The efficacy and function of peanuts

In daily life, people are not only very familiar with various foods, but also come into contact with a lot of medicines in daily life. Among them, peanuts are a relatively common Chinese medicinal material. Given that there are still many people who don’t know much about peanuts, let’s take a detailed look at it below.

[Other names] Peanut (Youyang Zazu), Ginseng (Southern Yunnan Materia Medica), Toad, Ground Bean (A Brief Knowledge of Physics), Longevity Fruit (Benjing Fengyuan), Ground Pine, Ground Bean (Yunnan Hai Yu Heng Zhi), Ground Herb (Liu Qitang's Secret Prescriptions), Potato (Compendium of Materia Medica), Ground Fruit (Nancheng County Chronicles), Nanjing Bean (Dictionary of Botany), Toad Fruit (Modern Practical Chinese Medicine).

[Source] It is the seeds of the leguminous plant peanut . In late autumn, the fruits are dug up, the shells are peeled off, the seeds are taken out and dried, commonly known as "peanuts".

[Original form] Annual herb. There are many nodules on the roots. The stem is 30 to 70 cm tall, creeping or erect; the stem and branches are ridged and covered with long brown-yellow hairs. The even-pinnate compound leaves are alternate, with 4 leaflets, oblong to obovate, 2.5-5.5 cm long, 1.4-3 cm wide, obtuse or with a pointed tip, gradually narrowed at the base, and entire; the petiole is 2-5 cm long and covered with long brown hairs; the stipules are large, connected to the base of the petiole at the base, lanceolate, 3-4 cm long, with obvious veins. The flowers are yellow, solitary or clustered in leaf axils, with almost no pedicels during flowering; the calyx tube is slender, with three calyx teeth fused above and one separated into two lips below; the corolla is butterfly-shaped, the standard petal is nearly round and wide, the wing petals are separated from the keel petals, there are 9 stamens, fused, and one is degenerate; there are 5 anthers in rectangular shape, and 4 are nearly round; the style is slender, terminal at the branch head, very small, and sparsely covered with fine hairs; there is one to several ovules in the ovary, and after the ovules are fertilized, the ovary stalk extends to the ground and develops into a pod. The pods are oblong, with the seeds often narrowed, the pericarp thick, leathery, with raised veins, 1 to 5 cm long, and containing 1 to 4 seeds. Flowering period is from June to July. The fruiting period is from September to October.

[Habitat distribution] Cultivated throughout the country.

[Chemical composition] The seeds contain 40-50% fatty oil (for its composition, see the "Peanut Oil" entry), 20-30% nitrogenous substances, 8-21% starch, 2-5% cellulose, 5-8% water, 2-4% ash, vitamins, etc.

【Pharmacological action】 ①Hemostatic effect

【Nature and flavor】 Sweet, neutral.

【Meridian】 "Ben Cao Qiu Zhen": "enters the spleen and lungs."

【Functions and indications】Nourishes the lungs and harmonizes the stomach. Treats dry cough, nausea, athlete's foot, and low milk supply in nursing mothers.

[Usage and Dosage] For oral administration: grind it raw and take it in water or decoction.

【Note】 It is not suitable for people with cold and dampness in the body and loose stools.

[Additional prescription] ① For treating chronic cough, autumn dryness, and whooping cough in children: boil peanuts (remove the tip) and Wenbing in water and drink. (Xinglin Medicine)

【Discussions by various scholars】 ① "Ben Jing Feng Yuan": "Longevity fruit can strengthen the spleen and stomach, and is suitable for those who have difficulty digesting food. Some people say that it is the opposite of cucumber. I have eaten both of them and did not suffer any harm, so I am expounding on it."

【Clinical application】 ①Treatment of various bleeding diseases

【Excerpt】 《*Dictionary》

[Source] From "Ming Yi Bie Lu".

Through the above description, we know what peanuts are and what effects they have. Peanuts have high medicinal value and are beneficial to improving the immune system, making them a worthy choice for us.