Is Houttuynia cordata a traditional Chinese medicine?
Jun 25, 2025
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Sun Lianqing
Introduction
Houttuynia cordata, with a long history of application in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), is recorded in multiple TCM medical texts. It is characterized by its cold nature and pungent taste, and is associated with the lung meridian. This herb possesses functions of clearing heat and detoxifying, resolving abscesses and discharging pus, promoting diuresis, and relieving urinary difficulties. It is commonly used in the treatment of conditions such as lung abscess with expectoration of pus, phlegm-heat asthma and cough, heat dysentery, heat-induced urinary disorders, carbuncles, swellings, and toxic infections, making it one of the commonly used medicinal materials in clinical TCM practice.
Generally speaking, Houttuynia cordata is a kind of traditional Chinese medicine. The detailed analysis is as follows:
Houttuynia cordata has a long history of application in the field of traditional Chinese medicine and is recorded in multiple classical TCM texts. It has a cold nature and pungent taste, acting on the lung meridian. It is commonly used to clear heat and detoxify, dissipate abscesses and drain pus, and promote diuresis and relieve urinary difficulties. It is frequently employed in treating conditions such as expectoration of pus in lung abscess, phlegm-heat asthma and cough, heat dysentery, heat-induced urinary disorders, and abscesses or sores with toxicity, making it one of the commonly used medicinal herbs in clinical TCM practice.
Houttuynia cordata contains multiple active ingredients, including volatile oils, flavonoids, and alkaloids, which demonstrate medicinal value in antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and immune-enhancing effects. Through modern pharmaceutical technology, Houttuynia cordata has been formulated into injections, oral liquids, tablets, and other dosage forms, and is widely applied in the medical field, further confirming its status as a traditional Chinese medicine.
When using Houttuynia cordata medicinally, it is important to follow TCM theory and medical instructions, paying attention to the potential effects of its cold nature. Patients with deficiency-cold of the spleen and stomach and those without excessive internal heat should use it cautiously, to avoid self-medicating arbitrarily and causing bodily discomfort.
