Parts Most Frequently Used: Shaved Young Shoots, Resin (Dried and Liquid), Leaf

Flavors/Temps: In general, Sweet, Cold, Slightly Bitter.

Caution: Considered safe. Be sure to follow proper dosing for each variety of bamboo and bamboo preparation.

History/Folklore: Bamboo leaves are often used in formulas to treat febrile diseases. Bamboo shavings are commonly used to treat nausea and vomiting. Bamboo shavings combined with dried sap (AKA tabasheer) is commonly used to treat insomnia, coma, epilepsy, and convulsions. Bamboo shavings and liquid sap combined are used to treat coughs with excess sputum.

The liquid resin (Zhu Li) is not typically available outside China. Is the coldest of the bamboo herbs with a lubricating nature and a strongly eliminating phlegm-heat. Especially for phlegm-heat blocking the collaterals and meridians. The dried sap (Tian Zhu Huang) or the shaved stem (Zhu Ru) are used as substitutes. All bamboo substances have a mild sweet taste and all parts but the leaves are used to resolve phlegm.

Bamboo is especially popular for treating hot phlegm that obstructs the “orifices of the heart” affecting brain functions which includes such ailments as epilepsy, fainting, loss of consciousness from high fevers, and mental disorders associated with aging.

Tian Zhu Huang (Bamboo sap/dried resin/AKA Tabasheer/B. texlis) is the dried sap of bamboo and is commonly used in Ayurvedic and Tibetan medicine. It is sometimes called bamboo silica as it is rich in silica. It is secreted from the joints and has a yellowish appearance. The high silica levels found in the dried sap supports nail and hair health. The leaves are also high in silica. Silica is known for strengthening all the cells in the body.

Dan Zhu Ye (Bamboo leaves/Lopatherum gracile) is very good for treating stomach disorders and respiratory disorders. Drinking bamboo leaf tea or eating the bamboo shoots can help lower cholesterol.

The leaves are also said to stimulate male infertility and influence thyroid hormones such as thyroxine and triiodothyronine. These compounds are anticancer as they are full of nutrients and substances that help prevent the damage caused by free radicals that cause cancer. The high fiber levels in the leaves also help balance blood sugar, preventing diabetes and assisting weight loss.

Young bamboo stalks, known as shoots, are white in color and used in Asian cuisine. They are known to contain valuable enzymes, such as nuclease, deamidase and amylase that help digestive processes. The shoots are particularly useful for treating stomach and respiratory disorders and are easy to add to recipes and side dishes. They are mixed with other herbs to facilitate labor and easing the expulsion of the placenta.

The roots have been used for centuries as a cure for rabies.

Bamboo leaves help prevent maternal hypothyroxinema which takes place during a stage of fetal neuronal cell migration in a developing fetus. This function helps to combat autism and other birth defects while promoting healthy neural development.

The leaves are most frequently used as a general tonic, stimulant and aromatic properties.

The stems and leaves (Bland Bamboo Leaves/Zhu Ye) are especially useful for Heat in the Small Intestine with irritability and a dark red tip of the tongue.

Black bamboo is used as a diuretic, to lower fevers and as an expectorant. It is primarily used to treat coughs, sore throats, lung inflammation, respiratory infections and phlegm buildup in children.

Bamboo shavings and sap also treat lung infections and have a sedating effect. The shavings are especially good at stopping vomiting, including morning sickness. The outer surface of the bamboo rod is shaved off into long thin slices. It has a white-greenish appearance. It is only slightly cold.

The roots are used to stop bleeding including nosebleeds. The leaves and roots combined are used for fevers and convulsions, especially in babies.

Bamboo is the fastest growing plant in the world, with some varieties growing up to 2 inches per hour. It grows without the use of chemicals and pesticides making it a wonderful plant for gardens and harvesting for food and medicines.

The plants stems are incredibly strong and can be used to make homes and structures several stories tall. China has an estimated 300 species of bamboo. India is second to China in bamboo harvesting, but has larger bamboo forests making up 13% of the country’s forest area compared to China’s 5%.