Herb Highlight-Chen Pi

I wanted to do a blog post on an herb that is probably in your compost bin right now-tangerine peel. In Chinese medicine, Chen pi is specifically aged tangerine peel, but you can also use the tangerine peels that are fresh. Typically speaking aged peels are thought to be stronger in action.

Chen pi is in a category of herbs that regulate the Qi. This means that it helps to move energy more smoothly and in the correct direction overall but Chen pi can do this more specifically in our digestive systems as well. This herb has been found to help with symptoms like abdominal distention, gas, bloating or full sensations. It can even sometimes help with nausea and vomiting.

Another action of this herb is drying dampness. If that sounds silly, “drying dampness,” what it means is that is can help conditions like coughs where there is a lot of phlegm or sputum being coughed up or water retention. Extra fluids in Chinese medicine is considered dampness. Because this herb helps with both digestion and coughing it is really helpful with there is a condition where both are being affected.

An interesting fact about tangerine is that the effects of the fruit vs the peel are opposite in nature. The peels are used to move qi downward generally and promote the movement of the phlegm out. So same fruit but two different actions! Super cool.

You may be wondering how to use this herb in a practical sense. I find that the best way is to throw a silver dollar size piece in my cup of tea and let it steep. I like to use it if I have a cough that has some phlegm with it or if I notice that my digestion is feeling a little slow after eating dairy or sugar or if I am feeling bloating and gas. You can also add this to your tea proactively if you notice a thicker coating forming on your tongue. This is an indication that there is excess dampness accumulating somewhere in the body and that tangerine peels can help to rebalance this.

So next time you have a tangerine consider using or drying the peels for later.