Da Hai Sheng Di Tea: Clearing the Throat and Nourishing Yin

Da Hai Sheng Di Tea

　　Do you know how to make Da Hai Sheng Di Tea? What are the effects and functions of Da Hai? Let's take a look together with the author.

　　[Source] "Tea for the Treatment of Various Diseases"

　　[Ingredients] 5 pieces of Da Hai, 12 grams of Sheng Di, 30 grams of rock sugar, appropriate amount of tea

　[Function] Clears the lungs, benefits the throat, nourishes Yin, and generates fluids

　　[Indications] Chronic laryngitis due to deficiency of lung Yin, with symptoms such as hoarseness, dry and itchy throat, dry cough, dark red throat, thickening of vocal cords, incomplete closure of glottis, vocal cord nodules, less tongue coating, and red tongue, etc.

　　[Preparation] Put the ingredients into a thermos flask, add boiling water to fill half of the flask, cover and let it steep for about 15 minutes. Drink the tea as desired, no specific frequency. Depending on the patient's consumption, take 2-3 doses per day.

　　[Precautions] This formula is sweet and cold in nature and may cause stagnation. Da Hai also has a laxative effect, so it is not suitable for those with weak spleen and dampness or those with loose stools.

　　[Comments] Da Hai, also known as An Nan Zi, is sweet and cold in nature, and belongs to the lung and large intestine meridians. It has the functions of clearing the lungs, benefiting the throat, clearing the intestines, and promoting bowel movements. It is an essential herb for treating sore throat and hoarseness. Sheng Di is sweet and bitter, cold in nature, and has the effects of clearing heat, cooling blood, nourishing Yin, and generating fluids. Tea reduces heat and benefits the throat; rock sugar generates fluids and moistens the lungs. With the combination of the four ingredients, it is most suitable for treating chronic laryngitis with deficiency of lung Yin, accompanied by constipation.

　　[Effects and Functions of Da Hai]

　　Clears heat, moistens the lungs, benefits the throat, detoxifies, moistens the intestines, and promotes bowel movements. Used for symptoms such as lung heat with hoarseness, dry cough without phlegm, dry and painful throat, heat accumulation with constipation, headache, and red eyes.

　　1. Laxative effect

　　The extract of Da Hai seeds has a laxative effect on rabbits, as it can increase intestinal volume (8 times the volume of gelatin) and cause laxation through mechanical stimulation. The water extracts of the outer skin, soft shell, and kernel of Da Hai can significantly increase intestinal peristalsis in anesthetized dogs, regardless of the method of administration (kernel has the strongest effect, followed by soft shell, and outer skin has the weakest effect). This effect can be antagonized by atropine. A 1:400,000 dilution of the kernel extract can increase intestinal peristalsis in isolated rabbit intestines, while the other two extracts have no significant effect.

　　2. Hypotensive effect

　　A 25% solution of Da Hai kernel (defatted powder) can significantly lower blood pressure when administered intravenously, intramuscularly, or orally in dogs and cats. Further experiments have shown that its hypotensive effect may be related to the central nervous system. The water extracts of Da Hai kernel have a hypotensive effect on anesthetized dogs, but they have a hypertensive effect on rabbits (the effective dose in rabbits is 10 times higher than in dogs). The effects on blood pressure in dogs and rabbits can be enhanced by histamine sensitization.

　　3. Other effects

　　The water extracts of the outer skin, soft shell, and kernel of Da Hai all have diuretic and analgesic effects, with the kernel having the strongest effect. None of the three extracts have local irritant effects. When administered to rabbits in acute toxicity tests, Da Hai kernel (defatted powder) can cause respiratory distress and motor dysfunction. When administered in large amounts for 10-15 consecutive days in dogs, it can cause lung congestion, edema, and fatty degeneration of the liver. The LD50 of oral administration to mice is 12.96 grams/kg. Intravenous injection of a large amount (1% 2 mL) of water extract of Da Hai kernel can cause respiratory arrest, but the heart is still beating, and the surface of the stomach and intestines becomes red.

　　Conclusion: The main ingredient of Da Hai Sheng Di Tea is Da Hai. Da Hai has the effects of clearing the throat, clearing lung heat, and is a beloved medicinal herb in traditional Chinese medicine. You can try brewing and drinking it in moderation when you have time.