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Radish

Radish (무, 萊菔) is recorded in the Donguibogam as a food-stagnation-resolving herb. Its nature is warm (also recorded cool) and its taste pungent, sweet, associated with the Lung, Stomach meridians. Traditional uses recorded in the text include dissolves food stagnation, resolves phlegm, relieves thirst. Caution: Traditionally said to counteract ginseng and other qi tonics, so classical sources advise against taking radish alongside tonic formulas.

무 (萊菔) · Raphanus sativus L.

Food-stagnation-resolving herb Warm (also recorded cool) Pungent, sweet Lung, Stomach

NatureWarm (also recorded cool)

TastePungent, sweet

MeridiansLung, Stomach

Part usedRoot (and seed)

FamilyBrassicaceae

CategoryFood-stagnation-resolving herb

Find by concern: Indigestion Cough Thirst

Overview

The common radish is one of the Donguibogam’s clearest food-medicines: recorded as dissolving food stagnation and phlegm, easing thirst, and freeing the joints. Its seed (nabokja) is a distinct, more concentrated qi-moving herb still used today for bloating and cough.

In the Donguibogam

東醫
寶鑑

性溫, 味辛甘, 無毒. 消食, 去痰癖, 止消渴, 利關節, 練五藏惡氣. 治肺痿吐血.

Source: Donguibogam, Tangaek-pyeon (Herbology volume)

TranslationIts nature is warm, its taste pungent and sweet, and it is non-toxic. It dissolves food, removes phlegm accumulation, stops wasting-thirst, benefits the joints, refines away the foul qi of the five viscera, and treats lung wasting with blood-spitting.

Traditional uses recorded in the Donguibogam

Dissolves food stagnation
Resolves phlegm
Relieves thirst
Frees the joints

Traditional applications recorded in the classical text

Bloating and food stagnation
Cough with phlegm
Thirst
Sluggish digestion after heavy meals

Traditional preparation

Eaten as food; the seed (Raphani Semen) is decocted for bloating and cough.

This describes traditional preparation recorded in the classics, not a recommendation for use today. DonguiHub does not provide dosage guidance — consult a qualified professional before using any herb.

Cautions

Caution: Traditionally said to counteract ginseng and other qi tonics, so classical sources advise against taking radish alongside tonic formulas. Its qi-moving action may not suit marked qi deficiency. Consult a professional.

Frequently asked questions

Why shouldn’t radish be eaten with ginseng?

Classical sources hold that radish’s qi-dispersing, downward-moving nature works against ginseng’s qi-tonifying action — so they were traditionally not combined. It is a well-known pairing caution in Korean herbal custom.

Is radish seed different from the radish itself?

Yes. The seed, nabokja (Raphani Semen), is a separate, more concentrated medicinal specifically for descending qi, easing bloating, and stopping cough with phlegm.