heat-clearing
Isatis Root (Ban Lan Gen)
板蓝根 · Bǎnlángēn
Isatis indigotica (Isatis tinctoria)
性味
Cold
味
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.
🌿 功效
- •Clears heat and resolves toxicity
- •Cools the blood and benefits the throat
- •Disperses swellings
📖 用法用量
9–15 g in decoction; short courses only (3–5 days) given its cold nature.
🔬 现代研究
Indigotindisulfonic acid and isatis alkaloids are studied for antiviral activity; ban lan gen remains a fixture of Chinese influenza-season practice.
⚠️ 禁忌
Avoid with spleen-stomach deficiency cold; prolonged use injures digestion. Not for cold-type illness.
