Cool and transform phlegm-heat (qing re, hua tan re)

Herbs that cool and transform phlegm-heat (qing re, hua tan re) are cold in nature with expectorant, antitussive, anti-inflammatory and sedative properties to treat thick, sticky phlegm which is yellow, green or brown in colour and difficult to expectorate.

Examples include qian hu (peucedanum root, Pucedanum praeruptorum), gua lou (snakegourd fruit, Trichosanthes kirilowii) and zhu ru (bamboo, Bambusa tuloides). Phlegm is also understood to cause other conditions such as hard nodules, seen in goiter and scrofula, which can be softened with salty seaweeds like kun bu (kelp, Ecklonia kurome) and hai zao (sargassum, Sargassum spp.). Phlegm-heat can also cause convulsions and seizures for which bei mu (fritillary bulb, Fritillaria spp.) is often used.