Actinolite

Chinese
阳起石
Pinyin
Yang Qi Shi
Latin
Actinolitum

TCM Properties

Taste
salty
Temperature
warm
Channels
Kidney

Traditional Use

Primary Actions

  • Warms the Kidney and tonifies Yang — used for impotence, spermatorrhea, and premature ejaculation from Kidney Yang deficiency
  • Warms the Uterus and tonifies Yang — used for female infertility and cold-type abdominal masses from uterine coldness

Secondary Actions

  • Tonifies Kidney Yang to address lower back and knee soreness aggravated by cold and deficiency
  • Warms the Lower Jiao to relieve lower abdominal coldness and diminished libido from Yang deficiency

Modern Research

Active Compounds

  • Calcium magnesium iron silicate — primary mineral composition Ca2(Mg,Fe)5Si8O22(OH)2
  • Trace elements — iron, manganese, and other mineral cofactors present in the silicate matrix

Studied Effects

  • No peer-reviewed pharmacological studies on Actinolitum as a TCM preparation identified in PubMed; clinical application remains based on traditional evidence only

Safety & Interactions

Contraindications

  • Yin deficiency with heat signs — warm tonifying action is contraindicated in heat-excess patterns
  • Long-term use — not intended for prolonged administration; risk of mineral accumulation
  • Fibrous (asbestiform) actinolite — one of six recognized asbestos types; inhalation of fine fibers causes asbestosis and lung cancer; only pharmaceutical-grade calcined non-asbestiform preparations are permissible

Cautions

  • Must be prepared as extremely finely powdered calcined mineral by a qualified practitioner to minimize fiber inhalation risk
  • Source exclusively from verified suppliers of pharmaceutical-grade Actinolitum prepared from non-asbestiform material
  • MSK page not found — drug interaction data not available from Memorial Sloan Kettering integrative medicine database

Conditions