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TCM Herbal Story

 

Inula (Flos Inulae; Xuan Fu Hua)

 

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There is a proverb in medicine that says “All flowers ascended except Inula”.  According to legend, all flowers were loved by people because of their alluring posture.  On the other hand, Inula was not loved as much like the rest of the flowers since it didn’t like flattery.

 

Therefore, when all the flowers were about to be made gods, the King of flower granted Inula’s wish and gave it a downwarding property.  Inula’s has the ability to promote water movement, direct qi downward, and to stop vomit, which is very different from other flowers for their dispersing and heat clearing functions.

 

 

Inula is the flower of Inula japonica Thumb. Its properties are bitter, acrid, and slightly warm.  It enters through the liver, lung, stomach, and spleen.

 

Actions & Indications:

• Redirects the qi downward and expels phlegm.
• Stops vomiting and calms rebellion.

 

Caution & Contradiction

• Use sparingly in case of deficiency.

 

The original article is from Brion Research Institute, translated by Sun Ten Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.

For Chinese/original version, please go to:

http://www.brion.org.tw/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2241&Itemid=22