Experts advise that autumn coughs often stem from lung heat. The season's dryness damages the liver and spleen, manifesting as coughing with excessive phlegm. Persistent or recurring coughs warrant attention, as they typically indicate lung heat—requiring targeted treatment for effectiveness.
What is lung heat?
Lung heat: When cold energy resides in the lungs, the body's vital energy reaches a stage where it can expel this cold. It first enhances lung function to eliminate the cold, creating a state known as lung heat. Sometimes, waking around 4-5 a.m. with intense heat and profuse sweating on the chest is one manifestation of the lungs expelling cold energy.
Lung heat often leads to recurrent coughing. Bamboo shoots can clear heat and resolve phlegm.
Symptoms of lung heat include colds with coughing, runny nose, yellow phlegm, and acne. Herbal decoctions with lily bulb, rehmannia root, ophiopogon tuber, angelica root, and scrophularia root can nourish yin and clear the lungs.
1.Bamboo Shoots Clear Heat and Dissolve Phlegm
Bamboo shoots possess a sweet and cold nature, effectively clearing heat and dissolving phlegm. As stated in The Original Source of Materia Medica: "Bamboo shoots are sweet and slightly cold, clearing heat and eliminating phlegm." The Dietary Spectrum of Su Xi Ju also notes: "Shoots are sweet and cool, opening the chest and dissipating phlegm." Thus, they are most suitable for those with wind-heat coughs or lung-heat coughs.
2. Persimmons, eliminate phlegm and relieve cough
Persimmons are cold in nature, capable of clearing heat, eliminating phlegm, and relieving cough. Thus, they are suitable for those with heat-induced coughs. Modern pharmacological studies confirm persimmons possess expectorant and antitussive effects, with the expectorant action being stronger than the antitussive effect.
3.Olives, clear the lungs and generate fluids
Olives clear the lungs, soothe the throat, generate fluids, and detoxify. Sucking on green olives when experiencing a sore throat can refresh the throat. Combining them with fresh radish decoction enhances the effect. The distilled liquid from olives, known as olive dew, can be used to treat sore throat, cough, and irritability.
4. Mint, Moistens Lungs and Stops Cough
Mint, pungent and cool in nature, excels at dispersing wind-heat pathogens. It clears heat, transforms phlegm, and relieves throat and diaphragm congestion to treat wind-heat conditions. Thus, mint tea is highly suitable for those with wind-heat colds or lung-heat coughs.
Bamboo shoots clear heat and resolve phlegm for recurrent coughs due to lung heat
5. Daikon radish, clears lungs and moistens throat
Daikon radish is frequently used in Chinese medicinal diets. It is effective when eaten raw, and even more potent when juiced. Its pungent components inhibit abnormal cell division, thereby preventing cancer onset.Radish clears the lungs; consuming it this season rivals ginseng in efficacy. Individuals with weakened immunity may benefit from increased intake, as it effectively resolves phlegm and alleviates coughing.
Radish also possesses antibacterial properties, stimulates appetite, and inhibits platelet aggregation. Its high dietary fiber content and abundant digestive enzymes like amylase promote efficient digestion and nutrient absorption.