Why Can't You Take Donkey-hide Gelatin During Menstruation?
Donkey-hide gelatin is a solid gel block and is a superior medicine for treating gynecological diseases. Normal people can also improve their physical condition by taking donkey-hide gelatin. However, there are still many precautions to be aware of when taking donkey-hide gelatin. For example, women should not take donkey-hide gelatin during menstruation, and those with weak spleen and stomach should not take it either. Let's take a look at some of the things to keep in mind when taking donkey-hide gelatin.
Donkey-hide gelatin is made from donkey skin using unique underground water from Dong'e, China. It is processed through over 90 steps such as decoction and concentration using a national secret process. Donkey-hide gelatin is strictly speaking a "medicine" and also a "food" in the strict sense. It has a wide range of applications.
According to traditional Chinese medicine, donkey-hide gelatin has a sweet and neutral taste, and it has the functions of nourishing yin, replenishing blood, and stabilizing the fetus. Research has shown that donkey-hide gelatin contains various proteins, amino acids, calcium, etc., which can improve blood calcium balance and promote the generation of red blood cells. In addition, donkey-hide gelatin can raise blood pressure and prevent hemorrhagic shock. Donkey-hide gelatin also has a good preventive effect on sexual muscular dystrophy in animal experiments.
Due to the different mechanisms of Chinese medicine and Western medicine, donkey-hide gelatin generally does not have many "side effects" like Western medicine, which can damage the liver, kidneys, or gastrointestinal tract if used improperly. Chinese medicine has several properties, such as warm, cool, cold, hot, and neutral, suitable for people with different constitutions. As long as the medicine is prescribed correctly, there should generally be no major problems. Even good things like donkey-hide gelatin have areas that need attention when taken, and they can be referred to as "side effects of donkey-hide gelatin".
In traditional Chinese medicine, donkey-hide gelatin is considered a superior medicine for gynecology. It is often used to treat diseases related to pregnancy, menstruation, and childbirth, as well as some internal diseases. Donkey-hide gelatin is used together with Chinese angelica, licorice, Chinese angelica root, cooked rehmannia root, mugwort leaf, and white peony root to make the "Jiao Ai Decoction" mentioned in the "Synopsis of the Golden Chamber". It is used to treat cold and pain in the abdomen during pregnancy or excessive postpartum bleeding. Donkey-hide gelatin combined with mugwort leaf can prevent miscarriage and relieve abdominal pain and bleeding. Donkey-hide gelatin combined with astragalus and jujube can treat shortness of breath, fatigue, dizziness, and palpitations caused by excessive postpartum bleeding or excessive menstrual flow. Donkey-hide gelatin combined with mulberry bark, gypsum, almond, licorice, raw rehmannia root, dwarf lilyturf tuber, apricot kernel, and loquat leaf can make the "Clear Dryness and Rescue the Lungs Decoction", which can treat dry mouth, dry nose, dry cough, and reduced phlegm. Donkey-hide gelatin combined with cattail pollen can treat coughing up blood and nosebleeds. Donkey-hide gelatin combined with good ink can treat blood in the urine and bloody stools. Donkey-hide gelatin combined with poria cocos, polyporus umbellatus, alisma orientale, and talc can treat urinary tract infections. Donkey-hide gelatin combined with scallion and honey can treat constipation in the elderly or those with weak constitution. Donkey-hide gelatin combined with coptis chinensis, scutellaria baicalensis, white peony root, and egg yolk can make the "Coptis and Donkey-hide Gelatin Decoction" mentioned in the "Treatise on Cold Damage", which can treat restlessness, insomnia.
The pharmacological characteristics of donkey-hide gelatin are that it has a sweet and neutral taste and has the functions of nourishing yin, moistening dryness, nourishing blood, and stopping bleeding. Its therapeutic effect is good and its side effects are small. It is the main medicine for treating symptoms such as coughing due to overwork, blood in the stool, and dry and irritating cough. It is also a sacred medicine for treating anemia and threatened miscarriage in women. Modern pharmacological studies have shown that donkey-hide gelatin can enhance the hematopoietic function of bone marrow, promote the generation of hemoglobin and platelets, improve the internal environment of the body, and enhance the immune function of the body. It can be seen that "every medicine has side effects", even though the side effects of donkey-hide gelatin are small.
Although donkey-hide gelatin is so good, normal people should not take it for a long time. In addition, donkey-hide gelatin is greasy, so it should be avoided by those with weak spleen and stomach and those with loose stools.
【Precautions for Taking Donkey-hide Gelatin】
1. Be cautious if you have weak spleen and stomach
Since donkey-hide gelatin is greasy and may not be easily digested by the digestive system, people with poor digestion or gastrointestinal diseases should take a small amount or avoid it.
2. Never take it during menstruation
If donkey-hide gelatin is taken during menstruation, it may cause excessive menstrual flow or menstrual disorders in the future. If you want to nourish blood, invigorate qi, and improve complexion, you must wait until the menstrual period is completely over before taking it.
3. Pay attention to the dosage
If you do not have gastrointestinal diseases, the recommended dosage is 5g three times a day. Taking too much may easily cause excessive internal heat.
4. Prevent internal heat
According to the "Compendium of Materia Medica", donkey-hide gelatin has a sweet and neutral taste and is not a hot substance. Therefore, getting internal heat from taking donkey-hide gelatin is not absolute. It may only occur under specific circumstances. For example, if a person has a hot constitution, eats a large amount, or experiences dry and hot weather, or consumes hot foods such as alcohol, longan, or lychee together with donkey-hide gelatin, it may cause internal heat after taking it.
So how to prevent getting internal heat from taking donkey-hide gelatin? If you frequently experience internal heat after taking donkey-hide gelatin, you can pay attention to the following:
First, eat it together with cool and refreshing foods. For example, cook donkey-hide gelatin and glutinous rice together with foods like lotus root powder, lotus seeds, lotus leaf, tomato, Chinese yam, and dried plums to make porridge. Drink a bowl of it every morning or evening, which is a good way to take it. Never consume it together with hot and dispersing substances like yellow wine, longan, or lychee.
Second, pay attention to the dosage. Generally, the maximum daily dosage for each person is 3-10g. People who are prone to internal heat can take less, and it is better to take it consistently over a longer period to improve their constitution.
5. Prevent greasiness
Donkey-hide gelatin is a medicinal gelatin and can be greasy. It is generally safe for normal people to take it in appropriate amounts, but those with loose and weak stools or weak digestion should be cautious.
【Methods to Reduce the Greasiness of Donkey-hide Gelatin】
1. Fried donkey-hide gelatin beads
Crush the donkey-hide gelatin and fry it together with clam powder in a frying pan until the donkey-hide gelatin swells and forms beads with hollow centers. The fried donkey-hide gelatin beads are crispy, delicious, easy to digest, and convenient to consume.
2. Puffed donkey-hide gelatin beads using a microwave
Use a microwave to puff the donkey-hide gelatin and obtain crispy and delicious gelatin beads. Put clam powder evenly on a microwave-safe plate to a thickness of about 0.5cm, then place the donkey-hide gelatin pieces, broken into soybean-sized particles, at intervals of 0.5cm on top of the clam powder. Sprinkle the side effects of donkey-hide gelatin on top, close the microwave door, start the microwave on high power level 10, and set the timer for 3 minutes.
You can also directly purchase powdered donkey-hide gelatin, which has the same effect as donkey-hide gelatin beads. However, whether it is donkey-hide gelatin beads or powdered donkey-hide gelatin, they should be stored in a moisture-proof manner.
3. Add qi-tonifying herbs
Traditional Chinese medicine believes that blood deficiency often accompanies qi deficiency, which is mainly manifested as pale complexion, shortness of breath, lack of energy, fatigue, and easy sweating. Chinese medicine believes that qi and blood can nourish each other, that is, qi can generate blood and blood can nourish qi. Therefore, the side effect of donkey-hide gelatin is to tonify qi while nourishing blood to achieve better results. It can be used together with qi-tonifying herbs such as astragalus and codonopsis pilosula.
4. Storage of donkey-hide gelatin
Donkey-hide gelatin is prone to moisture and is not heat-resistant. It can be placed in a food packaging bag, tightly sealed, and then stored in the refrigerator. However, once taken out of the refrigerator, it should be immediately processed. Homemade donkey-hide gelatin paste for nourishment should also be sealed and stored in the refrigerator.
