Gui Zhi: Warming Meridians, Relieving Pain, and Supporting Vitality
- Health Lab
- Jun 5
- 4 min read
Updated: Jun 18
Gui Zhi, also known as cinnamon twig, is the dried young branch of the cinnamon tree from the Lauraceae family. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), it is valued for its ability to warm the body, promote vitality, and relieve pain. This article explores the properties, uses, and modern research on Gui Zhi in a simple and clear way.
Gui Zhi 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. The text describes it as a remedy for respiratory issues, throat discomfort, and boosting overall energy.
Over time, Chinese physicians like Li Shizhen in the Ming Dynasty detailed its uses in the Compendium of Materia Medica, noting its ability to promote sweating, warm meridians, and strengthen the spleen. Later texts like Bencao Beiyao and Bencao Zhengyi expanded its applications, making it a staple in clinical practice.
Properties of Gui Zhi
Nature and Flavor
Taste: Pungent and sweet
Nature: Warm
Meridians: Heart, lung, and bladder
Main Components
Gui Zhi contains volatile oils (like cinnamaldehyde and eugenol) and coumarins, which contribute to its unique health benefits.
Key Benefits
Warms meridians and dispels cold
Supports vitality and promotes qi transformation
Relieves pain by improving blood flow
Improves cold hands and feet
Eases joint pain caused by cold and dampness
Pharmacological Effects
Modern studies suggest Gui Zhi has vasodilatory, fever-reducing, pain-relieving, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties.
Clinical Uses of Gui Zhi
Gui Zhi is widely used in TCM to treat various conditions:
Warming Meridians and Dispelling Cold: It warms the body and relieves symptoms like colds, abdominal pain, and joint pain caused by cold.
Supporting Vitality: It boosts yang qi and improves blood flow, helping with swelling or poor urination due to yang deficiency.
Relieving Pain: It promotes blood flow and eases pain from conditions like menstrual cramps or rheumatic joint pain.
Improving Cold Hands and Feet: Its warming properties help alleviate cold extremities.
Easing Joint Pain: It relieves joint pain caused by cold and dampness.
Gui Zhi in Classic TCM Formulas
Gui Zhi is often combined with other herbs in TCM formulas to enhance its effects. Here are some examples:
Gui Zhi Tang (Cinnamon Twig Decoction):
Ingredients: Gui Zhi, white peony, licorice, ginger, jujube
Benefits: Promotes sweating and balances the body; used for colds with fever, headache, and aversion to wind
Gui Zhi Fu Ling Wan (Cinnamon Twig and Poria Pill):
Ingredients: Gui Zhi, poria, moutan bark, red peony, peach kernel
Benefits: Promotes blood flow and reduces masses; used for abdominal masses or excessive menstrual bleeding
Dang Gui Si Ni Tang (Angelica Four Limbs Decoction):
Ingredients: Angelica, Gui Zhi, peony, asarum, roasted licorice, tetrapanax, jujube
Benefits: Warms meridians and nourishes blood; used for cold hands and feet with weak pulse due to blood deficiency
Comparison with Similar Herbs
Gui Zhi shares benefits with other TCM herbs but has unique qualities:
Cinnamon Bark (Rou Gui): From the same plant, but stronger in warming the interior and boosting yang; used for severe yang deficiency.
Dried Ginger (Gan Jiang): Warms the stomach and spleen, better for digestive issues caused by cold.
Aconite (Fu Zi): Strongly restores yang and treats critical conditions like collapse, but is more potent and used cautiously.
Modern Applications and Research
Recent studies have highlighted Gui Zhi’s potential in modern medicine:
Vasodilation: Cinnamaldehyde improves blood circulation and microcirculation.
Fever and Pain Relief: It reduces prostaglandin production, easing fever and pain.
Antibacterial Effects: It inhibits certain bacteria and fungi.
Anti-Inflammatory Effects: It reduces inflammation by suppressing inflammatory mediators.
Gui Zhi is used today to support treatments for rheumatic diseases, heart conditions, and respiratory issues like chronic bronchitis. It also shows promise in managing cardiovascular health.
How to Use Gui Zhi Safely
Dosage
Typical dose: 3–10 grams, as prescribed by a TCM practitioner.
Precautions
Use cautiously in cases of excessive internal heat or yin deficiency.
Pregnant women should use with caution.
Preparation
Boil in a decoction or grind into powder for external use.
Selection Tips
Choose twigs that are aromatic, reddish-brown, and free of impurities.
Conclusion
Gui Zhi is a versatile herb in TCM, valued for its ability to warm meridians, relieve pain, support vitality, and improve cold extremities and joint pain. 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, Gui Zhi’s role in health and wellness is likely to expand.
Chinese Name | 桂枝 |
Chinese Pinyin | Guizhi |
English Name | Cassiabarktree Twig |
Latin Pharmaceutical Name | Cinnamomi Ramulus |
Category | Stems and woods |
Origin | The dried tender branches of Cinnamomum cassia Presl (Lauraceae) |
Production Regions | Primarily produced in the Chinese provinces of Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi. |
Macroscopic Features | Long cylindrical, numerous branches, 30~75cm long, thick end is about 0.3~1cm in diameter. Externally reddish-brown to brown, with longitudinal crest lines, thin wrinkles and small spot-like scars of leaf, branch, and bud, spotted lenticels. Hard and brittle texture, easily broken. Slices are 2~4mm thick, fractured surface has reddish-brown cortex, yellowish-white to pale yellowish-brown xylem, slightly square pith. Distinctively aromatic odor, sweet and slightly acrid taste, which is relatively potent in the cortex. |
Quality Requirements | Superior medicinal material has thin and even branches, brownish-yellow color and potent aromatic odor. |
Properties | Acrid, sweet; warm |
Functions | Promotes sweating, resolves the flesh, warms and frees the channels and vessels, assists yang in transforming qi, downbears qi. Apply to wind-cold type of common cold, abdominal cold pain, amenorrhea due to cold blood, joint impediment, phlegm and retained fluid, edema, palpitations, renal mass. |
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