1. Description:
Rye (scientific name: Secale cereale Lrye, Chinese Pinyin: Hei Mai, Simplified Chinese: 黑麦, 裸麦), is a species of annual or biennial (having a two-year life cycle), flowering crop in genus Secale (grasses family, Poaceae). Found in the cold zone of the Eurasian continent (mainly in Eastern, Central and Northern Europe), the plant can grow up to 100 cm tall. Characteristics of rye include ability to withstand cultivation at high altitudes, tolerance for cold (can be grown even in the Arctic Circle), adaptation to sandy land and favorable micronutrient contents. The grain of rye is used as heat-clearing drug and tonic in traditional Chinese medicine (CTM) and widely adopted in treating different diseases and health problems, such as obesity.
2. Odour, Properties And Channels:
Rye is considered to have mildly cold and nontoxic properties and to be associated with the liver and kidney meridians.
3. Uses, Health Benefits of Rye & Medical Formulas:
3.1 Weight Loss
Rye is often used to make bread. Rye flour is high in gliadin but low in glutenin which means that it has a lower gluten content than wheat flour. It also contains a higher proportion of soluble fiber (which is especially important in the developed countries like United States, since many people do not get enough fiber in their diets). Soluble fiber has exceptionally high water-binding capacity and can quickly provide a feeling a fullness and satiety, and therefore helps people to lose weight.
3.2 Anticancer
Rye is rich in selenium, a powerful microelement, and lignans. Seleniummay protect the body against contaminants such as mercury, cadmium, and silver, help speed the elimination of cancer cells, and slow tumor growth. Lignans are polyphenols found in plants. A French study conducted over 7 years with 58,049 female participants concluded that high dietary intakes of plant lignans were associated with reduced risks of breast cancer in a Western population.
3.3 Anti-ageing
Rye is also rich in ferulic acid which is a plant based antioxidant, free radical scavenger and stabilizer, it can greatly reduces free radical damage to the external and internal membranes of nerve cells without causing nerve cell death. Therefore, high dietary intakes of ferulic acid can help to slow the aging process.
3.4 Intestine Health
Rye contains rich fructans, pentosan, beta-glucan and arabinoxylans which are prebiotics. Prebiotics are mostly non-digestible fiber compounds that pass undigested through the upper part of the gastrointestinal tract and stimulate the growth or activity of advantageous bacteria that colonize the large bowel by acting as substrate for them.
List of reference
Journal National Cancer Institute 2007;99:475-86. Touilland, Thiebout, et al.
The Ben Cao Medical Book (also known as Compendium of Materia Medica or Ben Cao Gang Mu; Chinese: 本草纲目) is the most famous and comprehensive medical book ever written in the history of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Compiled and written by Li Shi-zhen (1518~1593), a medical expert of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) over 27 years.
The Ben Cao Medical Book records and describes all the plants, animals, minerals, and other objects that were believed to have medicinal properties in TCM. The book reflects the pharmaceutical achievements and developments of East Asia before the 16th century. On the basis of his predecessors’ achievements in the pharmacological studies, Li contributed further by supplementing and rectifying many past mistakes and misconception in relate to nature of many medicinal substances and causes of various illnesses. Charles Darwin, originator of the biological theory of evolution, regards the book as the “ancient Chinese encyclopedia”.
Disclaimer: The Ben Cao Medical Book is translated by ChinaAbout.net . The information on this website is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice. It is intended as a sharing of CTM knowledge and information from the research and experience from the author Li Shi-zhen. Kindly be alert that the CTM knowledge and ancient formulas given above are likely NOT medically proven and may contain misconceptions.