Is rosin really harmful to the human body?

Rosin was originally a raw material for traditional Chinese medicine. It is mainly harvested in summer. Rosin is collected from the liquid flowing down from pine trees. After processing, it becomes rosin. Rosin itself has a wide range of uses. In addition to growing in Guangxi, Fujian, Hunan, and Zhejiang, the pine will have a turpentine smell and a bitter smell. So is rosin really harmful to the human body?

Experts point out that during the process of plucking the duck using rosin, the high temperature slightly expands the duck's pores, and the rosin will penetrate through the duck's skin and remain in the duck's body. Rosin contains a high amount of lead, which is not excreted after being consumed. If it is deposited, it will cause varying degrees of damage to the intelligence of growing children. The toxicity of rosin will increase with repeated use. When heated at high temperatures, duck feathers, rosin, etc. will undergo high-temperature oxidation, and the substances produced are more complex and more harmful to the human body. Can be fatal.

But there are also good ones: Synonyms: pine resin, pine paste, pine fat (Ben Jing), pine gum (Liu Juanzi Gui Yi Fang), asphalt (Wei Sheng Bao Jian), white rosin (Southern Yunnan Materia Medica), pine gum (Compendium of Materia Medica), yellow incense (Bencao Yuanshi), pine resin (Cao Mu Bian Fang).

[Source] It is the oleoresin obtained from the trunk of Pinus massoniana or other plants of the same genus in the Pinaceae family, which is the residue after the volatile oil is removed by distillation. For plant morphology, see the entry for "pine knot".

[Collection] It is mostly harvested in summer. V-shaped or spiral grooves are dug on the pine trunk with a knife to make the oil resin in the sapwood flow out from the wound. After collection, water is added for distillation to distill out the turpentine. The remaining residue, after cooling and solidification, is rosin. Store in a cool, dry place away from fire and heat.

[Medicinal Materials] Rosin is in irregular translucent blocks of varying sizes. The surface is yellow, often with a layer of yellow-white frost powder. At room temperature, it is hard and brittle, easy to break, and has a shiny cross-section, like glass. It has a turpentine odor and a bitter taste. It softens and then melts when heated, producing thick brown smoke when burned. The best ones are those that are neat, translucent, oily and have a strong smell.

Produced in Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian, Hunan, Jiangxi, Zhejiang, Anhui and other places.

[Chemical composition] The rosin of Pinus tabulaeformis and Pinus massoniana contains about 80% rosin anhydride and rosin acid, about 5-6% resin hydrocarbons, about 0.5% volatile oil and trace amounts of bitter substances.

[Preparation] Rosin: Place in a copper pot, heat over low heat to melt, remove impurities, pour into water, wait for it to cool, take out and dry. To make rosin: Boil green onions in water, add rosin powder, and cook until the rosin is completely melted. Pour into cold water while still hot, take out, and dry in the shade. (For every 100 catties of rosin, use 10 catties of onion)

① Tao Hongjing: "Boil pine resin with mulberry ash juice or wine until soft, and then rinse it in cold water for dozens of times. When it becomes white and smooth, it can be used."

② "Compendium of Materia Medica": "Pine resin must be refined first. The method is to add water to a large pot, place a steamer, use white grass to support the bottom of the steamer, and add yellow sand on the grass. It should be an inch thick. Then spread the pine resin on top and cook it with mulberry firewood. When the soup is reduced, add hot water to keep it full. When all the pine resin has entered the pot, take it out and throw it into cold water. After condensing and steaming, do this three times. It will be as white as jade, and then it can be used as medicine."

Rosin has been added to food. Rosin itself is relatively bitter, but it has very good effects, so it is used by people. Many people worry that rosin will be harmful to the body, so people often stay away from it. In fact, there is no need to worry, as rosin is a natural medicine and is harmless in itself.