Herbs Traditionally Used for Diarrhea
The Donguibogam view
The Donguibogam explains diarrhea as the spleen-stomach losing its power to transform and transport food. It distinguishes cold-type diarrhea, damp-stagnation diarrhea, and diarrhea from acute food stagnation, treating sudden acute episodes and chronic weak-digestion diarrhea by different principles.
This page organizes herbs recorded in the Donguibogam's herbology volume for diarrhea, with original citations. If severe dehydration or blood in the stool is present, medical care comes before any herbal reference.
Herbal reference is not appropriate in these situations — seek medical care first:
- Blood or black coloring in the stool
- Diarrhea with high fever (38.5°C or above)
- Signs of dehydration — little to no urine for over a day
- Severe abdominal pain that persists or worsens
- Diarrhea lasting more than a day in infants or older adults
Herbs recorded for this concern
White Atractylodes Rhizome白朮
White atractylodes is one of the most widely used spleen-tonifying herbs in Korean tradition, central to …
Recorded as stopping diarrhea and removing dampness — central for chronic loose stools from weak digestion.
Korean Yam薯蕷
Korean yam bridges food and medicine as directly as any herb in this tradition, gently tonifying the sple…
Recorded as filling the five viscera and boosting strength — a gentle food-medicine for diarrhea in weak digestion.
Korean Mint藿香
Korean mint carries a fragrance the Donguibogam itself notes was once blended into incense, and that same…
Recorded as the most essential herb for spleen-stomach vomiting and reversal — the classic herb for acute summer vomiting-and-diarrhea.
Perilla Leaf紫蘇葉
Perilla leaf is another herb that lives equally in the kitchen and the medicine cabinet, its purple-backe…
Recorded as stopping sudden turmoil (cholera-like illness) — warms the body against diarrhea after seafood or cold food.
Black Atractylodes Rhizome蒼朮
Black atractylodes is white atractylodes's rugged sibling — the Donguibogam itself notes that early mater…
Recorded as curing unremitting cholera-like vomiting and diarrhea — a strong herb for heavy, urgent diarrhea with clear dampness.
Frequently asked questions
Are acute food-stagnation diarrhea and chronic diarrhea treated differently?
Yes. Tradition dispersed acute, food-triggered diarrhea with herbs like agastache and perilla, while nourishing herbs like atractylodes and yam addressed chronic diarrhea from underlying digestive weakness.
Why is agastache the classic herb for summer diarrhea?
The Donguibogam records it as the single most essential herb for spleen-stomach reversal — reflecting its specific role for digestive illness when summer heat and dampness combine.
Should I drink lots of water with severe diarrhea?
Fluid replacement matters for preventing dehydration. But if urine output stops for over a day or dizziness is severe, medical care comes before any herbal reference.