Black Sesame Seed — Classic Formulas

Hei Zhi Ma · Semen Sesami Nigrum

Primary Actions

  • Nourishes Liver and Kidney Yin while enriching essence and Blood - classically used for dizziness, tinnitus, blurred vision, premature graying, and hair loss when deep deficiency and dryness are present.
  • Moistens the intestines and unblocks the bowels - the oily seed is especially useful for dry constipation in older adults, postpartum patients, or those recovering from prolonged illness.
  • Supports hair and skin through food-medicine tonification - widely used in medicinal foods, powders, and congee to gently restore constitutional depletion without strong heating or coldness.
  • Fits long-term deficiency recovery better than emergency treatment - Hei Zhi Ma works gradually by replenishing depleted substance rather than forcing rapid symptom suppression.

Classic Formulas

  • Qi Bao Mei Ran Dan (七宝美髯丹) - famous essence-and-blood tonic formula for premature graying, weak sinews, dizziness, and depletion patterns, using Hei Zhi Ma to support hair and the Liver-Kidney axis.
  • Qing Zao Jiu Fei Tang (清燥救肺汤) - dryness-rescuing Lung formula in which Hei Zhi Ma contributes moistening support when dryness injures fluids and the bowels become dry.

Classical Text References

  • Me and Qi describes Hei Zhi Ma as sweet and neutral, entering the Liver and Kidney channels to nourish essence and Blood, moisten the intestines, and benefit the hair, ears, and eyes.
  • Later classical discussions of formulas such as Qi Bao Mei Ran Dan made black sesame a standard adjunct for premature graying and deficiency-related hair loss because black-colored seeds were thought to strongly enter the Kidneys.
  • Traditional food therapy and medicinal-diet practice use Hei Zhi Ma extensively in paste, powder, congee, and pill forms, reinforcing its status as a medicine-food rather than a harsh corrective herb.