Winter cold and cough with excessive phlegm is common, so it is necessary to clear the lungs. The lungs are an important respiratory organ in the human body, and it is important to take good care of them. So, what are the best traditional Chinese medicines for clearing the lungs?
[The Best Traditional Chinese Medicines for Clearing the Lungs]
1. Bai Bei (Fritillariae cirrhosae bulbus)
Bai Bei has the effects of clearing heat, moistening the lungs, resolving phlegm, stopping cough, dispersing lumps, and reducing swelling. "Ben Cao Hui Yan" states: "Bai Bei is a medicine that can relieve depression, relieve qi, and resolve phlegm. It moistens the lungs, eliminates phlegm, stops coughing, and relieves asthma." It is often used to relieve dry cough. Bai Bei has a sweet and bitter taste and a slightly cold nature. It is effective in treating dry cough caused by yin deficiency.
If you have a dry cough due to lung dryness and yin deficiency, with blood in the phlegm, you can take 3 grams of Bai Bei with a suitable amount of rock sugar and water, simmer on low heat for 1 hour, and then consume it. To alleviate the bitterness, many people steam it with snow pear. Alternatively, you can take 200 milliliters of rice soup, add Bai Bei and rock sugar, and simmer it in water for consumption. Bai Bei can also be used to make soup with lean meat, with a daily dosage usually less than 10 grams.
2. Yu Zhu (Polygonatum odoratum)
Yu Zhu has a sweet taste and a neutral nature. It enters the lung and stomach meridians. It has the effects of nourishing yin, moistening dryness, and relieving cough. It is used for conditions such as heat-induced damage to yin, lung and stomach dryness, cough with little phlegm, restlessness, thirst, fatigue, heat in the heart, frequent urination, muscular atrophy, joint pain, yin deficiency, spontaneous sweating, and malaria with cold and heat symptoms.
Modern pharmacological studies have shown that Yu Zhu can assist in lowering blood sugar by improving insulin sensitivity. It is especially suitable for diabetics with autumn dryness. The recommended dosage is 10-15 grams, decocted in water as tea, or cooked with rice to make porridge.
3. Lu Gen (Phragmites communis)
Lu Gen has a cold nature and a sweet taste. It has the function of clearing lung heat and eliminating phlegm. The ancient prescription "Wei Jing Tang" uses Lu Gen as the main ingredient to treat lung abscess (pulmonary carbuncle). "Yi Xue Zhong Cang Xi Lu" states: "Its cool nature can clear lung heat, and its hollow nature can regulate lung qi." It is most suitable for people with lung heat cough, thick and foul-smelling phlegm. It can also be combined with raw Coix seed, Ji Cai, and winter melon seeds for better effect.
4. Luo Han Guo (Siraitia grosvenorii)
Luo Han Guo has the functions of clearing the lungs, resolving phlegm, and stopping cough. "Ling Nan Cai Yao Lu" states: "It relieves phlegm fire and cough, and can be boiled with lean pork for consumption." "Guangxi Materia Medica" also states: "Luo Han Guo can stop cough and clear heat." Therefore, it is especially suitable for cough caused by wind-heat and lung heat. It can be brewed as tea alone, or one Luo Han Guo and 15 grams of persimmon are boiled in water for consumption.
[Foods for Clearing the Lungs]
1. Pear for lung detoxification: Pear has a sweet and cool nature. It contains malic acid, citric acid, vitamins, and beta-carotene, which are rich in nutrients. It has the functions of nourishing the lungs, moisturizing dryness, clearing heat, resolving phlegm, and detoxifying the lungs. It can be consumed regularly.
2. Grape for lung detoxification: Grapes can promote cell metabolism and help the lungs eliminate toxins. Moreover, grapes also have the effect of expectorating phlegm and can relieve discomfort symptoms such as respiratory inflammation and itching caused by smoking. Regular consumption of grapes can achieve good results in lung detoxification.
3. Lemon for lung detoxification: Lemons contain various nutrients such as vitamin B1, vitamin B2, and vitamin C. In addition, lemons have highly alkaline properties, which can stop coughing, resolve phlegm, promote saliva production, invigorate the spleen, and help the lungs eliminate toxins. Drinking 1-2 cups of lemon water every day can achieve the effect of lung detoxification.
4. Apricot for lung detoxification: Apricot has a very balanced nutritional value. It not only contains nutrients similar to animal protein, such as protein and fat, but also contains plant-specific substances like cellulose. It has the effects of nourishing the lungs, clearing heat, detoxifying, detoxifying and beautifying the skin, and relieving lung dryness. It is a detoxifying fruit without side effects.
[Recipes for Clearing the Lungs]
1. Tremella Pear Sweet Soup. Ingredients: 1 small piece of Tremella, 1 pear, a small handful of rock sugar, 10 wolfberries.
Instructions: Soak the Tremella in warm water until completely hydrated, remove the stem, and tear it into small pieces.
Put the Tremella in a pot, pour in enough cold water, bring to a boil, then simmer on low heat for about 40 minutes until the soup thickens slightly (the cooking time depends on the actual condition of the Tremella, some varieties can quickly become thick, while others may take a long time).
During the simmering of the Tremella, peel the pear and cut it into pieces. When the Tremella is simmered until the soup thickens slightly, add the pear pieces and continue to simmer for 15 minutes. Open the lid and add wolfberries and rock sugar, then cover and simmer for another 5 minutes. Serve.
2. Stir-Fried Cabbage with Wood Ear Mushroom. Ingredients: 600g baby bok choy, 50g black wood ear mushrooms. Accessories: 100g pork belly. Seasonings: 5g each of green onion and ginger, 4g salt, 5g cooking wine, 6g soy sauce, appropriate amount of Sichuan peppercorns.
Instructions: Wash the baby bok choy and cut it vertically from the middle. Soak the wood ear mushrooms in warm water until soft, remove the roots, and wash them. Cut the pork belly into thin slices. Heat oil in a pan over low heat, add Sichuan peppercorns and stir-fry until fragrant, then remove them. Add shredded green onion and ginger and stir-fry until fragrant.
Add the pork belly and stir-fry until the oil is released. Add a little soy sauce and cooking wine and stir-fry evenly. Then add the baby bok choy and stir-fry over high heat. After the cabbage is slightly cooked, add the soaked wood ear mushrooms. Add salt and stir-fry for a few minutes before serving.
