What are the benefits and effects of wintersweet flowers? Read this article to understand clearly
Wintersweet flowers contain components such as borneol, eucalyptol and linalool. Traditional Chinese medicine holds that wintersweet flowers are slightly sweet, pungent and cool in nature, and have the effects of relieving summer heat and promoting body fluid production, stimulating the appetite and dispersing stagnation, detoxifying and promoting tissue regeneration, and relieving cough. They are mainly used for heatstroke dizziness, vomiting, fever with restlessness and thirst, qi stagnation with gastric oppression, cough and other conditions. Among the people, wintersweet flowers are commonly decocted in water and given to infants to drink, as they have the effect of clearing heat and detoxifying.
Ornamental value
Wintersweet blooms in the cold winter, giving off a delicate fragrance far and wide, and is most suitable for planting in courtyards. Paired with nandina, with its yellow flowers and red berries, wintersweet is a good material for flower arrangements and bonsai.
Medicinal value
1. Pharmacological effects: Intravenous injection in rabbits can lower blood sugar. It has an excitatory effect on isolated rabbit intestine and uterus.
2. Benefits and effects: Detoxifying and clearing heat; regulating qi and dispersing stagnation. Mainly for summer-heat restlessness and thirst; dizziness; chest tightness and gastric stuffiness; globus hystericus; sore and swollen throat; whooping cough; measles in children; scald and burn injuries. Dispersing stagnation and harmonizing the middle, resolving phlegm, and detoxifying. Used for depression and restlessness, liver-stomach qi pain, globus hystericus, scrofula and sores.
[Processing] Remove residual stems, sand and stones, and clods of earth. Sun-dry or oven-dry, and set aside for use
[Nature and flavor] Pungent; sweet; slightly bitter, cool in nature; slightly toxic
[Meridian tropism] Lung; Stomach meridians
[Usage and dosage] Internal use: decoct in water, 3-9g. External use: appropriate amount, apply after soaking in oil or use as ear drops.
[Caution] Use with caution in those with excessive damp pathogens
[Supplementary formulas] (1) For chronic cough: Tiekuaizi flower 3 qian. Infuse in boiling water and take. "Guiyang Folk Medicinal Herbs" (2) For scald and burn injuries: Wintersweet flowers soaked in (with) camellia oil (apply). "Lingnan Materia Medica"
[Various authors' discussions] (1) "Compendium of Materia Medica": Relieves summer heat, promotes body fluid production. (2) "Zhejiang Handbook of Traditional Chinese Medicine": Treats summer-warmth with chest stuffiness and thirst, measles in children, and whooping cough. (3) "Jiangsu Flora of Medicinal Plants": Treats restlessness and thirst, qi stagnation with gastric oppression.
[Common folk remedies] (1) Cough: Wintersweet flowers 9g, infuse in boiling water and drink as tea. (2) Stomach qi pain: Wintersweet flowers or root 9-15g, infuse as tea or decoct in water and take. (3) Otitis media: Wintersweet flower buds soaked in sesame oil or rapeseed oil; after 3-5 days, use the oil as ear drops, 2-3 drops each time. (4) Wind-cold common cold: Root 15g, fresh ginger 3-5 slices, decoct in water and add an appropriate amount of brown sugar before taking. (5) Scald and burn injuries: Wintersweet flowers soaked in rapeseed oil, then applied to the affected area. (6) Summer heat, restlessness, dizziness and headache: Wintersweet flowers, hyacinth bean flowers and fresh lotus leaves in appropriate amounts each, decoct in water and take. (7) Acute conjunctivitis: Wintersweet flowers 6g, chrysanthemum 9g, decoct in water, mix in a little honey and drink.
Edible value
1. Braised beef strips with wintersweet: Beef 500g, wintersweet flowers 10 blossoms, lard 50g, onion 25g, celery 25g, carrot 25g, oil-based roux 15g, and appropriate amounts of refined salt, peppercorns and pepper powder. Cut the beef into strips, coat with salt and pepper powder, mix well and put into the pan; when both sides are lightly golden, add onion chunks, celery sections, turnip slices, peppercorns, etc., bring to a boil over high heat, cook for half an hour, then add the oil-based roux and the blanched wintersweet petals, and it is ready to eat.
2. Plum blossom congee: Take 5-7 white plum blossoms, pull off the petals, wash clean with water and set aside. Wash 100g japonica rice and put it into a pot, cook until the congee is done, add the white plum blossoms and an appropriate amount of white sugar, and bring to a brief boil. This congee can soothe the liver and regulate qi, strengthen the spleen and stimulate the appetite, and refresh the mind and brighten the eyes. It is suitable for liver-stomach qi pain, depression and discomfort, loss of appetite, dizzy head and eyes, neurosis and so on, and is a commonly used item for stimulating the appetite and dispersing stagnation.
3. Wintersweet fish head soup: Wintersweet flowers 10 blossoms, fish head 750g, appropriate amounts of various seasonings, chicken clear soup 1000g. Wash the fish head and put it into a pot to stew, then add the seasonings; after adjusting the flavor, add the wintersweet petals, and it is ready to eat.
4. Stewed tofu with wintersweet: Wintersweet flowers 5 blossoms, appropriate amount of tofu, cooked soybean oil 250g, and appropriate amounts of shredded scallion, cilantro, refined salt and pepper powder. Put the pot on the heat, and after the oil is hot, add the cut tofu strips, fry until yellow, and remove. Pour out the oil, add the shredded scallion and stir-fry briefly, add water and salt, then pour in the tofu strips, stew for 5 minutes, add the pepper powder, and when removing from the pot, add the wintersweet flowers and monosodium glutamate to adjust the flavor.
5. Plum blossom congee: Take 5-7 white plum blossoms, pull off the petals, wash clean with water and set aside. Wash 100g japonica rice and put it into a pot, cook until the congee is done, add the white plum blossoms and an appropriate amount of white sugar, and bring to a brief boil. This congee can soothe the liver and regulate qi, strengthen the spleen and stimulate the appetite, and refresh the mind and brighten the eyes. It is suitable for liver-stomach qi pain, depression and discomfort, loss of appetite, dizzy head and eyes, neurosis and so on, and is a commonly used item for stimulating the appetite and dispersing stagnation.