Chinese Medicine
Chinese Medicine
What is Ophiopogon? Chinese Medicine Insights on Benefits & Recipes
Author
Bowtie Team
Updated on
2025-12-10
Disclaimer: This article is translated with the assistance of AI.
Bowtie brings you expert insights from a Chinese medicine practitioner on the benefits, precautions, and ideal users of Ophiopogon, plus tasty recipe ideas to try at home.
Introduction to Ophiopogon
Ophiopogon, the dried tuber of a plant from the lily family, is mainly produced in Sichuan and Zhejiang. With its cooling nature and sweet, slightly bitter taste, it nourishes yin, promotes fluid production, moistens the lungs to stop coughs, and clears the heart to relieve irritability. It’s often used for conditions like heat-induced fluid loss, irritability with thirst, dry throat, lung heat, coughs, and even tuberculosis.
Benefits of Ophiopogon: Health and Wellness
1. Nourishes Yin and Moistens Lungs
Ophiopogon nourishes yin, moistens the lungs, benefits the stomach, and promotes fluid production. It’s commonly used for lung and stomach yin deficiency or heat damaging stomach yin. Clinically, it treats dry cough due to lung dryness, vomiting blood, coughing blood, lung atrophy, lung abscess, fatigue with heat, diabetes, heat-induced fluid loss, dry throat and mouth, and constipation.
2. Clears Deficiency Heat
It clears heat and relieves irritability in the heart, making it especially suitable for those with yin deficiency and blood heat.
As noted in *Ben Cao Qiu Zhen*, “Ophiopogon’s cool and calming nature can relieve heart irritability. It’s like a person suffering in intense summer heat—when autumn winds arrive, the burning heat dissipates, leaving no trace of oppressive dryness.”
3. Boosts Qi Energy
Ophiopogon has a great effect on nourishing yin and boosting qi. It’s often used to treat heart and lung qi deficiency, insufficient heart qi, and poor blood circulation.
According to *Ben Cao Hui Yan*, “Ophiopogon is a remedy for clearing the heart and moistening the lungs. It addresses heart qi deficiency, palpitations, and anxiety.”
4. Improves Digestive Health
It moisturizes and protects the digestive tract, reducing discomfort from excess stomach acid or acid reflux. It also improves digestion and helps maintain smooth bowel movements.
5. Clears Heat and Detoxifies
Ophiopogon can reduce inflammation in the body, offering relief from discomfort caused by heat-related illnesses and inflammatory conditions.
6. Calms the Mind
Used for heart yin deficiency and heat disturbing the heart during febrile diseases, it helps with irritability, insomnia, and a dry, crimson tongue. It nourishes yin, clears the heart, and calms the mind.
Ophiopogon Precautions: Who Should Avoid It?
Those allergic to Ophiopogon should avoid it. People with spleen and stomach deficiency, frequent diarrhea, or a cold constitution with sensitivity to chill should not take Ophiopogon on their own.
Ophiopogon Recipes for Everyday Health
Ophiopogon and Sea Cucumber Soup
【Ingredients】 100g rehydrated sea cucumber, 100g lean pork, 15g each of Asparagus Root and Ophiopogon, 10g Polygonatum Odoratum
【Method】 Wash and cut the pork into pieces; clean the sea cucumber, remove the intestines, and slice into strips; rinse Asparagus Root, Ophiopogon, and Polygonatum Odoratum briefly. Add 1000ml of water to a pot, then place the pork, sea cucumber, Asparagus Root, Ophiopogon, and Polygonatum Odoratum inside. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium-low heat and simmer for 2 hours. Season with salt and serve at a comfortable temperature.
【Benefits】 Moisturizes skin, relieves itching, clears lungs, and reduces dryness.
Dendrobium and Ophiopogon Tea
【Ingredients】 10g each of Dendrobium and Ophiopogon, 2 pitted red dates
【Method】 Add boiling water to a thermos, place the ingredients inside, and steep for 15 minutes. Drink at a comfortable temperature.
【Benefits】 Promotes fluid production and quenches thirst.
Adenophora and Ophiopogon Soup
【Ingredients】 12g Northern Adenophora, 12g Polygonatum Odoratum, 5g Mulberry Leaf, 5g Tangerine Peel, 12g Ophiopogon, 15g White Hyacinth Bean, 10g Trichosanthes Root, 3 slices of Ginger, 200g lean meat
【Method】 Wash Northern Adenophora, Polygonatum Odoratum, Ophiopogon, Codonopsis Root, and Ginger. Soak Tangerine Peel until soft and scrape off the pith; slice Ginger with the skin on. Cut the lean meat into pieces and blanch. Add all ingredients to water, bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer on low for 1.5 hours. Season with salt before serving.
【Benefits】 Nourishes lungs and stomach, promotes fluid production, and moistens dryness.
Frequently Asked Questions About Mai Dong
Can children and pregnant women consume Mai Dong?
Yes, they can, but the dosage should be moderate. For children, keep it under 15g, and for adults, under 30g, unless guided by a doctor. Avoid consumption during diarrhea.
Should I take Mai Dong if I feel heaty?
Mai Dong is often used for conditions of deficiency heat or dryness heat. It’s especially suitable for those who stay up late, feel overworked, or are recovering from illness and feel heaty. For wind-heat or excess heat conditions, combining it with other herbs can enhance its effectiveness.
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