About This Herb*
Traditional Chinese Medicine background and properties
Herb Description*
Bo He (mint herb) is a light, aromatic, cooling herb widely used in Chinese medicine for colds with sore throat and fever, headaches, red eyes, and skin rashes. It also gently soothes emotional tension and helps relieve stress-related chest tightness by promoting the smooth flow of Liver Qi. It is found in many well-known formulas and is also popular as a food and tea ingredient.
Herb Category*
Main Actions*
- Disperses Wind-Heat
- Clears the Head and Brightens the Eyes
- Benefits the Throat
- Vents Rashes
- Courses the Liver and Resolves Constraint
How These Actions Work*
'Disperses Wind-Heat' means Bo He drives out the early stages of a Wind-Heat invasion, the type of common cold that comes with fever, sore throat, and a headache rather than chills and runny nose. Its acrid, cool, aromatic nature opens the pores and promotes a light sweat, pushing the pathogen out through the body's surface. It is considered one of the most important herbs for this purpose and often appears in formulas for the initial stage of warm-febrile diseases (温病 wēn bìng).
'Clears the head and eyes' means Bo He is especially effective at relieving symptoms in the upper part of the body caused by Wind-Heat rising upward, such as headaches, red and painful eyes, and dizziness. Its light, ascending quality carries its cooling action directly to the head. This is why it frequently appears in formulas for headaches of various types.
'Benefits the throat' means Bo He reduces swelling and pain in the throat caused by Heat. It is commonly used for sore throat, hoarse voice, and mouth sores. Its cooling, aromatic nature soothes the inflamed tissues of the throat and mouth.
'Vents rashes' means Bo He helps measles or other rashes come to the surface when they are stuck and not erupting fully. In TCM, pushing a rash outward is considered a way to help the body expel a pathogen. Bo He's dispersing quality helps the rash emerge so the disease can resolve.
'Courses the Liver and resolves constraint' means Bo He can smooth the flow of Liver Qi when it becomes stagnant, which often shows up as emotional tension, chest tightness, rib-side pain, or menstrual irregularity. Because Bo He enters the Liver channel, even a small amount can help relieve the feeling of being 'stuck' emotionally or physically. This is why it appears in the famous formula Xiao Yao San (Free and Easy Wanderer).
Patterns Addressed*
In TCM, symptoms cluster into recognizable patterns of disharmony that reveal what's out of balance in the body. Bo He 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 Bo He addresses this pattern
Bo He is one of the primary herbs for treating Wind-Heat invading the exterior. Its acrid taste disperses the pathogen outward, while its cool nature directly counteracts the Heat component of this pattern. Being aromatic and light, it rises to the head and upper body where Wind-Heat symptoms concentrate. It enters the Lung channel, which governs the body's surface defence (Wei Qi), making it ideally positioned to expel exterior Wind-Heat at the onset of illness.
A practitioner would look for one or more of these signs
Fever with mild chills
Headache from Wind-Heat
Sore, red, swollen throat
Red, painful eyes
Cough with yellow phlegm
Why Bo He addresses this pattern
Bo He enters the Liver channel and has an inherent ability to course and spread Liver Qi. Its aromatic, acrid quality opens up stagnant Qi flow, relieving the constraint that characterises this pattern. Although it is used in small amounts for this purpose, its effect is notable: it vents the pent-up heat that often accompanies Liver stagnation and helps restore the Liver's natural free-flowing function. This is why it is included in Xiao Yao San, the signature formula for Liver Qi stagnation with Blood deficiency.
A practitioner would look for one or more of these signs
Rib-side distension and pain
Feeling of chest oppression
Menstrual irregularity from emotional stress
Irritability and emotional tension
Why Bo He addresses this pattern
When Wind-Heat concentrates in the upper body, it produces headache, red eyes, sore throat, and mouth sores. Bo He's light, ascending, aromatic nature makes it especially effective at reaching the head and face to clear this Heat. Its acrid taste opens the orifices while its cool temperature resolves the inflammation. It is frequently paired with Ju Hua (chrysanthemum) and Sang Ye (mulberry leaf) for these upper-body symptoms.
A practitioner would look for one or more of these signs
Frontal or temporal headache
Red, watery, painful eyes
Throat pain and swelling
Mouth sores and canker sores
TCM Properties*
Cool
Acrid / Pungent (辛 xīn), Aromatic (芳香 fāng xiāng)
Whole plant / Aerial parts (全草 quán cǎo)
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.