Sheep Liver
Yang Gan (Sheep Liver) is a traditional Chinese medicinal material. It is the liver of the goat Capra hircus Linnaeus or the sheep Ovis aries Linnaeus, animals belonging to the family Bovidae. It was first recorded in Mingyi Bielu (The Miscellaneous Records of Famous Physicians).
Efficacy & Actions
Supplements the liver and nourishes the blood, benefits essence and improves vision.
Indications
Liver deficiency with blurred vision, night blindness, visual impairment, red and swollen eyes, and corneal opacities. It is also used for blood deficiency with sallow complexion, consumptive disease with emaciation, diabetes, and pulmonary tuberculosis with cough.
Modern Pharmacology
Vitamin A supplementation: Sheep liver is rich in vitamin A, which can prevent and treat night blindness and xerophthalmia, and maintain normal visual function. Hematinic effect: Sheep liver is rich in iron and B vitamins, which contribute to hemoglobin synthesis and improve iron deficiency anemia. Immune enhancement: Sheep liver is rich in protein, vitamin C, zinc, selenium, and other nutrients that help enhance immune function. Vision protection: The retinol (vitamin A) in sheep liver helps maintain the function of photoreceptor cells in the retina and may help prevent macular degeneration.
Ingredients
Proteins: High‑quality animal protein, approximately 16–18%. Vitamins: Rich in vitamin A (retinol), B vitamins (B₁, B₂, B₆, B₁₂), vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, etc. Minerals: Rich in iron, zinc, selenium, copper, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, etc. Fats: Contains small amounts of fat and cholesterol. Glycogen: Contains hepatic glycogen.
Usage & Dosage
For oral administration: cooked and eaten, decocted in water, or made into pills or powders, in appropriate amounts.
Contraindications
Use with caution in patients with hypercholesterolemia: Sheep liver is high in cholesterol; patients with hyperlipidemia or coronary heart disease should not consume it in excess. Use with caution in patients with gout: Sheep liver is a high‑purine food and should be avoided during acute gout attacks. Vitamin A toxicity from overdose: Long‑term, excessive consumption of sheep liver may lead to vitamin A accumulation and toxicity, with symptoms such as headache, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, dry skin, hair loss, and bone pain. The tolerable upper intake level (UL) for adults is 3000 μg RAE (retinol activity equivalents) per day. Consuming more than 100 g of sheep liver daily for weeks to months may exceed the UL. Use with caution in patients with liver disease: Sheep liver is rich in copper. In patients with impaired liver metabolism, copper accumulation may exacerbate liver damage. Use with caution during pregnancy: Excessive vitamin A intake during pregnancy may cause fetal malformations. Pregnant women should strictly control sheep liver intake, limiting consumption to no more than once per week and no more than 50 g per serving. Avoid concurrent use with certain medications: Should not be consumed during treatment with vitamin A supplements to avoid vitamin A overdose. Should not be consumed with vitamin C‑rich foods: The copper ions in sheep liver may accelerate the oxidation of vitamin C, reducing its nutritional value. It is recommended to consume vitamin C‑rich foods (vegetables, fruits) 1–2 hours apart. Should not be consumed with tannin‑rich foods: Such as tea, persimmons, and hawthorn, as tannins bind to iron and reduce its absorption. Should not be consumed with enzyme preparations: The copper ions in sheep liver may reduce the activity of enzyme preparations (such as pepsin, pancreatin, and amylase), affecting their therapeutic efficacy.
Selected Formulas
For liver-deficiency blurred vision and night blindness (Bencao Gangmu) Take one sheep liver (washed), slice it, and stir-fry with Chinese chives (or Qingxiangzi, Celosia seed). Alternatively, slice one sheep liver, soak in rice-washing water, cook until done, mash into a paste, and form into pills the size of waxberry seeds. Take 30 pills each time with rice water. For infantile ocular malnutrition with corneal opacity (Xiao'er Yaozheng Zhijue) Take one sheep liver, slice it, wrap in cloth, and boil in rice-washing water until cooked. Remove and mash, add a little Zhusha (Cinnabar), and form into pills the size of waxberry seeds. Take 10 pills each time with rice water. For red, swollen eyes with corneal opacity (Yizong Jinjian, Yanggan Wan) Take one sheep liver and 30g of Huanglian (Coptis). Slice the liver, grind the Coptis into powder, steam together until cooked, remove the Coptis, and eat the liver. For consumptive disease with emaciation and wasting thirst disorder (empirical formula) Take one sheep liver, slice it, stew in soup or cook into congee, and eat regularly. For anemia and sallow complexion (empirical formula) Take 100g of sheep liver and 200g of spinach, cook together in soup, season, and consume. For pulmonary tuberculosis with cough (empirical formula) Take one sheep liver, 15g of Baibu (Stemona root), and 10g of Chuanbeimu (Fritillaria). Cook together, eat the liver, and drink the soup.
Daily Consumption
Sheep Liver and Goji Berry Soup: Use 150 g of sheep liver, 15 g of goji berries, 10 g of chrysanthemum flowers, and 3 slices of ginger. Cook together in soup and consume. This soup clears the liver and improves vision. Sheep Liver and Spinach Soup: Use 100 g of sheep liver and 200 g of spinach. Cook together in soup, season to taste, and consume. This soup nourishes the blood and supplements the liver.
Medicinal Parts
It is the liver of the goat Capra hircus Linnaeus or the sheep Ovis aries Linnaeus, animals belonging to the family Bovidae.
Selection & Storage
Fresh product: Store refrigerated and consume within 2–3 days. Frozen storage: Wash, slice, seal in a freezer bag, and freeze; can be stored for 1–3 months. Dried product: After slicing and drying in the sun, store in a cool, dry place, protected from moisture and insects.
