Qian Hu
Quick Facts
- What it is: Qian Hu is the dried root of hogfennel, used in Chinese medicine for a cough with thick phlegm.
- Main uses: Cough with thick phlegm, Tight chest with wheeze, Colds with fever and sore throat
- Best for: Short use in a herbal cough mix, guided by a trained herbalist
- Active ingredients: Coumarins (plant compounds), Praeruptorin A, Praeruptorin B, Scented plant oil
- Forms: Dried root slices for tea, Honey-fried slices, Powder or granules, Pills
- Time to effect: Not known; no trial has measured it.
- Side effects: Mostly mild stomach upset or rash; skin may burn faster in sun.
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What is Qian Hu?
Qian Hu is the dried root of a plant called Peucedanum praeruptorum. In English it is known as hogfennel root. Chinese medicine uses it as a cough and phlegm herb.
It is a single herb, not a blend. It is used for a cough with thick phlegm, a tight chest, and colds with fever. It is almost always boiled with other herbs in a tea.
The herb has a long record of use, but long use is not proof that it works. No human trial of Qian Hu on its own has been published. What we know comes from lab dishes and animal tests.
How does Qian Hu work?
Nobody knows for sure how Qian Hu works in people. Lab tests show its coumarins (a group of plant compounds) can relax muscle in airways and blood vessels. Animal work hints that it may loosen phlegm and calm a cough.
In Chinese terms, it is said to send lung qi down and clear phlegm. That is one tradition's way of sorting herbs. It is not a proven body process.
None of this lab work tells us what the herb does in a sick person. Cell and animal results often fail to show up in people.
What forms does Qian Hu come in?
Qian Hu is sold as dried root slices. A herbalist boils the slices in water to make a tea. You may also find powder, granules or pills.
Some slices are fried with honey first. That form is used for a drier cough. Buy from a seller who tests for lead and other heavy metals.
Where it comes from:
Qian Hu has been used in China for about 1,500 years. It is listed in the Ming Yi Bie Lu, an old Chinese herb text. Later books kept it in the group of herbs that clear phlegm and cool a wind-heat cold (an old term for a cold with fever and a sore throat).
Who should avoid Qian Hu?
- Do not use if you are pregnant or trying to get pregnant, as safety in pregnancy is unknown
- Do not use if you are breastfeeding
- Do not use if you take warfarin or any other blood thinner, unless your doctor agrees
- Do not use if you take pills for high blood pressure, unless your doctor agrees
- Do not use if you are allergic to carrot, celery, parsley or fennel, as these are in the same plant family
- Do not use it for a long, dry cough with no phlegm, unless a trained herbalist tells you to
- Do not give it to a child unless a doctor or trained herbalist tells you to
- Never take it in the two weeks before planned surgery, because of the possible bleeding risk
- Do not use it in place of medicine your doctor has prescribed for your lungs or chest
When should you see a doctor?
See a doctor if your cough lasts more than three weeks, or if it comes back again and again. Get urgent care if you cough up blood, cannot catch your breath, have chest pain, or run a high fever. Stop the herb and call a doctor if you bruise or bleed easily, feel faint, or get a rash or blisters after time in the sun.
Evidence grades and traditional-use labels are explained in our methodology. Nothing here is medical advice.
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