1. Description:
Vinegar (Chinese Pinyin: Cu, Simplified Chinese: 醋, 苦酒, 酢), is a cooking ingredient containing about 5–20% acetic acid (CH3COOH), water, and other trace chemicals. It is made from grain (such as glutinous rice, sorghum, rice, corn or wheat), sugar and ethanol. Vinegar has a history of thousands of years as the earliest record of it was found in Egyptian urns from around 3000 BC. Vinegar is used as anti-diarrheal and analgesic in traditional Chinese medicine (CTM) and widely adopted in treating different diseases and health problems, such as weight control.
2. Odour, Properties And Channels:
Vinegar is considered to have sour, bitter, warm and nontoxic properties and to be associated with the liver and stomach meridians.
3. Uses, Health Benefits of Vinegar & Medical Formulas:
3.1 Aid Lose Weight
A human study published in 2009 in “Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry” found that vinegar may independently enhance metabolism and lead to reductions in body fat, also vinegar as a sour taste cooking ingredient helps improve digestion as well as boos immunity.
3.2 Anti-Diarrheal
A decoction of salt and vinegar is taken orally to treat diarrheal related to acute gastritis.
3.3 Muscle Cramps
Hot vinegar can be used externally to stop muscle cramps.
3.4 Pain Relieving
A decoction of vinegar, boxthorn seeds and the root bark of white mulberry is used as a mouth wash to relieve toothache.
3.5 Mastitis
Herbal hot compress of vinegar can be used to treat mastitis.
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.