We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Health

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What Are the Medical Uses of Lonicera Japonica?

By Lumara Lee
Updated: May 17, 2024
Views: 9,707
Share

Lonicera japonica, commonly known as honeysuckle, has been a valued herb in traditional Chinese medicine for many centuries and is used in other counties as a natural remedy as well. Although it is native to Korea, Japan, and China, this perennial, which can be either a vine or a shrub, has become naturalized in other countries, including Great Britain and the United States. Every part of this plant can be used medicinally: leaves, stems, bark, and flowers. It is used to treat diseases of the joints, dysentery, skin conditions, colds, bronchitis, and other afflictions.

Honeysuckle can be made into an infusion and drunk as tea, concentrated into an extract, made into syrup, or swallowed in capsules. It can also be used in a wash to treat skin conditions such as poison ivy, poison oak, infections, sores, and inflammation. An extract from the flowers of lonicera japonica has been proven to be an effective remedy for bronchial congestion, and honeysuckle flower tea is used to ease the symptoms of colds, pneumonia, and other upper respiratory infections. When taken internally, the stems are an effective remedy for mumps, hepatitis, and arthritis.

Sometimes, honeysuckle is combined with other herbs. A mixture of forsythia and lonicera japonica is used to treat a number of respiratory ailments, and when combined with lemon balm can ease the symptoms of influenza as well. Lonicera japonica is often used in combination with chrysanthemum to treat fevers and viruses. Compounded with mint, it is used as a wash for rashes, and when mixed with scutellaria and used as a wash it may shrink boils. Honeysuckle is an expectorant, and a tea made from honeysuckle, cowslip, and mulberry will control coughs and the symptoms of asthma.

Lonicera japonica flowers help detoxify the body, and the flower buds are sometimes stir-fried to reduce the symptoms of diarrhea. The stems are sometimes used in conjunction with acupuncture. Some believe that taking the stems internally will increase a person’s level of chi or energy.

According to Chinese medicine, lonicera japonica has a cooling effect on the body. It is believed that conditions of heat in the body are responsible for disease, and that cooling herbal medicines will provide symptomatic relief. The various parts of lonicera japonica contain many healing properties that make it diuretic, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and febrifuge, which means able to bring down fever. Honeysuckle has also been proven to reduce blood pressure.

Share
WiseGeek is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.

Editors' Picks

Discussion Comments
Share
https://www.wisegeek.net/what-are-the-medical-uses-of-lonicera-japonica.htm
Copy this link
WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.