Jī Nèi Jīn (鸡内金) — Chicken Gizzard Lining
On this page
- Overview
- Properties
- Actions and indications
- Key formulas
- Incompatibilities
- Cautions
- Treatment at my clinic
1. Overview
Jī Nèi Jīn (鸡内金) — the yellow inner membrane of the chicken gizzard — is one of the most useful herbs in Chinese medicine for food stagnation, indigestion and digestive weakness. Its action is to break up and dissolve food accumulation while simultaneously strengthening the Stomach’s grinding function (the role the gizzard plays in a chicken’s anatomy). It is also one of the classical herbs for dissolving urinary and biliary stones — an unusual property combining its digestion-strengthening action with a stone-dispersing effect. Despite being an animal-derived ingredient it is exceptionally well tolerated and considered one of the gentlest digestion herbs in the Chinese pharmacopoeia.
2. Properties
| Pinyin name | Jī Nèi Jīn |
|---|---|
| Chinese characters | 鸡内金 |
| Latin name | Endothelium Corneum Gigeriae Galli |
| English name | Chicken gizzard lining |
| Nature | Neutral |
| Flavour | Sweet |
| Channels entered | Spleen, Stomach, Small Intestine, Bladder |
| Category | Herbs that resolve food stagnation |
3. Actions and indications
Principal actions
- Reduces food stagnation and strengthens the Stomach
- Stabilises essence and stops involuntary urinary loss
- Dissolves stones
Indications
- Food stagnation with abdominal distension, foul belching and reduced appetite
- Childhood indigestion and malnutrition (one of the safest paediatric digestive herbs)
- Chronic Spleen-Stomach weakness with poor appetite
- Childhood enuresis (bed-wetting) and adult urinary frequency from Kidney essence weakness
- Spermatorrhoea from Kidney essence not held
- Urinary tract stones, gallbladder stones and kidney stones — used as part of a stone-dispersing protocol
- Spleen Qi deficiency with chronic loose stools and reduced appetite
4. Key formulas containing Jī Nèi Jīn
- Pi Yue Mei Wei Tang — childhood indigestion and malnutrition
- Bao He Wan modifications — common addition for severe food stagnation
- Stone-dispersing modifications of Ba Zheng San for urinary stones
5. Incompatibilities
Jī Nèi Jīn (鸡内金) Chicken Gizzard Lining is not listed in either of the two classical incompatibility texts — Shi Ba Fan (Eighteen Antagonisms) or Shi Jiu Wei (Nineteen Mutual Inhibitions). As with every Chinese herb it should be prescribed only as part of a balanced formula by a registered Chinese herbalist (RCHM), who will check for interactions with any other herbs and prescription medications you are taking.
6. Cautions
Considered one of the gentlest and safest herbs in the materia medica. No significant cautions in standard clinical use. Patients who avoid animal products will need a vegetable alternative such as Shen Qu or Mai Ya. Always consult a qualified Chinese herbalist registered with the RCHM.
Pattern contraindications
Use cautiously where there is no actual food stagnation — prolonged or unnecessary use can damage Spleen Qi. Avoid in Qi deficiency without retained food.
Modern drug interactions
Shan Zha has antihypertensive and lipid-lowering activity — review with your GP if you take BP-lowering or lipid-lowering medication. Lai Fu Zi may interact with ginseng (per classical teaching).
7. Treatment at my clinic
I see patients at my clinic in Wokingham, Berkshire. Online consultations are available. Return to the Chinese herb directory.
Prefer to be treated from home? Chinese herbal medicine online consultations are available throughout the UK and worldwide. After a full video consultation, Dr (TCM) Attilio D'Alberto formulates a bespoke herbal prescription and posts your Chinese herbs directly to your door.
