Coptis Root (Huang Lian)
黄连 · Huánglián
Coptis chinensis
Family: Ranunculaceae · Part used: Rhizome · Origin: Shizhu, Chongqing, China
Nature
Cold
Flavor
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.
🌿 Functions & Actions
- •Clears heat and dries dampness
- •Clears heart and stomach fire
- •Resolves toxicity
- •Stops dysentery and vomiting
📋 Traditional Indications
- •Damp-heat dysentery and diarrhea
- •Vomiting and acid reflux from stomach heat
- •Insomnia and irritability from heart fire
- •Mouth ulcers and bitter taste
- •Red eyes and boils
📖 Usage & Dosage
2–10 g in decoction or 0.5–1.5 g as powder; wine-fried for upper burners, ginger-processed for stomach.
🍵 Classic Recipes
Huang Lian Su Xin Tea
Coptis 1 g + bamboo shavings 6 g, decocted briefly for stomach-heat vomiting.
Xiang Lian Pill Base
Coptis + aucklandia (6:1) ground to powder — the classic damp-heat diarrhea remedy.
🔬 Modern Research
Berberine is among the most clinically investigated botanical alkaloids, with robust research on metabolic syndrome, glucose and lipid metabolism, and gut microbiome modulation.
⚠️ Contraindications
Avoid with spleen-stomach deficiency cold; its intense cold-bitterness injures weak digestion. Do not use long-term without guidance.
