Hawthorn Fruit (Shan Zha)
山楂 · Shānzhā
Crataegus pinnatifida
Family: Rosaceae · Part used: Ripe fruit · Origin: Chengde, Hebei, China
Nature
Warm
Flavor
Sour, sweet
Meridian
Spleen, Stomach, Liver
Shan Zha is the Digestive's best friend — the bright red fruit that dissolves meat stagnation after festive feasts, and the heart-circulation ally that modern lipid research has validated. Charred hawthorn stops dysentery; raw, it moves. Tanghulu street candy and hawthorn flakes alike begin with this fruit.
🌿 Functions & Actions
- •Promotes digestion (especially of meats)
- •Invigorates blood and dispels stasis
- •Transforms phlegm
- •Relieves food stagnation pain
📋 Traditional Indications
- •Overeating and meat stagnation
- •Bloating and belching
- •Postpartum abdominal pain from stasis
- •Chest discomfort from stasis
- •High lipid patterns (adjunct)
📖 Usage & Dosage
9–12 g in decoction; raw for stasis, charred for diarrhea; dried slices steeped as tea after meals.
🍵 Classic Recipes
Hawthorn Digestive Tea
Hawthorn 10 g + dried tangerine peel 3 g, steeped after rich meals.
Shan Zha Mai Ya Decoction
Hawthorn 10 g + barley malt 10 g — the classic food-stagnation pair.
🔬 Modern Research
Hawthorn flavonoids (vitexin, hyperoside) and oligomeric procyanidins have a substantial evidence base for cardiac function and lipid profiles.
⚠️ Contraindications
Avoid with excess stomach acid, ulcers, pregnancy, and in tooth-sensitive individuals.
