Use of the formula according to Traditional Chinese Medicine:

• strengthens heart and spleen Qi, firms the spleen
• opens the clear orifices of the heart, transforms Tan (phlegm)
• nourishes yin
• calms and nourishes the Shen spirit

Description:

Due to the fast pace of our daily lives, more and more people are suffering from depressive symptoms, such as: mood disorders: anhedonia (loss of interest and pleasure), persistent depression, feelings of helplessness or experiencing excessive guilt; cognitive disorders: memory loss and difficulty concentrating; behavioural disorders, difficulty falling asleep, loss of appetite or overeating, agitation, or even suicidal tendencies. If these symptoms occur together and last for more than two weeks without significant improvement, this condition is already diagnosed as a depressive disorder (i.e., depression). Currently, depression has become one of the most common psychiatric diagnoses, with an incidence of 15% of the total population, and perhaps even higher in women – up to 25%. According to TCM, the cause of depression is attributed to spleen weakness and phlegm accumulation, heart Qi deficiency, and heart yin/blood deficiency. The heart, but especially its Shen spirit, which is the seat of our personality, lacks nourishment and, moreover, has its "windows obscured" by phlegm. Therefore, formulas that strengthen the spleen to remove phlegm and nourish heart Qi and yin are usually administered.

From the perspective of Western medicine, a lack of neurotransmitters, such as noradrenaline, dopamine, and serotonin in the brain, has long been considered the main cause of depression. All antidepressants available on the market are therefore aimed at restoring the reduced level of neurotransmitters in the synaptic cleft or in the brain of depressed persons by inhibiting the reuptake and degradation of neurotransmitters. Such an inhibitory effect on acetylcholinesterase has also been proven for Kai Xin San. However, modern evidence-based studies have found that this is not all. The results suggest that the antidepressant effect of Kai Xin San may be mediated by increasing the expression of so-called neurotrophic (nerve tissue nourishing) factors in astrocytes (a type of nerve cell), which fully supports the centuries-long use of this decoction.

Kai Xin San, which was first prescribed by Sun Simiao in the book Beiji Qianjin Yaofang about 1400 years ago, is a relatively simple but very effective formula that contains Ginseng, Polygala root, Acorus rhizome, and Poria cocos.

In China, it was used to treat psychiatric problems associated with stress, with symptoms of depression and forgetfulness. Modern indications today include senile dementia, and especially Alzheimer's disease, where the effectiveness of the formula has also been confirmed by a modern experimental study by the University of TCM in Shanghai.

Indications:

• mood disorders
• anhedonia (loss of interest and pleasure)
• persistent depression
• agitation
• feelings of helplessness or experiencing excessive guilt
• cognitive disorders
• memory loss and difficulty concentrating
• behavioural disorders
• difficulty falling asleep
• loss of appetite or overeating
• palpitations
• shortness of breath
• talking to oneself
• physical and mental fatigue
• symptoms worsen with exertion
• suicidal tendencies

Modern use:

• depression
• consequences of long-term stress
• forgetfulness
• dementia
• Alzheimer's disease

Tongue:

• various
• mostly paler
• can be swollen with teeth marks

Pulse:

• usually xi
• xu
• ruo (fine, empty, weak)

Contraindications:

• none known

Notes:

The formula must be taken long-term, as the illness also took a long time to develop. To see changes for the better, we recommend consistent use for at least 2-3 months and then continuing according to the condition. Even slowing the progression of the disease and stabilisation, or any improvement in the condition, is a great relief for the patient and their surroundings.

Composition of the formula: