Gastrodia elata is a commonly used and expensive traditional Chinese medicine. It is mostly used clinically for headaches, dizziness, numbness of limbs, infantile convulsions, epilepsy, convulsions, tetanus and other diseases

Gastrodia elata has certain toxic and side effects

If you misuse Gastrodia elata regardless of whether your constitution is weak or strong, or whether your Qi or blood is strong or weak, adverse reactions may occur.

Common adverse reactions that occur when taking Gastrodia elata include: dizziness, nausea, chest tightness, skin pimples with itching, etc. In some cases, facial or whole body edema, and even hair loss may occur. Not only will such reactions occur when using Gastrodia elata alone, some people will also develop symptoms of allergies to Gastrodia elata after taking gastrodia elata-containing decoctions such as Banxia Atractylodes and Gastrodia elata decoction, and Chinese patent medicines such as Gastrodia elata pills and Gastrodia Armillaria sugar-coated tablets. .

Gastrodia elata is a valuable traditional Chinese medicine that is very effective in treating dizziness and headaches caused by liver deficiency and liver wind. It is a folk custom to stew Gastrodia elata with chicken as a tonic. This is actually unscientific.

Gastrodia elata can be stewed. The correct method is to cut the elata into thin slices and stew it alone or in combination with other tonics such as pig brains and pigeon meat in a covered container with water. Why stew it like this? Because the active ingredients of Gastrodia elata, such as vanillyl alcohol and vanillyl aldehyde, are volatile oils that are easily volatilized when exposed to high temperatures. Therefore, gastrodia elata cannot be cooked together with other medicines to avoid losing the active ingredients and reducing the efficacy. The customary way to consume Gastrodia elata is of course to swallow it, that is, take 3-9 grams of Gastrodia elata, grind the Gastrodia elata into fine powder, and take it with warm boiled water.

Why is Gastrodia stewed chicken unscientific? Traditional Chinese medicine believes that Gastrodia elata is sweet, warm and dry. It enters the liver meridian and can calm the liver, calm wind and cool down. It is neither dispersive nor nourishing. And chicken is warm in nature. "Materia Medica Seeking Truth" says, "Chicken belongs to Xun and is moved by wind. It responds to the outside and connects the liver... Therefore, those with yin deficiency and excessive fire should not eat chicken. If they eat, the wind and fire will help." It can be seen that in addition to the compatibility of Gastrodia elata with chicken, which will affect its own efficacy, decoction of Gastrodia elata with water will also evaporate its active ingredients, which is not worth the loss.

Follow-up

However, I haven’t gotten enough sleep recently, and I haven’t slept well either. I wake up easily and feel dizzy and want to sleep. Is this the effect of gastrodia elata?

Answer

I don’t get enough sleep, I don’t sleep well, I wake up easily, I feel dizzy and I want to sleep. This is not necessarily the effect of Gastrodia elata

But if you don’t have to eat Gastrodia elata, then don’t eat it.