When it comes to Houttuynia cordata, it may be "mixed", and people often remember it not because it is good, but because of its various bad rumors. This reminds me of a sentence in "Caigen Tan", "Love becomes hatred, and thinness becomes happiness". Houttuynia cordata has so many medicinal effects and so many amazing pharmacological effects, and instead of paying attention to it, it digs deep into it and amplifies the adverse reactions. In fact, the biggest controversial topic for Houttuynia cordata is that when studying the chemical composition of Houttuynia cordata, one of the 11 compounds isolated is called Aristolochia lactam AII[1]. Some scholars have deeply discussed the safety of Houttuynia cordata from the aspects of structure-activity relationship, dose-response relationship, and experimental research based on the chemical structure of Aristolochia cordata in Houttuynia cordata, and the results show that foods containing Houttuynia cordata and oral and topical drugs have high safety [2].
Houttuynia cordata is not only a traditional Chinese medicine, but also a delicacy, especially in the south, Houttuynia cordata often appears on the table in various forms, and has a history of thousands of years of consumption. Houttuynia cordata is also known as "folded ear root" in the folk, and was called "bracken" in ancient times, Zhang Heng of the Han Dynasty recorded in the "Nandu Fu": "If its garden, there are lotus roots, potato cane ginger wa, taro melon", these are edible plants. Moreover, the earliest drive in history to promote the consumption of bracken may also be related to the Yue King Goujian, there is a saying, "The Yue King eats the bracken: the rise of 'bracken'" [3]. Therefore, Houttuynia cordata is a plant that has appeared in people's food recipes for thousands of years without interruption, and we should protect it and not let it be led by some "good deeds" into the abyss of "no return".
Houttuynia cordata, as a traditional Chinese medicine, was first published in the "Famous Doctors' Catalogue", but its efficacy was recorded too simply at that time, and it was only said that it was "the main cockroach drowning sores". But in the real sense, the medicinal effect of Houttuynia cordata shines brightly is the first recommendation of "Southern Yunnan Materia Medica", which records that Houttuynia cordata can be used to treat "pulmonary carbuncle cough with pus and blood, phlegm has a fishy smell", and "cure hemorrhoids, both inside and outside". Later, the medicine saint Li Shizhen supplemented the medicinal effects of Houttuynia cordata in the "Compendium of Materia Medica", believing that Houttuynia cordata has the effect of "heat dissipation and poisonous carbuncles, sores and hemorrhoids prolapse, severance and prolapse, and detoxification", and also mentioned in the "Attached Prescription" that Houttuynia cordata can be used to treat back sores and swelling, hemorrhoids and pain, pediatric prolapse, insect tooth pain, amputated malaria, evil snake and insect wounds and other diseases.
The role of Houttuynia cordata has been further extended and developed in the Qing Dynasty, for example, the role of Houttuynia cordata has been comprehensively summarized in the "Medical Forest Compendium", which believes that Houttuynia cordata has the functions of "walking water, tackling tough problems, removing miasma, and relieving heatstroke", and has the effects of "treating snake and insect venom, treating beriberi, ulcering carbuncles, and removing blood stasis". In the "Classification of Herbal Properties", there is a new insight into the role of Houttuynia cordata, which believes that Houttuynia cordata has the effects of "treating five showers, reducing edema, removing food accumulation, replenishing weakness, and eliminating swelling". In the "Lingnan Herb Collection", the effect of Houttuynia cordata for external use and internal administration is distinguished, and it is believed that the fresh leaves of Houttuynia cordata can be applied to the affected area after being mashed, which can treat "vicious sores" and have the effect of "disinfection", while the internal administration of Houttuynia cordata decoction can treat "dysentery" and have the effect of "removing dampness and heat". It is not difficult to see that in the Ming and Qing dynasties, Houttuynia cordata was still quite profound in its medicinal efficacy.
It is precisely because of the clinical effect of Houttuynia cordata that it is indeed extraordinary, and it has been included in traditional Chinese medicine and pharmacopoeia in contemporary times, and there is also a summary of the efficacy and indications of Houttuynia cordata. Houttuynia cordata has a pungent taste, slightly cold nature, mainly belongs to the lung meridian, has the effect of clearing heat and detoxifying, eliminating carbuncle and draining pus, diuretic and drenching, and can be used to treat pulmonary carbuncle pus, phlegm heat, wheezing and coughing, carbuncle swelling and sore, hot shower, hot diarrhea and other diseases. In terms of dosage, the general conventional dose is 15~25g, not suitable for a long time to decoction, if it is fresh Houttuynia cordata, the dosage needs to be doubled, decoction or mash juice to take;
Houttuynia cordata is also very traditional Chinese medicine in clinical use, such as for clearing heat and detoxifying, it can be compatible with traditional Chinese medicine such as skullcap, banlan root, forsythia, etc.; if it is used to clear heat and dissolve phlegm, relieve cough and asthma, it can be compatible with traditional Chinese medicine such as fresh bamboo drain, shengbanxia, loquat leaves; if it is used for detoxification and phlegm, cool blood and remove stasis, eliminate symptoms and disperse knots, it can be compatible with traditional Chinese medicine such as crane grass, dried toad skin, Zhejiang fritillary, etc.; if it is used to clear the plague and detoxify, release lung and release heat, it can be compatible with traditional Chinese medicine such as banlan root and forsythia; if it is used for clearing heat and detoxifying, reducing swelling and draining pus and dispersing knots, it can be compatible with alum, Croton, cinnabar and other traditional Chinese medicines; if it is used for clearing heat and dampness, clearing drenching and stopping dysentery, it can be compatible with traditional Chinese medicines such as white flower snake tongue grass, soybean grass, honeysuckle, etc.; if it is used for healing and detoxification, dispersing stasis, it can be compatible with traditional Chinese medicines such as arborvitae oriental cypress leaf and ground pine; if it is used for clearing heat and detoxification, diuresis and swelling, it can be compatible with traditional Chinese medicines such as honeysuckle, soybean grass, hawthorn charcoal, etc.[4]. I have to say that the compatibility of Houttuynia cordata is also a rather mysterious science.
With the in-depth study of modern pharmacology, Houttuynia cordata has suddenly become a "fragrant dumpling", because the pharmacological effect of Houttuynia cordata is too powerful and not comparable to ordinary Chinese herbal medicine. Modern pharmacological studies have shown that Houttuynia cordata has a variety of pharmacological effects such as enhancing immune function, anti-allergic, anti-asthmatic, anti-tumor, antibacterial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, diuretic [5], antipyretic, antitussive, antidepressant, improving insulin resistance, hypoglycemia, improving ventricular remodeling [6], anti-radiation [7], antihypertensive, anti-inflammatory and analgesic [8], anti-radiation [9]. I have to say that these unique pharmacological effects of Houttuynia cordata are really unexpected, and these pharmacological effects of Houttuynia cordata have a significant effect on human health.
In modern clinical practice, the application scope of Houttuynia cordata is gradually broadened, and it can be used for the treatment of acute upper respiratory tract infection, acute urinary tract infection, bacterial dysentery, multiple boils, pelvic inflammatory disease, salpingitis infertility, herpes simplex keratitis, early blepharitis, oral ulcer, laryngeogenic cough, hepatitis B, tuberculosis, habitual constipation, functional diarrhea, lung cancer hemoptysis, cancerous pleural effusion, diaper dermatitis [5]; Pneumonia, bronchiolitis, mumps, pediatric acute diarrhea, pyelonephritis, adjuvant diagnosis of infertility, neoplastic diseases, viral myocarditis, pulmonary encephalopathy and other diseases [10]. It has to be said that Houttuynia cordata shines in modern clinical practice, and there are also various Chinese patent medicines and their preparations containing Houttuynia cordata, which has also greatly expanded the application of Houttuynia cordata in traditional Chinese medicine. However, when using Houttuynia cordata clinically, it should be remembered that deficiency cold syndrome and negative sores should not be used.
bibliography
[1] Chen Shaodan, Gao Hao, Lu Chuanjian, et al.Study on alkaloids and amide components in Houttuynia cordata[J].Journal of Shenyang Pharmaceutical University,2013,30(11):846-850.
[2] Yin Xingxing, Chen Jing, Shi Chunyang, et al.Exploring the safety of Houttuynia cordata from Aristolochia lactam[J].Chinese Herbal Medicine,2021,52(19):6045-6051.
[3] Hong Wei.Food, medicine and scenery: the use of Houttuynia cordata in traditional China[J].Chinese Agricultural History,2016,(6):111-120.
[4] Wu Zihao, Wei Yu, Wei Ruonan, et al.Clinical application and dosage of Houttuynia cordata[J].Journal of Changchun University of Traditional Chinese Medicine,2022,38(10):1080-1083.
Chinese Journal of Misdiagnosis,2008,8(22):5520-5521.
[6] Du Xiangqun, Chen Minyan, Xu Ying.Research progress on the composition and pharmacology of Houttuynia cordata[J].Jiangxi Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine,2012,43(2):66-68.
[7] Bai Ling, Ma Minyi.Overview of Houttuynia cordata[J].XPCC Medicine,2018,(1):65-67.
[8] Liang Minghui.Study on the chemical composition and pharmacological effects of Houttuynia cordata[J].Chinese Medicine Guide,2019,17(2):153-154.
[9] Huang Nanlong, Huang Huanming, Zhang Biyu, et al.Overview of the pharmacological effects, clinical application and adverse reactions of Houttuynia cordata in traditional Chinese medicine[J].Fujian Traditional Chinese Medicine,2021,52(3):58-60.
[10] Li Xiuqing.Modern pharmacological research on Houttuynia cordata in traditional Chinese medicine[J].Heilongjiang Medicine,2014,27(4):865-868.
[This graphic and text is exclusively and originally produced by "Shenxiyuan" new media. Author: Shen Xi Yuan (the spiritual home of global Chinese medicine practitioners, the museum of Chinese medicine life science), without authorization, please do not reprint or copy]