The main effects and actions of Glehnia littoralis root (North Adenophora) are nourishing yin and clearing the lungs, and benefiting the stomach and promoting fluid production.

Glehnia littoralis root is the dried root of the umbellifer plant Glehnia littoralis, and it is a commonly used traditional Chinese medicinal material. Its root is slender and cylindrical, mostly pale yellowish-white on the surface, rather brittle in texture, and fine in cross-section. Glehnia littoralis likes to grow in coastal sandy soil areas, and is mainly produced in coastal regions such as Shandong, Hebei, and Liaoning, among which the quality produced along the Shandong coast is more widely recognized.

According to the understanding of traditional Chinese medicine, Glehnia littoralis root is sweet and slightly bitter in taste, slightly cold in nature, and enters the Lung and Stomach meridians. Its main actions are nourishing yin and clearing the lungs, and benefiting the stomach and promoting fluid production, and it is mostly used for conditions such as dry cough due to lung dryness, thirst due to damaged fluids, and dry throat with restlessness. In many formulas, it is often used together with yin-nourishing medicinal materials such as Ophiopogon japonicus, Polygonatum odoratum, and Lilium brownii. It should be noted that among Chinese medicines there is also Adenophora stricta root, which comes from a different source. The two have similar names but differ somewhat in the focus of their effects, so it is best to distinguish between them when purchasing.

In daily diet, Glehnia littoralis root is often used to make soup, congee, or to steep in water. For example, a few slices can be added when stewing chicken soup or lean meat soup, or it can be cooked together with ingredients such as white fungus and snow pear, giving a rather fresh and moist taste. When used as an ingredient in food combinations, the amount should not be too large, and it is not advisable to consume it blindly in large quantities.

There are also some points to note when using Glehnia littoralis root. Traditionally, it is believed that people with wind-cold cough or deficiency-cold of the spleen and stomach should not take it, and according to the incompatibility taboos of Chinese medicine, it should not be used together with Veratrum nigrum. Pregnant women, children, and people with special constitutions should best consult a doctor or pharmacist before consuming it, and judge whether it is suitable according to their own situation.