How much do you know about the effects of milkweed?

Perhaps many people are not familiar with milkweed, but it also has another well-known name "dandelion". It has multiple functions such as anti-inflammatory and analgesic, bile-promoting and liver-protecting, external treatment of various sores, carbuncles, and treatment of bruises, so it is widely welcomed by people in daily life and is often used as medicine to make medicines. People can have a full understanding of this to better play the role of milkweed.

1. Milkweed

In rural areas, you can often see a kind of Chinese herbal medicine on the roadside wasteland and in the fields. That is dandelion. In some places, it is called mother-in-law's bean or pudding. The elderly here prefer to call it milk grass. Why is it called milk grass? This may be related to the function of dandelion. People in rural areas have spread the saying that eating dandelions can help women enlarge their breasts. We have the habit of eating fresh dandelions in our hometown, either steamed, fried, in soup or cold dishes. We also have the habit of making tea with dried dandelions. I don't know how effective it is in breast enhancement, but it tastes pretty good.

2. Effects and functions of milkweed

Women who are breastfeeding probably all have experienced milk retention, and this is when dandelions can come in handy. Eating dandelions can not only eliminate breast lumps, reduce inflammation and relieve pain, but also promote lactation.

Dandelion has the effects of clearing away heat, detoxifying, relieving pain and dispersing nodules. It belongs to the category of heat-clearing and detoxifying drugs in traditional Chinese medicine and has a wide range of uses. It can be used to treat liver heat, red and swollen eyes, mouth and tongue sores, sore throat, and breast abscesses. It also has the effects of resisting gastric ulcers, promoting bile secretion and protecting the liver, and treating various infections and suppurative diseases. It can also be used to treat various sores and carbuncles externally, and can be taken orally or applied externally. In addition, dandelion is also an excellent diuretic Chinese medicine, which can treat hot and painful stranguria, and jaundice caused by damp heat, such as colds and fever, acute tonsillitis, urinary tract infection, etc.

It can be said that in the era when medicine was underdeveloped, dandelions were a treasure for rural people. When encountering the above-mentioned diseases, they could just pick some dandelions from the roadside for external or internal application, or wait until the dandelions are mature, pick them and dry them for later use. The old people said that the newly picked dandelions should be picked with the roots, because the roots also have great medicinal properties. After picking, they cannot be exposed to the sun, as this will affect the medicinal efficacy. They should be dried in a ventilated place.

3. Several folk remedies about dandelions that are popular in rural areas

For burns with complications of infection, mash fresh dandelions and add a little alcohol to apply to the affected area.

For stomachache, use about 20 grams each of dandelion, white peony, salvia miltiorrhiza, and licorice, decoct in water and take one dose daily. One month is a course of treatment.

For hemorrhoid bleeding, take 30 grams each of dandelion and sanguisorba officinalis, dry them and grind them into powder. Take 6 grams per dose, boil them into a soup with ginger and jujube.

For acute mastitis (not suppurative), decoct 60 grams of fresh dandelion in water and take it once in the morning and evening. Mash it and apply it to the affected area.

For bruises and injuries, mash fresh dandelions and apply them to the affected area.

As the saying goes, all medicines are poisonous to some extent. Chinese herbal medicines are not suitable for everyone. It depends on the individual's physical condition. For example, some people will experience allergic reactions such as hives, skin itching, and fatigue after taking dandelions in tea, wine, or decoction.

Although Chinese herbal medicine is easy to obtain, inexpensive, and has low treatment costs, it must be taken under the guidance of professionals. While learning about Chinese herbal medicine and its medicinal properties, everyone can also experience the magic of our country's traditional Chinese medicine culture.