The efficacy, effects and contraindications of Chinese medicine Polygonum cuspidatum

Polygonum cuspidatum, also known as sour cabbage stem and spotted stick root, is a traditional Chinese medicinal material in my country. It is cold in nature and slightly bitter in taste. It is often used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat symptoms such as liver depression and kidney deficiency, carbuncles, ulcers, and burns caused by fire or water. Although Japanese knotweed has very good medicinal properties, not everyone can take it. So, who should not eat Japanese knotweed? What are the beneficial effects of taking Japanese knotweed on the body? The following will introduce you in detail the effects, functions and taboos of Japanese knotweed. Those who want to master Japanese knotweed should check it out now!

Polygonum cuspidatum, also known as sour cabbage stem and spotted stick root, is a traditional Chinese medicinal material in my country.

The efficacy and function of Japanese knotweed

Polygonum cuspidatum can dispel wind, clear away heat and dampness, break up blood stasis and unclog the meridians. It is used to treat rheumatic pain in bones and tendons, jaundice caused by cold and dampness, clear and thin stranguria, liver depression and kidney deficiency in women, retained lochia during childbirth, accumulation of lumps and hemorrhoidal bleeding. Injuries from falls, burns, ulcers and ringworms.

1. "Bielu": It is used to promote menstrual flow and resolve blood retention.

2. "Records of Medicinal Herbs in Lingnan": Treats snake bites, impetigo, and stock stop-loss pain.

3. Materia Medica: Treats heat and irritability, quenches thirst, promotes bowel movements, and suppresses all heat toxins.

4. "Supplement to Compendium of Materia Medica": It is used to treat wind in joints and blood stasis. Boil the juice and make it into wine and drink it.

5. "Bencao Gangmu" (Bencao Gangmu): It is used to treat postpartum blood retention and abdominal distension and pain. It can discharge pus, treat sores, furuncles, carbuncles, fainting in women, blood stasis caused by injuries, and eliminate wind-toxic and qi-stagnant qi.

6. "Compendium of Materia Medica in Southern Yunnan": It can attack various swellings and toxins, stop sore throat, promote bowel movements, and regulate the meridians. It is used to treat five types of stranguria, leucorrhea, hemorrhoids, sores, carbuncles, and red secretions in women.

7. "Medical Collection" says: It strengthens the kidney, strengthens yang and benefits the kidney, strengthens bones and tendons, and increases strength. Applying it to bruised and damaged areas can repair tendons and correct bones.

8. "Guizhou Folk Prescriptions and Medicines": It has astringent properties and can activate blood circulation, treat hemorrhoids, fistulas, and rheumatism, dispel cold, disperse blood stasis, and can be applied externally to treat burns.

9. "Experimental Research on Traditional Chinese Medicine": It can treat toothache caused by excessive internal heat, leg ulcers caused by wet sores, and wet ulcers on the toes.

Although Japanese knotweed has very good medicinal properties, not everyone can take it.

Taboos of Japanese knotweed

Use with caution during pregnancy.

Side effects of Japanese knotweed

Polygonum cuspidatum contains rhubarb, tannins and a variety of phenolic compounds, which are toxic. Excessive intake may irritate the gastric mucosa and cause reactions. The side effects are manifested as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, often due to excessive dehydration causing coma, physical exhaustion, shock, etc. Long-term use can cause low platelets and false bleeding tendency. Large doses can cause liver damage, abnormal liver function, leukocytopenia, and a small amount of hematuria. The tannin contained in Polygonum cuspidatum can be permanently combined with vitamin B21. Therefore, when taking Polygonum cuspidatum in large quantities for a long time, vitamin B21 supplementation should be considered as appropriate.

How to eat Japanese knotweed

1. Dried black plum and knotweed honey

Ingredients: 500g dried plums, 250g Japanese knotweed, 1000g pure honey

Method: First wash the dried black plums and Japanese knotweed, soak them in water for 1 hour and then put them into a ceramic pot, add appropriate amount of water, simmer over low heat for 1 hour, filter out about 500ml of juice, add water and fry again, filter out 300ml of the second juice and reserve it. Then add the juice and pure honey into the pot, simmer for 5 minutes on low heat, and cool and seal the bottle. Take 1 tablespoon each time, with warm water after meals.

Function: Clears away heat and relieves fire, promotes bile secretion and relieves pain. Suitable for chronic cholecystitis, right upper abdominal pain or discomfort, etc.

2. Guixin Wine

Ingredients: 120g star anise, 120g peony bark, 120g red peony root, 120g Achyranthes bidentata, 150g Polygonum cuspidatum, 100g Evodia rutaecarpa, 90g Rheum officinale, 70g Bupleurum, 30g Asarum, 50g Bombyx batryticatus, 300g Cannabis seed, 180g Rehmannia root, 150g Turtle shell, 20g Luzi, 120g dry lacquer, 500g pure grain wine

Preparation: First grind cinnamon bark, peony bark, red peony root, Achyranthes bidentata, dried lacquer, root of ophiopogon, ophiopogon, Evodia rutaecarpa, Coptis chinensis, Scutellaria baicalensis, ash (blood charcoal), asarum, bombyx batryticatus, hemp seed, ophiopogon sylvestris, dried rehmannia root, polygonum cuspidatum root, turtle shell, and ?luzi into coarse powder and put them into a cloth bag and place in a container. Then add pure grain wine and seal it for soaking for 7 to 10 days, filter and remove the residue.

Effect: It has the effects of promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis, warming the meridians and removing dampness, and unblocking meridians and resolving stagnation. It is suitable for patients with rheumatism and other diseases.