Dong Gua Pi – Benincasa Peel – Exocarpium Benincasae

Dong Gua Pi

English Name: benincasa peel, wintermelon peel

Pharmaceutical Name: Exocarpium Benincasae

Medica Category: Water-Regulating and Damp-Resolving Herbs

Properties: Dong Gua Pi enters the Lung and Small Intestine channels; it is sweet and bland in nature and cool in temperature.

What is Dong Gua Pi?:

The Chinese Herb Dong Gua Pi is the outer peel of the Chinese wintermelon (Benincasa hispida), an annual vine widely distributed throughout Asia, the mature fruits of which develop a wax coating during the growing process making them ideal for storing and eating through the course of the winter. Dong Gua Pi is the outer peel of this mature fruit, dried and decocted for use as medicine.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Therapeutic Actions of Dong Gua Pi:

Dong Gua Pi promotes diuresis to dispel accumulations of water while also clearing heat. It is most commonly used in formula to address edema with damp-heat symptoms also presenting.