Bai He Gu Jin Tang: A Traditional Chinese Herbal Remedy for Lung and Kidney Health
Hongji Medical- Feb 2
- 6 min read
Bai He Gu Jin Tang, also known as Lily Bulb Metal-Securing Decoction, is a cherished Chinese herbal formula from the Book of Shen Zhai. Designed to nourish the yin of the lungs and kidneys, it relieves cough, reduces phlegm, and soothes symptoms caused by dryness and internal heat.
This gentle remedy is ideal for chronic coughs, bloody sputum, and throat discomfort linked to lung and kidney yin deficiency. This article explores its ingredients, benefits, modern uses, dietary support, and precautions in a clear, approachable way, using common plant names.
Ingredients of Bai He Gu Jin Tang
Bai He Gu Jin Tang combines ten herbs, each contributing to its therapeutic effects:
Bai He (Lily Bulb, 12g): Moistens the lungs and calms the mind.
Shu Di Huang (Prepared Rehmannia, 9g): Nourishes yin and blood.
Sheng Di Huang (Raw Rehmannia, 9g): Clears heat and nourishes yin.
Xuan Shen (Scrophularia, 3g): Clears heat and nourishes yin.
Dang Gui (Angelica Root, 9g): Nourishes blood and moistens dryness.
Bai Shao (White Peony, 6g): Nourishes blood and harmonizes the formula.
Zhi Gan Cao (Roasted Licorice, 3g): Harmonizes the herbs and protects the stomach.
Jie Geng (Platycodon, 6g): Clears the lungs and guides herbs to the chest.
Mai Dong (Ophiopogon, 9g): Moistens the lungs and clears heat.
Chuan Bei Mu (Fritillaria, 6g): Relieves cough and reduces phlegm.
Preparation: Boil the herbs in water, strain, and take the decoction twice daily. Modern methods may use pre-made pills or powders, dosed as prescribed by a practitioner.
How the Herbs Work Together
Bai He Gu Jin Tang follows the traditional Chinese medicine principles of monarch, minister, assistant, and envoy:
Bai He (Lily Bulb): The primary herb (monarch), it moistens the lungs, relieves cough, and calms the mind to address lung yin deficiency.
Shu Di Huang (Prepared Rehmannia) and Xuan Shen (Scrophularia): Minister herbs, they nourish yin, replenish blood, and clear heat to support the kidneys and lungs.
Sheng Di Huang (Raw Rehmannia), Bai Shao (White Peony), Dang Gui (Angelica Root), and Zhi Gan Cao (Roasted Licorice): Assistant herbs, they nourish blood, clear heat, and harmonize the formula to prevent dryness.
Jie Geng (Platycodon), Mai Dong (Ophiopogon), and Chuan Bei Mu (Fritillaria): Envoy herbs, they guide the formula to the lungs, moisten dryness, and relieve cough and phlegm.
This synergistic blend nourishes lung and kidney yin, clears internal heat, and restores respiratory health.
Effects and Indications
Main Effects:
Nourishes lung and kidney yin to restore moisture.
Relieves cough and reduces phlegm for easier breathing.
Clears internal heat to soothe dryness and irritation.
Indications:
Bai He Gu Jin Tang treats lung and kidney yin deficiency with rising deficiency fire, characterized by:
Dry cough with little or sticky sputum, possibly with blood
Dry, sore throat or hoarseness
Afternoon hot flashes or fever
Hot palms and soles
Night sweats
Flushed cheeks or red face
Emaciation or yellowish urine
Constipation
Red tongue with little, dry coating
Thin, rapid pulse
These symptoms often arise from chronic illness, prolonged coughing, or dry, hot environments that deplete yin fluids.
Benefits of Bai He Gu Jin Tang
Soothes Cough: Relieves dry, persistent coughs and bloody sputum.
Moistens Dryness: Eases dry throat, mouth, and lungs for comfort.
Cools Internal Heat: Reduces hot flashes, night sweats, and flushed cheeks.
Supports Lung and Kidney Health: Restores yin to improve breathing and vitality.
Pathogenesis
Lung and kidney yin deficiency occurs when chronic illness, long-term coughing, or dry environments deplete the body’s yin fluids. The lungs, which “like moisture and hate dryness,” lose their ability to descend qi, causing cough and wheezing.
The kidneys, the “mother” of the lungs, also weaken, leading to insufficient yin and rising deficiency fire. This fire consumes fluids, causing dry throat, hot flashes, and bloody sputum. Bai He Gu Jin Tang nourishes yin, clears heat, and restores balance to both organs.
Modern Applications
Bai He Gu Jin Tang is widely used in modern medicine for:
Respiratory disorders: Treats pulmonary tuberculosis, chronic bronchitis, and bronchiectasis with hemoptysis.
Throat conditions: Manages chronic pharyngitis with dryness and pain.
Lung complications: Supports spontaneous pneumothorax and post-COVID-19 symptoms like chronic cough and throat discomfort.
Chronic illnesses: Alleviates symptoms of wasting diseases that deplete lung yin.
Research highlights its role in nourishing lung yin and reducing inflammation, making it effective for post-viral sequelae, such as lingering coughs after COVID-19.
Dietary Support
Pairing Bai He Gu Jin Tang with dietary remedies can enhance its effects:
Lily Porridge: Cook 15g lily bulb and 100g rice into porridge, adding rock sugar to taste. Eat daily to nourish yin and relieve cough.
Tremella and Lotus Seed Soup: Simmer 10g tremella (soaked) and 10g lotus seeds with rock sugar. Consume daily to moisten lungs and calm the mind.
Apricot and Pear Soup: Boil lean pork, 10g southern and northern almonds, 10g tremella, 2 candied dates, and pear chunks for 45 minutes. This clears heat and moistens the lungs.
These recipes complement the formula’s yin-nourishing and cough-relieving effects, aiding recovery.
Precautions
Use Bai He Gu Jin Tang cautiously:
Contraindications: Avoid in cases of cough with excessive lung heat, liver fire, or hemoptysis due to other causes. Not suitable for spleen deficiency with loose stools, as its greasy nature may worsen digestion.
Dietary restrictions: Avoid raw, cold, spicy, or greasy foods during treatment.
Side effects: Overuse may cause bloating or loose stools in those with weak digestion.
Professional guidance: Consult a Chinese medicine practitioner to ensure proper syndrome differentiation and avoid drug interactions.
Storage: Keep in a cool, dry place, away from sunlight. Do not use expired medicine.
If discomfort occurs, stop use and consult a doctor.
Conclusion
Bai He Gu Jin Tang is a powerful Chinese herbal formula that nourishes lung and kidney yin, relieves cough, and clears internal heat. Its carefully balanced herbs effectively treat chronic coughs, bloody sputum, and dry throat caused by yin deficiency, making it a trusted remedy for respiratory and post-viral conditions.
Modern applications, including post-COVID-19 recovery, highlight its versatility. With proper use, dietary support like lily porridge, and professional guidance, Bai He Gu Jin Tang can restore lung health and improve overall well-being.
Chinese Name | 百合固金湯 |
Phonetic | Bai He Gu Jin Tang |
English Name | Lily Bulb Metal-Securing Decoction |
Classification | Dryness-moistening formulas |
Source | 《Medical Theory of Master of Meditation Room》Shen Zhai Yi Shu《慎齋遺書》 |
Combination | Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata (Shu Di Huang) 3 qian (9g), Rehmanniae Radix (Sheng Di) 3 qian (9g), Angelicae Sinensis Radix (Dang Gui) 3 qian (9g), Paeoniae Radix Alba (Bai Shao) 1 qian (6g), Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma (Gan Cao) 1 qian (3g), Platycodonis Radix (Jie Geng) 8 fen (6g), Scrophulariae Radix (Xuan Shen) 1.5 qian (3g), Fritillariae Bulbus (Bei Mu) 1.5 qian (6g), Ophiopogonis Radix (Mai Dong) 1.5 qian (9g), Lilii Bulbus (Bai He) 1.5 qian (12g) |
Method | Prepare the ingredients as a decoction. |
Action | Enriches and nourishes the lung and kidney, relieves cough and dissolves phlegm. |
Indication | Bai He Gu Jin Tang is indicated for a pattern of lung-kidney yin deficiency with deficiency fire flaming upward. The symptoms are coughing, labored breathing, blood in the sputum, dry and sore throat, dizziness and blurred vision, afternoon tidal fever. The tongue is red with scanty coating, and the pulse is thready and rapid. |
Pathogenesis | This pattern results from yin deficiency of the lung and kidney. The lung is the mother of the kidney so lung deficiency often affects the kidney to cause yin deficiency of both the lung and kidney due to protracted disease. Yin deficiency leads to internal heat and deficiency fire flaming upward, causing the failure of the lung to purify and descend, and produce coughing and labored breathing. Deficiency fire scorches body fluids and causes a dry, sore throat and an afternoon tidal fever. Vessels are scorched which causes blood in the sputum. Suitable therapeutic methods include nourishing the yin-blood of the lung and kidney combined with clearing heat, dissolving phlegm and relieving cough. The purpose is to treat the root and branch simultaneously. |
Application | 1. Essential pattern differentiation This formula is commonly used to treat lung-kidney yin deficiency with deficiency fire flaming upward to cause coughing with blood in the sputum. This clinical pattern is marked by cough, labored breathing, dry and sore throat, red tongue with scanty coating, thready and rapid pulse. 2. Modern applications This formula is commonly used in the following biomedically defined disorders when the patient shows signs of lung-kidney yin deficiency with deficiency fire flaming upward: tuberculosis, chronic bronchitis, expectoration of blood caused by bronchiectasis, chronic pharyngo-laryngitis, and spontaneous pneumothorax. |
Additonal formulae | Bu Fei E Jiao Tang (Lung-Supplementing Donkey-Hide Gelatin Decoction 补肺阿胶汤) [Source]《Key to Diagnosis and Treatment of Children’s Diseases》Xiao Er Yao Zheng Zhi Jue《小儿药证直诀》 [Ingredients] E jiao 1.5 liang (9g), niu bang zi 2.5 qian (1.5g), zhi gan cao 2.5 qian (1.5g), ma dou ling 5 qian (6g), xing ren 7 pieces (6g), nuo mi 1 liang (6g) [Preparation and Administration] Grind the ingredients into powder, take 1 to 2 qian (6g) powder at a time, prepare the powder as a decoction, take the warm decoction after meal [Actions] Supplements yin and boosts the lung, and clears heat to stanch bleeding. [Applicable Patterns] Lung heat from yin deficiency pattern in children. Symptoms include: coughing, labored breathing, dry throat, sound in the throat, or blood in the sputum, a red tongue body with scanty tongue coating, and a thready, rapid pulse. |
