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TCM Treasures - Ai cao 艾草
By Wing Tan |
September 9, 2012, Sunday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
WITH a strong fragrance, ai cao (argy wormwood) is widely used in various TCM practices such as acupuncture and moxibustion as well as Chinese cuisine.
Ai cao tastes bitter and smells pleasantly intense. It is often burned to fumigate acupuncture points and warm the body meridians. As a "hot" yang herb, ai cao is efficient in ridding the body of coldness and dampness, promoting metabolism, dredging collateral channels, as well as recuperating qi and blood flow.
According to the TCM bible Compendium of Materia Medica, ai cao can cure hundreds of ailments including rheumatoid arthritis and irregular menstruation. It alleviates asthma, relives bad coughs, kills bacteria and viruses, stops bleeding, protects the liver and improves gallbladder functions.
Its special fragrance can keep mosquitoes and harmful insects away. In ancient China, people believed the plant, which has rich yang energy, could scare away evil. Ancient Chinese used to hang ai cao at the front door. Even today, some women wear fine silk sachets stuffed with ai cao as a natural fragrance.
The herb is also used extensively in Chinese cooking.
Ai cao foot therapy
Boil ai cao and water for about 15-20 minutes.
Soak feet in hot water slowly until you get accustomed to the hot water. It's better to have a bowl of porridge with jujube and longan or a cup of honey water before the therapy.
Benefits: Dispels coldness, improves metabolism and dredges collateral channels. It is effective to cure bad cold.
Ai cao tea
Boil 5g ai cao, 3g black tea leaves and 10g sugar together with 200ml water.
Drink everyday.
Benefits: Prevents miscarriage, treats irregular menstruation and stomachache due to coldness.
Ai cao tastes bitter and smells pleasantly intense. It is often burned to fumigate acupuncture points and warm the body meridians. As a "hot" yang herb, ai cao is efficient in ridding the body of coldness and dampness, promoting metabolism, dredging collateral channels, as well as recuperating qi and blood flow.
According to the TCM bible Compendium of Materia Medica, ai cao can cure hundreds of ailments including rheumatoid arthritis and irregular menstruation. It alleviates asthma, relives bad coughs, kills bacteria and viruses, stops bleeding, protects the liver and improves gallbladder functions.
Its special fragrance can keep mosquitoes and harmful insects away. In ancient China, people believed the plant, which has rich yang energy, could scare away evil. Ancient Chinese used to hang ai cao at the front door. Even today, some women wear fine silk sachets stuffed with ai cao as a natural fragrance.
The herb is also used extensively in Chinese cooking.
Ai cao foot therapy
Boil ai cao and water for about 15-20 minutes.
Soak feet in hot water slowly until you get accustomed to the hot water. It's better to have a bowl of porridge with jujube and longan or a cup of honey water before the therapy.
Benefits: Dispels coldness, improves metabolism and dredges collateral channels. It is effective to cure bad cold.
Ai cao tea
Boil 5g ai cao, 3g black tea leaves and 10g sugar together with 200ml water.
Drink everyday.
Benefits: Prevents miscarriage, treats irregular menstruation and stomachache due to coldness.
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