What are the functions and effects of chicken gizzard lining (Fructus Arctii)?
Chicken gizzard lining (Fructus Galli) is the inner lining of the gizzard of domestic chickens and is commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine. It is known for its functions of promoting urination and dissolving stones, astringing essence to prevent seminal emission, lowering blood lipids and aiding weight loss, strengthening the spleen and improving digestion, as well as enhancing immunity. A detailed explanation is as follows:
1. Promoting Urination and Dissolving Stones
Chicken gizzard lining enters the bladder meridian and has the effect of dissolving hardened accumulations and stones. It helps improve conditions such as cholelithiasis, dysuria, and urinary tract stones. When used together with herbs like Herba Lysimachiae (Jin Qian Cao) and Polygonum cuspidatum (Hu Zhang), it can effectively promote urination and dissolve stones.
2. Astringing Essence and Preventing Seminal Emission
Chicken gizzard lining acts on the small intestine and bladder meridians, exerting effects of consolidating essence, reducing urination, and preventing enuresis. It is suitable for conditions such as nocturnal emission and bedwetting, helping patients reduce these symptoms. When combined with kidney-tonifying and essence-consolidating herbs such as Cuscuta seeds (Tu Si Zi) and mantis egg cases (Sang Piao Xiao), it enhances the effect of astringing essence and preventing seminal emission.
3. Lowering Blood Lipids and Aiding Weight Loss
The active components in chicken gizzard lining can inhibit fat absorption and promote fat breakdown, thereby helping to lower blood lipid levels. It has a positive role in the prevention and adjunctive treatment of hyperlipidemia and obesity.
4. Strengthening the Spleen and Improving Digestion
In traditional Chinese medicine, chicken gizzard lining is considered neutral in nature and sweet in taste, entering the spleen and stomach meridians. It functions to strengthen the spleen and aid digestion. For symptoms such as poor appetite and indigestion caused by spleen and stomach weakness, chicken gizzard lining can harmonize the spleen and stomach and improve appetite. It is suitable for individuals with irregular eating habits or weakened spleen and stomach function.
5. Enhancing Immunity
Chicken gizzard lining contains various trace elements and amino acids that can enhance immune function and improve the body's resistance to diseases. Particularly for elderly individuals or children with low immunity, moderate consumption of chicken gizzard lining can strengthen physical constitution and reduce the incidence of illness.
In daily life, it is also important to maintain a healthy lifestyle, ensure adequate sleep, improve dietary habits, and regulate physical condition to maintain overall health.