Description:
Long pepper (Piper longum), sometimes called Indian long pepper (Pipli), is a flowering vine in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit, which is often dried and used as a spice and seasoning. In traditional Chinese medicine (CTM), long pepper fruits is a herb serving as an analgesic and antidiarrheal (stop or slow diarrhea). It is known as Bi Ba (荜茇, 荜拔).
Odour & Nature:
Pungent, hot-natured,
Channels:
Long pepper fruits functions by influencing the spleen, stomach, large intestine, lung, bladder, liver and kidney.
Health Benefits of Long Pepper Fruits & Formulas:
Reducing Inflammation And Relieving Pain
[Ancient Prescription] Powdered long pepper fruits is used externally to treat toothache; snorting the powder can help to relieve migraine.
[Ancient Prescription] Wax-wrapped pill made with long pepper fruits and black pepper is used externally to treat swollen gums.
[Ancient Prescription] Pills made with long pepper fruits, fucklandia rhizome, radix aconiti carmichaeli, black pepper, cinnamon, dried ginger, terminalia chebula bark (calcined), mangnolia officinalis and honey is taken orally with rice soup on an empty stomach to treat stomachache caused by hypofunction of the spleen.
[Ancient Prescription] Pills made with long pepper fruits (salted and fried) and refined honey is taken with warm wine on an empty stomach to treat painful menstrual periods and menstrual cramps.
Digestive Issues
[Ancient Prescription] Powdered long pepper fruits, nutmeg (peeled), dried ginger, terminalia chebula (seeds removed) and white atractylodes rhizome are taken on an empty stomach to heal diarrhea accompanied with cramps and bloating.
[Ancient Prescription] Pills made with long pepper fruits, galangal, dried ginger, cinnamon and cooked noodles is taken to treat weak spleen caused indigestion.
Other Benefits
[Ancient Prescription] A decoction of ow’s milk and long pepper fruits is taken orally on an empty stomach to treat diarrhea.
[Ancient Prescription] Pills made with long pepper fruits (fried), terminalia chebula fruit (roasted and seeds removed), dried ginger, ginseng, laurel tree bark, white poria, black pepper and refined honey is taken to cope with chronic tiredness and fatigue.
[Ancient Prescription] Powdered long pepper fruits is taken before meal to clear heat and eliminate phlegm.
Contraindication & Cautions:
Overdose on long pepper fruits may lead to deficiency in intestine.
Application in Modern Medicine:
Recent studies showed that extract from long pepper fruits has inhibitory effects on Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus cereus, Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Shigella.
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.