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Coix seed is known for its ability to strengthen the spleen and eliminate dampness. It is suitable for conditions such as spleen deficiency diarrhea, spleen deficiency edema, joint pain, and summer health maintenance. This dietary therapy can help strengthen the spleen and stomach, and has a certain effect on alleviating diarrhea. |
What the Doctor Says:
Coix seed (Yiyiren) has various effects including promoting diuresis, strengthening the spleen, stopping diarrhea, dispelling dampness, expelling pus, and aiding in weight loss. The specific analyses are as follows:
1. Promoting Diuresis and Eliminating Dampness: Coix seed has the function of promoting diuresis and eliminating dampness. It can help reduce swelling and is suitable for treating symptoms such as difficulty urinating, edema, and abdominal distension.
2. Strengthening the Spleen and Stopping Diarrhea: Coix seed can strengthen the spleen and stop diarrhea, making it suitable for treating spleen deficiency and diarrhea.
3. Dispelling Dampness: Coix seed has the ability to unblock meridians and dispel dampness. It is suitable for treating joint pain caused by dampness, as well as symptoms like chest tightness and headaches.
4. Expelling Pus: Coix seed has the effect of expelling pus and can help eliminate abscesses, making it suitable for treating lung abscesses and cough with purulent sputum.
5. Weight Loss: Coix seed is rich in dietary fiber, which can provide a feeling of fullness, promote intestinal peristalsis, and aid digestion. Additionally, it is low in calories, making it suitable for those looking to lose weight.
Furthermore, Coix seed contains a large amount of soluble fiber, which can reduce the absorption rate of fat in the intestines, thus helping to lower blood lipids.
Pharmacological Knowledge:
Chinese Herbal Name: Coix Seed (Yiyiren)
Alias: Coix, Job’s Tears, Grass Pearl, Yiyu, Huihui Rice.
Medicinal Part: The mature seeds of the plant Coix lacryma-jobi L.var. ma-yuen (Roman.) Stapf, belonging to the family Poaceae.
Distribution: Grows by rivers, streams, or in damp valleys, preferring warm and humid areas. It is produced in most regions of China, mainly in Fujian and Jiangsu provinces.
Harvesting and Processing: Harvest the plants in autumn when the fruits are ripe, dry them, thresh the fruits, and then dry them again, removing the outer shell and seed coat.
Characteristics of the Medicinal Material: Broadly oval or long oval, 4-8 mm long, 3-6 mm wide, with a blunt round tip and a slightly wide and concave base, containing light brown dotted hilum. The surface is milky white, smooth, occasionally with residual light brown seed coat; the back is rounded and convex, while the belly has a wide and deep longitudinal groove about 2 mm wide, often retaining a light brown seed coat. The texture is solid, with a flat white cross-section that is powdery. It has a slight aroma, a bland taste, and is slightly sweet.
Pharmacological Research: Inhibits skeletal muscle contraction; stimulates the respiratory center at low doses and inhibits it at high doses; lowers blood sugar; promotes ovulation; inhibits trypsin, etc. It is generally believed that a certain proportion of saturated fatty acids in Coix seed plays a major role in its anti-cancer effects. Pharmacological experiments have also demonstrated that it has effects such as inhibiting skeletal muscle contraction, antipyretic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, and enhancing immune function; it can also mildly lower blood sugar.
Chemical Components: This product contains coixol, palmitic acid, linoleic acid, coix polysaccharide A, coix polysaccharide B, coix polysaccharide C, and other components.
——- Efficacy and Compatibility ——–
Nature and Taste: Cool in nature, sweet and bland in taste. It enters the spleen, stomach, and lung meridians.
Efficacy: Strengthens the spleen, promotes diuresis, dispels dampness, stops diarrhea, clears heat, and expels pus. It belongs to the category of diuretic and damp-eliminating herbs.
Clinical Application: Dosage of 10-30 grams. Decoction for internal use; can also be made into pills, powders, soaked in wine, cooked in porridge, or made into soups. Used to treat edema due to damp accumulation, difficulty urinating, cloudy urine, beriberi, spleen deficiency diarrhea, damp bi syndrome with muscle spasms, weakness or inability to stretch, lung abscess, cough with purulent sputum, intestinal abscess, etc.
Contraindications: 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, dry constipation, and pregnant women.
Compatible Formulas: For reference only
1. For sores in the nose: Use Coix seed and winter melon to make a decoction as tea. (From “Ancient Collection of Verified Formulas”)
2. For breast lumps: Use 15 grams each of Xuan Hu Suo and Coix seed. Add two cups of yellow wine, decoct to one cup. Take on an empty stomach, sweating indicates effectiveness. (From “Great Achievements in Surgery” Breast Lump Formula)
3. For papular urticaria: Use 50 grams of Coix seed, 50 grams of red beans, 15 dates, and 30 grams of brown sugar. Prepare one dose daily, decoct in water, and take three doses as one treatment course. [From “Journal of Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine” 1986, 3 (1): 16 Coix Seed and Red Bean Decoction]
Preparation Methods:
Coix Seed: Take the raw material, remove the shell and impurities, and sift out the ash.
Fried Coix Seed: Take clean Coix seeds, place them in a frying container, and heat over low heat until the surface turns slightly yellow and puffs up, then remove and cool.
Fried Coix Seed with Bran: Sprinkle bran into a hot pan, heat until smoking, then add clean Coix seeds, fry until the surface is yellow and slightly puffed, remove, sift out the bran, and cool. Use 10 kg of bran for every 100 kg of Coix seeds.
Compound Formulations Containing Coix Seed:
San Ren Decoction: Unblocks the qi mechanism and clears damp-heat. It is used for the initial stage of damp-warmth and damp-heat syndrome. Symptoms include headache, chills, body aches, fatigue, pale complexion, chest tightness, and lack of appetite.
Si Miao Wan: Clears heat and promotes diuresis. Used for bi syndrome caused by damp-heat, with symptoms of red and swollen feet and knees, and pain in the muscles and bones.
Shen Ling Bai Zhu San: Tonifies the spleen and stomach, benefits lung qi. Used for spleen and stomach deficiency, with symptoms of reduced appetite, loose stools, shortness of breath, cough, and fatigue.
Bao Ji Wan: Releases the exterior, dispels dampness, and harmonizes the middle. Used for summer damp-cold, with symptoms of fever, headache, abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and gastrointestinal discomfort; can also be used for motion sickness.
Children’s Fragrant Tangerine Pill: Strengthens the spleen and harmonizes the stomach, aids digestion, and stops diarrhea. Used for vomiting and diarrhea due to spleen deficiency and food stagnation, with symptoms of disharmony in the spleen and stomach, fever, abdominal distension, pale complexion, and lack of appetite.
Precautions:
The Grass and Wood Small Classroom wishes you good health.
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Use with caution for those with spleen deficiency without dampness, dry constipation, and pregnant women.
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During medication, avoid cold, raw foods, spicy, and greasy foods, and avoid smoking and alcohol.
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Children: Medication for children should be conducted under the guidance of a doctor and adult supervision.
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Please store medicinal materials properly and do not share your medications with others.
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Avoid using copper or iron utensils for decocting herbs.
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Note: Please do not self-medicate; follow medical advice.
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