- Region
- Asia
- Origin
- China
- Traditions
- Chinese medical traditions
Asia · Herb · № 712
Dioscorea hypoglauca (syn. D. collettii)
Herb · Asia
Hypoglauca yam (bei xie)
Dioscorea hypoglauca (syn. D. collettii)
Traditionally attributed effects: clears cloudy urine and expels wind and dampness in rheumatism and skin complaints.
Safety notes
Not with kidney yin deficiency. Traditional use is no proof of effectiveness; if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, taking medication or have a medical condition, consult a doctor or pharmacist.
Preparation
Rhizome. Usually as a decoction, together with other herbs.
Use in traditions
Described in the classical Chinese materia medica, in the group 'herbs that drain dampness'. Bei xie separates 'the turbid from the clear', for cloudy urine, discharge and joint pain with damp; it is part of Bei Xie Fen Qing Yin.
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 materia medica
- Nature and taste
- bitter, neutral
- Meridians
- liver, stomach, bladder
Attributed effects
For cloudy urine from damp heat or deficiency, lower back pain and muscle pain from wind and dampness, and damp heat in the skin such as eczema.
Preparation and amount
Traditional dosage: 9–15 g a day, usually in a decoction. Related to the American wild yam.
Combinations
- With huang bai and plantain seed for cystitis
- With cinnamon twig and fu zi for rheumatism from cold dampness
- Ways to prepare herbs
- Decoction