Gou teng (hook vine)
Uncaria rhynchophylla · 钩藤
Herbs & Roots. Chinese Medicine.
Also called Gou teng, Uncaria hooks, Chinese hook vine
Pinyin: Gōu Téng
Can add to BP dropsA vine with curved hooks, used in Chinese medicine to calm tremors, headache, and high blood pressure.
Did you know? The vine uses its small curved hooks to climb trees, and those hooked stems are the part used in Chinese medicine.
What it may help, and how strong the proof is
- Blood pressure. Animal studies show lower blood pressure. A trial of 251 people with masked high blood pressure tested a combined gastrodia and gou teng product, and it lowered daytime readings.Traditional proof
- Nerve health. Used for tremors and convulsions in tradition. Human proof is lacking.Traditional proof
Parts of the body
Traditional use
Chinese medicine uses gou teng to calm wind in the liver, ease tremors and convulsions, and calm headache and dizziness. It is added near the end of cooking, because long heat weakens it.
How it is classified
- Herbal actions
- Hypotensive, Sedative. Energy: cooling.
- Chinese medicine
- 钩藤 Calm liver & extinguish wind. Nature: cool. Flavour: sweet. Enters the Liver and Pericardium channels.
How people take it
Traditional decoctions use about 3 to 12 grams, added toward the end of cooking.
Decoction, powder and tea.
Where to get it
Grows wild in southern China and Southeast Asia. Sold as dried hooked stems, powder, and in patent formulas.
Be careful
Can lower blood pressure, so it may add to blood pressure medicines. Avoid in pregnancy and in low blood pressure. Tell your clinician before surgery.
Avoid if: pregnancy; low blood pressure.
Mixing with other things
- Works well together
Paired with gou teng in Tian Ma Gou Teng Yin (Gastrodia and Uncaria Drink) for headache and dizziness.
- Use cautionBlood pressure medicine (lisinopril, amlodipine, losartan)
May add to the blood pressure lowering effect of medicines.
- Use cautionSleep or anxiety medicine (Ambien, Xanax, Ativan)
Adds to drowsiness.
- Use cautionAlcohol (beer, wine, spirits)
Alcohol adds to the drowsiness.
Adds up with others that may lower blood pressure: , , , , , , , , , , , , , and 12 more.
Adds up with others that can make you drowsy: , , , , , , , , , , , , , and 14 more.
The honest take
Gou teng has good animal data for blood pressure, but there is no good trial of the herb alone in people. Its best known use in tradition is for tremors and headache. Do not use it in place of prescribed blood pressure care.