Dì Gǔ Pí · Wolfberry Root Bark
Dì Gǔ Pí (地骨皮, Wolfberry Root Bark) is a herb of Cold nature and Sweet flavor, in the “Heat Clearing” category. Tradition uses it to cool the heat of deficiency in blood and bones, Clear Lung heat and stop cough, Cool blood and stop bleeding.
Energetic profile
- Pinyin name
- Dì Gǔ Pí
- Characters
- 地骨皮
- Botanical name
- Lycium chinense Mill.
- Family
- Solanaceae
- Part used
- Root bark
- Nature
- Cold
- Flavor
- Sweet
- Meridians
- Lung, Liver, Kidney
- Category
- Heat Clearing
- Toxicity
- Non-toxic
- Pregnancy
- No contraindication described (always consult)
- Origin
- China, Japan, Korea
Actions according to tradition
- Cool the heat of deficiency in blood and bones
- Clear Lung heat and stop cough
- Cool blood and stop bleeding
Traditional uses
- Evening fever and night sweats due to Yin deficiency (bone heat)
- Cough due to heat of the Lung with bloody sputum
- Hemoptysis, epistaxis and metrorrhagia due to heat in the blood
- Diabetes (Xiao Ke) with chronic low fever
- Heat-sensitive teeth from Kidney deficiency
Studied effects and current applications
- Eliminate deep empty heat (bone fever, evening fever, night sweats)
- Clears the heat of the Lung and stops coughing with yellow sputum
- Cools blood in heat bleeds
- Hipoglucemiante moderado
- mild hypotensive
Applications under investigation
- Menopause with hot flashes and night sweats
- Tuberculosis pulmonar
- Mild hypertension
- Diabetes mellitus
- Anemia with deficiency fever
An effect being investigated does not mean it has been proven in humans.
Contraindications and adverse effects
Absolute contraindications
- Cold-damp pattern without heat of Yin deficiency
- Spleen deficiency with diarrhea due to cold
Relative contraindications
- arterial hypotension
- Diabetes (monitorizar glucemia)
- Pregnancy
- Use with caution. Cold nature must be monitored.
- Breastfeeding
- Generally safe during breastfeeding.
- Children
- Safe for children with deficiency fever.
- Older adults
- Useful for elderly people with hot flashes and night sweats. Combine with warm spleen herbs.
Possible adverse effects
- Diarrhea due to cold nature
- Hypotension
When to stop
- Diarrhea appears
- Hypotension
- Cold pattern worsens
Interactions with medications
| Group | Drugs | Severity | Effect and recommendation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hypoglycemic agents | Insulin, Metformin | Moderate | Significant additive hypoglycemic effect Monitorizar glucemia de cerca. |
| Antihypertensives | Beta-blockers, IECA | Mild | Additive hypotensive effect Monitor blood pressure. |
With other herbs
- zhi_mu Synergistic to clear deficiency heat (bone heat)
Reference dose
- Decoction
- 6-12 g daily
- Powder
- 2-4 g daily
- Acute use
- 1-2 weeks
- Chronic use
- 1-2 months
- Maximum
- Long-term use with caution
- Children
- Safe for children with Yin deficiency fever.
Forms of preparation
Boil 6-12g in 3 cups of water for 30 min. Drink lukewarm to cool depending on the pattern.
Evening fever, bone heat, Yin deficiency
Take 2-4g in warm water.
Convenience, mild chronic use
Approximate doses from the literature; they are not a prescription. Consult a professional.
Active compounds
Alkaloids (kukoamine) and phenolics (catechins, chlorogenic acid)
Polyamine alkaloids · Antihypertensive, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant
ACE inhibition, L-type calcium channel blockade · 0.1-0.8% in bark
simple alkaloids · Hepatoprotective, antipyretic
Methyl group donor, thermoregulation modulation · 0.05-0.2%
Polyphenols · Antioxidant, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory
AMPK activation, α-glucosidase inhibition · 1-3%
Coumarins · Antipyretic, anti-inflammatory
Prostaglandin inhibition, thermoregulation modulation · 0.01-0.1%
Harvesting and processing
- Harvest
- spring and autumn
Root bark collected from 3+ year old plants. The bark is removed and dried in the sun. The bark of Lycium chinense (枸杞根皮) is the authentic one.
Root bark cleaned, cut into strips and dried in the sun.
Health notice. Educational and study content. It describes concepts of Traditional Chinese Medicine and does not replace diagnosis or treatment by a healthcare professional. Needling, medicinal herbs and invasive techniques must be applied by trained professionals. Safety guide.
