Many friends, as soon as they see their blood sugar levels rise, think only about how to bring the "sugar" down. In fact, from the perspective of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), elevated blood sugar is merely a result; behind it lies a disruption in the internal balance of our bodies.

Today, let's talk about a very powerful herb for lowering blood sugar: Coptis (Huang Lian). In TCM, it is a formidable warrior for clearing heat and purging fire, but using a single herb alone isn't precise enough. A clever doctor will find "partners" for it, tailoring the approach to different people's specific conditions to achieve twice the result with half the effort. Below, I will discuss the three most common "golden pairings" to see which one applies to you.

The first type: The body's "boiling kettle" — Coptis + Trichosanthes Root (Tianhuafen)

Does this sound like you? You always feel a dry mouth and a dry throat, clutching a water bottle and drinking all day long, yet your thirst is never quenched. Your body always feels warm, you are prone to irritability, you feel impatient with everything, and your urine is yellow.

What is going on here? In TCM, this is called "Excessive Heat Consuming Body Fluids." Simply put, the "fire" inside your body is too intense, drying up your normal "moisture" (which TCM calls "Jin Ye"). It's like a kettle that keeps boiling; once the water has evaporated, the kettle itself becomes scorching hot.

How to pair them?

Coptis chinensis (Huanglian): This is the "fire extinguisher"; it powerfully clears away the excess "fire" within the body.

Trichosanthes root (Tianhuafen): This is the "hydration station"; it excels at promoting fluid production and quenching thirst, replenishing the "body fluids" that have been dried out.

When these two work together, they extinguish fire on one hand and hydrate on the other. Once the body's pathogenic heat is cleared and moisture is sufficient, that sensation of extreme thirst naturally subsides, and blood sugar stabilizes accordingly.

The second type: The body is "burning on empty" — Coptis + Ophiopogon (Maidong)

Does this sound like you? You always feel a burning sensation in your palms, the soles of your feet, and your chest (known as "Five-Center Heat"), which becomes especially noticeable in the afternoon and evening. You tend to experience night sweats, and while your mouth feels dry, you don't drink water as excessively as the first type, and your blood sugar levels fluctuate frequently.

What is happening? This is called "Yin Deficiency with Pathogenic Fire." If the first type is characterized by excessive fire, this type is characterized by a lack of "water." The body's "Yin fluid" (comparable to a machine's coolant) is insufficient, causing the machine to "run dry," which generates "deficiency fire." This fire isn't a true fire; it is a result of deficiency.

How to pair it?

Coptis (Huang Lian): Responsible for clearing the deficiency fire generated by this "dry running," allowing the body to "cool down" first.

Ophiopogon japonicus: A master at nourishing Yin, it acts like high-quality "coolant" for the body's machinery, addressing the problem at its root.

When these two are paired, one clears deficiency heat while the other replenishes Yin fluids, treating both the symptoms and the root cause. Once the body's "cooling system" returns to normal, issues like irritability, feverish sensations, and night sweats improve, and drastic fluctuations in blood sugar can gradually stabilize.

The third type: "Traffic jams" in the blood vessels — Coptis + Salvia miltiorrhiza

Does this sound like you? In addition to high blood sugar, you often feel numbness in your hands and feet, or a sensation like insects crawling, with occasional stinging pain. When you look at your tongue in the mirror, the color is dark, or there are bluish-purple stasis spots and patches.

What is going on? This condition is called "blood stasis combined with heat." It means that not only is there heat in your body, but your blood circulation is no longer smooth. It is like city traffic during "evening peak hours"—the roads are congested and the vehicles are overheating. When blood flow slows down, the nerve endings in your hands and feet do not receive nourishment, naturally leading to numbness and stinging pain.

Coptis (Huanglian): Its role is to "lower the temperature," first clearing the "hot, dry air" on the road to cool down the environment.

Salvia (Danshen): Acting as the "traffic police" for promoting blood circulation and removing stasis, it can clear blocked blood vessels and allow the blood to flow smoothly once again.

This combination clears heat while promoting blood circulation, tackling the issue from two angles. By improving blood circulation, it not only effectively prevents complications like limb numbness caused by high blood sugar but also provides excellent protection for the cardiovascular and cerebrovascular systems.

A final reminder to everyone:

Traditional Chinese Medicine emphasizes syndrome differentiation and personalized treatment—one prescription for one person. This article is intended to provide a perspective to help you better understand your body. While Coptis (Huanglian) is beneficial, its medicinal properties are bitter and cold, and it is not suitable for everyone.

If you are experiencing the conditions mentioned above, the best course of action is to consult a professional TCM practitioner. Let a doctor assess and prescribe based on your specific situation; never attempt to self-medicate based on an article. Your body belongs to you—treat it scientifically