Coptis Root (Huang Lian)
黄连 · Huánglián
Coptis chinensis
Nature
Cold
Saveur
Bitter
Meridian
Heart, Spleen, Stomach, Liver, Gallbladder, Large Intestine
'As bitter as huang lian', the proverb goes — and that profound bitterness is precisely its medicine. The great clearer of middle-burner damp-heat and heart fire, coptis from Shizhu's mountain mists has anchored formulae for dysentery, insomnia-from-fire, and stomach heat for two millennia. Berberine, its signature alkaloid, is now one of the world's most studied plant molecules.
🌿 Fonctions
- •Clears heat and dries dampness
- •Clears heart and stomach fire
- •Resolves toxicity
- •Stops dysentery and vomiting
📖 Usage
2–10 g in decoction or 0.5–1.5 g as powder; wine-fried for upper burners, ginger-processed for stomach.
🔬 Recherche moderne
Berberine is among the most clinically investigated botanical alkaloids, with robust research on metabolic syndrome, glucose and lipid metabolism, and gut microbiome modulation.
⚠️ Contre-indications
Avoid with spleen-stomach deficiency cold; its intense cold-bitterness injures weak digestion. Do not use long-term without guidance.
