Anti-Cancer Herbs ⁽¹⁷¹⁾

Baijili (also called Cijili) is the dried ripe fruit of Tribulus terrestris (family Zygophyllaceae); full, firm, yellowish-green fruits are best. Because TCM holds that Baijili dispels wind and invigorates blood, brightens the eyes, and stops itching, it is a commonly used dermatological herb and appears…

San Ye Qing (Tetrastigma hemsleyanum Diels et Gilg, family Vitaceae, genus Tetrastigma) is an anti-cancer herb commonly used in the folk medicine of Zhejiang. The whole plant can be used as medicine, but the underground tuber is the most effective. TCM holds that San Ye…

Donglingcao (Rabdosia rubescens) is the whole herb of Isodon rubescens, a plant of the Lamiaceae family. It is a folk remedy commonly used by esophageal cancer patients in the Linzhou region of Henan Province. Because it showed some efficacy, it was discovered by researchers dispatched…

The Chinese medicine Jixuecao is the whole herb of Centella asiatica (L.) Urban of the Apiaceae family, also called Lianqiancao, Diqiancao, or Maticao, named for the shape of its leaves, which resemble copper coins or horse hooves. Centella has a long medicinal history. The earliest…

The Chinese medicine Xuchangqing is the root and rhizome, or the whole herb with root, of Cynanchum paniculatum (Bunge) Kitagawa of the Apocynaceae family. Also known as Gu Duzhong or Shixia Changqing, it was first recorded in the Shennong Bencao Jing (Divine Husbandman Classic of…

Qiyelian is the root or stem and leaf of Scheffera arboricola (family Araliaceae), mainly distributed in Guizhou, Guangxi, Guangdong, Hainan, and Taiwan. It is not a commonly used Chinese herb, but in Guizhou and the two Guang provinces it is widely used in folk medicine.

Shuihonghuazi is the fruit of Polygonum orientale (family Polygonaceae), containing quercetin and taxifolin. It is not a commonly used Chinese herb, but that does not mean its medicinal history in China is short. As early as the Tang dynasty, Sun Simiao included it in his…

Chuanxiong (Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort., family Apiaceae) is one of the most commonly used Chinese medicinal herbs, with extremely broad clinical applications. Li Shizhen called it "the qi-medicine within the blood," considering it to both invigorate blood and move qi. TCM therefore uses it for various…

Verbena (Mabiancao, Verbena officinalis) is a Chinese medicinal herb that can be used to treat jaundice and ascites. I often add it to formulas for ascites, at a daily dose of 30-60 g. In Zhouhou Beiji Fang (Empostic Formulas for Emergencies) it is recorded: "For…

Not long ago, a family in my neighborhood moved away and left behind a large potted cactus downstairs. It was not only beautiful but also enormous. Out of curiosity, I leaned in for a closer look. The owner told me the cactus had been kept…