Sour jujube seed
Ziziphus jujuba var. spinosa · 酸枣仁
Herbs & Roots. Chinese Medicine.
Also called Suan zao ren, Sour date seed, Spiny jujube seed, Ziziphi spinosae semen
Pinyin: Suān zǎo rén
Can cause drowsinessThe small seed of a wild jujube tree, used in Chinese medicine to calm the mind and help sleep.
Did you know? The jujube fruit is eaten as a sweet snack, but its inner seed is used as a sleep herb, and Chinese pharmacists usually dry-fry the seed before use.
What it may help, and how strong the proof is
- Sleep. Small trials of seed extracts and herbal blends show mixed sleep gains. Large, well-run trials are lacking.Early proof
- Stress & anxiety. Calming effects show up in lab and animal tests. Human studies on anxiety are few.Traditional proof
Parts of the body
Traditional use
Traditional Chinese Medicine has used sour jujube seed for restless sleep, racing heartbeat and night sweats for many centuries. It is a main herb in the classic formula Suan Zao Ren Tang (Sour Jujube Seed Decoction).
How it is classified
How people take it
Traditional doses are often 9 to 15 grams of seed in a decoction (a tea made by simmering herbs). Capsules and powders should follow the label. Studies have used different extracts at varied doses, so no standard dose exists.
Decoction, capsule and powder.
Where to get it
Grows wild and is farmed in northern China and Korea. Sold as dried seeds or powder in Asian herb shops, and as capsules online.
Be careful
Usually well tolerated. It can cause drowsiness, so use caution when driving or using sleep aids. Pregnancy and breastfeeding are not well studied, so avoid them.
Avoid if: pregnancy; breastfeeding; before surgery.
Mixing with other things
- Works well together
Longan and sour jujube seed are both in Gui Pi Tang (Restore the Spleen Decoction) for worry and poor sleep.
- Works well together
Gui Pi Tang (Restore the Spleen Decoction) combines seed and polygala root for poor sleep, worry and poor memory.
- Works well together
Poria is in Suan Zao Ren Tang and Gui Pi Tang, where it helps calm the mind.
- Works well together
Suan Zao Ren Tang pairs the seed with Sichuan lovage root (chuan xiong) for insomnia.
- Works well together
Both calm the spirit and are used together for poor sleep in Chinese practice.
- Use cautionSleep or anxiety medicine (Ambien, Xanax, Ativan)
May add to sleep aids and calming medicines, causing extra drowsiness. Animal studies support this, but human data are lacking.
- Use cautionAlcohol (beer, wine, spirits)
Alcohol adds to the drowsiness.
Adds up with others that can make you drowsy: , , , , , , , , , , , , , and 14 more.
Found in these formulas
Restore the Spleen (TCM), Sour Jujube Decoction (TCM)
The honest take
Sour jujube seed has a long traditional use for sleep. Human studies are small and mixed, and most stronger evidence is from lab and animal work. It should not replace proven sleep care for ongoing insomnia.