heat-clearing
Dandelion (Pu Gong Ying)
蒲公英 · Púgōngyīng
Taraxacum mongolicum (T. officinale)
Nature
Cold
Saveur
Sweet, bitter
Meridian
Liver, Stomach
The humble dandelion that Westerners weed from lawns is a revered heat-toxin clearer in China — the first-line herb for breast abscesses and swellings in classical texts, and a gentle liver-cooling daily tea in modern wellness. Wild mountain-harvested before flowering, its bitterness is mild enough for regular use.
🌿 Fonctions
- •Clears heat and resolves toxicity
- •Reduces swelling and disperses nodules
- •Promotes urination
- •Benefits the liver and gallbladder
📖 Usage
9–30 g in decoction; steeped as daily tea at lower doses; external poultice for swellings.
🔬 Recherche moderne
Taraxasterol and chicoric acid are studied for anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and hepatoprotective effects.
⚠️ Contre-indications
Avoid with spleen-deficiency diarrhea and cold patterns; moderate long-term use.
