Coix Seed, also known as Yi Yi, Yi Mi, Yi Ren Mi, and Gou Zi Mi.
It is an annual or perennial herb.
Characteristics: The dried seeds are round or oval, with a wider and slightly flat base, and a blunt round top. They measure 5-7 mm in length and about 3-5 mm in width. The surface is white or yellowish-white, smooth or with indistinct longitudinal striations, sometimes retaining a yellow-brown outer skin. There is a deep and wide longitudinal groove on one side, with a rough brown bottom and a concave base containing a small brown dot. The texture is hard, and when broken, the inside is white and powdery. It has a faint aroma and a sweet, bland taste. The best quality is characterized by large, plump, white, and intact seeds.
Preparation: Roasted Coix Seed: Select clean Coix seeds and roast them in a pot over low heat until slightly yellow. Remove and let cool. Alternatively, roast with bran (100 jin of Coix seeds with 10 jin of bran); according to “Lei Gong Pao Zhi Lun”: For every 1 liang of Coix seeds, use glutinous rice. If boiled with salty water, it is a different preparation.
Meridians: Spleen; Lung; Kidney.
Properties: Sweet; Bland; Slightly Cold.
Precautions: This product is mild and should be taken in larger quantities over a longer period. Caution is advised for those with spleen deficiency without dampness, constipation, and pregnant women.
Main Functions: Promotes diuresis and strengthens the spleen; relaxes tendons and alleviates pain; clears heat and expels pus. It is indicated for edema; beriberi; painful urination; damp-heat diseases; diarrhea and leukorrhea; rheumatic pain; muscle spasms; lung abscess; intestinal abscess; flat warts.
Dosage: For internal use: decoction, 10-30g; or in pills, powders, soaked in wine, cooked in porridge, or made into soup.
In Japan, Coix Seed is regarded as a typical “anti-cancer food,” but in China, many people rarely consume it due to a lack of understanding of its efficacy. In fact, Coix Seed not only has significant anti-cancer properties but also strengthens the spleen, nourishes the lungs, clears heat, and promotes diuresis, making it a natural beauty food. So, what are the specific effects and functions of roasted Coix Seed?
Effects and Functions of Coix Seed
Modern research shows that Coix Seed contains starch, sugars, proteins, fats, amino acids, adenosine, and trace elements. Active components include Coix Seed oil and Coix Seed polysaccharides. Animal experiments have demonstrated that Coix Seed has certain effects in lowering blood pressure, reducing blood sugar, anti-aging, anti-tumor, anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, and enhancing immune function. These effects may explain the beauty and anti-skin aging mechanisms of Coix Seed.
Coix Seed is a type of grain that can be boiled or roasted. Roasting Coix Seed is more beneficial for gastrointestinal absorption, and after roasting, it is neutral to slightly warm, with a stronger spleen-strengthening effect than raw seeds, but its diuretic function is not as strong as that of raw seeds. Raw Coix Seed is more inclined to clear heat and expel pus, often used for abscesses.
Selected Formulas
1. For patients with body aches, fever, and severe symptoms in the afternoon, known as rheumatism, caused by sweating in the wind or prolonged exposure to cold: 0.5 liang of Ma Huang (Ephedra, without nodes), 1 liang of Gan Cao (Licorice, roasted), 0.5 liang of Coix Seed, and 10 pieces of Xing Ren (Apricot kernel, peeled and roasted). Grind to a powder, take 4 qian, boil with 1.5 cups of water until reduced to 8 parts, strain and take warm, avoiding wind. (“Jin Gui Yao Lue” Ma Huang Xing Ren Yi Yi Gan Cao Decoction)
2. For rheumatic pain, limb weakness, and lumbar pain: 1 jin of Coix Seed, 4 liang each of Sang Ji Sheng (Mulberry mistletoe), Dang Gui (Angelica), Chuan Xiong (Szechuan lovage), and Cang Zhu (Atractylodes, soaked in rice wash and roasted). Divide into 16 doses, decoct in water. (“Guang Ji Fang”)
3. For chronic rheumatic pain, to tonify Qi, promote digestion, reduce edema, and eliminate evil Qi from the chest, and treat muscle spasms: grind Coix Seed into powder, cook with polished rice to make porridge, and consume daily. (“Gang Mu” Coix Seed Porridge)
4. To dispel rheumatism, strengthen bones, and tonify the spleen and stomach: Coix Seed powder, brew with Qu Mi (fermented rice), or brew in a bag and drink. (“Gang Mu” Coix Seed Wine)
5. For edema and shortness of breath: 2 liang of Yu Li Ren (Bush cherry seed). Grind, filter with water, and cook Coix Seed rice, consume twice daily. (“Du Xing Fang”)
6. For lung atrophy with purulent blood: 10 liang of Coix Seed. Crush, boil with 3 sheng of water until reduced to 1 sheng, add a little wine and take. (“Mei Shi Ji Yan Fang”)
7. For lung abscess with cough and blood in sputum: boil Coix Seed in strong bitter wine until concentrated, take warm. If there is blood in the lungs, it should be expelled. (“Fan Wang Fang”)
8. For lung abscess with hemoptysis: 3 taels of Coix Seed. Mash, add 2 large cups of water, a little wine, and divide into two doses. (“Ji Sheng Fang”)
9. For intestinal abscess, with a hard abdomen, pressing reveals a swollen state, no accumulation in the abdomen, no fever, and rapid pulse, indicating pus in the intestines: 10 parts of Coix Seed, 2 parts of Fu Zi (Aconite), and 5 parts of Bai Jiang Cao (Patrinia). Grind into powder, take a spoonful with 2 sheng of water, boil down to half, take at once, and urinate. (“Jin Gui Yao Lue” Yi Yi Fu Zi Bai Jiang Cao Powder)
10. For intestinal abscess: 1 sheng of Coix Seed, 3 liang each of Mu Dan Pi (Moutan root) and Tao Ren (Peach kernel), and 2 sheng of Gua Ban Ren (Watermelon seed). Combine these four ingredients, boil with 6 sheng of water to yield 2 sheng, and divide into two doses. (“Qian Jin Fang”)
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