Mosla Herb
Mosla chinensis
Xiang ru, an aromatic mint-family herb used in China for about 1,500 years to bring on sweating and treat summer colds, heatstroke and diarrhoea.
What is Mosla Herb?
- Plant family
- Lamiaceae, the mint family
- Parts used
- The dried, aromatic above-ground parts
- Where it grows
- Southern China
- Genus
- Mosla
- Species
- chinensis
Also called
Moslae Herba, Mosla
Traditional names
Xiang Ru, Xiangru
Traditionally used for
- Summer colds (traditional)
- Heatstroke (traditional)
- Diarrhoea (traditional)
Traditionally described as
- Slowed a virus in lab studies
Health topics
Where Mosla Herb appears in symptom search, and why. Being listed doesn't mean it's a proven treatment.
- Colds and Nasal Congestion
A traditional Chinese remedy for colds in summer heat and damp. Not tested on its own in trials.
Traditions that use it
Traditional Chinese Medicine
Called xiang ru; used for about 1,500 years as food and medicine to bring on sweating and treat summer colds, heatstroke and diarrhoea.
What does the research say?
Traditional use
These are traditional uses, not proven treatments.
Xiang ru is an aromatic herb of the mint family from southern China, used as both food and medicine for about 1,500 years. It's used to bring on sweating and "remove dampness", mainly for colds caused by summer heat and damp. On its own it has been used for cholera, nosebleeds, beriberi, bad breath and swelling (oedema). In the formula Xiang Ru San it's used for heatstroke and diarrhoea, and it's cooked into porridge.[1]
Modern Chinese formulas containing it are used for summer colds, upper respiratory infections in summer and flu.[2]
Laboratory & animal research
Lab and animal results show what might be worth studying in people. They don't show that the herb has these effects in humans.
In a 2025 lab study, a water extract of xiang ru slowed the COVID-19 virus from multiplying in cells and reduced cell death caused by the infection. This hasn't been tested in people.[2]
Sources
- [1] Moslae Herba: Botany, Traditional Uses, Phytochemistry, and Pharmacology · DOI: 10.3390/molecules29081716Peer-reviewed study
- [2] Antiviral Activity and Underlying Mechanism of Moslae herba Aqueous Extract for Treating SARS-CoV-2 · DOI: 10.3390/molecules30020387Peer-reviewed study
This information is educational and traditional in nature, and is not a substitute for professional medical advice.