Meet The “Beetles!”: Ground Beetle (Tu Bie Chong) in TCM

Out of the few hundred or so most commonly used ingredients in traditional Chinese medicine, there’s one that takes the cake—or eats it as the case may be—as, arguably, the most intriguing of all: Tu Bie Chong. 

What’s Tu Bie Chong? 

Is it a legendary, time-tested plant-based medicine with the same cachet as Ren Shen (ginseng), Huang Qi (astragalus) or Dang Shen (codonopsis)?

Or is Tu Bie Chong a medicinal mineral like Shi Gao (gypsum)? 

One of the most effective ingredients for injuries, Tu Bie Chong is gulp … ground beetle. 

Don’t be creeped out: Tu Bie Chong is prized for supporting injury recovery, breaking up blood stasis, and strengthening sinews and bones.

Get ready to “meet the beetles!”

Famous Beetles In TCM

In the West, John, Paul, George, and Ringo are the most famous Beatles ever. But in the Far East, beetles have been used in the traditional healing arts for over 2,000 years.

How it was discovered that ground-up beetles could help support injury recovery is a bit of a mystery. However, there’s a centuries-old track record of anecdotal proof, beginning with its use in martial arts. The use of beetles is recorded in the greatest hits of TCM medical compendium, such as Shen Nong’s Herbal Classic and the Ben Cao Gang Mu. 

What is Tu Bie Chong In TCM? 

As if “ground beetle” weren’t, shall we say, “exotic” enough, Tu Bie Chong translates as … wait for it … “wingless cockroach.” 

If the thought of having in your TCM formula an insect that conjures an abhorrent, scurrying critter that’s better off squashed than alive makes you squeamish, there are two reasons to overcome your fear. 

First, Tu Bie Chong beetles are unrelated to nor resemble nightmarish inner-city roaches. Yes, the concept of having an insect in your TCM may take some getting used to. However, Tu Bie Chong is considered a “precious” ingredient and one of the most important ones in TCM for injury recovery. 

Belonging to the class of TCM ingredients that invigorate the Blood, Tu Bie Chong is featured in many Die Da (trauma) formulas, including the categorically- eponymous formula, Jin Gu Die Da Pian. Translation: “Muscles and Bones Fall-Hit Pills.” 

(ActiveHerb.com offers this legendary formula under the Guang Ci Tang brand as “Bruise Mender.”) 

How Does Tu Bie Chong Beetle Work? 

After trauma to the body, blood pools in the localized, injured area, causing blood stasis and congealment. The key to recovering as quickly as possible is to break up the blood stasis and congealment that produces swelling, bruising and discomfort. 

According to TCM theory, Tu Bie Chong drains the energetic branches of the meridians (the collaterals) and disperses blood stasis. Moreover, this medicinal insect of TCM fame rises above other blood-invigorating herbs by “joining the bones and sinews.” This means that Tu Bie Chong may help nourish connective tissue, such as tendons and ligaments that have been twisted and injured. 

Tu Bie Chong: The “Bonesetting” Beetle 

Historically, Tu Bie Chong was used as a linament for fractures. Blood stasis can not only cause bruising and swelling, but it can also prevent broken bones from healing properly. Tu Bie Chong is the rare TCM ingredient that strongly dissolves blood stasis while supporting the resetting of the bone in the case of fractures and severe contusions. 

Traditionally, Tu Bie Chong is combined with yellow rice wine for fractures. Additionally, it’s been used historically with other herbs to break up blood stasis associated with the inability to menstruate and postpartum discomfort in the abdominal region. 

Does Research Support Tu Bie Chong?

Usually, when you think of researching beetles, entomology or a high school biology class comes to mind. But believe it or not, modern research studies support the use of Tu Bie Chong as complementary medicine. 

For instance, a 2022 study in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology examined 51 studies on Eupolyphaga sinensis Walker, the scientific name for the insect. The meta-analysis concluded that Tu Bie Chong is a “useful medicinal insect” that supports the immune system. As for its ability to support the injury-recovery process, a 2014 study in Molecular Medicine Reports states that Tu Bie Chong possesses properties supporting new blood vessel formation. 

‘Get Back To Where You Once Belonged’ With Tu Bie Chong

If you’re ever laid out with an injury, it’s frustrating not to be able to enjoy your favorite activity. To get back to the tennis or pickleball court, golf course or gym, BruiseMender may help. 

Featuring one of the most complex formulas with 23 ingredients, including Tu Bie Chong, BruiseMender breaks blood stasis apart, invigorates the blood, strengthens the sinews and bones and disperses accumulations. After taking BruiseMender, you may develop a case of “beetlemania.”