☯ TCM Properties
Warms the Interior and Dispels Cold; Moves Qi and Alleviates Pain; Stops vomiting and checks diarrhea
Traditional Chinese Uses
Bi Ba (long pepper) is a hot, pungent herb used in Chinese medicine to warm the Stomach and Spleen, dispel cold from the interior, and relieve cold-type abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Its intensely hot, penetrating nature makes it particularly effective when cold in the digestive system is severe and stubborn. It is also used topically for toothache from cold invasion of the dental channels. While similar in action to dried ginger, long pepper's hotter, more penetrating quality makes it useful where greater warmth is required.
Western Herbalism Properties
Botanical Description
Piper longum, long pepper or Bi Ba, is a slender, climbing or trailing perennial shrub in the Piperaceae, native to the foothills of the Indian subcontinent and parts of Southeast Asia. The stems are jointed and woody at the base, producing aerial roots at the nodes by which the plant climbs over rocks, trees and supports. Leaves are alternate, simple, broadly ovate to cordate, 5 to 10 cm long, with a heart-shaped base, prominent palmate venation and a glabrous, dark green upper surface. The plant is dioecious; the female inflorescence is a dense, cylindrical, sessile spike 2 to 4 cm long that matures into the commercial drug, a greyish-black, hard, catkin-like aggregate fruit composed of numerous minute, fused single-seeded berries. The mature fruits are intensely pungent and aromatic, owing to high concentrations of the alkaloid piperine and the essential oil. Bi Ba is widely cultivated in India, China, Sri Lanka and Indonesia for medicinal and culinary use.
Dosage
| Form | Amount | Frequency | Duration | Population | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| decoction | 3-9g | Daily | — | — | — |
This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications.
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