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Lai Fu Zi莱菔子

Raphani Semen · Radish Seed · Daikon Seed

Herbs that Relieve Food Stagnation 消食药《日华子本草》

Overview

The small dried seed of the common radish. Acrid, sweet and neutral, it does two related jobs: it breaks up food that has stalled in the stomach — the heavy, distended, belching, sour-tasting aftermath of a large meal — and it sends rebellious qi downward, easing a full chest with cough and copious phlegm. The dispensary stocks both the raw seed and the dry-fried seed Lai Fu Zi; frying is the usual choice for digestion and for descending qi, while the raw seed is harsher and more dispersing and is used far less often.

Nature & Flavor

Acrid, sweet · Neutral

Channels

Lung · Spleen · Stomach

Typical Dosage

6–10 g in decoction
莱菔子Photography for this entry is on its way.

Actions

3 core actions

  • Dissolves food stagnation, relieves distensionFullness and distension of the epigastrium and abdomen after overeating, with belching, sour regurgitation, foul breath and sluggish stools.
  • Descends qi, transforms phlegmCough and wheezing with copious phlegm and a stuffed feeling in the chest — particularly in older patients, where food stagnation and phlegm tend to arrive together.
  • Raw and dry-fried forms differDry-fried Lai Fu Zi 炒莱菔子 is the gentler, more digestible form used for food stagnation and for descending qi; the raw seed disperses more forcefully. Either way the seed is crushed before decocting — whole seeds give up very little.

In Formulas

Formulas containing Lai Fu Zi

Indications & Clinical Uses

  • Epigastric and abdominal distension after overeating
    - Belching, sour regurgitation, foul breath, sluggish stools
    - Cough and wheezing with copious phlegm and chest fullness

Western Medical Keywords

Searchable condition terms

Functional dyspepsiaBloatingConstipationChronic bronchitisAsthma

Contraindications

Cautions

It disperses and descends rather than tonifies, and in doing so it consumes qi: unsuitable on its own for weak, qi-deficient patients with no real stagnation, and not for long unsupervised courses. Classical practice holds that it blunts the tonifying action of Ren Shen 人参, and most practitioners keep the two apart unless a formula deliberately brings them together. Indigestion that persists, unexplained weight loss, or a lasting change in bowel habit needs investigation rather than repeat dosing.

Contraindicated in pregnancy: Used with caution in pregnancy — it descends and disperses qi; practitioner supervision required

For licensed practitioners’ reference only

References

  1. Ri Hua Zi Ben Cao《日华子本草》(classical source, public domain).
    2. Bensky, Clavey & Stöger. Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica, 3rd ed.
    3. 《中华人民共和国药典》.

Professional reference notice. Entries are scholarly references for licensed TCM practitioners and students — not medical advice, and not a recommendation to self-prescribe. Chinese herbal formulas should be used under the guidance of a qualified practitioner. Content is an original editorial compilation by Cura x Cura, cross-checked against the cited references.