Hawthorn and Lotus Leaf Decoction
Ingredients
- Dried hawthorn 10–15g
- Dried lotus leaf 10g (or fresh lotus leaf 50–100g)
Principle
Hawthorn is slightly warm, sour-sweet—aids digestion, strengthens stomach, moves qi, disperses stasis, and transforms turbid lipids; lotus leaf clears summer heat, transforms dampness, and raises clear yang. Together they resolve food stagnation, transform dampness, and lower lipids; hawthorn’s warmth can moderate lotus leaf’s coolness and reduce stomach irritation. Modern research suggests hawthorn flavonoids and organic acids may help lower serum cholesterol and triglycerides; lotus alkaloids and flavonoids may help regulate lipids.
Effects & uses
Also called “Hawthorn Lotus Leaf Drink.” Suitable as daily adjunct after greasy meals with elevated lipids and fatty liver; also epigastric distension, rib-side distension, poor digestion (syndrome differentiation required). Institutional sources also describe adjunct use in hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and simple obesity—requires overall pattern differentiation.
Method
- Wash hawthorn and lotus leaf; cut lotus leaf into small pieces.
- Add about 800 mL water to a pot.
- Bring to a boil, then simmer 10–15 minutes.
- Strain, or put herbs in a thermos and steep 30 minutes.
How to use
- Drink as tea at any time; re-steep until flavor fades. Start with small amounts for daily care.
Caution
Dosages vary slightly by source (Family Medicated Diet hawthorn 15g, lotus leaf 12g; fresh vs dried lotus leaf conversion pending verification). Use with caution if excess stomach acid, gastric ulcer, or heartburn; not suitable to drink heavily with spleen-stomach deficiency-cold or loose stools; prolonged heavy use may deplete qi. Contraindicated in pregnancy (hawthorn may stimulate the uterus). Daily dietary food care is not a substitute for medication; fatty liver still requires diet, exercise, and weight management.
Source
Sichuan Provincial Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine (Yangsheng China); China Medical Information Query Platform (Family Medicated Diet, reviewed by Chief Physician Pei Xiaohua); Health Times (Yan Qiongzhi, Shanghai Tenth People’s Hospital); 39 Health Net fatty liver diet therapy compilation. To be manually verified.