Honeysuckle (Jin Yin Hua) is a commonly used medicinal and edible material known for its ability to clear heat and detoxify. Many people are accustomed to using it to brew tea for heat relief.
Honeysuckle, also known as Shuang Hua (Double Flower) or Ren Dong Hua (Lonicera Flower), refers to the dried flower buds or early flowers of the Lonicera japonica plant. It was first used in medicine as Ren Dong (Lonicera vine). During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the number of physicians using honeysuckle increased, and its efficacy became well recognized and popular.
It is said that over 70% of cold and anti-inflammatory Chinese patent medicines in our country contain honeysuckle, as it has good therapeutic effects on wind-heat colds, sore throats, and skin redness and swelling. Therefore, honeysuckle is also known as a “natural antibiotic.”
Medicinal Effects of Honeysuckle
1. Expert in Detoxification
Honeysuckle is cold in nature and can clear heat and detoxify. When paired appropriately, it can be used for various internal and external heat toxin conditions.
As recorded in the Yunnan Materia Medica: Honeysuckle “clears heat, resolves sores, and treats carbuncles and boils,” and in the Essentials of Herbal Medicine, it states that honeysuckle “can eliminate carbuncles and toxins” and “remove blood heat from the skin”… These effects are still frequently utilized in modern clinical practice.
2. Master of Wind Dispersion
The Compendium of Materia Medica by Zhang Shanglei in the Qing dynasty recorded: Lonicera “is mostly used for its flowers, which are light and dispersive in nature, and not as potent as the branches and vines.” Honeysuckle is aromatic and disperses, capable of clearing heat from the heart and stomach to detoxify, as well as clearing evil from the lung meridian to dispel wind and heat. Honeysuckle is a master of wind dispersion and is commonly found in prescriptions for treating exterior wind-heat conditions by TCM practitioners.
3. Contributor to Epidemic Prevention
The medical treatise Chongqing Hall Essays by Wang Bingheng in the Qing dynasty praised honeysuckle for its ability to “resolve warm epidemic filth and evil turbid pathogens,” clearly stating its efficacy in treating infectious diseases.
As a traditional Chinese medicine, honeysuckle played an important role during the “SARS” and “COVID-19” pandemics:
In 2003, during the fight against SARS, most of the prescriptions recommended by local TCM authorities for preventing and treating atypical pneumonia contained honeysuckle, showing significant preventive effects;
In the fight against COVID-19, honeysuckle frequently appeared in treatment plans across various regions, being a classic Chinese medicine used for prevention and treatment.
When discussing honeysuckle, one must mention Yin Qiao San: Yin Qiao San originates from the Differentiation of Warm Diseases and is used to treat “Taiyin wind warmth, warm heat, warm epidemic, and winter warmth… but with aversion to heat, not cold, and thirst.”
Yin Qiao San is widely used in the early stages of warm diseases, such as colds, atypical pneumonia, COVID-19, acute tonsillitis, and upper respiratory infections. Yin Qiao San is not only a famous formula for epidemic prevention but has also inspired many Chinese patent medicines, such as heat-clearing and detoxifying granules, Shuanghuanglian oral liquid, and Lianhua Qingwen capsules, all of which reference the composition of Yin Qiao San. (Content reference: Guangdong Traditional Chinese Medicine)
It is evident that honeysuckle possesses excellent heat-clearing and detoxifying powers, capable of dispelling wind-heat pathogens externally and resolving blood heat toxins internally, making it a classic medicine for epidemic prevention and treatment. It is important to note that those with spleen and stomach deficiency-cold and sores belonging to yin deficiency should use it with caution.
6 Pairing Methods for Honeysuckle
The most common method of using honeysuckle is to brew it in water or steep it. Here are 6 tea pairing methods:
1. Honeysuckle + Chen Pi (Dried Tangerine Peel)
Honeysuckle and Chen Pi pair well together. This combination has the effects of clearing heat and detoxifying, as well as promoting gastric juice secretion. For patients with indigestion or loss of appetite, appropriately pairing honeysuckle with Chen Pi can aid digestion.
2. Honeysuckle + Shan Zha (Hawthorn)
Honeysuckle and Shan Zha pair well together. This combination also has the effects of clearing heat and detoxifying, as well as promoting gastric juice secretion, beneficial for those with digestive issues or poor appetite.
3. Honeysuckle + Huang Qi (Astragalus)
Combining honeysuckle with Huang Qi can enhance the body’s resistance and immunity, while also benefiting liver protection and diuresis.
4. Honeysuckle + Goji Berries (Gou Qi Zi)
Honeysuckle and Goji Berries pair well together. This combination has the effects of clearing the liver and brightening the eyes, clearing heat and detoxifying, and alleviating dryness and irritability, providing relief for a series of discomforts caused by heat conditions.
5. Honeysuckle + Chrysanthemum (Ju Hua)
Chrysanthemum is a commonly used ingredient in TCM, known for its cold nature and affinity for the liver meridian, achieving excellent effects in calming the liver and brightening the eyes.
For office workers who often stare at computers, pairing honeysuckle with chrysanthemum can help clear the liver, brighten the eyes, dissipate heat, and protect the eyes.
6. Honeysuckle + Licorice (Gan Cao)
During this windy season, the body can become quite dry, leading to symptoms of heat. Pairing honeysuckle with licorice can help clear heat and quench thirst, reduce fire and dryness, and is beneficial for throat inflammation and oral ulcers. (Content reference: Langfang Traditional Chinese Medicine)
Honeysuckle and Reed Root Tea
In addition to personal combinations, you can also choose Li Liang Ji Honeysuckle and Reed Root Tea! This tea follows the principle of food and medicine being of the same source, selecting authentic ingredients, and is composed of various medicinal materials including Poria, honeysuckle, tangerine peel, fresh reed root, mulberry leaves, and ginseng.
According to the Chinese Pharmacopoeia:
Honeysuckle: clears heat and detoxifies, disperses wind-heat;
Reed Root: clears heat and drains fire, generates fluids and quenches thirst, alleviates irritability, stops vomiting, and promotes urination;
Poria: promotes urination and leaches out dampness, strengthens the spleen, calms the mind;
Mulberry Leaf: disperses wind-heat, clears the lungs and moistens dryness, clears the liver and brightens the eyes;
Tangerine Peel: regulates qi, strengthens the spleen, dries dampness and transforms phlegm;
Ginseng: greatly tonifies the original qi, restores the pulse, strengthens the spleen and lungs, generates fluids and nourishes blood, calms the mind and benefits intelligence.
Unlike other tea drinks on the market, Li Liang Ji flower tea selects high-quality raw materials, ensuring superior quality, and the tea bags are particularly durable, maintaining a rich flavor even after brewing three times~
Li Liang Ji Honeysuckle and Reed Root Tea comes in individual small packets, which can be directly taken out for brewing. It is especially convenient~ Whether at work or on a business trip, you can carry a few packets in your bag and enjoy it anytime, anywhere.
In the autumn and winter seasons, with changing weather and frequent flu outbreaks, you can keep this tea on hand and drink it regularly to safeguard the health of yourself and your family.
Disclaimer: This article is compiled and edited based on relevant online materials for communication and sharing purposes, aiming to disseminate health knowledge. The prescriptions mentioned are only provided for related ideas; please use medications under the guidance of a professional doctor and do not self-medicate blindly. If there are any improper uses or disagreements with the above content, please contact us, and we will address it promptly.
