Chen Pi: Supporting Digestion and Clearing Phlegm in Traditional Chinese Medicine
- Health Lab
- Jun 6
- 4 min read
Updated: Jun 18
Chen Pi, also known as dried tangerine peel or Guang Chen Pi, is the dried, mature peel of the tangerine fruit from the Rutaceae family. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), it is valued for its ability to improve digestion and clear phlegm. This article explores the properties, uses, and modern research on Chen Pi in a simple and clear way.
Chen Pi has been used in TCM for centuries. Its earliest record appears in the Shennong Bencao Jing (Shennong’s Classic of Herbal Medicine), where it is listed as a top-grade herb for relieving chest congestion and aiding digestion.
Chinese physician Li Shizhen in the Ming Dynasty detailed its properties in the Compendium of Materia Medica, noting its ability to regulate qi, strengthen the spleen, clear phlegm, and counteract alcohol toxicity.
Later texts like Bencao Beiyao and Bencao Zhengyi expanded its applications. Notably, Guang Chen Pi from Guangdong is considered superior in quality and effectiveness.
Properties of Chen Pi
Nature and Flavor
Taste: Pungent and bitter
Nature: Warm
Meridians: Spleen and lung
Main Components
Chen Pi contains volatile oils (like limonene and β-myrcene) and flavonoids, which contribute to its unique health benefits.
Key Benefits
Regulates qi and strengthens the spleen
Dries dampness and clears phlegm
Improves digestive issues like bloating and poor appetite
Pharmacological Effects
Modern studies suggest Chen Pi promotes digestion, reduces phlegm, relieves cough, and has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
Clinical Uses of Chen Pi
Chen Pi is widely used in TCM to treat various conditions:
Regulating Qi and Strengthening the Spleen: It relieves bloating, poor appetite, nausea, and vomiting caused by spleen and stomach qi stagnation.
Drying Dampness and Clearing Phlegm: It helps with cough, excessive phlegm, and chest tightness due to phlegm-dampness in the lungs.
Improving Digestion: It supports digestion, alleviating symptoms like indigestion and loss of appetite.
Chen Pi in Classic TCM Formulas
Chen Pi is often combined with other herbs in TCM formulas to enhance its effects. Here are some examples:
Er Chen Tang (Two Chen Decoction):
Ingredients: Chen Pi, pinellia, poria, licorice
Benefits: Dries dampness, clears phlegm, and regulates qi; used for cough with phlegm, nausea, and vomiting
Xiang Sha Liu Jun Zi Tang (Saussurea and Amomum Six Gentlemen Decoction):
Ingredients: Ginseng, white atractylodes, poria, licorice, Chen Pi, pinellia, saussurea, amomum
Benefits: Strengthens the spleen, regulates qi, and clears phlegm; used for bloating, poor appetite, and nausea due to spleen weakness
Bao He Wan (Preserve Harmony Pill):
Ingredients: Hawthorn, medicated leaven, pinellia, poria, Chen Pi, forsythia, radish seed
Benefits: Promotes digestion and relieves food stagnation; used for bloating, nausea, and acid reflux
Comparison with Similar Herbs
Chen Pi shares benefits with other TCM herbs but has unique qualities:
Zhi Shi (Immature Bitter Orange): Breaks up qi stagnation and clears phlegm, but is stronger for severe food retention and masses.
Saussurea (Mu Xiang): Regulates qi and relieves pain, but is milder and focuses more on pain relief.
Qing Pi (Green Tangerine Peel): Regulates liver qi and relieves stagnation, often used for chest or rib pain due to liver qi issues.
Modern Applications and Research
Recent studies have highlighted Chen Pi’s potential in modern medicine:
Digestive Support: Its volatile oils stimulate the digestive tract, increasing gastric secretions and aiding digestion.
Phlegm and Cough Relief: It thins mucus and promotes its expulsion, easing cough and phlegm.
Anti-Inflammatory Effects: Its flavonoids reduce inflammation by inhibiting inflammatory mediators.
Antioxidant Effects: It neutralizes free radicals, helping to slow aging.
Chen Pi is used today to support treatments for chronic gastritis, bronchitis, high blood pressure, and even Alzheimer’s disease, showing promise in digestive, respiratory, cardiovascular, and neurological health.
How to Use Chen Pi Safely
Dosage
Typical dose: 3–10 grams, as prescribed by a TCM practitioner.
Precautions
Use cautiously in cases of dry cough due to yin deficiency.
Preparation
Boil in a decoction, steep as a tea, or use in cooking.
Selection Tips
Choose Guang Chen Pi from Guangdong for best quality, ensuring the peel is aromatic and free of impurities.
Conclusion
Chen Pi is a versatile herb in TCM, valued for its ability to improve digestion, clear phlegm, and regulate qi. Its long history and modern research highlight its potential in both traditional and contemporary medicine. However, it should be used under professional guidance to ensure safety and effectiveness. As research continues, Chen Pi’s role in health and wellness is likely to expand.
Chinese Name | 陳皮 |
Chinese Pinyin | Chenpi |
English Name | Tangerine Peel |
Latin Pharmaceutical Name | Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium |
Category | Fruits and seeds |
Origin | The dried mature pericarp of Citrus reticulate Blanco an its culticars (Rutaceae). |
Production Regions | Primarily produced in the Chinese provinces of Sichuan and Chongqing, Guangdong, Fujian, Jiangxi. |
Macroscopic Features | Often peeled into numerous pieces that are joined at the base, some with irregular flakes, about 1~4mm thick. Externally orange-red or reddish-brown, with thin wrinkles and intended spotted oil cells; inner surface is pale yellowish-white, rough, with yellowish-white or yellowish-brown stringy vascular bundles. Slightly hard and brittle. faint odor; taste acrid and bitter. Guang chen pi: often with 3 pieces joined at the base, with an consistent shape and even thickness, about 1mm thick. Relatively large oil cells, clearly transparent when examined under the light; relatively soft texture. |
Quality Requirements | Superior medicinal material is intact, large peels that are brightly colored, as well as moist and oil, with a potent acrid aroma and a slightly sweet taste and a bitter after. |
Properties | Bitter, acrid; warm. |
Functions | Regulates qi, fortifies the spleen, dries dampness and transforms phlegm. Apply to thoracic and abdominal fullness and distention, poor appetite, vomiting and diarrhea, coughing with asthma, excessive phlegm. |
Technical Terms | ‘Pores(zong yan): This term, which literally refers to the small boles seen on animal hinder when the fur is removed, is used here to describe small dots of oil ducts on the surface of some pericarp medicinal materials. They appear as densely arranged small round spots that are clearly transparent when examined under light. |
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