What is Ze Lan?
Ze Lan is a herb used in Chinese medicine. It is the dried leaf and stem of a mint-family plant, Lycopus lucidus. Healers give it to ease period pain and to help bring on a late period.
It is also used for swelling. That includes puffy ankles, bruises, and swelling after a birth or a blow. It is nearly always mixed with other herbs in a formula, not taken alone.
Here is the honest verdict. We could find no human trials of Ze Lan. It has been used for about 2,000 years, but long use is not proof that a herb works.
Ze Lan is not a first choice for any health problem. If you have a new lump, heavy bleeding, or swelling in one leg, see a doctor first. Those can be signs of a problem that needs care right away.
How does Ze Lan work?
The short answer is that no one has shown how Ze Lan works in people.
In Chinese medicine it is said to "move blood" and drain fluid. That is a traditional idea about the body, not a lab finding.
Lab and animal work points to plant acids and flavonoids (plant colour compounds) in the herb. In test tubes these can slow clotting and calm swelling. Close plant cousins, such as bugleweed, can lower thyroid hormone in animals.
We do not know if any of this happens in a person who drinks the tea. Doses used in labs are often far higher than the doses people take.
What forms does Ze Lan come in?
The most common form is the raw dried herb. You simmer it in water to make a decoction (a strong tea).
Other forms you may see:
Granules or powder that dissolve in hot water. Pre-made pills or tablets that hold several herbs. Tinctures, which are liquid extracts in alcohol.
Ze Lan is rarely sold as a single-herb pill in the West. In most cases a trained practitioner blends it with other herbs.
Where it comes from:
Ze Lan appears in the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing, a Chinese herb text written about 2,000 years ago. It has stayed in use ever since.
Its main role has always been in women's health. Old texts pair it with herbs such as Dang Gui and Chuan Xiong for period problems and for care after birth.
It also has a long record for bruises, falls, and puffy limbs.
Who should avoid Ze Lan?
- Do not use if you are pregnant or are trying to become pregnant, as this herb is traditionally used to bring on a period
- Do not use if you are breastfeeding, because safety for the baby is unknown
- Do not use if you take warfarin, apixaban, rivaroxaban, heparin, aspirin, clopidogrel or any other blood thinner
- Do not use if you have a bleeding disorder such as haemophilia (a condition where the blood does not clot properly)
- Do not use if you have surgery, a dental extraction or a biopsy booked in the next two weeks
- Do not use if you have an underactive thyroid (a thyroid gland that makes too little hormone) or take levothyroxine
- Do not use if you have an overactive thyroid (a thyroid gland that makes too much hormone) or take carbimazole or methimazole, unless your doctor agrees
- Do not use if you are booked for a thyroid scan or radioactive iodine treatment
- Do not use if you have very heavy periods or bleeding between periods that has not been checked by a doctor
- Do not use if you have a stomach ulcer (a sore in the stomach lining) or have recently had bleeding in the gut
- Do not use if you are allergic to mint-family plants such as mint, rosemary or sage
- Do not give it to a child, and do not use it yourself if you are under 18
When should you see a doctor?
Stop the herb and see a doctor if you bleed more than usual. That includes nosebleeds, bleeding gums, heavy periods, easy bruising, or blood in your urine or stools.
Get medical help the same day for a rash with swelling of the face, lips or tongue, or any trouble breathing.
Book an appointment if you feel very tired, cold or low in mood, or if you put on weight without reason. These can be signs that your thyroid gland is running slow.
See a doctor rather than treating yourself if your period has stopped for three months or more, if one leg is swollen, hot or painful, or if you have severe pain after childbirth.
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