The efficacy and function of saponins

We can often see water soap beans in our daily life, so how should we eat water soap beans? What good effects does it have on our body? Let's take a look.

[Other names] Guanmencao, Yammeidou (Northeast Medicinal Plants), Jindouzi (Guizhou Folk Prescriptions and Medicines), Shuitong (Compilation of Common Folk Herbs), Yambe (Guiyang Folk Herbs), Camellia sinensis (Handbook of Commonly Used Chinese Herbs in Northeast China).

[Source] It is the whole herb of Cassia tora, a plant of the leguminous family . Harvested in summer and sun-dried.

[Original form] Annual herb, 30 to 60 cm tall, covered with hairs. The leaves are even-pinnate compound leaves, alternate, 5-10 cm long, with 8-35 pairs of leaflets; the leaflets are linear-rectangular, 5-9 mm long, slightly oblique at both ends, and mucronate at the tip; there is a pair of stipules, lanceolate, subulate at the tip, and persistent. The flowers are yellow, axillary, 1 to 2; the pedicels are short, 5 to 10 mm long; there is a pair of bracts, linear-lanceolate; the sepals are deeply lobed, the lobes are lanceolate or broadly lanceolate, and the surface is covered with fine hairs; there are 5 petals, obovate, 4 to 7 mm long; there are 4 stamens; there is 1 pistil; the pods are flat, oblong-linear, 3 to 5 cm long, densely covered with gray-yellow hairs, and have 6 to 12 seeds. The seeds are flat, rhombic, light yellow-brown, and about 3 mm long. Flowering period is from July to August. The fruiting period is from August to September.

[Habitat distribution] Growing in forest edge grasslands and roadsides. Distributed in Northeast China, Hebei, Shandong, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Sichuan, Guizhou and other places. Produced in Guizhou, Sichuan and other places.

[Properties] The whole plant is dried, with round stems and branches, brown-yellow in color, gray-black at the base, and yellow-white in color with longitudinal lines and warty lenticels on the surface; it is hard and easy to break, with a white cross section and loose bubbles that are hollow inside. The leaves are mostly curled or fall off, brown-green or gray-green; brittle and easily broken. The remaining pods are brown. Slight odor, light taste.

【Nature and flavor】 Sweet and bitter, neutral.

【Functions and indications】 Clears the liver and improves eyesight, harmonizes the spleen and promotes diuresis. Treat blurred vision, night blindness, migraine, edema, athlete's foot, and jaundice.

[Usage and Dosage] For oral use: decoct in water, 3 to 5 qian; or grind into powder.

[Additional prescription] ① To treat night blindness: 2 qian of powder of stems and leaves of Camphor tree, boiled with pork liver or mixed with honey. One recipe is to boil 2 liang of stems and leaves of mountain cosmos in water and drink it. (Guiyang Folk Medicinal Herbs)

【Excerpt】 《*Dictionary》

Through the detailed introduction of soapberries in this article, we can learn about the related functions and eating methods of soapberries. The value of soapberries can be seen from their efficacy, which fully reflects the importance of soapberries.