☯ TCM Properties
Clears Heat, promotes the secretion of body fluids, moisten dryness and removes toxicity; Harmonizes the Spleen and Stomach
Traditional Chinese Uses
Gan Zhe is the stem and expressed juice of sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum), a sweet, cold heat-clearing substance entering the Lung and Stomach channels. It clears Heat, generates and promotes body fluids, and moistens dryness, so it is a classic remedy for febrile thirst, fluid damage after warm-heat disease, dry mouth and throat, and Lung-dryness cough. Its cooling, moistening nature also treats Stomach-Heat with irritability and heat in the chest.
Harmonizing the Spleen and Stomach, sugarcane juice is used to relieve nausea and reflux vomiting due to Stomach-Heat, and traditionally to counter the after-effects of alcohol. It is most often taken as fresh juice rather than decocted; because it is cold and sweet it is used cautiously in Spleen-Stomach deficiency-cold with loose stools or excessive dampness.
Western Herbalism Properties
Botanical Description
Gan Zhe is the stem of Saccharum officinarum (Poaceae), sugarcane, a tall perennial tropical grass 2–6 m high cultivated throughout southern China and the global tropics. Culms are stout, solid, jointed, 2–5 cm in diameter, green to yellow, red or purple according to cultivar, and filled with sweet juice rich in sucrose. The conspicuous nodes bear ringed leaf scars and waxy bands. Leaf blades are linear, 1–2 m long, 4–6 cm wide, with a sharp scabrous margin and prominent midrib. Terminal panicles 30–90 cm long are open and silky-plumose with numerous tiny spikelets surrounded by long silky hairs at maturity. In China, sugarcane is consumed fresh or pressed for juice and used as a moistening, fluid-engendering food remedy.
Dosage
| Form | Amount | Frequency | Duration | Population | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| decoction | 6-15g | 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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