Honeysuckle (Jin Yin Hua) is the dried flower buds or early flowers of the plants Lonicera japonica, Lonicera macranthoides, and Lonicera hypoglauca. It is harvested in early summer before blooming and then dried. It is produced in most regions of China.
Honeysuckle has the effects of clearing heat and detoxifying, promoting circulation, and has broad-spectrum antibacterial and antiviral properties. Over 70% of cold and anti-inflammatory traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formulas contain honeysuckle, earning it the titles of “Chinese herbal antibiotic” and “green antibacterial agent.” In addition to its medicinal uses, honeysuckle’s effects on beauty, weight loss, and health maintenance are even more remarkable, providing significant protection and repair to the body.
The taste of honeysuckle isa bit bitter, but this bitterness is acceptable, as it is a mild bitterness that can clear heat and detoxify, and also promote health.
1. Clear heat and detoxify
It can be used to brew tea to treat certain wind-heat colds, as honeysuckle is a cooling ingredient with certain heat-clearing effects. Pairing it with Astragalus (Huang Qi) can treat sore throat and upper respiratory infections.
2. Treat dysentery
The greatest effect of honeysuckle is its ability to clear heat and detoxify, so it can treat various types of dysentery. If you accidentally suffer from dysentery, you can boil honeysuckle in water and take it twice a day, morning and evening, which is very effective for treating dysentery. However, it should not be consumed excessively; once the illness is cured, you can stop taking it.
3. Lower blood lipids
Studies have shown that honeysuckle can inhibit and reduce the body’s absorption of cholesterol, effectively lowering cholesterol levels in the blood. Therefore, drinking honeysuckle tea in moderation can also help lower blood lipids, but be cautious with the amount, as honeysuckle is not suitable for cold constitutions.
4. Improve eyesight
Brewing it in water or boiling it can improve eyesight. It is recommended to brew it with Chrysanthemum (Ju Hua) or Licorice (Gan Cao) for better effects on the eyes. This combination is also particularly good for treating skin itching issues.
Modern research shows:
1. Honeysuckle has effects such as relieving heat, detoxifying, refreshing the mind, quenching thirst, eliminating toxic substances from the body, lowering lipids, aiding weight loss, beautifying the skin, preventing aging, and prolonging life.
2. Honeysuckle can lower blood pressure, reduce serum cholesterol, increase coronary blood flow, and prevent coronary heart disease and angina. It inhibits the formation of cerebral thrombosis. It enhances the body’s tolerance to hypoxia and free radicals, improves memory, and delays aging. It improves microcirculation, eliminates peroxidized fat deposits, promotes metabolism, and moisturizes the skin while removing spots.
3. The bioactivity of chlorogenic acid in honeysuckle can promote human metabolism, regulate bodily functions, and enhance immunity.
The specific therapeutic effects of honeysuckle are as follows:
1. Clear heat and detoxify, nourish essence and improve eyesight – Overnight Recovery Tea
Recipe: 4 Chrysanthemum buds, 18 Honeysuckle flowers, 4 Licorice slices, 3g Osmanthus, 5g Goji berries, 7g Cassia seeds.
Suitable for those who are fatigued, stay up late, have constipation, oily skin, or excessive dampness.
2. Nourish the liver and clear fire, moisten the intestines and relieve constipation – Honeysuckle Rose Tea
Recipe: Honeysuckle, Ophiopogon (Mai Dong), and Rose are suitable for those with bad breath and constipation due to excess heat.
3. Relieve throat discomfort – Honeysuckle Cool Tea
Recipe: 5g Honeysuckle, 3g Chrysanthemum, 3g Licorice, 7g Goji berries, and appropriate amount of rock sugar are suitable for those with sore throat and oral ulcers due to excess heat.
4. Antibacterial and anti-inflammatory, detoxifying and acne-removing – Herbal Acne Tea
Recipe: Honeysuckle, Osmanthus, Chrysanthemum, and Dandelion are suitable for those who have acne due to staying up late and dietary issues.
5. Epidemic conjunctivitis:
Fresh honeysuckle and vine leaves 30-50g, wash, add appropriate amount of water, and boil for 3-5 minutes. Use by steaming and then washing the eyes, allowing the medicinal liquid to enter the eyes, three times a day.
6. Hypertension:
30g Honeysuckle, 30g Hawthorn, decoct in water, one dose per day.
7. Urticaria:
30g fresh honeysuckle, decoct three times, divide into three doses, one dose per day. Symptoms usually disappear after three doses.
8. Skin itching:
20g honeysuckle stewed with pig intestines, take three times a day for five days.
9. Cystitis:
15g honeysuckle, add 200ml of water, decoct to 100ml, take once a day.
10. Dacryocystitis:
15g honeysuckle, add 200ml of water, decoct to 100ml, take one dose per day. Generally, recovery occurs after 4-5 doses.
Precautions for Honeysuckle
Honeysuckle tea is a very good health tea! Consuming it occasionally can clear heat and detoxify, beautify the skin, but honeysuckle is cooling, so it should not be consumed in large amounts at once. Therefore, under normal consumption, adults should generally take no more than 400ml per day, and children should not exceed 180ml per day. Continuous consumption should not exceed one week. Additionally, honeysuckle can be brewed 2-3 times, and should not be consumed overnight.
People with weak constitutions should avoid drinking it.
Women should avoid drinking it during menstruation.
It should not be consumed daily.
Who is suitable for drinking honeysuckle tea?
1. Those who experience dizziness and thirst due to heat and summer heat, excessive sweating and irritability.
2. Those with skin infections, carbuncles, furuncles, erysipelas, mumps, and purulent tonsillitis.
3. Children with prickly heat can consume it in summer.
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