lai fu zi

莱菔子·Semen Raphani

Radish Seed

About lai fu zi

Lai Fu Zi (莱菔子) is the seed of the radish, recorded as Semen Raphani. It is acrid and sweet in flavour and neutral in temperature, entering the Lung, Spleen and Stomach channels. The catalogue files it among the herbs that relieve food stagnation.

Names

Pinyinlai fu zi
Chinese莱菔子
Latin NameSemen Raphani
English NameRadish Seed·Radish Seed: Raphanus·raphanus
Japaneseraifukushi
Koreannaebokja

Classification

Channels
Lung, Stomach, Spleen
Flavour
Acrid, Sweet
Temperature
Neutral
Part used
Seed
Family
Apiaceae
Species
Raphanus Sativus
Tags
Chinese Herbs, Common

Actions and indications

Reduces Food stagnation, transforms accumulation and relieves distension

  • Food stagnating in the Middle Jiao: a full, distended feeling, belching that smells rotten, sour regurgitation, or diarrhea with tenesmus and abdominal pain
  • Especially suited to stagnation from starchy foods such as bread, noodles, dough and rice

Descends Qi and transforms Phlegm

  • Chronic cough or wheezing with copious phlegm and breathlessness, working best in Excess patterns
  • Phlegm-Damp building up alongside retained food

Lowers blood pressure

  • Hypertension

Combinations

Dosage

AgeRawGranuleTinctureConcentrateFrequency
Any 4.5-12g; Tincture: 2-3ml4.5-12 g2-3 ml

Cautions

Interactions

Caution with

Prepared forms (1)

lai fu zi Chao

莱菔子·Semen Raphani

Lai fu zi chao (莱菔子) is the dry-fried form of lai fu zi, the radish seed supplied as Semen Raphani. The catalogue files it among the substances that relieve food stagnation, and records it as entering the Spleen, Stomach and Lung channels.

The catalogue records no separate actions, dose or cautions for this preparation. Unless noted above it follows lai fu zi.