heat-clearing
Isatis Root (Ban Lan Gen)
板蓝根 · Bǎnlángēn
Isatis indigotica (Isatis tinctoria)
Nature
Cold
Saveur
Bitter
Meridian
Heart, Stomach
Ban Lan Gen is China's household cold-season defender — the root that became a national phenomenon as granule sachets in every pharmacy. Bitter and cold, it powerfully clears heat-toxin and cools the blood, particularly for sore throats and epidemic heat conditions at their start.
🌿 Fonctions
- •Clears heat and resolves toxicity
- •Cools the blood and benefits the throat
- •Disperses swellings
📖 Usage
9–15 g in decoction; short courses only (3–5 days) given its cold nature.
🔬 Recherche moderne
Indigotindisulfonic acid and isatis alkaloids are studied for antiviral activity; ban lan gen remains a fixture of Chinese influenza-season practice.
⚠️ Contre-indications
Avoid with spleen-stomach deficiency cold; prolonged use injures digestion. Not for cold-type illness.
