Essential Chinese Medicines for Daily Life
Introduction: Most people believe that the effects of Chinese medicine are slow to take hold, yet some Chinese medicines are unparalleled in their preservation and therapeutic effects compared to some Western medicines. Below are several specially recommended Chinese medicines that every household should have.
Goji Berry: Nighttime Dry Mouth in the Elderly
Properties and Efficacy: Goji berries are sweet in taste and neutral in nature, with effects such as nourishing the kidneys and moistening the lungs, and tonifying the liver and improving vision.
Disease Prevention and Health Care: If there is a family member with chronic atrophic gastritis, an appropriate amount of Ningxia goji berries can be taken, washed clean, dried, crushed, and divided into portions. Take 20 grams daily, divided into two doses on an empty stomach. This is a 2-month course of treatment; other Chinese and Western medicines should be discontinued during this period. If an elderly family member suffers from nighttime dry mouth, take 30 grams of goji berries, wash them clean, and chew them before bedtime. Effects are generally seen after 10 days. For male infertility patients, take 15 grams of goji berries, wash them clean, and chew them finely before swallowing each night. This is a 2-month course of treatment; sexual activity should be appropriately avoided during this period.
Dried Tangerine Peel: Regulating Qi and Resolving Phlegm
Properties and Efficacy: Dried tangerine peel is pungent and bitter in taste, and warm in nature, with effects such as regulating Qi, harmonizing the middle jiao, expelling dampness, and resolving phlegm.
Disease Prevention and Health Care: For patients with persistent cough and thin, white phlegm, dried tangerine peel can be used to make tea for drinking.
Salvia Miltiorrhiza: Irregular Menstruation
Properties and Efficacy: Salvia miltiorrhiza is bitter in taste and slightly cold in nature, with effects such as activating blood to resolve stasis, cooling blood to reduce inflammation, nourishing blood to calm the spirit.
Disease Prevention and Health Care: Take an appropriate amount of salvia miltiorrhiza, grind it into a powder, and take it before bedtime with a small cup of warm wine or light saltwater. It is effective for various types of irregular menstruation, but it is contraindicated for pregnant women and women during their menstrual period.
Artemisia Leaf: Wind-Cold Cough
Properties and Efficacy: Artemisia leaf is bitter and pungent in taste, and warm in nature, with effects such as warming the meridians to stop bleeding, dispelling cold to relieve pain, expelling dampness to stop itching, and securing the fetus.
Disease Prevention and Health Care: For coughs caused by wind-cold, the method of fumigating the feet with artemisia can be used. The specific method is: take an appropriate amount of artemisia, boil it in boiling water for 15 minutes, remove the dregs, take the liquid, pour it into a basin, and first fumigate then wash the feet. When skin symptoms of boils appear, take 1 moxa stick, light one end, and perform moxibustion 3-5 cm from the affected area. During the moxibustion process, the moxa stick should be slowly rotated around the boil. Moxibust until the boil and surrounding skin show obvious redness, and the patient feels slightly hot. Once daily for 10 minutes each time. For people with frequent stomach pain, take an appropriate amount of artemisia leaf, wash it clean, chop it, and beat an egg together to mix evenly. Put vegetable oil in a pan, after the oil is hot, put the artemisia egg mixture in, stir-fry until semi-cooked, add an appropriate amount of water and bring to a boil. When the temperature is suitable, take both the dregs and the liquid. Three times daily.
Rehmannia Root: Frequent Constipation
Properties and Efficacy: Raw rehmannia root is sweet and bitter in taste, and cold in nature, with effects such as clearing heat and cooling the blood, and nourishing yin to promote fluid production.
Disease Prevention and Health Care: For people with frequent constipation, try drinking a glass of rehmannia root and honey water. The specific method is: take an appropriate amount of rehmannia root, add water and boil for 30 minutes. After the liquid has cooled slightly, add 2 spoonfuls of honey and mix well. Effects are generally felt 5-10 minutes after drinking.
Chinese Yam: Weak Spleen and Stomach in Children
Properties and Efficacy: Chinese yam is sweet in taste and neutral in nature, with effects such as replenishing qi and nourishing yin, and tonifying the spleen, lungs, and kidneys.
Disease Prevention and Health Care: For children with a weak spleen and stomach, often with poor appetite and occasional diarrhea, letting them eat more Chinese yam often yields unexpected results. Chinese yam also has a certain therapeutic effect on chronic cough, shortness of breath, etc., in the elderly caused by weak lung qi, or on soreness and weakness of the waist and legs, frequent urination at night, etc., caused by weak kidney qi. For people who are weak after an illness and need long-term recuperation, Chinese yam is an excellent and inexpensive tonic. Note: It can be used in soups or congee.
Warm Reminder: Because the medicinal nature of Chinese yam is mild, it can be consumed for a long time.
Honeysuckle: Sore Throat
Properties and Efficacy: Honeysuckle is sweet in taste and cold in nature, with effects such as clearing heat and resolving toxins.
Disease Prevention and Health Care: For symptoms such as sore throat and heat-toxic dysentery, use honeysuckle boiled in water as a tea substitute. Effects can be seen in 1 day. When a baby has heat rash, honeysuckle can be boiled into a strong decoction, and a cotton ball can be dipped in the liquid to gently and repeatedly wipe the affected area. The effect will be apparent in 1 day.
American Ginseng: Dry Mouth and Dizziness
Properties and Efficacy: American ginseng is bitter and slightly sweet in taste, and cold in nature, with effects such as replenishing qi and nourishing yin, and clearing heat to promote fluid production.
Disease Prevention and Health Care: After staying up late, many people often feel a dry mouth, dizziness, sore throat, and cough. At this time, drinking a cup of American ginseng tea can help you produce saliva.
Warm Reminder: Because American ginseng is cold in nature, people with a weak spleen and stomach should not consume too much of it.
Job's Tears: Expelling Dampness
Properties and Efficacy: Job's tears are sweet and bland in taste, and slightly cold in nature, with effects such as promoting urination to drain dampness, strengthening the spleen, and clearing heat to expel pus.
Disease Prevention and Health Care: In seasons or areas with heavy dampness, Job's tears can be used to make soup for drinking.
Warm Reminder: Because Job's tears are slightly cold and cool in nature, people with a yang-deficient constitution who are usually afraid of cold should not take it for a long time.
Corn Silk: Chronic Nephritis Patients
Properties and Efficacy: Corn silk is sweet in taste and neutral in nature, with effects such as promoting urination to clear heat, and calming the liver to benefit the gallbladder.
Disease Prevention and Health Care: For chronic nephritis patients, take 50 grams of dried corn silk, add 600 ml of warm water, and simmer over low heat for 20-30 minutes. When the liquid is boiled down to 300-400 ml, remove the dregs and take the liquid, once daily or in divided doses. For patients with gum bleeding, take 50 grams of corn silk, place it in a thermos, pour in boiling water, cover and let it steep for about 10 minutes. Drink it in several doses within 1 day. One dose daily, 7 days make one course of treatment. For diabetic patients, take 30 grams of corn silk, boil it in water, one dose daily, taken in the morning and evening. Effects are generally seen in 2-4 months.
Pomegranate Rind: Diarrhea
Properties and Efficacy: Pomegranate rind is sour and astringent in taste, and warm in nature, with effects such as astringing the intestines to stop diarrhea, and stopping dysentery to secure prolapse.
Disease Prevention and Health Care: After eating a pomegranate, wash the rind clean, dry it in the sun, and collect it. When a family member has diarrhea symptoms, boil the pomegranate rind with brown sugar and water to drink for a good therapeutic effect.
Chicken Gizzard Membrane: Infantile Indigestion
Properties and Efficacy: Chicken gizzard membrane is sweet in taste and neutral in nature, with effects such as strengthening the stomach to promote digestion, resolving stagnation and expelling stones, and securing urine.
Disease Prevention and Health Care: When symptoms such as abdominal bloating, dry stools, or infantile indigestion occur, the dried chicken gizzard membrane can be stir-fried, then crushed, and boiled with some hawthorn to drink. Alternatively, Chinese yam and chicken gizzard membrane can be ground into a fine powder and cooked with japonica rice to make congee for consumption.
Malt: Women's Weaning
Properties and Efficacy: Malt is sweet in taste and neutral in nature, with effects such as promoting digestion and harmonizing the middle jiao.
Disease Prevention and Health Care: For children with indigestion, malt can be boiled in water and taken as a tea substitute. For women weaning, malt can be decocted in water for drinking.
Loquat Fruit: Cough Relief and Lung Moistening
Properties and Efficacy: Loquat fruit is sweet and sour in taste, and cool in nature, with effects such as clearing heat and cooling the blood, promoting fluid production to stop cough, lubricating the intestines to expel toxins, and moistening the skin and benefiting the complexion, and moistening the lungs to resolve phlegm.
Disease Prevention and Health Care: The method of taking loquat fruit is very simple. It can be decocted in water, infused for drinking, or chewed directly. Twice daily, 10 grams each time is appropriate.
Chrysanthemum: Red and Swollen Eyes
Properties and Efficacy: Chrysanthemum is pungent, sweet, and bitter in taste, and slightly cold in nature, with effects such as dispelling wind and clearing heat, resolving toxins, and improving vision.
Disease Prevention and Health Care: For symptoms such as dizziness, headache, and red, swollen eyes caused by wind-heat or liver-fire excess, a cup of chrysanthemum tea can be brewed and drunk.