The efficacy and function of yam[picture]

There are many kinds of common Chinese medicinal materials in life. Many people don’t know how to choose when using them, such as yam [picture]. So before choosing, you need to have a certain understanding of its efficacy and dosage. So do you know what the efficacy and function of yam [picture] are?

【English name】 RHIZOMA DIOSCOREAE

[Other names] Dioscorea, wild yam, mountain yam, Chinese yam, white yam

[Source] This product is the dried rhizome of Dioscorea opposita Thunb., a plant of the Dioscoreaceae family. It is dug up after the stems and leaves wither in winter, the root head is cut off, washed, the outer skin and fibrous roots are removed, smoked with sulfur, and dried. Some people also choose large and straight dried yams, put them in clean water, soak them until there is no dry core, steam them thoroughly, smoke them with sulfur, cut both ends, rub them into a cylindrical shape with a wooden board, dry them, and polish them. They are commonly called "glossy yams".

[Properties] This product is slightly cylindrical, curved and slightly flat, 15 to 30 cm long and 1.5 to 6 cm in diameter. The surface is yellowish white or light yellow, with longitudinal grooves, longitudinal wrinkles and root marks, and occasionally some light brown outer skin remains. Heavy, solid, not easy to break, white and powdery in cross section. Odorless, light taste, slightly sour, sticky when chewed. The light yam is cylindrical, with flat ends, 9 to 18 cm long and 1.5 to 3 cm in diameter. The surface is smooth, white or yellowish white.

【Identification】 This product is white powder. Single starch granules are flat oval, sub-circular, triangular oval or rectangular, with a diameter of 8-35μm, with hilums in the shape of dots, herringbone, cross or short slits, and visible lamination; compound granules are rare, consisting of 2-3 sub-granules. Calcium oxalate needle bundles exist in mucous cells, are about 240 μm long, and the needles are 2 to 5 μm thick. The diameter of the vessels with marginated pits, reticulate pits, spiral pits and annular pits is 12 to 48 μm.

[Preparation] Yam: remove impurities, separate large and small pieces, soak until thoroughly moistened, cut into thick slices, and dry.

【Nature and flavor】 Sweet, neutral.

[return through] return spleen, lung and kidney meridians.

[Functions and indications] Nourishes the spleen and stomach, promotes the production of body fluids and benefits the lungs, nourishes the kidneys and astringes semen. It is used for spleen deficiency, poor appetite, long-term diarrhea, lung deficiency, asthma and cough, kidney deficiency, spermatorrhea, leucorrhea, frequent urination, and thirst due to deficiency heat. Fried yam with bran nourishes the spleen and strengthens the stomach. It is used for spleen deficiency, poor appetite, diarrhea, loose stools, and excessive leucorrhea.

【Usage and Dosage】 15～30g.

【Storage】Place in ventilated and dry place to prevent moth.

【Excerpt】 Chinese Pharmacopoeia

[Source] Hou Ningji's "Pharmacopoeia"

Above we introduced what yam [picture] is. We know that yam [picture] can not only be used to treat diseases but also has good health benefits, so we must be good at using yam [picture] to protect our health.