Herb

Ding Xiang

Clove flower | 丁香

Also known as:

Clove Flower-Bud

Ding Xiang

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Properties

Interior-warming herbs (温里药) · Warm

Traditionally supports*

Digestive Health Nausea and Vomiting Relief Men's Health Abdominal Pain Relief

Parts Used

Flower bud (花蕾 huā lěi)

*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.

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About This Herb

Traditional Chinese Medicine background and properties

Herb Description

Ding Xiang (Clove bud) is a warming, aromatic herb best known for treating persistent hiccups, nausea, and vomiting caused by a cold, weak stomach. It also gently supports Kidney warmth, which can help with lower body coldness and low vitality. In both Eastern and Western traditions, clove has a long history as a digestive aid, breath freshener, and pain reliever for toothaches.

Herb Category

Interior-warming herbs (温里药)

Main Actions

  • Warms the Middle Burner and directs rebellious Qi downward
  • Tonifies Kidney Yang
  • Dispels Cold and Alleviates Pain

How These Actions Work

'Warms the Middle Burner and directs rebellious Qi downward' is Ding Xiang's most important action. The Stomach's natural function is to send things downward. When Cold invades or settles in the Stomach and Spleen, this downward movement gets disrupted, causing Qi to rebel upward. This produces symptoms like persistent hiccups, nausea, vomiting, and belching. Ding Xiang's warm, pungent nature disperses the Cold and restores the Stomach's natural downward movement. It is considered the go-to herb for hiccups and vomiting caused by Stomach Cold.

'Warms the Kidneys and assists Yáng' means Ding Xiang can gently boost the warming power of the Kidneys. In TCM, Kidney Yáng is the root of all warming activity in the body. When Kidney Yáng is deficient, a person may feel cold in the lower back and knees, experience sexual dysfunction, or have watery diarrhea in the early morning. Ding Xiang enters the Kidney channel and provides warming support, though it is milder than major Kidney Yáng tonifiers like Rou Gui (Cinnamon bark) or Fu Zi (Aconite).

'Disperses Cold and alleviates pain' refers to Ding Xiang's ability to relieve cold-type abdominal pain. When Cold constricts the channels in the abdomen, it causes cramping pain that feels better with warmth and pressure. Ding Xiang's pungent warmth disperses the Cold and relaxes the constriction, easing the pain.

Patterns Addressed

In TCM, symptoms cluster into recognizable patterns of disharmony that reveal what's out of balance in the body. Ding Xiang 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 Ding Xiang addresses this pattern

Ding Xiang directly addresses the core pathomechanism of Spleen and Stomach Deficiency Cold. Its warm, pungent nature disperses the Cold that has settled in the Middle Burner, while its strong descending action restores the Stomach's natural downward movement of Qi. When the Spleen and Stomach are both deficient and cold, the digestive fire is too weak to transform food and fluids, and Cold constricts the Middle Burner, causing rebellious upward Qi (hiccups, vomiting) and poor digestion. Ding Xiang warms the interior through its entry into the Spleen and Stomach channels, making it the key herb for Cold-type hiccups and vomiting.

A practitioner would look for one or more of these signs

Hiccups

Persistent hiccups that worsen with cold food or drink

Nausea Or Vomiting

Nausea and vomiting of clear fluid, relieved by warmth

Abdominal Pain

Cold abdominal pain that improves with warmth and pressure

Diarrhea

Loose stools or diarrhea from Spleen Cold

Poor Appetite

Poor appetite with aversion to cold foods

TCM Properties

Temperature

Warm

Taste

Acrid / Pungent (辛 xīn)

Channels Entered
Spleen Stomach Lungs Kidneys
Parts Used

Flower bud (花蕾 huā lěi)

This is partial information on the herb's TCM properties. More detailed information is available on the herb's dedicated page

Product Details

Manufacturing, supplier, and product specifications

Product Type

Granules

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Botanical & Sourcing

Quality Indicators

Good quality Ding Xiang (gong ding xiang / clove buds) should be large, plump, and firm with a reddish-brown to dark brown colour. The buds should feel heavy and oily when pressed between the fingers, and should be rich enough in volatile oil to sink in water. The aroma should be intensely fragrant and spicy. When crushed, numerous tiny yellow pollen grains from the anthers should be visible inside. The essential oil content should be no less than 16% by pharmacopoeia standards. Avoid buds that are pale, shriveled, lightweight, lacking in aroma, or visibly broken with much debris.

Primary Growing Regions

Ding Xiang is not native to China and was historically imported. The highest quality medicinal cloves come from the islands of Zanzibar (Tanzania), Madagascar, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia (particularly the Maluku Islands, its place of origin). In China, it is cultivated on a smaller scale in Guangdong and Hainan provinces. Indonesian and Zanzibari cloves are traditionally considered the finest quality due to their high essential oil content.

Harvesting Season

Typically harvested from September through March of the following year, when the flower buds change from green to bright red, just before they open.

Supplier Information

Treasure of the East

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Miscellaneous Info

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Usage & Safety

How to use this herb and important safety information

Important Medical Disclaimer

The information provided here is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice or to replace consultation with a qualified healthcare professional. This herb is a dietary supplement and has not been evaluated by the FDA. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider, particularly if you are pregnant, nursing, have a medical condition, or are taking other medications. Discontinue use and consult your healthcare provider if you experience any adverse reactions.

Recommended Dosage

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Instructions for safe storage and consumption

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Traditional Dosage Reference

Standard

1–3g

Maximum

Generally do not exceed 5g in decoction. Standard dosage is 1 to 3g, and the herb's potent warming nature means higher doses risk injuring Yin and causing symptoms of Heat rising.

Notes

Standard decoction dose is 1 to 3g. For warming the Stomach and stopping hiccups, 1 to 3g is sufficient due to the herb's strong aromatic potency. When used to warm the Kidneys and assist Yang (e.g. for impotence or Cold pain in the lower abdomen), it is typically combined with other warming Kidney herbs such as Rou Gui and Fu Zi rather than increasing the Ding Xiang dosage. In powder form, the dose is typically 0.5 to 1g per serving. The Ben Cao Tong Xuan advises that Ding Xiang is best combined with moistening herbs in pill formulations to prevent its strong ascending warmth from damaging the Lungs.

Toxicity Classification

Non-toxic

Ding Xiang is classified as non-toxic in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia and classical sources such as the Kai Bao Ben Cao. Its primary active compound eugenol is generally recognized as safe (GRAS) by the US FDA for use as a food additive. However, concentrated clove oil (as distinct from the whole herb used in decoction) can cause mucosal irritation, and excessive internal use of the essential oil has been associated with nausea, liver stress, and potential bleeding risk due to eugenol's antiplatelet properties. At standard decoction dosages (1 to 3g of the dried herb), toxicity is not a practical concern.

Contraindications

Avoid

Heat conditions and Yin deficiency with Heat signs. Ding Xiang is warm and pungent, and will worsen patterns involving internal Heat, Yin-deficient Fire, or Stomach Heat with vomiting.

Avoid

Do not use concurrently with Yu Jin (Curcumae Radix). This is a classical incompatibility from the Nineteen Mutual Fears (十九畏) list. The combination may produce adverse effects.

Caution

Used alone in large doses or over prolonged periods, Ding Xiang's strong warming and ascending nature may injure the Lungs and eyes, as noted in the Ben Cao Tong Xuan: 'used alone or in excess, it easily surges upward, damaging the Lungs and eyes.'

Caution

Febrile disease (warm-pathogen conditions) or externally contracted Heat patterns. As a purely warming herb, it should not be used during acute febrile illness.

Caution

Persons with bleeding disorders or those taking anticoagulant/antiplatelet medications should use with caution, as eugenol (the primary active compound) has demonstrated antiplatelet activity in pharmacological studies.

Classical Incompatibilities

Ding Xiang is listed in the Nineteen Mutual Fears (十九畏): Ding Xiang wei Yu Jin (丁香畏郁金). Ding Xiang (Clove) and Yu Jin (Curcumae Radix / Turmeric tuber) should not be used together. This applies to both Gong Ding Xiang (flower buds) and Mu Ding Xiang (fruits).

Special Populations

Pregnancy

Caution advised. Ding Xiang is classified as a warming, aromatic herb. Clove and its essential oil have been shown to cause uterine contractions in pharmacological studies, which poses a theoretical risk of miscarriage. While the whole dried herb at standard decoction doses (1 to 3g) is not listed among the formally prohibited pregnancy herbs in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, concentrated clove oil and high doses should be strictly avoided during pregnancy. Pregnant women should consult a qualified practitioner before use.

Breastfeeding

No specific human safety data exists for Ding Xiang during breastfeeding. The primary active compound eugenol is fat-soluble and may transfer into breast milk, potentially affecting the infant. Small culinary amounts are likely safe, but medicinal doses (decoctions, concentrated preparations, or clove oil) should be used with caution during breastfeeding. Consult a qualified practitioner before use.

Pediatric Use

Ding Xiang can be used in children but at reduced dosages appropriate to age and body weight. Li Shizhen noted its use for childhood vomiting, diarrhea, and failure of smallpox eruptions. Concentrated clove oil should never be applied undiluted to children's skin or gums, as it can cause irritation. For infants and young children, external use of clove oil requires significant dilution.

Drug Interactions

Anticoagulant and antiplatelet medications (e.g. warfarin, aspirin, heparin, apixaban): Eugenol, the primary active compound in Ding Xiang, has demonstrated antiplatelet activity by inhibiting thromboxane formation and altering arachidonic acid metabolism in platelets. Concurrent use may theoretically increase bleeding risk. Monitoring is advised if both are used together.

NSAIDs (e.g. ibuprofen, naproxen): Due to eugenol's similar mechanism of action on the arachidonic acid pathway, combined use may increase the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding or mucosal irritation.

Pre-surgical consideration: Clove supplements or concentrated preparations should be discontinued at least two weeks before scheduled surgery due to the potential antiplatelet effect of eugenol.

Hypoglycemic agents: Some research suggests clove extracts may have blood-sugar-lowering effects. People taking diabetes medications should monitor blood glucose carefully if using Ding Xiang medicinally.

Dietary Advice

While taking Ding Xiang, favour warm, easily digestible foods that support Spleen and Stomach function (such as congee, cooked vegetables, and warming soups). Avoid cold, raw, and greasy foods, which counteract the herb's warming actions. Because Ding Xiang is strongly warming, those with any tendency toward Heat or Yin deficiency should avoid spicy, alcohol-rich, or excessively heating foods during treatment to prevent excessive internal Heat accumulation.

Cautions & Warnings

Although this formula is typically safe for most individuals, it may cause side effects in some people. Pregnant women, nursing mothers, postpartum women, and those with liver disease should use the formula with caution.

As with any Chinese herbal remedy, it is advisable to seek guidance from a qualified TCM practitioner before beginning treatment.