Clear heat herbs

40 herbs in the Shen Study library belong to the Clear heat category.

Clear heat herbs are mostly cool or cold and bitter, and most enter the Stomach and Liver channels.

Herb	Nature	Flavour	Channels	Main action
Shí Gāo Gypsum	Cold	Acrid, Sweet	Lung, Stomach	Clears Heat, drains Fire (Qi level)
Zhī Mǔ Anemarrhena	Cold	Bitter, Sweet	Lung, Stomach, Kidney	Clears Heat, drains Fire from Lung and Stomach
Huáng Qín Skullcap root	Cold	Bitter	Lung, Large Intestine, Stomach, Gallbladder	Clears Heat, dries Damp — especially Upper Jiao and Lung
Huáng Lián Coptis rhizome	Cold	Bitter	Heart, Stomach, Large Intestine, Liver	Clears Heart Fire, calms agitation
Huáng Bǎi Phellodendron bark	Cold	Bitter	Kidney, Bladder, Large Intestine	Drains Kidney Fire, clears steaming bone disorder
Lóng Dǎn Cǎo Chinese gentian	Cold	Bitter	Liver, Gallbladder, Stomach	Drains Damp-Heat from Liver and Gallbladder
Zhī Zǐ Gardenia fruit	Cold	Bitter	Heart, Lung, Stomach, Liver, Triple Burner	Clears Heat, calms agitation and restlessness
Jīn Yín Huā Honeysuckle flower	Cold	Sweet	Lung, Heart, Stomach	Clears Heat, resolves Fire toxicity
Lián Qiào Forsythia fruit	Cool	Bitter	Lung, Heart, Gallbladder	Clears Heat, resolves toxicity
Pú Gōng Yīng Dandelion	Cold	Sweet, Bitter	Liver, Stomach	Clears Heat, resolves toxicity
Tiān Huā Fěn Trichosanthes root	Cool	Sweet, Slightly bitter	Lung, Stomach	Clears Heat, generates fluids, relieves thirst
Lú Gēn Reed rhizome	Cold	Sweet	Lung, Stomach	Clears Heat, generates fluids, relieves thirst
Zhú Yè Bamboo leaf	Cold	Sweet, Bland	Heart, Small Intestine, Stomach	Clears Heat, eliminates irritability
Xià Kū Cǎo Self-heal spike	Cold	Bitter, Acrid	Liver, Gallbladder	Clears Liver Fire, brightens eyes
Jué Míng Zǐ Cassia seed	Cool	Sweet, Bitter, Salty	Liver, Large Intestine	Clears Liver Heat, brightens eyes
Kǔ Shēn Sophora root	Cold	Bitter	Heart, Liver, Stomach, Large Intestine, Bladder	Clears Heat, dries Damp
Qín Pí Ash bark	Cold	Bitter, Astringent	Large Intestine, Liver, Gallbladder	Clears Heat, dries Damp — Large Intestine
Bái Xiān Pí Densefruit pittany	Cold	Bitter	Spleen, Stomach, Bladder	Clears Heat, resolves toxicity
Zǐ Huā Dì Dīng Violet herb	Cold	Bitter, Acrid	Heart, Liver	Clears Heat, resolves Fire toxicity
Bái Huā Shé Shé Cǎo Spreading hedyotis	Cold	Slightly bitter, Sweet	Stomach, Large Intestine, Small Intestine	Clears Heat, strongly resolves Fire toxicity
Bǎn Lán Gēn Isatis root	Cold	Bitter	Heart, Stomach	Clears Heat, strongly resolves Fire toxicity
Tǔ Fú Líng Glabrous greenbrier rhizome	Neutral	Sweet, Bland	Liver, Stomach	Resolves toxicity, eliminates Damp
Shè Gān Blackberry lily rhizome	Cold	Bitter	Lung	Clears Heat, resolves toxicity, benefits throat
Dì Gǔ Pí Wolfberry root bark	Cold	Sweet	Lung, Liver, Kidney	Cools Blood, clears deficiency Heat — steaming bone disorder
Qīng Hāo Sweet wormwood	Cold	Bitter, Acrid	Liver, Gallbladder, Kidney	Clears deficiency Heat, cools Blood
Yín Chái Hú Stellaria root	Cool	Sweet	Liver, Stomach	Clears deficiency Heat, reduces steaming bone
Hú Huáng Lián Picrorhiza	Cold	Bitter	Liver, Stomach, Large Intestine	Clears deficiency Heat
Mǔ Dān Pí Tree peony root bark	Cool	Bitter, Acrid	Heart, Liver, Kidney	Clears Heat, cools Blood
Chì Sháo Red peony root	Cool	Bitter	Liver	Clears Heat, cools Blood
Xuán Shēn Figwort root	Cool	Sweet, Bitter, Salty	Lung, Stomach, Kidney	Clears Heat, cools Blood
Shuǐ Niú Jiǎo Water buffalo horn	Cold	Bitter	Heart, Liver	Clears Heat, cools Blood
Bái Wēi Swallowwort root	Cold	Bitter, Salty	Stomach, Liver, Kidney	Clears Heat, cools Blood
Bái Tóu Wēng Pulsatilla root	Cold	Bitter	Stomach, Large Intestine	Clears Heat, resolves toxicity
Bài Jiàng Cǎo Patrinia herb	Cool	Acrid, Bitter	Stomach, Large Intestine, Liver	Clears Heat, resolves toxicity
Yú Xīng Cǎo Houttuynia herb	Cool	Acrid	Lung	Clears Heat, resolves toxicity
Shān Dòu Gēn Vietnamese sophora root	Cold	Bitter	Lung, Stomach	Clears Heat, resolves toxicity
Mǎ Bó Puffball	Neutral	Acrid	Lung	Clears Lung Heat, benefits throat
Yě Jú Huā Wild chrysanthemum flower	Cool	Bitter, Acrid	Liver, Heart	Clears Heat, resolves toxicity
Lǜ Dòu Mung bean	Cold	Sweet	Heart, Stomach	Clears Heat, resolves toxicity
Hé Yè Lotus leaf	Neutral	Bitter	Liver, Spleen, Stomach	Clears summer-Heat, transforms Damp

Other herb categories

• Release exterior (Cold)
• Release exterior (Heat)
• Drain downward
• Warm interior
• Regulate qi
• Invigorate blood
• Resolve phlegm
• Tonify qi
• Tonify blood
• Tonify yin
• Tonify yang
• Calm shen
• Stabilise & bind
• Expel wind-damp
• Aromatic, transform damp
• Drain damp
• Stop bleeding
• Relieve food stagnation
• Expel parasites
• Anchor Yang / extinguish Wind
• Open orifices
• Topical use