Dioscorea batatas

Dioscorea batatas
Family:Dioscorea batatas; Anthelmintic; Antidote; Contraceptive; Digestive; Miscellany.
Common name:Chinese yam
The Chinese yam called Shan Yao in Chinese herbalism is a sweet soothing herb that stimulates the stomach and spleen and has a tonic effect on the lungs and kidneys. The tuber contains allantoin a cell-proliferant that speeds the healing process. The root is an ingredient of The herb of eight ingredients traditionally prescribed in Chinese herbalism to treat hyperthyroidism nephritis and diabetes. The tuber is anthelmintic digestive and gently tonic. It is used internally in the treatment of tiredness weight loss poor appetite poor digestion chronic diarrhoea asthma dry coughs frequent or uncontrollable urination diabetes and emotional instability. It is applied externally to ulcers boils and abscesses. The tubers are harvested in the autumn and can be used raw or baked. The leaf juice is used to treat snakebites and scorpion stings. The roots of most if not all members of this genus contains diosgenin. This is widely used in modern medicine in order to manufacture progesterone and other steroid drugs. These are used as contraceptives and in the treatment of various disorders of the genitary organs as well as in a host of other diseases such as asthma and arthritis.

Herbal Database

01.01.2005 02:53 []