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Stephania Root

白药子 · Bái Yào Zǐ

Cools throat infections and inflamed skin

Properties

CoolingCooling botanicalBitter, Pungent

What it does

Stephania root cools throat infections, inflamed skin patches, and acute dysentery. In TCM, it dissipates stuck blood, disperses swellings, and stops bleeding from heat in the blood. The active compound cepharanthine has documented anti-inflammatory and antiviral activity in lab studies. Slightly toxic, so use is short-term.

How to take it

Drink

Decoct 6–9g of dried stephania root in water for 25 minutes. Drink 1 cup, 1–2x daily during acute infections, short-term. Often used in combination formulas.

See a practitioner. Identification matters due to potential mislabeling

Safety

  • Slightly toxic. Stay within practitioner-prescribed doses
  • Skip during pregnancy
  • Avoid confusing with toxic Aristolochia species sometimes mislabeled as Fang Ji
  • Stop if you develop nausea, dizziness, or rash
  • Talk to your doctor before starting, especially if you take medication

Where it comes from

Stephania cepharantha grows wild in southern China and Vietnam. The active alkaloid cepharanthine has been studied for HIV, leukemia, and certain autoimmune conditions in modern research. Stephania has at least three TCM-relevant species (Bai Yao Zi, Han Fang Ji, Mu Fang Ji), each with distinct uses but overlapping toxicity concerns from the alkaloid family.