Lai Fu Zi
StarRaphanus sativus L.
☯ TCM Properties
Reduces Food Stagnation and Eliminates Distension; Descends Qi and Transforms Phlegm; Descends Lung Qi and Stops Cough
Traditional Chinese Uses
Lai Fu Zi (radish seed) is a powerful Qi-regulating and food-dissolving herb that descends Stomach and Lung Qi. It is particularly effective for bloating, belching, and distension from undigested food, as well as for cough with profuse phlegm accompanied by chest fullness. Its descending action on Lung Qi gives it notable respiratory applications in addition to its digestive role. It is often combined with other digestive herbs in formulas for food stagnation and Phlegm-Damp patterns.
Western Herbalism Properties
Traditional Uses
The Costanoan of California used the raw stems of Raphanus sativus for food (Bocek 1984, Ethnobotany of Costanoan Indians, California, Based on Collections by John P. Harrington, Economic Botany 38(2):240-255, p. 252).
Botanical Description
Raphanus sativus L. (Brassicaceae) is an annual or biennial herb cultivated worldwide for its enlarged, fleshy taproot. The plant produces a basal rosette of pinnately lobed, lyrate leaves with a large terminal lobe, the foliage rough-hairy and 10 to 30 cm long. As the plant bolts, an erect, branched flowering stem 0.6 to 1.5 meters tall is produced, bearing alternate, smaller leaves and terminal racemes of four-petalled cruciform flowers in white, pale pink or purple, each about 1.5 to 2 cm across. The fruit is a distinctive indehiscent silique, swollen and somewhat constricted between the seeds, with a long beak; at maturity it is spongy-corky and contains several rounded, reddish-brown to grayish seeds about 3 mm across. The mature, dried seeds harvested in summer constitute Lai Fu Zi in Chinese medicine; the same species supplies common radish and the larger daikon as a vegetable.
Dosage
| Form | Amount | Frequency | Duration | Population | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| decoction | 6-12g | 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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