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The dried rhizome of Atractylodes lancea or A. chinensis (Asteraceae). Enters the Spleen, Stomach, and Liver channels. Pungent, bitter, and warm, its dampness-drying action surpasses that of bai zhu, making it the primary herb for dampness obstructing the middle burner. While both share an origin, cang zhu excels at drying dampness and mobilizing the Spleen, whereas bai zhu excels at supplementing the Spleen and augmenting qi.
燥湿、祛风湿之力较胜
缓和燥性，增强健脾和胃之功
燥湿止泻
煎服3–9g；燥湿运脾多用3–6g；祛风湿可用至9–15g。
Reference range for non-pregnant adults. Not a personalized prescription. Pregnancy, lactation, and pediatric use require specialist supervision.
Protective guidance only — when to avoid or use with caution. This block deliberately omits pregnancy, lactation, and pediatric dosing: any such use must be managed by a qualified TCM practitioner or appropriate specialist.
阴虚内热、气虚多汗、血虚津亏者忌用。
辛温香燥，燥性较烈，易伤津耗液。阴虚内热、津液亏虚者不宜。现代研究未见明显毒性。
术，味苦，温。主风寒湿痹，死肌，痉疸，止汗，除热，消食。
上品
@misc{bencaodian-cang-zhu,
author = {{Bencaodian Editorial}},
title = {Cāng Zhú 苍术 (Atractylodes Rhizome) — Atractylodis Rhizoma},
year = {2026},
howpublished = {Bencao Dian: A Bilingual Knowledge Graph of Traditional Chinese Medicine},
url = {https://bencaodian.org/en/herbs/cang-zhu},
urldate = {2026-04-17},
note = {CC BY-SA 4.0}
}© Bencaodian Editorial · Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
苍术的主要活性成分为挥发油（苍术素、茅术醇、β-桉叶醇），具有燥湿健脾、促胃肠动力、抗溃疡及抑菌作用；传统上燃烧用于环境空气消毒。
Atractylodis Rhizoma contains volatile constituents (atractylodin, hinesol, β-eudesmol), with aromatic damp-transforming, prokinetic, antiulcer, and antimicrobial activity; traditionally burned for indoor air disinfection.
《中药学》（Bensky）指出苍术与白术功效相近，但苍术燥性更烈，主燥湿；白术偏于健脾补气。
Bensky distinguishes Cang Zhu as more strongly drying (used chiefly for dampness) while Bai Zhu is more tonifying to spleen qi.
陈氏药理学记载苍术挥发油对流感病毒及多种细菌有抑制作用，为传统苍术烟熏消毒的药理基础。
Chen & Chen report that Cang Zhu volatile oil inhibits influenza virus and multiple bacteria, providing a pharmacological basis for traditional smoke fumigation.
This section is provided for academic reference only and does not constitute medical advice.