The Efficacy and Benefits of Chenpi (Tangerine Peel) for Drinking as a Tea
Jan 08, 2025
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Zhang Xiuhong
Introduction
The dried tangerine peel (Chenpi) has functions of promoting qi circulation to relieve pain, strengthening the spleen, and harmonizing the middle jiao. It is commonly used for syndrome of qi stagnation in the spleen and stomach, effectively alleviating symptoms such as abdominal distension, poor appetite, nausea, and vomiting. By regulating qi movement in the spleen and stomach, it enhances their transformation and transportation functions, thus promoting digestion and absorption of food. With its warm nature, Chenpi can dry dampness and also has effects of regulating lung function, relieving cough, and removing phlegm. It is a principal herb for treating phlegm due to dampness or cold.
As a traditional Chinese medicine and food ingredient, tangerine peel (chenpi) has various therapeutic effects, including regulating qi and strengthening the spleen, drying dampness and resolving phlegm, lowering rebellious qi to relieve vomiting, promoting digestion, and invigorating qi to improve blood circulation. Drinking tangerine peel-infused water typically helps stimulate appetite, aid digestion, relieve abdominal distension, reduce phlegm and cough, regulate qi to harmonize the middle jiao, and alleviate motion sickness.
I. Therapeutic Effects and Functions of Tangerine Peel
1. Regulating Qi and Strengthening the Spleen: Tangerine peel has acrid, warm, and dispersing properties that help regulate qi flow and relieve pain while strengthening the spleen and harmonizing the middle jiao. It is commonly used to treat syndromes caused by qi stagnation in the spleen and stomach, alleviating symptoms such as abdominal distension, poor appetite, nausea, and vomiting. By regulating the qi movement of the spleen and stomach, it enhances digestive and absorptive functions.
2. Drying Dampness and Resolving Phlegm: With its warm nature, tangerine peel can dry dampness and has the function of dispersing the lungs and relieving cough by resolving phlegm. It is a key herb for treating phlegm due to dampness or cold. It can be used to manage symptoms such as excessive phlegm with cough and chest tightness. By drying dampness and resolving phlegm, it makes phlegm easier to expel and alleviates cough and phlegm-related symptoms.
3. Lowering Rebellious Qi and Relieving Vomiting: Tangerine peel harmonizes the stomach and lowers rebellious qi, effectively relieving vomiting caused by various factors, especially vomiting due to cold stomach conditions. It regulates the ascending and descending movements of stomach qi, calming the upward rebellion of stomach qi and thus alleviating vomiting symptoms.
4. Promoting Digestion and Eliminating Food Stagnation: Tangerine peel helps promote the secretion of digestive fluids and enhances gastrointestinal motility, aiding digestion. It is effective in regulating indigestion and food stagnation, relieving symptoms such as abdominal distension, abdominal pain, belching with sour regurgitation, and other symptoms of food retention.
5. Regulating Qi and Improving Blood Circulation: Tangerine peel has a certain effect in regulating qi and improving blood circulation, promoting the circulation of qi and blood, alleviating pain caused by qi stagnation and blood stasis, such as angina pectoris, epigastric pain, and helping improve local blood circulation and relieve pain symptoms.
II. Benefits of Drinking Tangerine Peel-Infused Water
1. Stimulating Appetite and Aiding Digestion: Tangerine peel-infused water contains volatile oils, hesperidin, and other components that can gently stimulate the gastrointestinal tract, promote the secretion of digestive fluids, enhance appetite, and help alleviate symptoms such as poor appetite and indigestion, increasing appetite during meals and improving digestion efficiency.
2. Relieving Abdominal Distension: Tangerine peel-infused water has the effect of regulating qi, promoting gastrointestinal motility, and helping expel gas from the gastrointestinal tract, thereby relieving abdominal distension. For distension caused by dietary irregularities or qi stagnation in the gastrointestinal tract, drinking tangerine peel-infused water can alleviate symptoms to some extent, making the abdomen feel more comfortable.
3. Reducing Phlegm and Relieving Cough: Tangerine peel-infused water has the effects of drying dampness, resolving phlegm, and relieving cough by dispersing the lungs. It can dilute phlegm, promote its expulsion, and alleviate cough symptoms. It can provide some relief for cough with excessive phlegm caused by common colds or bronchitis, helping maintain clear airways.
4. Regulating Qi and Harmonizing the Middle Jiao: Tangerine peel-infused water can regulate qi and strengthen the spleen, adjusting the qi movement of the spleen and stomach. It improves symptoms such as epigastric distension, belching, and nausea caused by qi stagnation in the spleen and stomach, restoring the normal digestive function of the spleen and stomach and relieving gastric discomfort.
5. Alleviating Motion Sickness: The aromatic scent of tangerine peel has a mild calming effect. Drinking tangerine peel-infused water can help relieve symptoms such as nausea and vomiting caused by motion sickness, improving physical discomfort associated with it.
It is recommended to use tangerine peel in moderation; excessive consumption of tangerine peel-infused water should be avoided. A light diet should be maintained, avoiding spicy and irritating foods such as garlic, spicy hotpot, and mustard. Adequate rest should also be ensured, and excessive fatigue should be avoided.
