Donkey-hide gelatin, also known as Ejiao, is a well-known traditional Chinese medicine. It was first mentioned in the ancient Chinese pharmacopoeia, "Shennong Bencao Jing," and was classified as a top-grade medicine. Due to its miraculous effects in nourishing and treating the body, it has been favored by emperors throughout history and was even listed as a tribute during the Tang dynasty. Hence, it is also called "Tribute Gelatin."
1. The Efficacy of Donkey-hide Gelatin
The best place for the production of donkey-hide gelatin is Dong'e County in Shandong Province. It is made from the best black donkey hides in winter, and the gelatin is produced by using water from the "A Well" in Yuejiazhuang West, Dong'e County. This is the authentic donkey-hide gelatin.
Donkey-hide gelatin has a sweet and balanced nature. It has the functions of nourishing the blood and stopping bleeding, nourishing yin and moistening the lungs, and regulating menstruation and supporting pregnancy. It is suitable for symptoms caused by blood deficiency, such as pale complexion, dizziness, insomnia, palpitations, postpartum anemia, blood-streaked sputum in pulmonary tuberculosis, vomiting blood, bloody stools, excessive menstruation, and insufficient phlegm due to yin deficiency and lung dryness. It can also be used for symptoms of yin deficiency, such as thin body, dull complexion, dry mouth, constipation, facial flushing, low-grade fever, and red tongue with little coating.
Modern pharmacological research has proven that donkey-hide gelatin is mainly composed of collagen and its hydrolyzed products, which are essentially proteins. After hydrolysis, it can produce 19 kinds of amino acids. Taking it can accelerate the production of red blood cells and hemoglobin in the blood, increase blood pressure, improve calcium balance in the body, prevent progressive muscle nutrition disorders, and counteract traumatic shock. It also has a remarkable hemostatic effect.
2. Is Donkey-hide Gelatin "Hot"?
For a long time, people have believed that donkey-hide gelatin is a "hot" medicine, but in fact, donkey-hide gelatin has been misunderstood. Donkey-hide gelatin is not a "hot" medicine; on the contrary, it has the effect of nourishing yin and reducing fire. So why do some people experience "heat" reactions such as mouth ulcers, broken skin, or even nosebleeds after taking donkey-hide gelatin?
It turns out that this is related to the method of taking donkey-hide gelatin. In the process of processing donkey-hide gelatin, people often add a lot of warming tonics such as yellow rice wine, longan flesh, walnut meat, and red dates. This turns the neutral donkey-hide gelatin into a "hot" medicine. Little do they know that the "heat" symptoms that occur after taking donkey-hide gelatin are actually caused by the other warming tonics.
In clinical practice, it is common to use 60-100g of Scrophularia ningpoensis as a decoction, boil it into 50-100ml of liquid, and add it to the prepared donkey-hide gelatin to eliminate the "heat" reaction, which has excellent results. As donkey-hide gelatin is greasy in nature, those with poor appetite should take a few doses of a formula to invigorate the spleen and promote digestion before taking it (9g fried Atractylodes macrocephala, 9g Poria cocos, 6g cooked Rehmannia glutinosa, 12g fried barley malt, 6g dried tangerine peel, 6g bitter orange, 10g rice kernel, 9g fried hyacinth bean, 3g cardamom). This will strengthen the spleen and stomach, making it easier to absorb.
3. Methods of Consuming Donkey-hide Gelatin
The following are a few methods of consuming donkey-hide gelatin for reference.
1. Take 250g of donkey-hide gelatin, rinse it with water, put it in a ceramic container, soak it in yellow rice wine (usually 500g of yellow rice wine for 250g of donkey-hide gelatin), then add 250g of rock sugar, seal it for two weeks until the gelatin dissolves. Then, according to individual needs, add tonics.
(1) If there are symptoms of kidney deficiency, such as weak lower back and cold limbs, you can add walnut meat, black sesame, black fungus, and other kidney-nourishing ingredients;
(2) If there are symptoms of blood deficiency, such as dizziness, palpitations, anemia, and insomnia, you should add longan flesh, lotus seed meat, red dates, and other blood-nourishing ingredients;
(3) If there are symptoms of lung deficiency, such as cough with little phlegm, chest tightness, and shortness of breath, you can add rice kernel, white fungus, and other lung-nourishing ingredients. After two weeks, the donkey-hide gelatin will be mostly dissolved. It can be simmered in a water bath while stirring with chopsticks until the gelatin is completely dissolved. Then, the prepared tonics can be poured into the dissolved gelatin, mixed well, and consumed after cooling.
Starting from the winter solstice and ending on the first day of spring, take 1-2 tablespoons on an empty stomach in the morning, and drink it with boiled water. It has the effects of nourishing the body, extending life, and promoting longevity.
2. Take 6g of donkey-hide gelatin and 3 scallion whites, stew and fry the gelatin, then add 2 tablespoons of honey and take it warm. It can treat constipation in elderly people with deficient body.
3. Take 10g of donkey-hide gelatin and 4.5g of coptis, stew and fry the gelatin first, then add 15-20ml of coptis decoction to the gelatin, and finally add 1 egg yolk, mix well and take it warm. It can treat restlessness and insomnia caused by yin deficiency.
