What are the medicinal uses of Gastrodia elata?

Gastrodia elata, a common Chinese medicine, mostly appears on the dining table, because it can be combined with other ingredients to make delicious and nutritious medicinal food. At a time when health care is popular, Gastrodia elata medicinal food is extremely popular. For many people, Gastrodia elata is very good, rich in nutrients and can also treat diseases. So, what are the medicinal uses of Gastrodia elata? Let’s find out together.

1. Name of Gastrodia elata:

Gastrodia elata, originally named Chijian, was first recorded in Ben Jing (Compendium of Materia Medica) and the name Gastrodia elata was first included in Kaibao Materia Medica in the Song Dynasty. In the Ming Dynasty's "Compendium of Materia Medica", the two were combined and called "Gastrodia elata red arrow". It is also known as Mingtian hemp, Shencao (Wu Pu's Materia Medica), Duyaozhi (Baopuzi), Dingfengcao (Yaoxinglun), Helicao and Limu (Tujing Materia Medica). The Japanese call it ghost arrow shaft, thief's foot, etc.

2. Evaluation of Gastrodia elata in ancient Chinese medical literature

Gastrodia elata has been highly praised in some ancient Chinese medical literature. As early as more than 2,000 years ago, "Shennong's Herbal Classic" listed Gastrodia elata as a top-grade product. Li Shizhen, an outstanding medical scientist in the Ming Dynasty, summarized the discussions on the effects of Gastrodia elata in books of all dynasties in his Compendium of Materia Medica: Gastrodia elata is "spicy, warm, and non-toxic. Long-term use can replenish energy, lengthen the yin, make the body fat and healthy, lighten the body, and increase longevity. It can also eliminate edema, fullness of the lower limbs, and bleeding from cold hernia. It is mainly used to treat rheumatism, cramps in the limbs, paralysis; wind pain in children, fright, help yang energy, replenish the five soils and seven injuries; it can treat dizziness and headache due to wind deficiency, dredge blood vessels, and open the orifices. It can be taken without any taboos."

3. Medicinal Value of Gastrodia

In my country, Gastrodia elata has been used as medicine for more than 1,000 years. Its medicinal effects include:

1. Analgesic effect: The Tianma injection made from Tianma has obvious analgesic effect on trigeminal neuralgia, vascular neurosis headache, cerebrovascular disease headache, toxic polyneuritis, etc. In recent years, after clinical trials on more than 1,000 patients in some medical institutions, the effectiveness rate reached 90%.

2. Sedative effect: Some medical institutions use synthetic gastrodin (Gastrodin) to treat patients with neurasthenia and neurasthenia syndrome, with effective rates of 89.44% and 86.87% respectively. It can also inhibit the central nervous system excitatory effects caused by caffeine and enhance the sleep time effect of pentobarbital.

3. Anticonvulsant effect: Gastrodia elata has certain therapeutic effects on facial nerve convulsions, limb numbness, hemiplegia, epilepsy, etc. It can also relieve smooth muscle spasms, angina pectoris and biliary colic.

4. Blood pressure lowering effect: Gastrodia elata can treat high blood pressure. Long-term use can calm the liver and replenish qi, benefit the waist and knees, strengthen the tendons and bones, and also increase peripheral and coronary blood flow, which has a protective effect on the heart.

5. Improve eyesight and enhance intelligence: Gastrodia elata can improve eyesight and significantly enhance memory. Gastrodia elata has obvious protective and regulatory effects on the human brain nervous system and can enhance the resolution ability of the optic nerve. It has been used as a brain health food or brain health medicine for high-altitude flyers. Japan uses Gastrodia elata injection to treat Alzheimer's disease, with an effectiveness rate of 81%.

4. Tianma Diet Therapy

Gastrodia elata stewed chicken

[Ingredients] 1 chicken (500 grams), 10 grams of Gastrodia elata, and appropriate amount of seasoning.

[Preparation method]

(1) After slaughtering the chicken, remove the hair and internal organs and wash it clean.

(2) Wash and slice the Gastrodia elata.

(3) Place the Gastrodia elata in the chicken’s belly. Put the chicken into a pot, add water and stew until it is cooked through. Add seasonings and serve.

[Effects] Extinguish wind, promote qi circulation, and activate blood circulation.

[Application] Treating physical weakness, postpartum blood deficiency and dizziness.

2. Gastrodia elata stewed with pig brain

[Ingredients] 15 grams of Gastrodia elata and 1 pig brain.

[Preparation method]

(1) Wash and slice Gastrodia elata.

(2) Wash the pig brain.

(3) Place the pig brain and Gastrodia elata slices in an enamel basin and stew until cooked.

[Effects] Dispel wind, open the orifices, promote blood circulation, calm the nerves, and nourish the body.

[Application] Liver deficiency type hypertension, arteriosclerosis, Meniere's syndrome, neurasthenia, dizziness and hemiplegia caused by cerebrovascular accident.

The above is an introduction to the medicinal uses of Gastrodia elata. What needs to be reminded here is that the medicinal use of Gastrodia elata is effective in lowering blood pressure, calming and relieving pain. In fact, if it is a diet therapy of Gastrodia elata, it is very suitable as an auxiliary treatment method for those who need to do these treatments. Therefore, it is very important to master the dietary therapy of Gastrodia elata.