The efficacy and function of dried sandalwood

The environment is now seriously deteriorating and various diseases are emerging one after another. In order to prevent the occurrence of various diseases and ensure good health, many people choose to enhance their immunity through diet. As a food ingredient that can fundamentally regulate various functions of the body, Chinese medicinal materials have received widespread attention. Today I will introduce to you the medicinal herb dried sandalwood.

[Other names] Small green peel, small green incense, small cactus, incense lump, dry incense tree, mountain sumac, earth sandalwood, bean curd incense

[Source] Medicinal material source: the whole plant of the Santalaceae plant Sandalwood or its variant, the Sandalwood tree.

[Original form] 1. Shrub or small tree, 2-5m high. The branches are slender and triangular in shape when young. The leaves are thin leathery, gray-green, elliptic-lanceolate or elliptic-obovate, 2.5-6cm long, 0.6-2cm wide, pointed at the apex with a short tip, gradually narrowing at the base and extending downward to form a short petiole. Flowers are small; 2-4 male flowers are gathered in small cymes; pedicels are 4-8mm long; perianth is about 4mm in diameter, with 3 lobes; disk is fleshy and curved; 3 stamens, filaments are very short, and the sterile ovary is a tiny protrusion located in the center of the disk; female flowers are solitary, occasionally 4 or 3 flowers are clustered; there are 2 bracts; the top of the pedicel is swollen; the disk and stamens are like male flowers, but the stamens are sterile; bisexual flowers look like female flowers, but have developed stamens; ovules are usually 3, and the stigma is 3-lobed. The drupe is nearly spherical, with a circular disc scar at the tip, orange-yellow to red when ripe, light black when dry, and 8-10mm in diameter. The flowering period is April-May, and the fruiting period is October.

[Habitat distribution] Ecological environment: 1. Growing in hillside bushes or on the edge of stone cliffs.

【Nature and flavor】 Pungent; bitter; neutral

【Functions and indications】 Soothe wind and relieve exterior symptoms; promote blood circulation and regulate menstruation. Mainly used for cough, cold, irregular menstruation, dysmenorrhea

[Usage and Dosage] For oral use: decocted in water, 9-15g.

【Excerpt】 Chinese Materia Medica

Dried sandalwood is often used in the treatment of some diseases. It can be made into a compound prescription or used alone as needed. However, dried sandalwood should not be consumed blindly to avoid adverse effects on the body.