What are the effects and functions of white peony and how to eat it?

White peony root is a relatively common medicine, and its effects are very wide-ranging. It has high medicinal value and can help our body after eating it. However, many friends do not understand some of the effects and functions of white peony root and how to eat it. Only correct consumption can achieve the corresponding effects. So what are the effects and functions of white peony root and how to eat it?

White peony root is the root of the Ranunculaceae plant Paeonia lactiflora without the outer skin. White peony, also known as white flower peony, is a plant of the genus Paeonia in the Ranunculaceae family. Peony is a traditional medicinal flower in my country with a long history of cultivation. It is famous both at home and abroad, and its roots are used as medicine. It still exists in the wild in Qinling Mountains, Dabie Mountains and other places. It is mainly produced in Shandong, Anhui, Zhejiang, Sichuan, Guizhou and other provinces, and is cultivated in Northeast China, Hebei, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Shaanxi and other places. White peony can be divided into three categories according to its producing area: those produced in Zhejiang are called "Hangzhou peony", those produced in Anhui are called "Bo peony", and those produced in Sichuan are called "Chuan peony".

The underground part of peony is lumpy or thick; the leaves are basal or cauline, large, alternate, pinnate or trifoliate or deeply lobed; the flowers are large and beautiful, solitary at the top of the branches or sometimes in bundles, white; the sepals are 5, persistent; the petals are 5-10, but often double in cultivated species; the stamens are numerous; the disk is annular or cup-shaped; the carpels are 2-5, developed centrifugally, and become follicles when fruiting, each with several seeds. Growing in bushes or grass on hillsides and valleys.

In the Book of Songs - Zheng Feng, there is a line that goes "The man and the woman, they joke with each other, and give each other peonies as gifts." Because it is often given to each other by men and women when they bid farewell, the ancient Chinese people regarded peony as the grass that symbolizes separation. In ancient times, there was a saying that "Peony is the king of flowers, and Peony is the minister of flowers". Due to the beauty of color, fragrance and charm of Peony, literati of all dynasties have praised it highly. Peony is divided into red peony and white peony. Red peony promotes blood circulation and removes blood stasis, while white peony nourishes blood and nourishes yin. It is a good medicine for dispelling evil and strengthening the body. There is a short poem in the field of traditional Chinese medicine that describes the appearance and efficacy of white peony: "White peony is evenly distributed at both ends, firm and heavy pink in color, with fine chrysanthemum veins, it replenishes blood, restrains yin, soothes liver yang, softens the liver and relieves pain."

The efficacy and function of white peony root

Bitter, sour, slightly cold. Enters the liver meridian. Nourishes blood and restrains yin, softens the liver and relieves pain, and calms liver yang.

1. Used for irregular menstruation, abdominal pain during menstruation, metrorrhagia, spontaneous sweating, night sweats and other symptoms.

White peony root can nourish blood and restrain yin, and treat gynecological diseases. It is often used in combination with angelica, rehmannia root, chuanxiong and other medicines. If this product is used together with cinnamon twig, it can coordinate the Ying and Wei, and is used to treat exogenous wind-cold, spontaneous sweating and aversion to wind due to superficial deficiency; when used together with dragon bone, oyster, floating wheat and other medicines, it can restrain Yin and suppress Yang, and is used to treat spontaneous sweating, night sweats and other symptoms caused by Yin deficiency and Yang floating.

2. Used for symptoms such as side pain, abdominal pain, and cramps and pain in the hands and feet caused by liver qi disharmony.

White peony root can nourish blood and soften the liver, relieve urgency and stop pain, so it can be used for chest and flank pain, abdominal pain, and cramps in the hands and feet caused by liver qi disharmony. For the treatment of flank pain, it is often used together with Bupleurum chinense, Citrus aurantium, etc.; for the treatment of abdominal pain and cramps in the hands and feet, it is often used together with Licorice; for the treatment of abdominal pain caused by dysentery, it can be used together with Coptis chinensis, Costusroot lappa, etc.

3. Used for headache and dizziness caused by hyperactivity of liver yang.

When used raw, white peony root can restrain yin and calm liver yang, so it can be used for symptoms such as headache and dizziness caused by hyperactivity of liver yang. It is often used together with mulberry leaves, chrysanthemum, Uncaria rhynchophylla, and Tribulus terrestris.

4. Beauty and blood nourishment

In traditional Chinese medicine theory, white peony root has the function of nourishing blood and can treat sallow complexion, facial spots, and dullness.

How to buy white peony root

The dried roots are cylindrical, uniform in thickness and straight, 10 to 20 cm long and 1 to 1.8 cm in diameter. The surface is light reddish brown or pinkish white, flat, or with obvious longitudinal wrinkles and root marks. There are brown spots where the cork has not been completely removed, and occasionally transverse lenticels can be seen. It is solid and heavy, not easy to break. The cross section is grayish white or slightly brown, and the rays of the wood are chrysanthemum-shaped. It has no smell and tastes slightly bitter and sour. The best roots are those that are thick, long, straight, solid, powdery and have a clean surface.

The roots are thin and curved, of varying sizes, with many cork and fibrous root marks, loose texture, little powder, unclear cross-sectional rays, and inferior quality.

Storage of White Peony

Keep in a cool, dry place, tightly closed to prevent moth damage.

How to eat white peony root

Peony can produce different effects through different processing methods. White peony root has a stronger effect of astringing yin and calming the liver when used raw; white peony root is better at nourishing blood and liver after being fried, and is often used for people with liver hyperactivity and spleen deficiency and painful diarrhea; white peony root fried with wine is more effective in nourishing blood and activating blood circulation, and is most suitable for symptoms of blood deficiency and cold coagulation and blood stasis; white peony root fried with vinegar enhances its ability to soften the liver and relieve pain.

The above is an introduction to the effects, functions and consumption methods of white peony. I believe that friends who don’t know much about white peony should now understand that it has a very good therapeutic effect on some diseases and is also very beneficial to our human health. Therefore, everyone should pay more attention to this knowledge in daily life.