Can people with excessive liver and gallbladder fire consume Pueraria root (Kudzu root)?
Apr 30, 2025
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Zhang Xiuhong
Introduction
Under normal circumstances, people with excessive liver and gallbladder fire can consume Kudzu root (Pueraria lobata), but should pay attention to moderate consumption. Kudzu root is cool in nature, sweet and pungent in taste, and is associated with the spleen and stomach meridians. It has effects including relieving muscle tension and reducing fever, promoting saliva production to relieve thirst, elevating yang energy, and stopping diarrhea. Although its primary function is not to clear liver fire, it may indirectly assist in regulating symptoms caused by excessive liver fire, such as dry mouth and headache.
Generally speaking, people with excessive liver and gallbladder fire can consume kudzu root (Pueraria lobata), but should take it in moderation. Detailed explanation is as follows:
Kudzu root is cool in nature, sweet and acrid in taste, and enters the spleen and stomach meridians. It has effects of relieving muscle tension and reducing fever, promoting saliva production to relieve thirst, lifting yang energy, and stopping diarrhea. Although clearing liver fire is not its primary function, it may indirectly help alleviate some symptoms caused by excessive liver fire, such as dry mouth and headache. Liver fire excess often presents with symptoms including dizziness, red eyes, irritability, bitterness in the mouth, and dry throat. Kudzu root can help relieve dry mouth by promoting saliva, and alleviate headaches by reducing fever, thus indirectly easing certain discomforts caused by excessive liver fire.
However, it should be taken in moderation. Kudzu root has relatively cold medicinal properties, and excessive consumption may affect the gastrointestinal tract, causing symptoms such as stomach coldness and stomach pain. If liver fire excess is accompanied by severe symptoms such as persistent insomnia or hypertension, timely medical consultation is necessary, and medication should be taken according to medical advice. Individualized treatment is emphasized, and consulting a physician to determine body constitution before deciding on using kudzu root for regulation is recommended.
To ensure safety and health, it is advisable to consult a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner or a nutrition expert before using kudzu root to manage excessive liver and gallbladder fire, so as to receive personalized advice based on individual body constitution and specific condition. At the same time, maintaining good lifestyle habits, such as regular作息 (作息 means作息 time or rest and work schedule, but it's better to omit it here for smoother English), reasonable diet, avoiding excessive intake of greasy and spicy foods, and consuming more fresh vegetables and fruits, can help reduce the burden on the liver and gallbladder.
