According to the Pharmacopoeia

This product is the fresh whole grass or dried aboveground part of Houttuynia cordata Thunb. Fresh products can be harvested throughout the year; dried products are harvested in summer when the stems and leaves are lush and the flower spikes are many, and impurities are removed and dried in the sun.

Traits:
Fresh fritillary: the stem is cylindrical, 20-45cm long, 0.25-0.45cm in diameter; the upper part is green or purplish-red, the lower part is white, the nodes are obvious, and the lower nodes are covered with fibrous roots, glabrous or sparsely hairy. Leaves alternate, blade cordate, 3-10cm long, 3-11cm wide; apex acuminate, entire; upper surface green, densely glandular dots, lower surface often purplish-red; petiole slender, base and stipules connate into sheath-like. Spikes terminal. Fishy odor, astringent taste.

Dried fishy grass: stem is flat cylindrical, twisted, yellowish brown surface, with several longitudinal ribs; brittle, easy to break. Leaf blade folded and crumpled, heart-shaped when flattened, upper surface dark yellow-green to dark brown, lower surface gray-green or gray-brown. The spikes are yellowish brown.

Taste and Meridian: Pungent, slightly cold, belonging to the lung meridian.

Functions and Indications: Clearing heat and removing toxins, eliminating carbuncle and draining pus, diuretic and diuretic. Used for lung carbuncle and pus, phlegm-heat asthma and cough, hot diarrhea, carbuncle and sores.

Usage and dosage: 15~25g, should not be decocted for a long time; double the dosage of fresh products, decocted in water or pounded juice, for external use, pounded or decocted soup fumigation of the affected area.

Storage: dry Cichlids in a dry place; fresh Cichlids in a cool and moist place.

Role of Fishweed

Antibacterial: Modern research has shown that its specific odor mainly comes from an active ingredient in the volatile oil of Fritillariae chinensis – fritillarin (decanoylacetaldehyde). Fisetin is the main antimicrobial component of fritillary, which has obvious inhibitory effect on Cattacoccus, Influenza bacteria, Pneumococcus, Staphylococcus aureus and so on.

Diuretic: Fritillary also contains quercetin and other active ingredients, with antiviral and diuretic effects.

Anti-inflammatory: Clinical practice has proved that Fishweed has a good effect on upper respiratory tract infections, bronchitis, pneumonia, chronic bronchitis, chronic cervicitis, whooping cough, etc., and also has a certain degree of efficacy on acute conjunctivitis and urinary tract infections.

Enhance immunity: fisetin can also enhance the immune function of the body, increase leukocyte phagocytosis, with analgesic, cough, hemostasis, promote tissue regeneration, dilate capillaries, increase blood flow and other aspects of the role.

The inhibitory effect of antitumor new fritillaries on Ehrlich ascites carcinoma may be related to the increase of cAMP level in cancer cells.

Contraindications to the consumption of fritillaries

1, deficiency cold syndrome and yin external ulcers should not be served.
2, “Famous Doctor’s Record”: more food will make people asthma.
3, Monk: a long time to eat, hair weakness, loss of Yang Qi, elimination of essence.
4, the toxicity of fishy grass is very small, after oral intake of fishy odor, muscle injection may appear local pain;
5、It has certain irritation to vaginal mucosa.
6, fritillary injection can cause allergic reactions, manifested by drug dermatitis, peripheral neuritis, anaphylactic purpura and so on. Severe cases can cause anaphylactic shock and even death, which should be taken seriously enough.

Dietary treatments of Fishweed

4.1 Fishy grass tea

The easiest way to eat fishy grass is to use it to decoct water to drink as tea. People who are not used to eating fresh fishy grass, or if there is no fresh product but only dried product, can also be used in this way.

Note: Don’t boil the fishy grass for a long time like you would any other Chinese medicine. The anti-inflammatory ingredients evaporate when the dried fishwort is boiled for a long time. How to boil it? Grab a handful of fishy grass, put half a pot of cold water, slightly submerged fishy grass can be, after boiling over high heat, wait two minutes, immediately turn off the fire, decant the soup can be drunk. Cooked fishy grass do not pour away, the next time you drink can also add water, with the same method to cook again, and then drink. A total of three times can be boiled, just enough for a day. There is really no condition to boil water, such as at work, you can also directly take the dried fishy grass tea to drink. Use a little more fishy grass, punch into the boiling water, soak for a while, can also have a role.

4.2 Fishy Herb Cuisine

If you can take the smell of fresh fishy grass, then it’s best to use the fresh product. Fresh fritillary contains the most active ingredients and is better than the dried product. And fishweed is easy to use as a dietary supplement.

To regulate various bacterial and viral infections, such as cold and flu, herpes, urinary tract infections, etc., it must be eaten raw and cold.

To prevent wind-heat colds, just eat it fried. This way of eating is milder.

It is also suitable for daily consumption by the weak. When a woman in labor eats chicken for the first time in the month, she must put some fishweed, which can prevent postpartum wind. Fishweed can also be used externally to treat boils. When the boils are ripe but not broken, and the pus can’t come out to spread inward, crush the fresh Fishy Grass and apply it externally around the periphery, leaving the center sore open. Fishwort has the effect of chasing the poison and will soon force the pus out.

Normal people usually eat fishy grass as a vegetable health care is also very good. The most common way to eat it is to eat it cold, and this way of eating is suitable for most people. Fishweed is cold, the elderly and the frail, you can use the method of stewed chicken. Put some sesame oil, there is a moisturizing effect on the heart. It is very helpful for relieving the irritability of the heart and mind in summer.

A lot of people eat fishweed only eat white roots, in fact, fishweed young stems and leaves can be eaten, the flavor is also very good. And fishy grass leaves, more with the lungs light Xuanfa nature, to regulate lung problems: such as cough, phlegm, hoarseness, etc. more effective.