Chinese
Medicine
Huang
Lian
As the saying goes, “A mute eats Huang Lian (Coptis), unable to express the bitterness,” which illustrates the extreme bitterness of Huang Lian. However, good medicine is often bitter and beneficial for illness. Huang Lian clears heat, dries dampness, drains fire, and detoxifies. Many well-known heat-clearing Chinese patent medicines contain Huang Lian, such as Huang Lian Shang Qing Wan (Huang Lian Upper Clear Pill), Niu Huang Shang Qing Wan (Cattle Gallbladder Upper Clear Pill), Qing Wei Huang Lian Wan (Clear Stomach Huang Lian Pill), and Xiang Lian Pian (Aromatic Lian Tablets). How much do you know about Huang Lian?
The dried rhizome of the plant Huang Lian (Coptis chinensis), also known as San Jiao Ye Huang Lian (Three-leaf Huang Lian) or Yun Lian (Cloud Lian), is extremely bitter and cold. It enters the Heart, Liver, Stomach, and Large Intestine meridians. Huang Lian is very bitter and cold, effectively clearing and draining, with strong medicinal properties. It primarily enters the Heart and Stomach meridians, also affecting the Liver and Large Intestine meridians, and is particularly effective in clearing Heart and Stomach fire, eliminating damp-heat in the Middle Jiao, making it a key herb for treating damp-heat and fire stagnation. 
It is indicated for damp-heat causing fullness, vomiting, diarrhea, jaundice, high fever, irritability, delirium, internal heat causing restlessness and insomnia, Stomach fire toothache, and sores on the tongue and mouth. Liver fire invading the Stomach leads to vomiting and sour regurgitation. Blood heat causing bleeding, carbuncles, and swelling, red and painful eyes, ear canal abscesses, and damp-heat skin rashes.
Medicine
Usage
Value
01Anti-ulcer
Helicobacter pylori infection is a major cause of gastric ulcers and chronic gastritis, and Huang Lian has a strong inhibitory effect on Helicobacter pylori, effectively protecting the stomach from bacterial damage. Huang Lian also shows significant inhibitory effects on indomethacin-induced gastric ulcers in rats, making it effective in treating gastric diseases.
02Anti-inflammatory and Analgesic
After an injury, Huang Lian can be used to relieve pain due to its anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties. In daily life, Huang Lian is often used for discomfort or illness. It is highly effective in treating burns and scalds, whether from boiling water, hot oil, or tar.
03Damp-heat Diarrhea
Huang Lian and its active component have a good alleviating effect against diarrhea caused by Escherichia coli. It can counteract cholera toxin-induced diarrhea and reduce inflammation responses such as edema and hypersecretion in the small intestinal villi. Additionally, it is effective against non-infectious diarrhea, making it useful for treating diarrhea.
04Resistance to Infectious Diseases
Huang Lian and its compound are commonly used in clinical practice to treat dysentery, acute gastroenteritis, chronic diarrhea, respiratory infections, diphtheria, whooping cough, tuberculous meningitis, atrophic rhinitis, epidemic conjunctivitis, purulent otitis media, oral ulcers, periodontitis, hemorrhoids, and infant eczema, among various infectious diseases. It is also used to treat atrophic gastritis, gastric and duodenal ulcers, chronic cholecystitis, and acute pyelonephritis.
05Treatment of Eczema
Huang Lian can be made into an ointment for external application to treat skin eczema and damp sores. Applying Huang Lian juice to the affected area can treat ear canal pus. Heating Huang Lian juice can treat red and swollen eyes. In these aspects, the medicinal value of Huang Lian is highly evident.
Note
Items
1. Huang Lian is bitter and cold; it should not be taken for long periods, as it may damage the Spleen and Stomach. Those with Spleen and Stomach deficiency and cold should avoid it.
2. Huang Lian is bitter and drying, which can injure fluids; those with Yin deficiency and fluid injury should use it cautiously.
Bai Xing Le TCM Clinic
Bai Xing Le TCM Clinic is a clinic under the Shaanxi Bai Xing Le Health Pharmaceutical Group, focusing on TCM diagnosis and treatment, as well as TCM therapy. The clinic is located at the waterfront Mingyuan on Century Avenue in Xianyang (opposite the Jintai Silk Road Flower City), 200 meters west of the Metro A exit of the TCM University.
With a building area of approximately 500 square meters, the first floor is for TCM diagnosis and treatment, while the second floor houses moxibustion, massage, and acupuncture therapy rooms. It is conveniently accessible by public transport.
The clinic serves 17 communities, including the TCM University family area, Weibi Garden, and Jintai Silk Road Flower City, with over 50,000 residents. The group has over 300 pharmacies and more than 70,000 clients with chronic disease records.
Bai Xing Le TCM Clinic adheres to the business philosophy of bringing health and happiness to everyone.