Classification of Heat-Clearing and Detoxifying Herbs
Due to the varying causes of disease, changes in conditions, and differences in patient constitution, the heat syndrome can be categorized into heat in the Qi level and blood level, as well as real heat and false heat. Based on the effects of heat-clearing herbs and their corresponding syndromes, they can be divided into five categories:
1
Heat-Clearing and Fire-Purging Herbs: These herbs clear heat from the Qi level and are primarily used for treating real heat syndrome in the Qi level. Representative Chinese patent medicine: Baiyunshan Jingxiutang Qingre Xiaoyan Ning Capsules, etc. Baiyunshan Jingxiutang “Qingre Xiaoyan Ning Capsules” is a traditional Chinese medicine with antibacterial and antiviral properties, particularly effective for colds, pharyngitis, and other upper respiratory infections. It has the effects of clearing heat and detoxifying, reducing inflammation and pain, and is an ideal natural medicine for preventing and treating influenza, pharyngitis, heat toxin syndromes, and acute gastroenteritis.
2
Heat-Clearing and Damp-Drying Herbs: These herbs are bitter and dry, functioning to clear heat and dry dampness, primarily used for treating damp-heat diarrhea, jaundice, etc. For example, damp-heat accumulation in the large intestine leading to dysentery presents with abdominal pain, urgency, and bloody diarrhea. Representative Chinese patent medicine includes Gegen Qinlian Pian, etc. Damp-heat accumulation in the bladder leading to painful urination presents with frequent, painful urination, and possibly blood in urine. Representative Chinese patent medicine includes Jinsuo Wulin Wan, etc. For liver and gallbladder damp-heat causing jaundice, cholecystitis, and gallstones, representative Chinese patent medicine includes Liban Paishi Pian, etc.
3
Heat-Clearing and Blood-Cooling Herbs: These herbs enter the blood level, function to clear heat from the blood level, and are primarily used for treating real heat syndrome in the blood level. Representative Chinese patent medicine includes Qingre Liangxue Gao, etc. When using heat-clearing Chinese patent medicines, it is important to note that they are generally used when the exterior syndrome has resolved, and interior heat is still strong, or when the interior heat is strong but not solidified. If the evil heat is in the exterior, it should be resolved first; otherwise, it may enter the interior. If the interior heat is solid, purgative Chinese patent medicines should be used; if the exterior evil has not resolved and the interior heat is solid, both exterior and interior should be resolved. Additionally, distinguishing the narrative of heat syndromes, whether true or false, and whether it is in the organs or bowels is also crucial. These types of Chinese patent medicines often use bitter and cold substances, which can easily harm the body’s Yang Qi, so they should not be taken for long periods.
4
Heat-Clearing and Detoxifying Herbs: These herbs function to clear heat and detoxify, primarily used for treating conditions such as carbuncles and sores due to excessive heat toxin. There are many varieties of these Chinese patent medicines, categorized by their different actions: for clearing excess fire from the upper jiao, representative Chinese patent medicine includes Shangqing Wan; for clearing fire from the three jiao, representative Chinese patent medicine includes Niuhuang Jiedu Pian, etc.; for clearing liver and gallbladder fire, representative Chinese patent medicine includes Longdan Xiegan Wan, etc.; for clearing stomach fire, representative Chinese patent medicine includes Qingwei Huanglian Wan, etc.; for clearing heart fire, representative Chinese patent medicine includes Daohong Wan, etc.; for clearing lung fire, representative Chinese patent medicine includes Qingfei Yihuo Wan, etc.
5
Heat-Clearing and Deficiency-Heat Herbs: These herbs function to clear deficiency-heat and reduce bone steaming, primarily used for treating heat evil injuring Yin and deficiency-heat. Representative herbs include Yin Chai Hu: clears marrow heat, effectively treating deficiency-heat and bone steaming, allowing heat to retreat without causing dryness; Huang Bai: thick in flavor, it is the Yin among Yin, specifically tonifying kidney deficiency, allowing energy to surge from the feet and knees. It has effects of lowering blood sugar and blood pressure, and protecting platelets; Qinghao: clears deficiency-heat, cools blood and eliminates steaming, relieves summer heat and malaria, aromatic and disperses evils outward; Digupi: sweet and cold, clears deficiency-heat, primarily clears and descends, suitable for sweating symptoms, cold yet able to guard, harmonizes and clears lung heat, clears lung hidden fire, nourishes the upper source of water, and nourishes kidney water below, while also cooling blood and clearing lung heat cough; Qinjiao: dispels wind-dampness and reduces deficiency-heat, relaxes tendons and alleviates pain, treats whole body joint pain and muscle spasms. It enters the stomach, large intestine, liver, and gallbladder channels; Shashen: nourishes Yin, clears lung heat, eliminates deficiency-heat, benefits the stomach and generates fluids. It enters the lung and stomach channels; Zhimu: clears heat and eliminates vexation, nourishes Yin and preserves Yin, reduces kidney fire, nourishes kidney water, clears bone steaming; Bai Wei: cools blood and clears heat. Heat diseases injure Yin and cause residual heat, effectively clearing blood-level evil heat, treating warm heat disease fever, deficiency-heat, postpartum blood deficiency fever, and all unexplained fevers. It clears blood and promotes urination, treating heat dysuria and pain, deficiency-heat tidal fever, low fever that does not subside, urinary tract infections, cooling blood and clearing heat; Hu Huanglian: clears warm heat, reduces deficiency-heat, dries dampness and eliminates sores. It enters the liver, stomach, and large intestine channels. The heart channel clears lower jiao damp-heat more effectively than Huanglian for deficiency-heat, blood-heat, bone steaming, and labor heat; Xiyangshen: benefits lung Yin, clears deficiency-heat, generates fluids and quenches thirst.
Common Foods for Clearing Heat and Detoxifying
1. Banana – Sweet in flavor, cold in nature. Functions to clear heat and detoxify, moistens the intestines. Suitable for dry intestines and constipation; avoid for deficiency-cold diarrhea.
2. Watermelon – Sweet in flavor, cold in nature, enters the heart, stomach, and bladder channels. Functions to clear heat and relieve summer heat, quench thirst, and promote urination. Suitable for stomach burning pain and bad breath due to stomach heat. Avoid for deficiency-cold and damp conditions.
3. Celery – Sweet and bitter in flavor, cool in nature, enters the liver and stomach channels. Functions to pacify the liver, clear heat, and dispel wind-dampness. Suitable for liver and stomach heat causing stomach pain, bad breath due to stomach heat, and dry heat constipation. Avoid for deficiency-cold and diarrhea.
4. Cabbage (Bok Choy) – Sweet in flavor, neutral in nature, enters the intestines and stomach channels. Functions to relieve heat and irritability, promote digestion. Suitable for dry heat constipation.
5. Amaranth – Sweet in flavor, cool in nature. Functions to clear heat and detoxify, promote urination. Suitable for damp-heat diarrhea, bad breath due to stomach heat, and dry heat constipation. Avoid for deficiency-cold diarrhea.
6. Water Chestnut – Sweet in flavor, cold in nature, enters the lung and spleen channels. Functions to clear heat and detoxify, relieve irritability and thirst, promote urination and bowel movements. Suitable for damp-heat diarrhea, bad breath due to stomach heat, and dry heat constipation. Avoid for deficiency-cold diarrhea, and do not consume with honey.
7. Bitter Melon – Bitter in flavor, cold in nature, enters the heart, spleen, and stomach channels. Functions to clear heat, promote dampness, and detoxify. Suitable for damp-heat diarrhea, bad breath due to stomach heat, and stomach pain due to stomach heat. Avoid for deficiency-cold conditions.
8. Cucumber – Sweet in flavor, cool in nature, enters the spleen, stomach, and large intestine channels. Functions to clear heat, detoxify, and promote urination. Suitable for bad breath due to stomach heat and damp-heat diarrhea. Avoid for deficiency-cold conditions; do not consume with white radish or celery.
9. Loquat – Sweet and sour in flavor, cool in nature, enters the lung and liver channels. Functions to moisten the lungs, relieve cough, generate fluids, and stop vomiting. Suitable for bad breath due to stomach heat and vomiting due to stomach heat. Avoid for damp and deficiency-cold conditions.
10. Pear – Sweet and sour in flavor, cool in nature, enters the lung and stomach channels. Functions to generate fluids, moisten dryness, and clear heat and phlegm. Suitable for vomiting blood due to stomach heat, bad breath due to stomach heat, and dry heat constipation. Avoid for deficiency-cold conditions.
11. Millet – Sweet and salty in flavor, cool in nature, enters the kidney, spleen, and stomach channels. Functions to clear heat, harmonize the middle, and promote urination. Suitable for spleen deficiency and stomach heat, reverse vomiting, and diarrhea. Avoid consuming with almonds.
12. Mung Beans – Sweet in flavor, cool in nature, enters the heart and stomach channels. Functions to clear heat and detoxify, relieve summer heat, and promote urination. Suitable for stomach pain due to stomach heat, bad breath due to stomach heat, and damp-heat diarrhea. Avoid for deficiency-cold diarrhea. Mung bean sprouts are the same as mung beans.
13. Tofu – Sweet in flavor, cold in nature, enters the spleen, stomach, and large intestine channels. Functions to clear heat, harmonize the middle, and generate fluids. Suitable for stomach pain due to stomach heat, Yang deficiency stomach pain, and dry heat constipation. Avoid for Qi stagnation and abdominal distension.
14. Soybeans – Sweet in flavor, neutral in nature. Functions and contraindications are the same as tofu.
15. Wheat – Sweet in flavor, cool in nature, enters the heart, spleen, and kidney channels. Functions to nourish the heart, calm the spirit, and clear heat and quench thirst. Suitable for stomach pain due to stomach heat and damp-heat diarrhea.
16. Kudzu Root (Pueraria) – Sweet and spicy in flavor, neutral in nature, enters the spleen and stomach channels. Functions to clear heat, relieve muscle aches, raise Yang, stop diarrhea, disperse rashes, and generate fluids. Suitable for chronic diarrhea, recently used for stomach prolapse.
17. Winter Melon – A cool vegetable suitable for summer consumption, functions to generate fluids and quench thirst, clear heat and dispel summer heat. Suitable for consumption during hot and humid weather.
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