Job's tears

Job's tears

　　Coix seed, commonly known as "Job's tears," is the seed of the Coix lacryma-jobi plant. Rich in nutrients, it is a food suitable for both the young and the elderly.

　　 　　Job's Tears - Overview: It is no exaggeration to say that Job's tears are the best among grains. They are highly nutritious and have medicinal value, as recorded in many ancient Chinese texts. Legend has it that Job's tears originated in China and Southeast Asia. As early as 754 AD, they were listed as one of the imperial court’s dietary staples. According to the "Book of the Later Han: Biography of Ma Yuan," during the Eastern Han Dynasty, General Ma Yuan, who held the title of Fubo General, often consumed Job's tears while fighting in Jiaozhi. The hot and humid southern jungles were plagued with miasma. Regular consumption of Job's tears not only helped him stay light and free of excessive desires but also protected him from malarial fevers, enabling him to achieve repeated military successes.

　　 　　Job's tears, also known as coix seed, yiyiren, yimi, coix lacryma-jobi seed, or medicinal corn, are highly nutritious. They contain protein, fat, carbohydrates, crude fiber, minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, and iron, vitamins B1 and B2, niacin, starch, amino acids including leucine, arginine, lysine, and tyrosine, fatty acids, coix ester, coix oil, sitosterol, alkaloids, and more. Among these, the content of protein, fat, and vitamin B1 is significantly higher than that of rice.

　　 　　Traditional Chinese medicine believes that Job's tears are cool in nature, sweet and bland in flavor, and enter the spleen, stomach, and lung meridians. They help promote urination and eliminate dampness, strengthen the spleen and stomach, clear lung heat, and relieve diarrhea. According to Li Shizhen’s *Compendium of Materia Medica*, "Coix seed strengthens the spleen, benefits the stomach, nourishes the lungs, clears heat, dispels wind, removes dampness, increases appetite, treats cold pathogens, and promotes urination when decocted. Crushing the roots and mixing the juice with wine is effective for treating jaundice."

　　 　　Every part of the Job's tears plant is valuable and can be used medicinally. Coix oil stimulates respiration, significantly dilates pulmonary blood vessels, and reduces muscle and peripheral nerve spasms and paralysis. Coix ester has tonic properties and also acts as an anticancer agent, inhibiting Ehrlich ascites carcinoma cells and is used in treating stomach cancer and cervical cancer. Coixol has antipyretic and analgesic effects. Coix root has tonic, anticancer, blood pressure-lowering, antipyretic, diuretic, and deworming functions, making it suitable for conditions such as hypertension, urinary tract stones, urinary tract infections, and roundworm disease. Coix leaves can be brewed into tea with a fragrant taste that helps promote urination.

　　 　　 Job's Tears - Basic Information: 100 grams of Job's tears contain 18.7 grams of protein, 5.4 grams of fat, 65 grams of carbohydrates, 72 milligrams of calcium, 242 milligrams of phosphorus, 1 milligram of iron, 0.41 milligrams of vitamin B1, 0.10 milligrams of vitamin B2, and 2.3 milligrams of vitamin C. Compared to other grains, their protein content is three times that of indica rice, japonica rice, and glutinous rice. Their fat content is two to three times that of wheat flour and naked oats. The levels of calcium, phosphorus, and iron are also several times higher than those found in rice and glutinous rice.

　　 　　Job's Tears - Efficacy: Job's tears are sweet and bland in flavor and slightly cold in nature. They offer benefits such as strengthening the spleen, nourishing the lungs, and clearing heat. Clinically, they are used to dispel rheumatism, strengthen bones and muscles, enhance vitality, benefit the digestive system, promote urination, and reduce edema.

　　 　　Job's tears are an ancient dual-purpose grain and medicinal crop in China, with an average protein content that is 5–8% higher than that of rice, wheat, and corn, and a fat content that is 2–5% higher. Job's tears are considered an ideal daily tonic and beauty aid for middle-aged and elderly individuals, and they also have effects such as clearing heat and dampness, reducing swelling and discharging pus, and strengthening the spleen.

　　 　　 Job's Tears - Precautions: Job's tears are slightly cold in nature. Therefore, they are not suitable for long-term consumption in the form of congee or simple Job's tear-based foods by individuals with severe spleen and stomach deficiency-cold, yang deficiency, pregnant women, those with weak constitutions or insufficient body fluids, or people who often experience dry, cracked lips and thirst.