Nutritional Supplement
Chinese Scullcap
Parts Used & Where Grown
Scutellaria baicalensis, a mint family member, is grown in China and Russia. The root of this plant is used in traditional Chinese herbal medicines and has been the focus of most scientific studies on scullcap. American scullcap and Chinese scullcap are not interchangeable.
How It Works
The root of Chinese scullcap contains the flavonoid baicalin that has been shown in test tube studies to have protective actions on the liver. Anti-allergy actions and the inhibition of bacteria and viruses in test tube studies have also been documented with Chinese scullcap.1 Some preliminary Chinese human trials, generally of low quality, suggest that Chinese scullcap may help people with acute lung, intestinal, and liver infections, as well as hay fever.2 More extensive clinical research is needed to clearly demonstrate Chinese scullcap’s effectiveness for these conditions.