fleshy receptacle should be 1 to 2 mm thick. The interior should be cleaned of all seeds and the pale yellow silky hairs (for processed Jin Ying Zi Rou). The texture should be hard and firm. It should have no particular odour and a sweet, mildly astringent taste. Avoid fruits that are dark, mouldy, broken, or still contain many seeds and hairs. The Chinese Pharmacopoeia requires that Jin Ying Zi polysaccharides (calculated as glucose) be no less than 25.0% in the processed flesh.

Primary Growing Regions

Widely distributed across southern China. The Ben Cao Tu Jing recorded that those from Jiangxi, Jiannan (Sichuan), and Lingnan (Guangdong/Guangxi) were considered the finest quality. Modern primary producing regions include Guangdong, Hunan, Jiangxi, Zhejiang, and Sichuan provinces. Additional production comes from Jiangsu, Anhui, Guangxi, Fujian, Guizhou, Yunnan, Hubei, and Shaanxi. The herb grows wild in hilly terrain, field borders, and stream banks throughout these areas at elevations of 200 to 1,600 metres.

Harvesting Season

October to November, when the fruit has ripened and turned red.

Supplier Information

Treasure of the East

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Miscellaneous Info

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Usage & Safety

How to use this herb and important safety information

Important Medical Disclaimer

The information provided here is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice or to replace consultation with a qualified healthcare professional. This herb is a dietary supplement and has not been evaluated by the FDA. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider, particularly if you are pregnant, nursing, have a medical condition, or are taking other medications. Discontinue use and consult your healthcare provider if you experience any adverse reactions.

Recommended Dosage

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Instructions for safe storage and consumption

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Traditional Dosage Reference

Standard

6-12g

Maximum

Up to 30g in decoction for severe cases of chronic diarrhea or prolapse. Some historical sources indicate use of up to 60g/day in concentrated decoction for uterine prolapse (clinical trials), but this should only be done under close practitioner supervision.

Notes

Use lower doses (6-9g) for mild cases of urinary frequency or vaginal discharge. Use higher doses (9-12g) for persistent seminal emission, chronic diarrhea, or prolapse conditions. For chronic diarrhea, the stir-fried (chao) or honey-processed (mi zhi) form is preferred, as these reduce the risk of abdominal pain and enhance the intestine-binding effect. For securing the essence and reducing urination, the raw form (Jin Ying Zi Rou, with seeds and hairs removed) provides stronger astringent action. It is most effective when combined with tonifying herbs. The Ben Cao Xin Bian specifically cautions against using Jin Ying Zi alone for seminal emission, recommending combination with Qian Shi, Shan Yao, Lian Zi, and Yi Yi Ren to balance astringency with supplementation.

Processing Methods

Processing method

The cleaned fruit flesh (with thorns and seeds removed) is stir-fried with honey until it becomes non-sticky and slightly darkened.

How it changes properties

Honey processing adds sweetness, enhancing the herb's ability to tonify the Middle Burner (Spleen and Stomach). The astringent intestine-binding action becomes stronger, while the overall nature remains neutral. The sweet honey also moderates the sourness and makes it gentler on the digestive system.

When to use this form

Preferred for chronic diarrhea and dysentery from Spleen deficiency. The honey-prepared form is better suited when both intestinal astringency and gentle Spleen tonification are needed, and when the raw form might cause mild abdominal discomfort.

Toxicity Classification

Non-toxic

Jin Ying Zi is classified as non-toxic in both classical sources and the Chinese Pharmacopoeia. The Kai Bao Ben Cao states it is non-toxic. However, the unprocessed fruit (with seeds and internal silky hairs intact) can cause abdominal pain and gastrointestinal irritation in some individuals. The seeds should always be removed before internal use, as they were traditionally believed to counteract the fruit's astringent action. Stir-frying (chao) or honey-processing (mi zhi) can further reduce the risk of abdominal discomfort. No significant toxic components have been identified in the fruit flesh. A 90-day subchronic toxicity study of the total flavonoids from the fruit in rats found the no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) was 500 mg/kg/day, with only mild effects at higher doses, supporting a good safety profile at standard dosages.

Contraindications

Avoid

Excess Heat or pathogenic Fire patterns. Jin Ying Zi is an astringent herb that retains and binds, so using it when there is active Heat or Fire in the body can trap the pathogen inside and worsen the condition.

Avoid

Diarrhea caused by acute Heat toxin or damp-heat. The Ben Cao Jing Shu warns that diarrhea due to intense Heat pouring downward should not be treated with this astringent herb, as it would trap Heat in the intestines.

Avoid

Spermatorrhea or urinary incontinence caused by Yin deficiency with vigorous Fire. The Ben Cao Jing Shu specifically notes that when seminal loss or urinary dysfunction arises from Yin deficiency Fire, astringent herbs like Jin Ying Zi are inappropriate and may aggravate the underlying condition.

Caution

Middle Jiao cold with abdominal masses (zhong han you pi). The Yi Xue Ru Men advises against using Jin Ying Zi in patients with cold obstruction and accumulation in the Spleen and Stomach.

Caution

The raw, unprocessed herb (with seeds intact) may cause abdominal pain. The seeds inside the fruit are traditionally believed to have a semen-releasing rather than semen-securing effect, and the internal hairs are irritating. Proper processing (removing seeds and hairs) is essential before use.

Caution

Constipation or difficult bowel movements. As a strongly astringent herb that binds the intestines, Jin Ying Zi may worsen constipation.

Special Populations

Pregnancy

No specific classical prohibition against use during pregnancy exists for Jin Ying Zi. As a strongly astringent herb with binding and retaining properties, it does not move Blood or stimulate the uterus. However, its strong astringent nature could potentially worsen constipation, which is common in pregnancy. Use during pregnancy should be guided by a qualified practitioner and limited to clear clinical need. Safety data from human pregnancy studies are not available.

Breastfeeding

No classical or modern sources specifically address the safety of Jin Ying Zi during breastfeeding. The herb is non-toxic at standard doses and its astringent, binding nature is not associated with components known to transfer harmfully through breast milk. However, its strongly astringent quality could theoretically affect digestion in a breastfeeding mother. As with all herbs during lactation, professional guidance is recommended.

Pediatric Use

Jin Ying Zi may be used in children for conditions such as bedwetting (enuresis) or chronic diarrhea, which are among its primary indications. Dosage should be reduced proportionally according to the child's age and body weight, typically one-third to one-half of the adult dose for children over 5 years old. It should only be used under professional guidance in pediatric patients. Ensure that the processed form (with seeds and hairs removed) is always used, as the unprocessed herb can cause abdominal pain.

Drug Interactions

No well-documented pharmaceutical drug interactions have been reported for Jin Ying Zi. However, based on its known pharmacological properties, the following theoretical considerations apply:

  • Antidiabetic medications: Animal studies have shown that Rosa laevigata extracts may have blood sugar-lowering effects. Concurrent use with insulin or oral hypoglycaemic drugs could theoretically potentiate hypoglycaemia. Blood sugar monitoring is advisable.
  • Anticoagulant/antiplatelet drugs: A subchronic toxicity study noted decreased platelet counts at very high doses of the total flavonoids. While not established at normal doses, caution may be warranted when combining with warfarin, heparin, or antiplatelet agents.
  • Lipid-lowering medications: Animal studies have demonstrated hypolipidaemic effects. Additive effects with statins or other lipid-lowering drugs are theoretically possible.

These interactions remain theoretical and are based on preclinical data. Clinical evidence in humans is lacking.

Dietary Advice

When taking Jin Ying Zi for Kidney deficiency with loose stools or seminal emission, avoid cold and raw foods, iced drinks, and excessively greasy or spicy foods, as these can undermine the Spleen and Kidney functions the herb is intended to support. Warm, easily digestible foods such as congee, cooked grains, and mild soups complement its astringent action. Foods that naturally support the Kidney such as black sesame, walnuts, and lotus seeds are compatible.

Cautions & Warnings

Although this formula is typically safe for most individuals, it may cause side effects in some people. Pregnant women, nursing mothers, postpartum women, and those with liver disease should use the formula with caution.

As with any Chinese herbal remedy, it is advisable to seek guidance from a qualified TCM practitioner before beginning treatment.