About This Herb*
Traditional Chinese Medicine background and properties
Herb Description*
Ce Bai Ye (Chinese arborvitae leaf) is a cooling herb best known for stopping bleeding caused by excess Heat in the Blood. It is commonly used for nosebleeds, coughing up blood, heavy menstrual bleeding, and blood in the stool or urine. It is also used externally to promote hair growth and darken prematurely grey hair.
Herb Category*
Main Actions*
- Cools the Blood and Stops Bleeding
- Resolves Phlegm and Stops Cough
- Promotes hair growth and darkens hair
How These Actions Work*
'Cools the Blood and stops bleeding' is the primary action of Ce Bai Ye. When Heat accumulates in the Blood, it can force blood out of the vessels, causing various types of bleeding such as nosebleeds, coughing blood, vomiting blood, blood in the stool or urine, and heavy or irregular menstrual bleeding. Ce Bai Ye's bitter and cold nature clears this Heat from the Blood, while its astringent quality helps constrict the vessels and stop the bleeding directly. This combination of cooling and astringing makes it one of the most widely used herbs for bleeding caused by Blood Heat.
'Resolves Phlegm and stops coughing' applies when Lung Heat generates thick, sticky phlegm that is difficult to cough up, sometimes streaked with blood. Ce Bai Ye enters the Lung channel and uses its bitter, cold nature to clear Heat from the Lungs and help loosen and expel this hot Phlegm. The raw (unprocessed) form is preferred for this action.
'Promotes hair growth and darkens hair' reflects the traditional observation that Blood Heat can damage the hair roots, leading to hair loss or premature greying. Because Ce Bai Ye cools Blood Heat, it helps nourish the hair follicles indirectly. For this purpose, it is most commonly used externally (soaked in alcohol and applied as a tincture to the scalp), though it may also be taken internally.
Patterns Addressed*
In TCM, symptoms cluster into recognizable patterns of disharmony that reveal what's out of balance in the body. Ce Bai Ye is traditionally associated with these specific patterns.
The following describes this herb's classification within Traditional Chinese Medicine theory and is provided for educational purposes only.
Why Ce Bai Ye addresses this pattern
Blood Heat occurs when excessive Heat enters the Blood level, agitating the Blood and forcing it out of the vessels. Ce Bai Ye is bitter and cold, entering the Liver and Lung channels. Its bitter cold nature directly clears Heat from the Blood, while its astringent quality constricts the vessels to stop bleeding. This dual mechanism of cooling and astringing makes it particularly effective for the reckless movement of Blood caused by Heat.
A practitioner would look for one or more of these signs
Nosebleeds with bright red blood
Vomiting blood
Coughing up blood
Blood in the urine
Heavy menstrual or uterine bleeding
Why Ce Bai Ye addresses this pattern
When Heat lodges in the Lungs, it can cook Fluids into thick, sticky Phlegm and damage the Lung's delicate vessels, producing cough with yellow phlegm that may be streaked with blood. Ce Bai Ye enters the Lung channel and uses its bitter cold nature to clear Lung Heat, dissolve hot Phlegm, and stop coughing. The raw form is used for this pattern, as charring would diminish the Heat-clearing action needed here.
A practitioner would look for one or more of these signs
Persistent cough with thick yellow phlegm
Blood-streaked sputum
TCM Properties*
Cold
Bitter (苦 kǔ), Astringent (涩 sè)
Leaf (叶 yè)
This is partial information on the herb's TCM properties. More detailed information is available on the herb's dedicated page
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.