What are the benefits and effects of Stellaria dichotoma root? A detailed guide
Stellaria dichotoma root, also known as mountain vegetable root, ox tripe root, and sand ginseng, is the root of Stellaria dichotoma, a plant in the genus Stellaria of the family Caryophyllaceae. It is distributed in Northeast China as well as Inner Mongolia, Hebei, Shaanxi, Gansu, Ningxia and other places. Used as medicine, it has the effect of clearing heat and cooling the blood, and has therapeutic effects on consumptive disease with steaming bone syndrome, chronic malaria due to yin deficiency, and infantile malnutrition with heat and emaciation. Let us take a look at the benefits and effects of Stellaria dichotoma root together below!
The medicinal benefits of Stellaria dichotoma root
[Nature and flavor] Sweet and bitter in flavor, cool in nature.
[Meridians entered] Liver and stomach meridians.
[Benefits] Clears heat and cools the blood. It mainly treats consumptive disease with steaming bone syndrome, chronic malaria due to yin deficiency, and infantile malnutrition with heat and emaciation, but it is contraindicated for those with externally contracted wind-cold and those with blood deficiency but no heat.
Related discussions on Stellaria dichotoma root
1. "Bencao Congxin": Treats consumptive disease with muscle heat and steaming bone, malarial disease with heat emerging from the marrow, and infantile five types of malnutrition with emaciation and heat.
2. "Yilin Zuanyao": Strengthens kidney water, calms ministerial fire.
3. "Bencao Qiuyuan": Clears heat in the lung, stomach, spleen, and kidney, and can also cool the blood. Treats deficiency damage of the five zang organs, consumptive heat of the skin and flesh, steaming bone with restlessness and pain, and damp impediment with contracture and spasm.
The pharmacological effects of Stellaria dichotoma root
1. Antipyretic effect: Stellaria dichotoma root has an antipyretic and analgesic effect. It has a clear antipyretic effect on fever caused by typhoid and paratyphoid vaccines, Escherichia coli fluid, fermented milk, yeast, and others, and can also lower the normal body temperature of animals.
2. Sedative effect: Stellaria dichotoma root has a sedative effect, and has a certain effect on insomnia and frequent dreaming caused by internal heat and restlessness.
3. Antitussive effect: Stellaria dichotoma root has an antagonistic effect on central nervous system stimulants, and therefore has a certain therapeutic effect on cough.
4. Antiviral effect: Stellaria dichotoma root is also effective against influenza virus, hepatitis virus, vaccinia virus, type I poliovirus, and herpes virus.
The clinical applications of Stellaria dichotoma root
1. Fever due to yin deficiency: Stellaria dichotoma root is sweet and cold, nourishes yin, clears heat and cools the blood. It reduces fever without bitter purging, and regulates yin without causing rising and soaring. It is a commonly used medicine for reducing deficiency heat and eliminating steaming bone. For fever due to yin deficiency, consumptive heat with steaming bone, tidal fever and night sweats, it is mostly used together with Digupi (Cortex Lycii), Qinghao (Artemisia annua), and Biejia (Trionycis Carapax), as in Qinggu San.
2. Fever due to malnutrition: Stellaria dichotoma root can clear deficiency heat and resolve malnutrition heat, so it is used to treat fever due to malnutrition caused by food stagnation or worm accumulation in children, with abdominal distension, thirst, emaciation, and dry and scorched hair. It is often used together with Huhuanglian (Picrorhiza scrophulariiflora), Jineijin (Gallus gallus domesticus inner lining), and Shijunzi (Quisqualis indica) to jointly produce the effects of resolving accumulation, killing worms, strengthening the spleen, and treating malnutrition. It can also be used together with Zhizi (Gardenia jasminoides), Renshen (Panax ginseng), and Bohe (Mentha haplocalyx), as in Chaihu Qinggan Tang.
Medicinal selected formulas for Stellaria dichotoma root
1. To treat consumptive heat with steaming bone: Stellaria dichotoma root 1 qian and 5 fen, Huhuanglian (Picrorhiza scrophulariiflora), Qinjiao (Gentiana macrophylla), Biejia (Trionycis Carapax, vinegar-prepared), Digupi (Cortex Lycii), Qinghao (Artemisia annua), and Zhimu (Anemarrhena asphodeloides) 1 qian each, Gancao (Glycyrrhiza uralensis) 5 fen. Add 2 zhong of water, decoct to 8 fen, and take away from meals.
2. To treat tidal fever in warm disease, withered skin on the body, scaly skin, and emaciation without luster: Stellaria dichotoma root 2 qian, Biejia (Trionycis Carapax) 3 qian.