What are the effects and functions of Sparganium (Sanleng) and Curcuma zedoaria (Ezhu)?
Oct 20, 2023
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Zhang Ziyi
Introduction
Under normal circumstances, the effects and functions of Sparganium (Sanleng) include promoting blood circulation, regulating qi, eliminating accumulations, preventing coagulation, and enhancing immune function; while the effects and functions of Curcuma (Ezhu) include eliminating accumulations, relieving pain, regulating qi, strengthening the immune system, and anti-inflammatory actions. If you wish to use Sparganium and Curcuma, it is recommended to do so under the guidance of a physician. Self-administration should be avoided to prevent possible adverse reactions.
Generally, the effects and benefits of Sparganium (Sanleng) include promoting blood circulation, regulating qi, eliminating food stagnation, preventing coagulation, and enhancing the body's immune system. The effects and benefits of Curcuma (Ezhu) include eliminating food accumulation, relieving pain, regulating qi, boosting the immune system, and anti-inflammatory actions. Specific analyses are as follows:
I. Sparganium (Sanleng)
1. Promoting Blood Circulation: Sparganium is the dried corm of the plant *Sparganium stoloniferum* from the family Sparganiaceae. It has the functions of breaking up blood stasis, regulating qi, eliminating accumulations, and relieving pain. It is primarily used to treat conditions such as chest pain due to blood stagnation, food retention, abdominal distension and pain, and amenorrhea caused by blood stasis. Sparganium promotes blood circulation and removes internal blood stasis.
2. Regulating Qi: Sparganium has a bitter and pungent taste and enters the liver and spleen meridians. It helps regulate the flow of qi in the liver, thereby improving related discomforts.
3. Eliminating Accumulation: Sparganium enhances gastrointestinal motility, eliminates food retention in the abdomen, prevents constipation, and promotes digestion.
4. Anticoagulant Effect: Sparganium increases fibrin components in plasma, reduces fibrinogen levels in the blood, dilutes the blood, enhances platelet activity, and helps prevent thrombosis.
5. Enhancing Immune Function: Sparganium boosts the activity of phagocytes in the body, promotes regeneration of immune cells, and strengthens the overall immune system.
II. Curcuma (Ezhu)
1. Eliminating Accumulation: Curcuma refers to the rhizomes of *Curcuma zedoaria*, *Curcuma kwangsiensis*, and *Curcuma wenyujin*, all belonging to the Zingiberaceae family. It has the effects of regulating and breaking up blood, eliminating accumulations, and relieving pain. It is commonly used to treat conditions such as chest pain due to blood stagnation, food retention, abdominal distension and pain, abdominal masses, and traumatic injuries. Curcuma enters the spleen meridian, strengthens spleen function, removes accumulated food in the body, and thus treats symptoms like food stagnation with qi blockage and abdominal distension and pain.
2. Pain Relief: Pain may result from blood stagnation. Curcuma promotes blood circulation and improves blood stasis, thereby alleviating pain.
3. Regulating Qi: The volatile oils and curcuminoids in Curcuma help regulate the body’s flow of qi and prevent qi stagnation.
4. Enhancing Immune System: Curcuma improves the body's anticoagulant capacity, increases platelet activity, and strengthens immune system function.
5. Anti-inflammatory Effect: Curcuma contains curcumin, which can inhibit inflammatory responses and reduce discomforts such as pain and swelling caused by inflammation.
If considering using Sparganium or Curcuma, it is recommended to do so under the guidance of a healthcare professional. Self-administration should be avoided to prevent potential adverse effects.
