Description
Dried Lily Bulb
Bai He · (百合)
Botanical Name : Lilium lancifolium
Category : Yin Tonic
Slightly cool in nature. Sweet and bitter in taste. It enters the heart and lung meridians.
People who benefit most from Lily Bulb fit the Yin Deficient body type, where Heart and Lung Yin are too low to anchor the mind or moisten a dry cough. A second pattern, residual heat lingering after a respiratory illness, leaves the throat scratchy and sleep restless even after the fever is gone. Sweet soup with pear and rock sugar may help both patterns by cooling the heat and replenishing the moisture at the same time.
A pale scaly bulb that nourishes Heart and Lung Yin. Calms the mind, reduces dry cough, and supports restful sleep.
TCM Properties
Heart and Lung Yin Deficiency(心肺阴虚)
Heart and Lung Yin Deficiency behaves like a garden in late summer whose soil has dried past the point of holding water. The Heart houses the mind and the Lung rules the breath, and when their cooling, moistening layer thins, both organs run hot and restless. Sleep turns shallow because the mind has no cool anchor, and a dry cough lingers because the airways have lost their protective moisture. Lily bulb’s sweet, slightly cool nature is the gentle rain that softens this soil again.
Health Benefits
Moistens the Lung and relieves dry cough
Lily bulb’s cool, moistening nature makes it the first choice for dry, hacking coughs that linger after a respiratory infection. Where warm cough herbs address cold and phlegm, lily bulb addresses the pattern where the lungs have been dried out by fever, dry air, or prolonged coughing.
Clears Heart heat and calms the spirit
For the kind of restlessness that feels like a low-grade internal buzzing, lily bulb’s cooling nature gently clears heart heat. This is particularly useful for irritability and insomnia that follow a febrile illness, where residual heat lingers in the heart.
Nourishes Yin
As a yin tonic, lily bulb is gentle but specific. It targets the lung and heart yin, the two areas most easily depleted by emotional stress or respiratory illness. Its sweet, cool nature rebuilds the moistening fluids without the heaviness of deeper tonics like prepared rehmannia.
May support emotional balance
In classical texts, lily bulb is recommended for a condition called bai he bing (lily disease), characterized by mood swings, a feeling of walking on air, and emotional volatility. This ancient description of what appears to be anxiety or emotional dysregulation has kept lily bulb in continuous use for emotional support.
Commonly Used For
· People with a dry, lingering cough after a respiratory illness, especially when the throat feels scratchy and sleep is restless
TCM Interpretation: After a respiratory infection, the lungs are often left dry and irritated. The cough becomes dry and unproductive, worse at night or in dry environments. Lily bulb’s cool, moistening nature directly replenishes what the lungs have lost.
Why Lily Bulb Helps: A sweet soup of lily bulb and pear, simmered with rock sugar, is the standard Chinese home remedy for post-illness dry cough. It is both effective and pleasant enough for children.
· Those with irritability, restless sleep, and emotional volatility
TCM Interpretation: Heart heat from yin deficiency produces a distinctive emotional pattern: easily irritated, unable to settle, sleeping poorly with a busy mind. Lily bulb clears this heat while nourishing the yin that would normally keep it in check.
Why Lily Bulb Helps: Unlike sedatives that suppress, lily bulb works by addressing the underlying heat and deficiency. It can be taken as a daily sweet soup for several weeks without concern.
Which Body Types Benefit Most
· Yin Deficient
Common Usage
· in soup, decoction and tea
· Culinary
Simmer 10-15g dried lily bulb with lotus seeds and rock sugar for 30 minutes as sweet dessert soup.
Dosage: 10-15g dried daily.
Preparation Notes: Lily Bulb is slightly cool in nature, making it balanced for most constitutions. For tea, steep 5-10 minutes. For soup, simmer 60-1260 minutes.
Dietary Advice
Buy dried lily bulbs and soak them in warm water for 30 minutes before cooking. Simmer with pear, rock sugar, and a small amount of water for a traditional lung-moistening dessert. For emotional support, cook with lotus seeds and red dates. The texture is soft and slightly starchy, with a mild sweet flavor. Avoid during cold-type cough with clear phlegm, as its cool nature could worsen the cold.
Precautions
- Avoid during acute colds, fever, sore throat, cough or infections
- Not suitable for cold-type cough with clear phlegm
- Avoid if you have wind-cold symptoms
- May cause loose stools in excess
- Use caution during early pregnancy
Consultation with a physician / healthcare professional is advised prior to consumption for pregnant women, those with diabetes, any ongoing medical conditions, known allergies, or individuals on medication, especially when you have underlying health conditions.
** Disclaimer : Not a substitute for medicine. Individual results may vary.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is lily bulb the same as the flower?+
Does lily bulb help with insomnia?
Where can I buy lily bulb?
