What is Gou Teng? Is it the same as large-leaf Uncaria or “cat’s claw”?
Official Gou Teng (钩藤) is the dried hook-bearing stem of Uncaria rhynchophylla, U. macrophylla, U. hirsuta, U. sinensis or U. sessilifructus. The pharmacopoeial name is Uncariae Ramulus cum Uncis. Only stems that carry hooks are the official drug; bare rods are weaker. Mao Zhua Cao is the tuber of Ranunculus ternatus, a different clearing-and-dissipating herb. West African “cat’s claw” is not Gou Teng. Write Gou Teng on the script.
What are the TCM properties and traditional uses of Gou Teng?
According to the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, Gou Teng is sweet and cool, enters the Liver and Pericardium channels, and acts to extinguish wind and settle fright, and clear heat to calm the Liver. It is used for internal stirring of Liver wind, fright-epilepsy and convulsions, high-fever fright spasms, a cold that carries fright, infantile night crying, pregnancy eclampsia, headache and dizziness. Sweet-cool and not drying, it clears heat and extinguishes wind while it calms and anchors Liver Yang—suited to heat generating wind, not to deficient-cold wind without fire.
Why is Gou Teng added late? Does it need processing?
The pharmacopoeia specifies 3–12 g, added late. The active alkaloids do not survive long boiling; drop it in for the last few minutes when the rest of the pot is nearly done. Long boiling weakens the Liver-calming force. Slices are usually used raw and cut; they are not routinely fried. Double hooks and many hooks are better. Do not cook Gou Teng from the start like an ordinary root.
What is the usual dosage? Can it be steeped daily to lower blood pressure?
The pharmacopoeial decoction dose is 3–12 g, added late; it may also enter powders. It is not a daily blood-pressure tea. Hypertension needs proper care. Gou Teng calms the Liver only for Liver-Yang rising and internal wind with headache and dizziness; low pressure and deficient-cold dizziness grow emptier. Do not self-steep a high dose for a long time.
What are the contraindications? Can it be used in pregnancy?
Use caution in Spleen-Stomach deficient cold and in deficient wind without fire. Coolness can injure the middle; classics say the deficient and those without fire should not take it. Low blood pressure and people already on antihypertensives or sedatives need a practitioner. The monograph lists pregnancy eclampsia among indications—that is a specialist prescription, not a license for every pregnant woman to calm the Liver. Reduce or stop if loose stool, fatigue or overly low pressure appears.
Can Gou Teng calm the Liver, stop spasms and lower blood pressure?
It can help Liver-heat generating wind—headache, dizziness, fright-epilepsy, and high-fever infantile crying—often with Gastrodia, abalone shell and Scutellaria in Tian Ma Gou Teng Yin. It extinguishes wind from extreme heat or Yang rising, not a specific for every epilepsy or every hypertension. Convulsions, eclampsia and hypertensive crisis are emergencies; do not rely on Gou Teng alone.
Can Gou Teng be drunk daily as a calming blood-pressure tea?
No. Liver-Yang rising may be treated in a short paired course; dual Qi-Blood deficiency and middle-cold loose stool only grow emptier with more coolness. Insomnia has many causes; Gou Teng is not a dedicated spirit-calmer. Commercial “Gou Teng tea bags” have unknown contents and doses. Calming the Liver and extinguishing wind should be prescribed, with instructions to add it late.
How do you choose among Gou Teng, Tian Ma, Shi Jue Ming, Bai Ji Li and Quan Xie?
Gou Teng is sweet-cool: clears heat, calms the Liver and settles fright—suited to heat generating wind. Gastrodia is sweet-neutral: extinguishes wind, stops spasm and also unblocks wind in the collaterals—usable in both excess and deficient wind. Abalone shell is salty-cold and heavy: stronger to calm and anchor Liver Yang. Tribulus is acrid-bitter and slightly warm: soothes the Liver, disperses wind and brightens the eyes. Scorpion is acrid-neutral and toxic: fierce to extinguish wind and unblock. Liver-heat headache favors Gou Teng; deficient-wind dizziness favors Gastrodia; Yang rising favors the shell. They may be paired; deficient-cold without fire cautions against Gou Teng.
Which herbs is Gou Teng combined with? What are the representative formulas?
Liver-Yang rising with headache and dizziness joins Gastrodia, abalone shell, gardenia and Scutellaria in Tian Ma Gou Teng Yin. Infantile fright-wind may join antelope horn and cicada slough. A cold that carries fright may join mint and cicada. In a decoction it must be added late. Write Gou Teng, not Mao Zhua Cao, and disclose blood-pressure medicines.
How do you choose and store Gou Teng?
Choose double or many hooks, firm curved tips, slender stems, a red-brown or purple-red surface, a yellow-brown section, a faint odor and a bland taste. Bare rods without hooks, shed hooks and mold are inferior. Store dry. Buy labeled Gou Teng slices from a regulated source; do not replace them with mixed vines or a “cat’s claw” wellness tea.
