Health Benefits

Dispersing wind-heat, calming the liver and improving eyesight, and clearing heat and detoxifying.

It is mainly used for the following:

· Wind-heat exterior patterns: such as wind-heat common cold, fever, headache, and sore throat.
· Liver yang rising: including dizziness, headache, and red, swollen, painful eyes.
· Eye problems: blurred vision, excessive tearing, and eye fatigue.
· Heat-toxin patterns: such as boils, carbuncles, and sores.
· Modern applications: supportive care for hypertension and angina pectoris.

Chrysanthemum enters the Lung and Liver meridians. In TCM, this means it tends to act on these organ-channel systems:

· Lung meridian: explains its use for wind-heat cough, sore throat, and respiratory infections.
· Liver meridian: accounts for its ability to calm liver yang, clear the eyes, and address dizziness and headaches.

Modern research has identified over 16 bioactive compounds in chrysanthemum, including flavonoids (quercetin, rutin, luteolin, apigenin, kaempferol), phenolic acids (chlorogenic acid, caffeoylquinic acid), terpenoids, and polysaccharides. Key pharmacological activities include:

· Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory: These effects are mediated through modulation of the Nrf2-ARE, TLR4/MyD88/TRAF6/NF-κB, and PI3K/Akt signaling pathways.
· Antibacterial and antiviral: Demonstrated activity against various pathogens.
· Antihypertensive and cardioprotective: Chrysanthemum has been shown to dilate coronary arteries and lower blood pressure.
· Hepatoprotective and metabolic regulation: Potential benefits for liver protection, anti-obesity, and anti-diabetic effects.
· Neuroprotective: Research indicates potential neuroprotective qualities.

Usage and Dosage

· Common dosage: The usual decoction dosage is 5–10 g. For tea, 3–5 flowers steeped in hot water is typical.
· Usage: It is usually decocted or infused as tea. For external use, it can be decocted for washing or applied as a paste.
· Common pairings: For eye fatigue, combine with goji berries (Gouqizi); for wind-heat cold, combine with honeysuckle (Jinyinhua) and licorice (Gancao).

Precautions

· Contraindicated groups : People with spleen-stomach deficiency cold (easy diarrhea, cold extremities) should avoid it, as its cold nature can further weaken digestion. Pregnant women should drink it in moderation, as its cooling properties are traditionally considered unfavorable for fetal stability.
· Allergy risk : Individuals allergic to ragweed or other Asteraceae plants should avoid chrysanthemum.
· Drug interactions:
· Immunosuppressants (e.g., cyclosporine, sirolimus): Chrysanthemum inhibits the CYP3A4 enzyme, which can increase blood levels of these drugs and the risk of toxicity. Transplant patients should avoid this herb.
· Antihypertensive drugs: Chrysanthemum can lower blood pressure, so people on blood pressure medication should monitor for additive effects.
· Warfarin : While no direct interaction has been documented, large amounts of chrysanthemum tea may affect INR stability and should be limited.
· Adverse reactions : Overdose (exceeding 10 g/day) may cause diarrhea and abdominal pain, which usually resolves after stopping use.

· Yellow vs. White Chrysanthemum:

Yellow chrysanthemum (Huang Juhua) has stronger wind-heat dispersing properties and is more often used medicinally.

White chrysanthemum (Bai Juhua) is better at calming the liver and improving eyesight, and is more commonly used in tea.

· Chrysanthemum vs. Wild Chrysanthemum (Ye Juhua) :

Wild chrysanthemum is much more bitter and cold, with stronger heat-clearing and detoxifying effects. It is used for severe heat-toxin conditions like boils and carbuncles, and is not interchangeable with regular chrysanthemum.