Evidence supporting the use of: Japanese Apricot
For the health condition: Cough (damp)

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Synopsis

Source of validity: Traditional
Rating (out of 5): 2

Japanese Apricot (Prunus mume, also known as ume) has a long history of use in East Asian traditional medicine, including Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Kampo (Japanese herbal medicine). In these traditions, the fruit is believed to have properties that help resolve "dampness" and "phlegm"—concepts that roughly correspond to certain types of coughs associated with excess mucus or moisture in the body. The preserved fruit (Wu Mei in TCM) is often included in herbal formulas aimed at treating chronic cough, especially when characterized by symptoms interpreted as "damp" (e.g., productive cough with sputum). The traditional use of Japanese Apricot for cough is primarily based on empirical experience and theoretical frameworks rather than robust scientific evidence. Some studies have investigated the fruit's antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties, but there is limited direct clinical research specifically assessing its effectiveness for cough, particularly "damp" cough as defined by TCM. Thus, the scientific validation for this use remains modest. Most support comes from traditional texts and practitioner experience rather than modern clinical trials.

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