Can P婆婆丁 (Dandelion) clear lung heat?
Aug 19, 2025
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Sun Lianqing
Introduction
Dandelion, commonly referred to as "Popoding," can generally assist in clearing lung heat according to traditional Chinese medicine. However, its effect is limited, and attention should be paid to the method of consumption and the appropriate population; excessive intake should be avoided. In daily life, to alleviate lung heat, it is also important to maintain a light diet, consume more heat-clearing and moisture-nourishing foods such as pears and winter melon, and avoid spicy and irritating foods in order to better maintain lung health.
D婆婆丁 usually refers to dandelion. Generally speaking, from the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), dandelion may help relieve lung heat, but its effect is limited, and attention should be paid to the method of consumption and the suitability for different人群 (populations). It should not be consumed in excessive amounts blindly. Detailed explanations are as follows:
In TCM theory, dandelion is slightly cold in nature, with sweet and bitter tastes, acting on the liver and stomach meridians. It has functions of clearing heat, detoxifying, reducing swelling, and dispersing nodules. It may provide some auxiliary relief for mild discomforts caused by lung heat, such as sore throat, dry mouth, cough with yellow phlegm. However, dandelion is not a primary ingredient specifically used for clearing lung heat; if lung heat symptoms are significant, simply consuming dandelion may not effectively improve the condition. Moreover, due to its slightly cold nature, excessive consumption or long-term drinking of dandelion water may irritate the gastrointestinal tract, causing discomforts such as bloating and diarrhea, particularly requiring caution among individuals with deficiency-cold of the spleen and stomach.
In daily life, to alleviate lung heat, one should also maintain a light diet, consume more heat-clearing and moisture-nourishing foods such as pears and winter melon, and avoid spicy and irritating foods to better maintain lung health.
