Old Zhou Chinese Yam

Old Zhou Chinese Yam

　　Chinese yam, a perennial plant of the Dioscoreaceae family, was originally wild. Its roots are upright, cylindrical, fleshy, and thick, reaching up to 1 meter in length and 2–7 centimeters in diameter. Over the years, the people of Old Zhou have turned it into a major cultivated crop, making it a common dish on today’s dining tables. According to the "Compendium of Materia Medica" and the "Shennong’s Classic of Materia Medica," it has a neutral nature, sweet taste, and offers benefits such as invigorating the spleen and stomach, promoting the production of body fluids and benefiting the lungs, as well as nourishing the kidneys and consolidating essence. It is neither cold nor hot in property, acting mildly to both tonify qi and nourish yin without causing stagnation or greasiness. As a health-promoting medicinal herb that strengthens the spleen and stomach, it can be decocted in doses of 15–30 grams for oral use to treat symptoms such as spleen deficiency with poor appetite, persistent diarrhea, wheezing cough due to lung issues, kidney deficiency with seminal emission, and frequent urination. The "Shennong’s Classic of Materia Medica" states that prolonged consumption of Chinese yam can lead to sharp hearing and vision, a light body without hunger, and extended longevity.

　　Modern research confirms that Chinese yam contains polyamines, dioscorine, quercetin 2, cholesterol, campesterol, B-sitosterol, as well as free amino acids, starch, tannins, mucilage, glycoproteins, polyphenol oxidase, and various proteins and trace elements. Results from modern pharmacological experiments indicate that it helps promote fracture healing. In vitro tests of its water extract show that Chinese yam promotes interferon production and increases the number of T lymphocytes, thereby enhancing the body’s immune function. It can also elevate CAMP levels in tumor cells, inhibit tumor cell proliferation, and possesses certain anti-cancer effects. It contributes to anti-aging, fitness, maintaining youthful appearance, and extending life.