Houttuynia cordata was first recorded in "Bielu of Famous Doctors". It is called Houttuynia cordata because of the smell of fish after crushing its stems and leaves. It is a Chinese herbal medicine with both medicine and food. , the effect of eliminating carbuncle and abscessing pus, inducing diuresis and treating stranguria.
"Southern Yunnan Materia Medica" describes its efficacy: "cure lung abscess, cough with pus and blood, phlegm with fishy smell, heat and poison in the large intestine, and treat hemorrhoids." For lung abscess caused by cough due to lung heat and phlegm heat blocking the lungs, this product has been used as an important medicine in the treatment of lung abscess in the past dynasties; Pus can be taken alone or compounded. This product also has the effects of clearing away heat, removing dampness and stopping dysentery, diuresis and dredging stranguria, not only good at clearing damp and heat in the bladder, treating stranguria and astringent pain during urination, but also treating damp-heat diarrhea.
Modern pharmacological research has found that Houttuynia cordata is mainly composed of alkaloids, organic acids, volatile oils, polysaccharides and other components. It has the effect of resisting pathogenic microorganisms and is a "natural antibiotic". Type Streptococcus, influenza bacillus, catarrhal coccus, typhoid bacillus and Mycobacterium tuberculosis and other Gram-positive and negative bacteria, all have different degrees of inhibitory effect; the non-volatile matter extracted with ether also has antiviral effect. In addition, this product also has anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory, diuretic, immune-enhancing, analgesic, antitussive and other effects.
Because Houttuynia cordata is pungent in taste and cold in nature, people with spleen and stomach deficiency should not eat more. Therefore, people with poor spleen and stomach are not suitable for daily Houttuynia boiled water.
We know that Houttuynia cordata can not only be used as a traditional Chinese medicine, but also can be used as a kind of food. It has the same effect of medicine and food. In our usual diet, Houttuynia cordata was once called one of the "Top Ten Most Unpalatable Foods", probably because of the special taste of Houttuynia cordata, which makes it have a special existence, and I like to eat it People who don't like it like it very much, and people who don't like it don't like it at all. I remember that when I first came into contact with Houttuynia cordata, it was a few years ago. At that time, there was a dish of Houttuynia cordata in the canteen of my unit. Seeing how delicious it was, I also tasted it, but it was fishy. The fishy smell of grass really made me unacceptable. But after learning about the function of Houttuynia cordata, after several attempts to eat it, I like to eat Houttuynia cordata. Although it smells like a fishy smell, it will have a little taste when you taste it carefully. The aromatic smell can open up people's taste buds, and the crisp taste is also very popular. If you haven’t tried it, you might as well try it. Don’t let the fishy smell of Houttuynia cordata fool you. In fact, Houttuynia cordata is a very delicious food.