Tongzhou Milkvetch Seed — Classic Formulas

Tong Ji Li · Semen Astragali Complanati

Primary Actions

  • Warms and supplements the Kidney while securing essence - Tong Ji Li is a regional name for the Sha Yuan Zi seed and is used for leakage, reproductive weakness, and deficient lower-burner instability.
  • Benefits the eyes through Liver-Kidney support - its traditional vision use fits deficiency blur rather than red inflamed excess-eye patterns.
  • Supports fertility and constitutional resilience - it appears in tonic strategies for chronic weakness where reproductive function and essence have been depleted.

Classic Formulas

  • Kidney-securing combinations use Tong Ji Li with Tu Si Zi, Fu Pen Zi, or Qian Shi for nocturnal emission and urinary leakage.
  • Reproductive-tonic formulas may pair it with Du Zhong and Gou Ji when infertility and low-back weakness coexist.
  • Eye-support deficiency formulas combine it with Gou Qi Zi and other Liver-Kidney nourishers rather than with strong heat-clearing eye herbs.

Classical Text References

  • Traditional Chinese trade literature treats Tong Ji Li as an alternate name for the seed more commonly listed as Sha Yuan Zi or Sha Yuan Ji Li.
  • Its actions remain those of a sweet warm Liver-Kidney tonic that secures essence and improves vision in deficiency patterns.
  • Regional naming should not be mistaken for a separate herb with a different core therapeutic profile.