Releases exterior and dispels Wind-Cold — whole green onion (including green stalk and white base) used for early wind-cold colds; slightly broader dispersing action than Cong Bai (white base only)
Invigorates Yang and disperses Cold — abdominal cold-pain, cold extremities, and nausea from Cold accumulation in the Middle Jiao
Condiment-medicine — the most universally consumed aromatic kitchen herb in Chinese cuisine; used daily as both food and medicine in Chinese households
Promotes sweating — mild diaphoretic for early febrile illness; less potent than stronger exterior-releasing herbs
Classic Formulas
Cong Chi Tang (葱豉汤) variant — whole Cong (green onion including green parts) combined with Dan Dou Chi for early wind-cold cold; the green stalk adds aromatic Lung-opening properties to complement the Yang-invigorating white base
Classical References
SPECIES NOTE: Herb #93 (Cong, 葱) represents the whole Allium fistulosum plant as used in Chinese food and folk medicine; shares the Latin Bulbus Allii Fistulosi with herb #92 (Cong Bai, 葱白 — white base only) and herb #94 (Si Ji Cong Tou, 四季葱头 — four-season onion bulb); the XLSX source filed three separate entries for this species, likely representing the whole plant, white base, and a specific cultivar variant; in TCM practice, Cong Bai (white base) is the standard drug; the whole plant 'Cong' is primarily a food item with medicinal properties
Ben Cao Gang Mu (Li Shizhen): 'Cong (green onion) is pungent and warm, stimulates the Lung Qi, disperses Wind-Cold from the surface, warms the Middle Jiao, relieves abdominal pain, and kills insects — it has been used as a food herb for five thousand years'
Modern Research
Active Compounds
Allicin and diallyl disulfide (organosulfur; antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory)
Quercetin and kaempferol (flavonoids; anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, cardioprotective)
Fructo-oligosaccharides (prebiotic fibre; gut microbiome support)
Antimicrobial: allicin and organosulfur compounds from A. fistulosum inhibit Staphylococcus aureus, E. coli, and H. pylori; consistent with the Heat-resolving, cold-dispersing antimicrobial indications
Prebiotic and gut health: fructo-oligosaccharides from Welsh onion selectively promote beneficial Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus species in the colon, consistent with Middle Jiao harmonising traditional use
Cardiovascular protective: quercetin reduces LDL oxidation and platelet aggregation at dietary doses — whole-diet protective effect consistent with daily culinary use as a kitchen medicine
Safety & Interactions
Contraindications
Wind-Heat exterior patterns — pungent-warm herb inappropriate for heat-type colds
Excess sweating — diaphoretic action would further deplete fluids
Cautions
Standard dose: 3–5 stalks whole plant; widely consumed daily as food without adverse effects
Anticoagulants: quercetin has mild antiplatelet activity; not clinically significant at culinary doses
Considered safe at culinary and folk-medicine doses; classified as shi yao (food-medicine)