Good medicine to cure diseases from water chestnut

Pound fresh water chestnuts and rub on areas with prickly heat or dry, dull facial skin to treat it; or roast old water chestnut shells with sesame oil and grind into powder to apply on the skin to treat scabies.

Water chestnut is also called water chestnut. Photo: Farmvina.

According to Dr. Vo Van Chi, author of the book"Good medicine from precious medicinal plants",The scientific name of the larva is Trapa bicornis Osbeck var.cochinchinensis (Lour). Gluck. Ex Steenis (T.cochinchinensis Lour.), belonging to the larva family Trapaceae.

The larva is a floating aquatic plant, with its roots stuck in the mud and its stem short, thick, and hairy.dear friendLeaves submerged in water, pinnate, with long filamentous lobes -4 cm. Floating leaves 4-5 cm long, 6-7 cm wide, thick, dark green or reddish, the underside has dense hairs on the veins. Petioles 5-20 cm long, slightly swollen in the upper third, red. Flowers white, solitary in leaf axils, petals wrinkled, 1.5 cm long. Bulb hairy, almost heart-shaped, 2-3 cm high, 5 cm wide, with two upward curved horns, 2 cm long, with spines at the top. Seeds have one large cotyledon, one small cotyledon, filled with pulp.

This is a plant of the ancient tropics, grows naturally and is widely planted in ponds, lakes, marshes, rivers, water surfaces,Flowers in May-June, fruits in July-September. In Vietnam, the treegrows wild and appears in many places such as Hanoi, Ninh Binh, Vinh Long, Can Tho, Dong Thap. Some countries also have this tree such as India, China, Japan and other tropical countries.

Larvae grow abundantly in aquatic environments such as ponds, lakes and swamps in Vinh Long. Photo: HL.

People harvest the larva in the fall.The whole root, stem, leaves and peel can be used. The fresh root is used externally, the stem, leaves and peel are dried in the sun. This plant has a tastesweet, astringent, neutral, detoxifying, anti-inflammatory, stomach tonic, anti-inflammatory

In the book "Good medicine from precious medicinal plants", author Vo Van Chi wrote: "Au" is used to treat cancer of the esophagus, stomach, mammary glands, cervix, brain, and multiple skin tumors. It also cures stomach ulcers, sunstroke, fatigue, summer thirst, excessive menstruation, skin diseases, breast swelling, impetigo in children, and scabies with yellow discharge.Dosage: 10-16 g, decoction form. For external use, no dosage is required.

Some remedies from the larva:

- Prickly heat or dry, dull facial skin: Crush fresh water chestnuts and rub on.

- Angelica dahurica (acne): Use old roots, roast until charcoal, crush into powder, add sesame oil and mix well to apply on the skin.

- Scabies with yellow discharge on the head and face: Use old fruit peels, roast them every year until they become charcoal, grind them into powder and mix with sesame oil to apply externally.

- Excessive menstruation: 500g fresh water chestnut, 20g brown sugar, crush fresh water chestnut, boil in water, discard residue, add brown sugar to drink.

- Esophageal, breast, uterine cancer: Use 50g of water chestnut leaves, leaf stalks, root peel, 30g of coix seed, boil in water and drink instead of tea for many days. Note,Water chestnut contains 6 substances galoyl glucose and bicornin. Using methanol extract from water chestnut flesh has the effect of protecting the skin from damage caused by X-rays.

According to VNE