Properties: Sweet, cool
Meridans Entered:
Primary: Lung and Spleen
Traditional Actions/Indications:
- Moistens and cools the Lungs, resolves Phlegm and stops cough
Coughing due to Lung Heat or Dryness
Chronic daytime cough with or without sputum
Lung Yin Deficiency
- Generates body Fluids and relieves thirst
Summerheat Injuring the Body Fluids with thirst
- Moistens the Intestines and unblocks the bowels
Constipation due to Dryness, especially if Lung Qi is not being disseminated
- Dissipates nodules
Phlegm nodules in the neck Scrofula
Suggested Daily Dosage: 15-30g in decoction.
Notable Constituents:
- Mogroside
A natural, non-caloric triterpene glycoside compound, roughly 250 to 425 times sweeter than table sugar (sucrose) that cannot be absorbed by the stomach or small intestine, meaning it has zero calories, zero carbohydrates, and a zero glycemic index, so does not spike blood sugar levels. Furthermore, when it reaches the large intestine, it is fermented by beneficial gut bacteria which then use the sugars as a prebiotic increasing the number of several strains, including Bacteroides, Lactobacillus, Prevotella, Megasphaera, and Olsenella, while inhibiting harmful species such as Clostridium XlVa, Dorea, and Desulfovibrio (Xiao et al., 2021). This increases the production of short chain fatty acids which enhances the expression of tight junction proteins, improving intestinal barrier function and reducing permeability (Huang et al., 2025). It is stable under high heat (up to 100 – 150°C) and across a wide pH range, making them suitable for cooking and baking. Different forms exist (such as Mogroside II, III, IV, V, and VI), with Mogroside V being the primary commercial standard used in high-purity sweeteners.
- Siamenoside I
A second natural, non-caloric triterpene glycoside compound, roughly 300 times sweeter than sucrose, used as a sweetener in China.
Does not appear in any formulae listed on this site
Research Links & References: (click to display)
Research Links:
Reference Notes:
Individual herb information has sourced mainly from TCM Wiki and American Dragon for basic data and then updated manually with my own notes. Zhou, Xie and Yan (2011): Encyclopedia of Traditional Chinese Medicines, Vol. 5, and A+ Medical Encyclopaedia have been used for entries not available from those sources with additional material searched for and filled in where available. Western herbs not appearing in the Chinese literature have used Ross (2010): Combining Western Herbs and Chinese Medicine: A Clinical Materia Medica, White Rabbit Institute of Healing and therapeutika.ch. Choices of which source to use or combine have been my own.
These pages are intended to assist clinicians and are not intended for self-diagnosis or treatment for which a qualified professional should be consulted. Actions and indications are taken from traditional uses and do not necessarily reflect the evidence base which should be researched independently. Dosages are for guidance only and will vary dependening on the potency of the batch and the tolerance of the individual so should be evaluated by a professional based on individual needs.
