The efficacy, effects and contraindications of lotus root

When it comes to lotus root, many people actually don’t know what it is. In fact, ground lotus root is also called ground bamboo shoots. It is very common in many places. Ground bamboo shoots are not cultivated, but grow wild. Many people actually like to eat ground bamboo shoots, but they don’t know the nutritional value and benefits of ground bamboo shoots. I don't even know the taboos about ground bamboo shoots. Today we will introduce to you the effects, functions and contraindications of ground lotus root.

Ground bamboo shoots are also called ground bamboo shoots, ground silkworm seeds, ground lotus roots, etc. They are relatively common in various parts of my country. They are mainly distributed in Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Inner Mongolia, Hebei, Shandong and other places in my country. Some people eat ground bamboo shoots as pickled products in their daily lives. But in fact, the ground bamboo shoots are also a kind of rhizome that can be used as a traditional Chinese medicinal material. Its main functions are to lower blood lipids, open the nine orifices, benefit joints, and nourish qi. So what are the specific medicinal values ​​of ground bamboo shoots?

Morphological characteristics of ground bamboo shoots

The ground shoot is a perennial herb, 0.6-1.7 meters high; the rhizome is horizontal and has nodes, with dense fibrous roots on the nodes, and the tips are enlarged and cylindrical. At this time, there are scale leaves and a few fibrous roots on the nodes, or there are enlarged underground branches with scale leaves on the sides. The stem is erect, usually unbranched, quadrangular, grooved, green, often more or less purplish red at the nodes, glabrous, or sparsely covered with small stiff hairs at the nodes.

The leaves are very short-stalked or nearly sessile, oblong-lanceolate, ± arcuate, usually 4-8 cm long, 1.2-2.5 cm wide, acuminate at apex, narrow at base, with sharp, coarse serrations on margin, glossy, bright green on both sides or above, glabrous on both sides, with sunken glandular dots below, 6-7 pairs of lateral veins, inconspicuous above and prominent below with midrib. The cyme is sessile, spherical in outline, 1.2-1.5 cm in diameter when flowering, with many flowers densely packed and supported by bracteoles; bracteoles are ovate to lanceolate, with pointed thorns at the apex, those located on the outer side are longer than the calyx, up to 5 mm long, with 3 veins, and those located on the inner side are 2-3 mm long, shorter than or equal to the calyx, with 1 vein, and all with small cilia on the edges.

The calyx is bell-shaped, 3 mm long, glabrous on both sides, with glandular dots on the outside, 5 calyx teeth, lanceolate-triangular, 2 mm long, with thorny tips, and small ciliate margins. The corolla is white, 5 mm long, with glandular dots on the outside of the crown brim and white short soft hairs on the inside at the throat. The crown tube is about 3 mm long, the crown brim is not obviously two-lipped, the upper lip is nearly round, the lower lip is 3-lobed, and the middle lobe is larger. Only the anterior pair of stamens are fertile, extending beyond the corolla, with slightly recurved apex; filaments are filiform, glabrous; anthers are ovate, 2-chambered, slightly divergent; posterior pair of stamens are degenerate, filiform, with clavate apex. The style extends out of the corolla, with 2 equal shallow lobes at the apex, and the lobes are linear. The flower disk is flat-topped.

The nutlets are obovate quadrilateral, slightly narrow at the base, 1.6 mm long, 1.2 mm wide, brown, with thickened edges, flat back, ridged ventrally, and glandular dots. The flowering period is from June to September, and the fruiting period is from August to November.

Nutrition

Ground bamboo shoots are rich in starch, protein, minerals, as well as zelanose, glucose, lactose, sucrose, stachyose, etc., which can provide rich energy for the human body. Every 100 grams of fresh ground bamboo shoots contains 4.3 grams of protein, 0.7 grams of fat, 9 grams of carbohydrates, 4.7 grams of crude fiber, 6.33 milligrams of carotene, 1.4 milligrams of niacin, as well as vitamins B1, B2, C and various mineral elements, volatile oils, tannic acid, phenols, zearalenose, stachyose, galactose, amino acids, etc. In spring and summer, you can pick the tender stems and leaves and eat them cold, stir-fry, or make soup. The main food is the underground swollen white runners dug out after late autumn and eaten fresh or fried, or made into pickles, etc. The taste is a rare wild vegetable.

Indications

Ground bamboo shoots have the functions of lowering blood lipids, opening the nine orifices, benefiting joints, and nourishing qi and blood. It can promote blood circulation, remove blood stasis, promote diuresis and reduce swelling. It is used for irregular menstruation, amenorrhea, dysmenorrhea, abdominal pain due to postpartum blood stasis, edema and other symptoms. Nature and flavor: sweet, spicy, warm.

① "Jiayou Materia Medica": "warm, non-toxic."

② "Compendium of Materia Medica": "sweet in taste."

③ "Compendium of Materia Medica": "Sweet and spicy, warm, non-toxic." Functions and indications: Activate blood circulation, invigorate qi, and eliminate water.

The efficacy and function of ground bamboo shoots

Treats vomiting blood, epistaxis, postpartum abdominal pain, and leucorrhea.

① "Supplement to Materia Medica": "It benefits the nine orifices, dredges the blood vessels, discharges pus and treats bleeding."

② "Rihuazi Bencao": "It can stop nosebleed, vomiting blood, and postpartum abdominal pain."

③ "Classification of Herbal Properties": "Harmonizes qi and nourishes blood, replenishes essence and strengthens qi, treats weakness and pale complexion in women."

④ "Collection of Common Folk Herbal Medicines": "It can treat weakness, replenish the middle qi, eliminate water, and treat leucorrhea."

Usage and dosage of ground bamboo shoots

10-30 grams each time. Decoction in water.

Taboos on eating ground bamboo shoots

Do not take if you have weak spleen and stomach, diarrhea or abdominal pain.

Are ground bamboo shoots poisonous?

Non-toxic.

Additional recipe for ground bamboo shoots

1. Treatment of amenorrhea: 30 grams of ground shoots, 10 grams of red peony root, 30 grams of cooked rehmannia, 9 grams of angelica, 30 grams of motherwort, and 9 grams of cyperus. Take it in decoction, 2 doses per day.

2. To treat abdominal pain caused by blood stasis after childbirth: 30g of ground bamboo shoots, 10g of red peony root, 9g of angelica, 9g of frankincense, 9g of myrrh, 9g of peach kernel, and 6g of safflower. Take it in decoction, 1 dose per day.

3. Treatment of bruises and injuries: 30 grams of ground shoots, 10 grams of peach kernel, 9 grams of safflower, 12 grams of angelica, 30 grams of cooked rehmannia, 10 grams of red peony root, 10 grams of Citrus aurantium, 9 grams of frankincense, and 9 grams of myrrh. Decoction in water, 1 dose per day.

The efficacy and function of ground bamboo shoots

Overall, the nutritional value of ground bamboo shoots is very high. In addition to being used as medicine, the rhizomes of ground bamboo shoots can be eaten cold, stir-fried, made into soups, etc. after being picked in spring and summer, and they are all very delicious. Although the nutritional value of ground bamboo shoots is high, they are not suitable for everyone. Experts say that people with weak spleen and stomach, diarrhea and abdominal pain should not eat it, and it is recommended that everyone pay attention to it. I hope the editor’s introduction above will be helpful to everyone. undefined