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Cura x Cura

Zhu Ru竹茹

Bambusae Caulis in taenia · Bamboo Shavings

Herbs that Transform Phlegm and Stop Coughing 化痰止咳平喘药《本草经集注》

Overview

The pale green shavings taken from the inner layer of a bamboo culm once the hard outer skin has been scraped away. Sweet and slightly cold, it is a gentle herb with two clear jobs: it thins hot phlegm in the Lung, and it settles a Stomach that is pushing upward — nausea, retching, vomiting with a bitter taste. It is mild enough to be one of the standard choices for sickness in pregnancy. Ginger-cured or dry-fried Zhu Ru/Zhu Ru is less cold and better at stopping vomiting; the plain form is the better phlegm-clearer.

Nature & Flavor

Sweet · Slightly cold

Channels

Lung · Stomach

Typical Dosage

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

Actions

3 core actions

  • Clears heat, transforms phlegmCough with thick yellow phlegm, and phlegm-heat with a fretful, stifled chest.
  • Settles the Stomach, stops vomitingNausea and vomiting from Stomach heat, a bitter taste in the mouth, retching in pregnancy; with Chen Pi 陈皮 in Ju Pi Zhu Ru Tang 橘皮竹茹汤.
  • Clears the Gallbladder, quiets the spiritInsomnia, palpitations and anxiety where phlegm-heat is unsettling the Gallbladder and Stomach — its role in Wen Dan Tang 温胆汤.

In Formulas

Formulas containing Zhu Ru

Indications & Clinical Uses

  • Cough with thick yellow phlegm
    - Nausea, retching and vomiting from Stomach heat
    - Sickness in pregnancy, under practitioner supervision
    - Insomnia and anxiety from phlegm-heat disturbing the Gallbladder

Western Medical Keywords

Searchable condition terms

NauseaHyperemesisBronchitisInsomniaGERD

Contraindications

Cautions

Cool in nature: it is the wrong choice for vomiting that comes from a cold, weak Stomach — clear watery vomit, relief from warmth, a cold abdomen — and for a cough with thin white phlegm. Not otherwise a hazardous herb, but keep to the practitioner's amount and do not exceed 9 g a day.

Contraindicated in pregnancy: No specific restriction — practitioner judgment applies. It is one of the herbs traditionally used for nausea in pregnancy, and it is prescribed rather than self-selected.

For licensed practitioners’ reference only

References

  1. Bensky, Clavey & Stöger. Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica, 3rd ed.
    2. 《中华人民共和国药典》.
    3. 《中华本草》.

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.