What should people with excessive liver fire eat to reduce it?
Oct 18, 2025
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Sun Lianqing
Introduction
In general, individuals with excessive liver fire may consume foods such as bitter melon, pear, chrysanthemum, mung beans, and lotus seeds. They may also take medications such as Long Dan Xie Gan Wan, Dan Zhi Xiao Yao Wan, Dang Gui Long Hui Wan, Qi Ju Di Huang Wan, and Huang Lian Shang Qing Pian under medical guidance for regulation. Additionally, maintaining healthy lifestyle habits in daily life is important, including avoiding staying up late and emotional agitation.
In general, individuals with excessive liver fire may consume foods such as bitter melon, pear, chrysanthemum, mung beans, and lotus seeds. They may also take medications under medical guidance, such as Longdan Xiegan Wan, Dangui Xiaoyao Wan, Danggui Longhui Wan, Qiju Dihuang Wan, and Huanglian Shangqing Pian for regulation. Specific details are as follows:
1. Foods
1. Bitter Melon
Cold in nature and bitter in taste, bitter melon clears heat, purges fire, and detoxifies the body. It directly alleviates discomfort caused by excessive liver fire, such as dry mouth and sore throat. The bitter gourd glycosides it contains can also assist in regulating metabolism. It is best consumed stir-fried or in cold dishes to help relieve symptoms of intense liver fire.
2. Pear
Cool in nature, sweet and slightly sour in taste, pears promote fluid production, moisten dryness, clear heat, and resolve phlegm. They help alleviate symptoms of excessive liver fire such as red eyes, dizziness, and dry mouth and tongue. Pears also promote the generation of body fluids and replenish hydration. They can be eaten raw or boiled into a tea, providing a mild way to reduce liver fire.
3. Chrysanthemum
Slightly cold in nature and bitter-sweet in taste, chrysanthemum dispels wind-heat, calms the liver, and improves vision. It is particularly effective for red, painful eyes and headaches or dizziness caused by excessive liver fire. Brewed as an herbal tea, it helps soothe liver heat and improve eye discomfort due to upward-rising liver fire.
4. Mung Beans
Cool in nature and sweet in taste, mung beans clear heat, detoxify, promote urination, and relieve summer heat. They help eliminate internal heat and alleviate irritability and bitter taste in the mouth caused by excessive liver fire. Mung bean soup or porridge is recommended, which not only hydrates the body but also assists in reducing liver fire, making it suitable for daily consumption.
5. Lotus Seeds
Neutral in nature and sweet-astringent in taste, lotus seeds strengthen the spleen, stop diarrhea, benefit the kidneys, consolidate essence, nourish the heart, and calm the mind. They help relieve restlessness, insomnia, and mental agitation associated with excessive liver fire. By calming the mind, they indirectly help regulate liver fire. Best prepared in porridge or stewed with tremella fungus, they provide gentle nourishment.
2. Medications
1. Longdan Xiegan Wan (Gentiana Liver-Clearing Pills)
Composed of ingredients such as Gentiana (Longdan), Bupleurum (Chaihu), and Scutellaria (Huangqin), this formula clears liver and gallbladder heat and eliminates damp-heat. It is suitable for symptoms of excessive liver fire due to liver-gallbladder damp-heat, such as dizziness, red eyes, tinnitus, deafness, flank pain, and bitter taste in the mouth. It relieves discomfort by clearing heat and resolving dampness.
2. Danzhi Xiaoyao Wan (Moutan & Gardenia Free-and-Easy Wanderer Pills)
Based on Xiaoyao Wan with added Moutan bark (Danpi) and Gardenia (Zhizi), this formula soothes the liver, resolves depression, clears heat, and regulates menstruation. It is suitable for irritability, anger, distending rib pain, bitter taste, and dry throat caused by liver qi stagnation transforming into fire. It simultaneously regulates liver qi and clears liver fire, addressing both emotional imbalance and heat.
3. Danggui Longhui Wan (Tangkuei and Aloe Pill)
Composed of Angelica (Danggui), Gentiana (Longdan), Aloe (Luhui), and other herbs, this formula strongly purges fire and promotes bowel movements. It is suitable for restlessness, dizziness, vertigo, abdominal distension, and constipation caused by excessive liver and gallbladder fire. It effectively clears intense internal heat and relieves severe symptoms of liver fire accumulation.
4. Qiju Dihuang Wan (Lycium & Chrysanthemum Rehmannia Pill)
An adaptation of Liuwei Dihuang Wan with added Lycium (Gouqizi) and Chrysanthemum (Juhua), this formula nourishes the liver and kidneys. It is suitable for dizziness, tinnitus, photophobia, and aversion to light caused by yin deficiency of the liver and kidneys with ascending liver fire. It nourishes the root of liver and kidney yin while clearing rising liver fire, making it ideal for individuals with deficient fire due to yin deficiency.
5. Huanglian Shangqing Pian (Coptis Upper-Resolving Tablets)
Composed of Coptis (Huanglian), Scutellaria (Huangqin), Gardenia (Zhizi), and other herbs, this formula clears heat, purges fire, dispels wind, and relieves pain. It is suitable for dizziness, toothache, swollen gums, and mouth ulcers caused by upward attack of wind-heat or excessive lung-stomach heat. It indirectly alleviates systemic heat and pain associated with liver fire.
In daily life, it is important to maintain healthy habits—avoid staying up late, emotional agitation, and consuming spicy or irritating foods. When necessary, seek medical advice promptly and use medications under professional guidance.
