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Honeysuckle (Jin Yin Hua), a traditional Chinese medicinal herb, is the dried flower buds or early flowers of the plant Lonicera japonica Thunb., belonging to the Caprifoliaceae family.
The honeysuckle plant is widely distributed in East China, Central South, Southwest, as well as in Hebei, Shanxi, Liaoning, Shaanxi, and Gansu provinces; in South China, it is mainly found in Guangdong, Guangxi, and Hainan; while the Gou Xian honeysuckle is found in Zhejiang, Anhui, Fujian, Jiangxi, Hubei, Hunan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunnan, and Taiwan; the Huang He Mao honeysuckle is found in Guangxi, Guizhou, and Yunnan. It has the effect of clearing heat and detoxifying. It is primarily used for treating exterior wind-heat or febrile diseases, heatstroke, heat-toxin dysentery, carbuncles, sore throats, and various infectious diseases.
Honeysuckle is a well-known medicinal material that can clear heat and detoxify, treat upper respiratory infections, and prevent various symptoms of excess heat. It can also be used as a health food ingredient, often brewed in water. Today, we will introduce the benefits and effects of drinking honeysuckle tea, so everyone can understand the specific advantages of using honeysuckle in this way.
Alias: Jin Yin Teng, Er Dao Hua, Lu Ci Hua.
Honeysuckle commonly grows in hills, valleys, and forest edges, primarily produced in Shandong, Henan, and Anhui provinces. It is a perennial semi-evergreen climbing woody vine, with the medicinal part being the dried flower buds of honeysuckle, which are usually harvested in early summer and dried in the shade.
Properties and Channels: Cold in nature, sweet in flavor; enters the Lung, Heart, and Stomach channels.
Functions: Clears heat and detoxifies, disperses wind-heat.
Indications: Used for exterior wind-heat, early-stage febrile diseases, heatstroke with thirst and sore throat, prickly heat itching, carbuncles, red, swollen, and painful conditions, heat-toxin dysentery, etc.
Contraindications: Not suitable for those with deficiency-cold or qi deficiency; avoid use in cases of sores and ulcers.
Classical Text Excerpts:
From Ben Cao Shi Yi: Used for heat-toxin, blood dysentery, and water dysentery; decocted strongly for consumption.
From Ben Cao Gang Mu: Treats all wind-dampness, various swellings and toxins, carbuncles, and skin diseases. Disperses heat and detoxifies.
Benefits and Effects of Drinking Honeysuckle Tea
1. Antibacterial and Antiviral
The antibacterial and antiviral properties are significant benefits of drinking honeysuckle tea, as it contains various medicinal components that can eliminate sensitive bacteria in the body, preventing infection of human cells by pathogens, and inhibiting the activity of various viruses. Regular consumption can reduce the incidence of viral diseases and prevent inflammation in the body.
2. Clears Heat and Detoxifies
Honeysuckle is a cold-natured medicinal herb, and its primary function is to clear heat and detoxify. It has a preventive effect on common febrile diseases, and drinking honeysuckle tea can also prevent various symptoms of excess heat, such as canker sores, swollen gums, and red, painful eyes.
3. Enhances Immunity
Regularly drinking honeysuckle tea can enhance the body’s immunity, as it promotes the transformation of lymphocytes and accelerates the regeneration of white blood cells, improving the phagocytic ability of macrophages, thereby enhancing the body’s resistance to diseases and significantly boosting immunity.
4. Astringent and Anti-Diarrheal
Honeysuckle tea also has important astringent and anti-diarrheal effects. It can eliminate sensitive bacteria in the intestines, prevent the occurrence of enteritis, and quickly alleviate symptoms of enteritis and diarrhea. Regular consumption can prevent intestinal infections and maintain intestinal health.
Selected Formulas:
Formula 1
Ingredients: 500 grams of honeysuckle.
Preparation: Soak honeysuckle in 1000 ml of water for 2 hours, then place it in a distillation pot. Add an appropriate amount of water for distillation, collecting about 1600 ml of distillate; distill again to collect about 800 ml of distillate, filter, and sterilize.
Dosage: Drink as tea, about 50 ml each time, twice daily.
Effect: Prevents and improves heat boils.
Formula 2
Ingredients: 50 grams each of honeysuckle and honey.
Preparation: Stir-fry honeysuckle until fragrant, being careful not to burn it, then mix with honey and decoct together, strain to obtain a syrup. Start with a small dose; if no vomiting occurs, the dosage can be increased.
Dosage: Once every 30 minutes.
Effect: This formula has heat-clearing and detoxifying effects; suitable for early-stage adhesive intestinal obstruction, can prevent intestinal adhesions.
Formula 3
Ingredients: 12 grams of honeysuckle.
Preparation: Roast honeysuckle until charred, then grind into a fine powder.
Dosage: Use a hot iron weight to burn and soak the honeysuckle powder in water.
Effect: Suitable for abdominal pain due to fetal heat.
Formula 4
Ingredients: 100 grams of fresh honeysuckle.
Preparation: After rinsing the honeysuckle, place it in an enamel cup, add an appropriate amount of water, boil, and simmer for an additional 3-5 minutes, then strain to obtain the decoction.
Dosage: 250 ml each time.
Effect: Clears heat and detoxifies, suitable for mumps in children.
Formula 5
Ingredients: Fresh honeysuckle as needed.
Preparation: Decoction of honeysuckle, strain to obtain the juice.
Dosage: 50 grams each time, three times daily.
Effect: Suitable for urticaria.
Formula 6
Ingredients: 500 grams each of fresh honeysuckle and raw yellow mud.
Preparation: Boil fresh honeysuckle in five times the amount of water, then soak the juice into the raw yellow mud, mix well.
Dosage: Take the clear liquid in portions as tea, one dose daily for three days.
Effect: Can alleviate mild wild fungus poisoning.
Formula 7
Ingredients: 30 grams of honeysuckle.
Preparation: Char honeysuckle.
Dosage: Swallow with warm water.
Effect: Suitable for diarrhea.
Formula 8
Ingredients: 15 grams of honeysuckle, 6 grams of Bai Zhi (Angelica dahurica).
Preparation: Combine honeysuckle and Bai Zhi in a clay pot, add water and decoct.
Dosage: One dose daily.
Effect: Alleviates symptoms of gum inflammation and swollen gums.
Formula 9
Ingredients: 60 grams of honeysuckle (30 grams dried).
Preparation: Rinse honeysuckle with a little water, place in a clay pot, add an appropriate amount of water, boil for 3 minutes, strain to obtain about 250 ml of decoction.
Dosage: One dose daily, can be consumed cold or as tea, divided into 2-3 servings, for 3-5 days.
Effect: Clears heat and releases the exterior.
Formula 10
Ingredients: 10 grams each of honeysuckle and Bai Zhi, appropriate amount of milk.
Preparation: Grind the above herbs into a powder.
Dosage: Mix milk with the herbal powder and apply externally to the affected area.
Effect: Suitable for cracked nipples.
