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February 16, 2014

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TCM Treasures - Day lily

By Zhang Qian | February 16, 2014, Sunday |

Print Edition

Day lily

Simplified Chinese: 黄花菜 Pinyin: huáng huā cài

Day lily, a common vegetable on the Chinese dinner table, can also help solve health problems in TCM, such as bleeding and edema, which is swelling due to fluid accumulation, and promote lactation.

Day lily is often called huang hua cai (yellow flower vegetable) probably because of the color of its flower. But a legend suggests it is named after a kind and wise old woman.

Chen Sheng, the leader of an insurrection against the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC), had serious edema due to malnutrition. A nice old woman surnamed Huang gave him three bowls of steamed day lily flowers when he begged for food. He ate the flowers and his edema disappeared.

He went back after victory in the insurrection, yet found the same steamed day lilies not as tasty. Huang said it is natural to find day lilies tasty when very hungry. Chen invited the old woman to cultivate day lilies at his palace. He named the herb after the woman’s surname.

The flower is the most commonly used part for medication and food. It is a mildly “cold” herb that benefits the stomach, improves digestion, and dispels pathogenic heat and dampness. Leaves and roots are mainly for medication. Leaves are effective in soothing nerves and relieving sleeplessness and irritation. But the root of day lily is a bit poisonous, and requires a doctor’s guidance.

Prescriptions & Usage:

For bleeding problems (nosebleed, coughing blood or urinary bleeding)

• Cook soup with 30g dried day lily and 30g fresh bai mao gen (cogongrass rhizome).

• Drink often as tea.

Benefits: Helps stop bleeding.

For sleeplessness

• Cook soup with 30g dried day lily and 30g he huan hua (silktree flower). Keep boiling for 30 minutes and filter the soup.

• Add honey, cook 2-5 minutes. Drink before sleeping.

Benefits: Helps soothe nerves.

For hoarse voice

• Cook 30g dried day lily with 400ml water. Add 30g honey.

• Drink one-third at a time slowly over day.

Benefits: Helps relieve hoarse voice.

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TCM Treasures - Day lily

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