Can Gastrodia elata be sliced ​​and dried?

The traditional Chinese medicine Gastrodia elata has many functions, and can treat epilepsy, convulsions, dizziness, headache, limb numbness, and limb paralysis. It is not very convenient to use Gastrodia elata directly, after all, the tubers are relatively large. Therefore, many people choose to slice the Gastrodia elata and dry it before use. So, can Gastrodia elata be sliced ​​and dried? Let’s take a look below.

Can. But preliminary processing is required before slicing.

There are two ways to slice dried Gastrodia elata. The traditional cutting method is as follows: clean the dried Gastrodia elata, remove the residual stems and impurities, wash, soak or steam until soft, cut into thin slices, and dry. In addition, modern research on cutting methods shows that the traditional method of softening and slicing dried Gastrodia elata has disadvantages such as a long time and sticking to the knife. The "baking and softening method" is used instead, and the results are more ideal. That is, divide them into different sizes, wash them, put them into a basket to drain the water, bake them at a constant temperature of 70℃ (±15℃) for 0.5-1 hour, and slice them while they are soft. This method has a short production cycle, no sticking or adhesion, a smooth surface, and a loss rate of less than 3%.

The efficacy of dried Gastrodia elata

Dried Gastrodia elata is pungent, warm, non-toxic, and has anti-epileptic, anti-palpitation, anti-rheumatic, sedative, antispasmodic, analgesic, tonic, liver-calming and wind-relieving effects. The functions of dried Gastrodia elata are to calm the liver, relieve wind and stop convulsions. It is generally used for headaches and dizziness, limb numbness, epilepsy, tetanus, dizziness, neurasthenia, wind-cold-dampness arthralgia, and infantile convulsions. Clinical applications have shown that dried Gastrodia elata also has significant therapeutic effects on vascular neurosis headaches, sequelae of concussion, etc. It has a certain preventive effect on Alzheimer's disease, as well as an auxiliary therapeutic effect.

How to store dried Gastrodia elata

The main method for preserving dried Gastrodia elata is: first, dried Gastrodia elata can be packed in a plastic bag and sealed, and generally it can be stored in a refrigerator. What everyone should pay attention to is that you must not put dried Gastrodia elata into the freezer, otherwise it will easily deteriorate due to freeze-thaw when you take it out again. Mawang Encyclopedia reminds you: Generally, dried Gastrodia elata that is sun-dried or oven-dried is easier to preserve and can be stored for a long time. As long as you do a good job of sealing it, you can rest assured.