Understanding Coix Seed
【Coix Seed (Yi Yi Ren)】
“Coix Seed”
By Su Shi, Northern Song Dynasty
Fubo rice and coix seed, a remedy against miasma.
Can eliminate the poison of the five streams, but cannot save from slanderous injuries.
Coix Seed (Yi Yi Ren), also known as Job’s tears or coix, has a long history in China as one of the grains that is both medicinal and edible. It can be used in medicine to treat diseases and in food preparations such as porridge, cakes, and soups, offering a variety of culinary applications. However, in the eyes of the general public, coix seed seems primarily used for dispelling dampness, making it popular among those with excessive dampness and obesity. In reality, the clinical and practical applications of coix seed are extensive, and its benefits far exceed common perceptions.
Indications and Efficacy
Coix seed is first mentioned in the “Shennong Bencao Jing” [1]: “It has a sweet and slightly cold taste. It is indicated for muscle spasms, stiffness, and damp-heat obstruction. Long-term use can lighten the body and enhance qi.” This indicates that coix seed not only strengthens the spleen and dispels dampness but also alleviates obstruction, relaxes muscles, and promotes pus discharge.
According to the “Pharmacopoeia of the People’s Republic of China (2020 Edition)” [2], coix seed is derived from the dried mature seeds of the plant Coix lacryma-jobi, with a sweet and bland taste, cool nature, and enters the spleen, stomach, and lung meridians. It has the functions of promoting urination and draining dampness, strengthening the spleen, and stopping diarrhea, while also dispelling obstruction, promoting pus discharge, detoxifying, and dispersing masses. Clinically, it is commonly used to treat [3]:
Edema and Beriberi, for treating edema due to spleen deficiency and dampness, often used with Huang Qi (Astragalus), Bai Zhu (Atractylodes), and Fu Ling (Poria); for beriberi edema, it can be combined with Fang Ji (Stephania), Mu Guo (Chaenomeles), and Cang Zhu (Atractylodes);
Spleen Deficiency Diarrhea, often used with Ren Shen (Ginseng), Fu Ling (Poria), and Bai Zhu (Atractylodes), such as in Shen Ling Bai Zhu San;
Damp Bi and Spasms, for treating damp bi with muscle stiffness, often used with Du Huo (Angelica pubescens), Fang Feng (Siler), and Gui Zhi (Cinnamon twig), such as in Yi Yi Ren Tang; for treating wind-damp heat bi with joint redness, swelling, and pain, and muscle soreness, it can be combined with Fang Ji (Stephania), Jin Yin Hua (Honeysuckle), and Shi Gao (Gypsum);
Lung and Intestinal Abscesses, for treating lung abscess with chest pain and purulent cough, often used with Wei Jing (Reed), Dong Gua Ren (Winter melon seed), and Tao Ren (Peach kernel), such as in Wei Jing Tang; for intestinal abscess, it can be combined with Fu Zi (Aconite) and Bai Jiang Cao (Patrinia), such as in Yi Yi Fu Zi Bai Jiang San.
Modern pharmacological studies [4] show that coix seed not only has good effects in traditional Chinese medicine for dispelling dampness and promoting urination but also treats various diseases such as cancer, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, fatty liver, and rheumatoid arthritis. It can enhance immunity, regulate intestinal flora, and can be used as an adjunct in disease treatment, such as the Conlait injection, which is widely used in clinical treatment for various cancers.
Identification of Authenticity
Coix seed has a long cultivation history in China, and due to its wide geographical distribution and hybridization characteristics, there are many cultivated varieties, which increases the difficulty of identification and poses challenges for correct clinical use. Currently, the most common confounding product is the similar-looking grass pearl, which is derived from the dried mature seeds of the same family as coix seed. The two have certain similarities in shape and color, making them easy to confuse. Therefore, it is crucial to correctly identify coix seed and grass pearl.
Shape: Coix seed is elongated, wider than it is deep, with a deep groove, presenting a broad oval or elongated oval shape, measuring 4-8mm in length and 3-6mm in width; while grass pearl is wider than it is long, with smooth ends, presenting a broad oval shape, measuring 4-5mm in length and 4-6mm in width.
Color: Coix seed has a milky white surface, with a uniform and smooth texture, while grass pearl is slightly transparent.
Taste: Coix seed has a slightly sweet taste and is sticky, leaving a slight residue on the teeth; grass pearl has a harder texture, no sweetness, and does not stick to the teeth.
Dietary Therapy and Medicinal Cuisine
Traditional Chinese medicine believes that many foods are both food and medicine, as mentioned in the “Huangdi Neijing Taisu”: “Eating on an empty stomach is food, while patients eat it as medicine,” clarifying the relationship between medicine and food, reflecting the idea of food and medicine sharing the same source [5].
Coix seed is a traditional medicinal food with high nutritional and health value. Therefore, fully understanding the efficacy and applications of coix seed, and grasping the theory of “food and medicine sharing the same source,” can transform the kitchen into a “health-promoting small canteen.”
Green Bean and Coix Seed Porridge with Licorice
Ingredients: 50g green beans, 30g coix seed, 5g licorice
Efficacy: Clears heat and drains dampness, removes spots and whitens skin
Preparation:
(1) Wash green beans, coix seed, and licorice separately;
(2) Soak green beans and coix seed in clean water for 30 minutes, then drain and set aside;
(3) In a clay pot, add green beans and enough water to fill the pot to 3/4 full, bring to a boil, add coix seed, then reduce to a simmer for 40 minutes;
(4) Once the green beans bloom and the coix seed is soft, add licorice and continue to simmer for another 15 minutes.
Indications: Suitable for those with facial spots due to spleen deficiency and damp stagnation, and poor appetite.
Poria, Yam, and Coix Seed Pork Rib Soup
Ingredients: 500g pork ribs, 30g each of Poria, yam, coix seed, and Euryale seed, salt to taste.
Efficacy: Tonifies qi, nourishes the kidneys, strengthens the spleen, and promotes urination
Preparation:
(1) Wash Poria, yam, Euryale seed, and coix seed separately; slice Poria and yam after soaking in water until slightly soft; soak Euryale seed and coix seed in clean water for a while, then drain;
(2) Cut pork ribs into small pieces about 4 cm long, blanch in boiling water to remove blood impurities, then drain;
(3) In a clay pot, add enough clean water, bring to a boil, then add pork ribs and boil for 10 minutes;
(4) Add Poria, yam, Euryale seed, and coix seed, cover, and simmer for 2 hours, then season with salt.
Indications: Suitable for those with spleen and kidney qi deficiency, difficulty urinating, and lower limb edema.
Additionally, our hospital has established a TCM dietary therapy service based on the concept of “differentiated dietary therapy, with specific dietary prescriptions” in the pharmacy outpatient department, providing various forms of dietary therapy such as tea, porridge, and soups for different constitutions and diseases, fully utilizing the important role of dietary therapy in health maintenance and promotion.
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Service Content
Nutritional guidance for dietary therapy for various chronic diseases and sub-healthy populations;
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Target Population
Including but not limited to children, the elderly, pregnant women, menopausal women, the obese, and students preparing for exams.
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Constitution Identification
Qi deficiency, blood deficiency, yin deficiency, yang deficiency, phlegm-dampness, blood stasis, cold congealing, qi stagnation, etc.
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Diseases Treated
Recovery period after cancer chemotherapy, recovery from cerebral infarction/myocardial infarction, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, constipation, insomnia, depression, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, hyperglycemia, menopause, osteoporosis, etc.
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Outpatient Location and Hours
First floor of the Red House, Monday to Friday all day.
References
[1] Gu Guanguang, ed. Shennong Bencao Jing [M]. Beijing: People’s Health Publishing House, 1956:28.
[2] National Pharmacopoeia Commission. Pharmacopoeia of the People’s Republic of China: Volume One [M]. Beijing: China Medical Science Press, 2020.
[3] Zhou Zhenxiang, Tang Decai, eds. Clinical Traditional Chinese Medicine [M]. Beijing: China Traditional Chinese Medicine Press, 2016.
[4] Li Xiaokai, Gu Kun, Liang Muwen, et al. Research Progress on Chemical Components and Pharmacological Effects of Coix Seed [J]. Chinese Herbal Medicine, 2020, 51(21):5645-5657.
[5] Dan Qing. Spring Health Preservation: Food and Medicine Sharing the Same Source [J]. Shanghai Quality, 2016, (02):68-70.
(Source: Pharmacy Department)