- Region
- Asia
- Origin
- China; cultivated in East Asia
Asia · Food · № 635
Dioscorea polystachya (syn. D. opposita)
Food · Asia
Chinese yam (shan yao)
Dioscorea polystachya (syn. D. opposita)
Traditionally attributed effects: strengthens spleen, stomach and lungs, helps regulate the hormone system in women and is said to lower blood sugar.
Safety notes
Safe as food. With diabetes medication, watch your blood sugar. Traditional use is no proof of effectiveness; if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, taking medication or have a medical condition, consult a doctor or pharmacist.
Cautions by tradition (1)
- Chinese materia medica: Caution with excess with heat or dampness in the abdomen.
Preparation
Dried slices in soups and stews; fresh as a vegetable.
Use in traditions
A classic Chinese food and medicine; Henan is regarded as the origin of the best quality. A different plant from the North American wild yam (Dioscorea villosa).
Applications
Use by tradition
How different herbal traditions describe this herb. Amounts are traditional guidelines checked for obvious errors; they are not medical advice. For poisonous plants no dosage is given on purpose.
Chinese food therapy
Attributed effects
Tonic for spleen, stomach and lungs; helps regulate hormone production in women and is said to lower blood sugar. With fish and seaweed, minerals and trace elements complement this. In the pigeon stew, yam together with goji supports the hormone system, immunity and the vitality of men and women.
Chinese materia medica
- Nature and taste
- sweet, neutral
- Meridians
- spleen, lung, kidney, stomach
Attributed effects
Shan yao strengthens spleen and stomach in chronic diarrhoea, fatigue and discharge, nourishes lung qi and yin in chronic cough and asthma, and strengthens the kidneys in seminal emission, frequent urination and 'wasting-and-thirsting disease'. Externally as a poultice on boils.
Preparation and amount
Traditional dosage: 9–30 g a day, usually in a decoction. For weakness: grind 30 g, cook it with water until done and mix with rice wine into a porridge; eat it in the evening on an empty stomach.
Combinations
- With prepared rehmannia and cornus for kidney deficiency
Caution: Caution with excess with heat or dampness in the abdomen.