Roots and rhizomesPhlegm-resolvingStemonae Radix

Mi Bai Bu (Honey-processed Stemona Root)

A practical guide to Mi Bai Bu: what it is, how Traditional Chinese Medicine uses it, the classical formulas it appears in, and who should be careful with it.

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Last reviewed Oct 28, 2026

Quick Facts

Latin Name	Stemonae Radix
Chinese Name & Pinyin	蜜百部 · Mi Bai Bu
Medicinal Part	Roots and rhizomes
The item	Mi Bai Bu is the honey-processed dried tuberous root of stemona. Raw Bai Bu and the thinner root tubers of other plant families are not this prepared herb. It is used as a decoction piece, wrapped in cheesecloth.
Nature and channels	Slightly warm, sweet and bitter. Enters the Lung. Sweet, bitter, and slightly warm moistens the lungs, directs qi downward, and eases cough.
Pharmacopoeia line	Moistens the lungs and eases cough, and stops cough and wheezing; used for cough from lung dryness, long-lasting cough, and externally for head and body lice.
Pattern cues	A dry lingering cough. A scratchy throat with little phlegm. A cough that lingers after a cold. Head and body lice.
In this article	Mi Bai Bu versus Zi Wan. Why honey-processing matters. Why cold, weak digestion should skip it. Why an early wind-cold cough needs a clinic. Who should skip it.

What Is Mi Bai Bu?

Mi Bai Bu (蜜百部; Mì Bǎi Bù; Latin: Radix Stemonae; English: Stemona Root) is the honey-processed dried tuberous root of upright, creeping, or opposite-leaf stemona, harvested in autumn and stir-fried with honey. It appears in classics such as the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing. It is slightly warm, sweet and bitter, enters the Lung channel, and its core actions are to moisten the lungs and direct qi downward, and to soothe cough and calm wheezing. It is used as a decoction piece, usually wrapped in cheesecloth and simmered for 15 to 20 minutes with no special "decoct first" or "add later" step. The usual amount is 3–10 g. The raw form is used externally as a wash against lice.

It is not Zi Wan. Zi Wan is also slightly warm but acrid-bitter, better at dispersing stuck phlegm and lung qi; Mi Bai Bu leans to moistening and gathering a dry, lingering cough, and it also works externally against lice. Use caution with a cold, weak stomach and frequent diarrhea — its sweet-moist nature may burden digestion. An early wind-cold cough with chills and a clear runny nose is not for self-use, as moistening may keep the cold in. Pregnant or nursing women should check with a practitioner first.

It is used most often for three patterns:

Lung-dryness cough: recurring cough, dry scratchy throat, little or no phlegm, worse in autumn and winter
Head lice, body lice, and pinworm-related anal itching — mainly an external wash
A cough that lingers after a cold with scanty, sticky phlegm — see a practitioner

Sweet and slightly warm, and gently moistening, Mi Bai Bu is not a daily "cough herb" to keep increasing. Moistening when there is no lung dryness can burden the stomach or trap an early external cold.

When dryness in the lung nags a cough on and on, with a scratchy throat and little phlegm, Mi Bai Bu is sweet, bitter, and slightly warm. It moistens, directs qi downward, and eases cough, which is why it appears in Zhi Sou San–type formulas. It moistens more than it disperses. A cold, weak stomach with no dryness gets worse if more is added.

Mi Bai Bu: Materia Medica Profile

Identification & Quality Standard

Stemonae Radix

Botanical Origin

The dried tuberous root of Stemona japonica (Bl.) Miq. (Stemonaceae), processed with honey.

Production Regions

Primarily produced in Anhui, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Hubei.

Quality Requirements

Superior is thick, solid, yellowish-brown.

Macroscopic Features

Long spindle-shaped, 5~12cm long, 0.5~1cm diameter. Externally after honey processing is yellowish-brown, flexible, honey aroma, sweet taste.

Where It Grows and How to Judge Quality

Traditional sources and industry experience often value stemona from Anhui, Zhejiang, and Jiangsu, though quality also depends on variety, harvest timing, processing, and storage.

Good-quality Bai Bu usually looks like this:

Raw Sheng Bai Bu: spindle-shaped, curved root, yellow-white to pale brown-yellow, supple, horn-like cross-section, mildly sweet with a slight beany smell.
Mi Bai Bu: brown on the surface, slightly glossy, a little moist, with a honey aroma.

Watch out for look-alikes — root tubers of other plant families, which are thinner, with a more obvious woody center and a different smell. Easy to tell apart with care.

Traditional Properties & Historical Lineage

Nature, Flavour & Channel Tropism

Sweet, Bitter; Slightly warmLung

1. What the Classics Recorded

Bai Bu has a clear paper trail in Chinese herbal literature. A few highlights:

Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing — listed it as a middle-grade herb, used for cough and qi rising.
Ming Yi Bie Lu — noted its use for cough and wheezing that have lasted long without improving.
Ben Cao Gang Mu — noted it can ease lung-heat cough and dispel insects.
De Pei Ben Cao — clarified that honey-processing moistens the lungs (better for cough), while the raw form leans to dispelling insects.

2. How Views of the Herb Changed Over Time

Different generations of physicians read Bai Bu a little differently. Some stressed its moistening role, calling it a fit for long cough from lung dryness — but not for an early external-cold (surface excess) cough. Others emphasized its insect-dispelling role, using it externally for head lice and body lice. Still others narrowed its scope, warning that people with cold, weak digestion should use it with care, so its slightly bitter, moistening nature does not upset the stomach. These differences make its use more targeted, not a catch-all cough medicine.

This evolution is a good reminder of a core idea in traditional Chinese medicine: herbs are chosen to match the person, not just the symptom.

Core Efficacies & Traditional Applications

Traditional Functions

Moistens the lung and stops cough.

1. Main Use One: Moistening the Lungs and Easing Cough

What it is: The first core use of Mi Bai Bu is to moisten the lungs, ease cough, and calm wheezing — mainly for cough from lung dryness and long-lasting cough with insufficient lung yin.

When it was used: Traditionally for a recurring cough, a dry scratchy throat, little or no phlegm, worse in autumn and winter, or a hoarse voice after coughing for a long time.

Common partners: Often paired with lung-moistening herbs such as Sha Shen or Mai Dong, or with lung-qi herbs such as Jie Geng or Zi Wan.

Who should not self-use: People with a sudden wind-cold cough — the early cold stage with chills, clear runny nose, and a heavy cough — should avoid it on their own, since it leans to moistening and may keep the cold in.

2. Main Use Two: Dispelling Insects and Lice

What it is: The second use focuses on external insect- and lice-dispelling, mainly for surface parasites such as head lice, body lice, and pinworm-related anal itching.

When it was used: Traditionally for lice eggs on the scalp, unbearable itching, or nighttime anal itching that disturbs sleep.

Common partners: Often paired with other insect-dispelling herbs such as Ku Shen or She Chuang Zi to strengthen the effect, or used alone as a wash.

Who should not self-use: This use is mainly external; for internal use the dose must be tightly controlled, and people with cold, weak digestion or frequent diarrhea should not self-use.

3. A Classic Pairing: Mi Bai Bu and Zi Wan

A common pairing is Mi Bai Bu with Zi Wan. Zi Wan moistens the lungs, dissolves phlegm, and eases cough, good at clearing stuck phlegm; Mi Bai Bu moistens the lungs and eases cough, good at softening the dryness of a long cough. Together they both moisten the lungs and dissolve phlegm — a fit for a long-lasting cough with scanty, sticky phlegm, such as an autumn-winter dry cough or a cough that lingers after a cold. This pairing should be matched to the person, not used for every cough — especially when there is a surface pattern.

Modern Research

Modern research offers useful context, but Traditional Chinese Medicine prescribes on whole-pattern diagnosis rather than isolated compounds.

1. Main Chemical Compounds

Modern studies have detected several groups of compounds in Bai Bu:

Alkaloids — including stemonine and protostemonine.
Sugars
Lipids and flavonoids.

One important point: detecting a compound in a plant does not mean that compound produces the same effect in the human body. Lab chemistry and human response are two different things.

2. Where Research Is Heading

Research so far is mostly at the early laboratory stage. What has been observed:

In test-tube experiments, some alkaloid components showed activity against certain common respiratory bacteria.
In animal studies, the raw and honey-processed forms differed in cough-easing effect, with the honey-processed form appearing more gentle and longer-lasting.

These are promising early findings, not proven human benefits. Human clinical research is still limited.

3. The Limits of Current Research

It is important to read the research honestly. Four limits stand out:

Lab results are not clinical results. Test-tube and animal findings differ from human use, since the human body is very different from a lab model.
Extracts are not the dried slices. Research uses purified single components or extracts, while daily use is the honey-processed slices — different in dose and composition.
Doses and methods vary. Different experiments use different dose, processing, and extraction, so results cannot be compared directly.
One compound is not the whole herb. Mi Bai Bu works through many components together; one alkaloid cannot stand for the whole effect.

Comparing Similar Herbs

1. What Mi Bai Bu and Zi Wan Share

Zi Wan is the herb Mi Bai Bu is most often compared with. They share quite a lot:

Both are traditionally used to moisten the lungs and ease cough.
Both are used for cough from lung dryness and long-lasting cough.
Both often appear in lung-regulating formulas, and can be used for light everyday care.

2. The Core Differences

Despite the similarities, the two herbs differ in a few practical ways:

Nature and taste: Mi Bai Bu is slightly warm, sweet-bitter, leaning to moisten and nourish — softer. Zi Wan is slightly warm, pungent-bitter, leaning to regulate and disperse — a bit more outward.
Focus: Mi Bai Bu is best at moistening the lungs and calming a dry cough, and can also be used externally against insects. Zi Wan is best at dissolving phlegm and easing cough, helping move stuck phlegm out.
Direction of action: Mi Bai Bu mainly holds in the lung qi, calming an excessive cough — a "gathering" action. Zi Wan mainly regulates the lung qi, moving stuck qi and phlegm out — a "dispersing" action.
Best fit: Mi Bai Bu suits a long cough with a dry, scratchy throat and little phlegm. Zi Wan suits a cough with phlegm that is sticky and hard to bring up.
Caution: both are avoided for an early external pattern, but Mi Bai Bu is more unsuited to cold, weak digestion (its sweet-moist nature may burden the stomach); Zi Wan is more unsuited to excess heat with heavy phlegm (its warm-dispersing nature may feed the heat).

3. The Difference in One Sentence

Mi Bai Bu leans more toward moistening and calming a long cough, while Zi Wan leans toward dissolving phlegm and moving the qi. Both can be used for lung cough, but they are not freely interchangeable.

Classical Formulas Containing Mi Bai Bu

Zhi Sou San

止嗽散

Formula CategoryExterior-Releasing FormulasPrimary PatternWind-ColdPrimary FunctionDiffuse Lung, stop cough, resolve phlegm, release exteriorRelated ConditionsCough·Dry Cough

View Formula Profile Read Complete Guide

Formulas vs. Single Herbs

A formula combines several herbs to create a whole effect. This is different from using a single herb in one key way:

Formulas are built as a whole — the sovereign-minister structure covers different roles at once.
A single herb cannot copy a full formula — it has one effect and cannot cover multiple issues.
Do not build your own formulas from online articles, especially disease-related ones — a professional must assess the pattern.

Diet & Daily Home Use

1. A Simple Home Tea: Mi Bai Bu Moistening Tea

A gentle, everyday way to meet Mi Bai Bu:

Ingredients: about 3 g of Mi Bai Bu, 5 g of Mai Dong, and a little rock sugar.
Method: rinse both with warm water, place in a thermos, pour over 500 ml of boiling water, cover, and steep for 15 minutes; add a little rock sugar and drink warm.
When it fits: a dry, scratchy throat and long-lasting cough with little phlegm at the change of season — good for autumn-winter everyday care.
Who should skip it: people with cold, weak digestion or frequent diarrhea, and people in the early cold stage with chills or a clear runny nose.
Frequency: two to three times a week — not every day.

2. Dried Herb Decocting and Processing

The raw and processed forms differ a lot: raw Sheng Bai Bu leans to dispelling insects; the honey-processed Mi Bai Bu leans to moistening the lungs and easing cough. So everyday care and cough use Mi Bai Bu, while external insect use prefers the raw form. Mi Bai Bu needs no special simmering — for a home decoction, wrap the slices in cheesecloth and simmer with the other ingredients for 15 to 20 minutes, with no "decoct first" or "add later" steps.

Remember that different forms are not directly convertible — do not treat the tea dose as a medicinal dose; a medicinal dose must be set by a practitioner.

3. Dosage and How Long to Use

In traditional prescriptions, a common dose of Mi Bai Bu is about 3 to 10 g. The food-style dose is smaller — generally 3 to 5 g.

Mi Bai Bu is not meant for long-term, continuous use. Even for everyday care, do not drink it continuously for more than one week, so its sweet-moist nature does not burden the stomach. Children and older adults should adjust the dose under a practitioner — do not increase it on your own.

Contraindications & Safety Warnings

1. Who Should Avoid Mi Bai Bu

People with cold, weak digestion or frequent stomach pain and diarrhea — its sweet-moist nature may worsen the stomach discomfort.
People in the early wind-cold stage — chills, a clear runny nose, a heavy cough. Its moistening nature may keep the cold in.
Pregnant and nursing women — there is not enough safety basis; check with a practitioner first.
Children and older adults — special physiology; adjust the dose and do not self-use.
People with liver or kidney concerns — check with a practitioner, to avoid adding metabolic load.
People allergic to stemona-family plants — do not use.
People on other medications — check with a practitioner to avoid interaction.

2. Drug Interactions and Food Notes

What deserves attention here is drug interaction:

There is no solid evidence of broad "food conflicts" in the way folk stories describe. The real thing to watch is herb-drug interaction.
Mi Bai Bu's components may interact with some cough medicines or antibiotics. A common suggestion is to space them 1 to 2 hours apart, so absorption is not affected.

3. Possible Side Effects and Overuse Risks

Taking too much Mi Bai Bu may cause nausea, vomiting, dizziness, or chest tightness. Note that the raw form is more toxic than the honey-processed form, so overuse of the raw form more readily causes a reaction.

If you notice clear discomfort, allergic signs, ongoing vomiting, trouble breathing, confusion, or symptoms that worsen quickly, stop use and seek medical attention promptly — do not handle it on your own.

Frequently Asked Questions About Mi Bai Bu

What is Mi Baibu? Is it the same as raw Baibu or Ziwan?

Mi Baibu is the honey-fried dried root tuber of Stemona sessilifolia, Stemona japonica or Stemona tuberosa, Latin name Stemonae Radix Praeparata. It is a common Chinese medicine centered on moistening the lung, descending qi and stopping cough, and killing parasites and lice. Raw Baibu moistens the lung and stops cough while killing parasites. Ziwan moistens the lung and descends qi for copious phlegm. They cannot be used interchangeably in equal amounts. Prescribe as Mi Baibu. Caution in spleen-stomach deficiency cold.

What are the composition and effects of Mi Baibu?

Pharmacopoeial name Mi Baibu, Latin Stemona sessilifolia (Miq.) Miq., Stemona japonica (Bl.) Miq. or Stemona tuberosa Lour. Sweet and bitter in taste, slightly warm in nature, enters the Lung meridian. Functions to moisten the lung, descend qi and stop cough, and kill parasites and lice. Used for recent or chronic cough, consumptive cough, and whooping cough; externally for head lice, body lice, pinworms, and genital itching. Moistens the lung and stops cough.

How to choose between raw and processed? Can raw Baibu replace it?

Root tuber is honey-fried. Raw product emphasizes killing parasites; honey-processing moderates bitterness and enhances moistening the lung, and cannot replace it in equal amounts. Commercial products are standardized; do not adjust arbitrarily.

What is the dosage of Mi Baibu? Can it be used daily as a cough-stopping tea?

Decoction, 3-9g. Modern use requires physician-determined dosage. It is not a year-round "Mi Baibu tea." Spleen-stomach deficiency cold will be further stagnated by prolonged use. Cough requires short-term, physician-determined dosage and cannot replace evaluation.

What are the contraindications of Mi Baibu? Can pregnant women use it?

Not suitable for spleen-stomach deficiency cold. Pregnant women require physician evaluation. Stop if loose stools or abdominal pain occur. Seek immediate medical care for severe cough or high fever.

Can Mi Baibu moisten the lung, stop cough, and kill parasites?

It can assist recent or chronic cough, consumptive cough, and whooping cough; externally for head lice, body lice, pinworms, and genital itching. It moistens the lung, descends qi and stops cough, and kills parasites and lice, but is not a specific remedy for all cough or all parasite diseases.

Can Mi Baibu be taken daily as a cough-stopping or parasite-killing tea?

Lung deficiency cough can be used short-term in formulas; spleen-stomach deficiency cold will be further stagnated. The idea that "Mi Baibu must stop cough" cannot replace evaluation. Moistening the lung and stopping cough requires physician-determined formulation and dosage.

How to choose between Mi Baibu, raw Baibu, Ziwan, Kuandonghua, and Chuanbeimu?

Mi Baibu moistens the lung and stops cough while killing parasites, suited to chronic cough. Raw Baibu moistens the lung and kills parasites. Ziwan moistens the lung for copious phlegm. Kuandonghua moistens the lung for chronic cough. Chuanbeimu clears heat and moistens the lung for dry cough. Choose Mi Baibu for stopping cough; raw Baibu for killing parasites; Ziwan for copious phlegm; Kuandonghua for chronic cough; Chuanbeimu for dry cough. Pattern differentiation applies, but large doses of Mi Baibu are contraindicated in spleen-stomach deficiency cold.

How is Mi Baibu commonly modified? What is a representative usage?

Modifications depend on the pattern. Add Ziwan for cough; use externally for parasites. Specify Mi Baibu; do not substitute raw Baibu in equal amounts for moistening the lung.

How to select and store Mi Baibu?

Choose regular Chinese medicinal materials with intact honey-fried root tubers. Discard if moldy, damp, or abnormal in odor. Store in a dry place. Purchase "Mi Baibu"; do not substitute raw Baibu or Ziwan in equal amounts for moistening the lung, stopping cough, and killing parasites.

Related Products

Nong's Mi Bai Bu (Honey-Processed Stemona Root) Single Herb 3:1 Concentrated Granules $35.46

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Nong's Zhi Sou San (Stop Coughing Powder) 5:1 Concentrated Granules $44.83

Hoi Tin Zhi Sou San (Stop Coughing Powder) 5:1 Concentrated Granules $24.93

Han's Zhi Sou San (Stopping Cough Formula) 5:1 Concentrated Granules $47.08

Medical Disclaimer — This article is provided for educational purposes only and describes traditional Chinese medicine concepts. It is not medical advice, and it is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Always consult a qualified practitioner before using any herb, particularly if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication or managing a diagnosed condition.