Discussion on Polygonatum 1980.12.8

Discussion on Polygonatum 1980.12.8

This herb is the rhizome of polygonatum, a perennial herbaceous plant in the lily family, widely produced in Henan, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, and other regions. Mount Hua in Shaanxi also produces this product. In the past, there was a saying, “Polygonatum from Mount Hua makes people live forever,” which shows the excellent quality of Mount Hua polygonatum. According to “Miscellaneous Records of Famous Doctors,” it “tonifies the middle and benefits qi, stabilizes the five organs”; according to “Ben Cao Zi Ben Cao,” it “benefits the spleen and stomach, moistens the heart and lungs”; according to “Compendium of Materia Medica,” it “supplements all deficiencies and fills the essence”; and according to “Ben Cao Zheng Yi,” its specialty is “tonifying blood and yin while nourishing the spleen and stomach.”

Polygonatum has the effects of tonifying the middle and benefiting qi, stabilizing the five organs, supplementing all deficiencies, and filling the essence. It is good at both tonifying qi and yin, truly a great tonic. Based on this, there used to be a saying that those who regularly ate polygonatum would live forever. In recent years, several famous prescriptions in China have included polygonatum, with dosages around 30g. ① Strong Liver Soup from the Shanxi Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine; ② Quince Seed Compound from Yue Mei; ③ Collaborative Group in Beijing for Treating Kidney Failure: polygonatum, astragalus, evodia, rhubarb, and processed aconite. In these three formulas, the dosage of polygonatum is quite high, showing that polygonatum is beneficial for restoring liver and kidney function. In addition, polygonatum also has the effects of lowering blood sugar, increasing platelets, reducing lipids, and generating blood. Moreover, it can inhibit the growth of Staphylococcus aureus and various skin fungi. In summary, polygonatum has good effects on the liver, kidneys, heart, and blood vessels, so its application should be vigorously promoted.