Tangerine Peel

Herb actions

Regulating qi and harmonizing the abdomen is Chen Pi's central action, relieving fullness, bloating, belching, nausea, and vomiting that come with qi stagnation. It also dries Dampness and transforms Phlegm. Chen Pi resolves Phlegm-Damp obstructing the Lung which can cause cough with copious, viscous sputum and a stifling sensation in the chest. It can also resolve turbid Dampness settling in the Middle, causing abdominal distention, poor appetite, and loose stools. Chen Pi has a descending action as well, addressing qi that has turned rebellious and risen instead of moving down. Added to tonic formulas, it also counters food stagnation that rich, heavy tonic herbs can otherwise cause.

Flavor and nature

Chen Pi's acrid flavor creates movement, dispersing and regulating qi to aid digestion. Its warmth works alongside the acrid flavor to keep qi moving. Acrid flavor typically disperses qi outward and upward, but Chen Pi's bitter flavor redirects that movement downward through the Middle Jiao instead. This bitter, descending action eases belching, nausea, and vomiting from qi that has rebelled upward. Bitter also adds a drying action that resolves Dampness thickening into Phlegm. Chen Pi's aromatic quality penetrates that Dampness as well, resolving turbidity.

How Daodi uses it

Formulas call on Chen Pi as a supporting herb more often than a central one, added whenever a Blood-nourishing or qi-tonifying herb risks causing bloating or stagnation. It keeps digestion moving while richer herbs elsewhere in the formula build Blood and/or qi. When bloating, belching, or a stifling sensation in the chest is the primary complaint, Chen Pi takes on a more central role instead of a supporting one.

Herb pairings

• Ban Xia-Ban Xia dries Dampness and transforms Phlegm, while Chen Pi regulates qi to help move that Phlegm along, the pairing behind formulas addressing cough with copious sputum and a stifling sensation in the chest.

• Fu Ling-Fu Ling strengthens the Spleen and drains Dampness through urination, reinforcing Chen Pi's own drying, Phlegm-transforming action from a different angle.

• Bai Zhu-Bai Zhu tonifies Spleen qi, and Chen Pi keeps that tonification from turning into the stagnation, bloating, and fullness that rich tonic herbs can otherwise cause.

• Hou Po-Hou Po moves qi and relieves fullness in the chest and abdomen, complementing Chen Pi's own qi-regulating action in patterns of Damp-Cold stagnating in the Spleen and Stomach.

• Sheng Jiang-Sheng Jiang warms the Stomach and stops nausea, working alongside Chen Pi's qi-descending action to settle vomiting and hiccups from disharmony of Stomach qi.