Spring day, talk about apricot blossom medicine

According to traditional medicine, apricot flowers are often used to treat diseases such as high fever, thirst, chest tightness, cough, sore throat, burns, tuberculosis, loss of appetite, and dizziness.

When talking about spring flowers, we cannot help but mention apricot blossoms. When Tet comes, spring comes, even though the weather is cold, apricot blossoms still bloom white as snow. In the highlands, apricot blossoms grow in forests, so when the apricot blossoms bloom, patches of white interspersed with the green of the mountains and forests create a truly lyrical scene. Poets love apricot blossoms, and doctors also love this flower.

The apricot blossom mentioned here is the white apricot blossom (bach mai hoa), in our country it is the flower of the apricot tree, the scientific name is Prunus armeniaca L., also known as lap mai, bach mai, lap moc, huong mai, hoang lap, tuyet ly hoa... It is necessary to distinguish it from the yellow apricot tree (Ochna integerrima Lour) which is often grown as an ornamental plant. Like peach and plum, apricot originates from China and Japan. The apricot tree is small, about 4-5 m high, the flowers grow alone in the axils of fallen leaves, have short stalks, are white and fragrant, the calyx is shaped like a wheel, has 5 small teeth, the corolla has 5 thin petals, many stamens arranged in 2 circles, the ovary is superior, one cell.

In chemical composition, apricot blossom contains many essential oils such as cineole, borneol, linalool, benzyl alcohol, farnesol, terpineol, indole... and some other substances such as meratin, calycanthine, carotene... Modern research shows that apricot blossom has the effect of promoting bile secretion, inhibiting some types of bacteria such as coli, dysentery bacilli, typhoid bacilli, cholera bacilli, tuberculosis bacilli...

According to traditional medicine, apricot blossoms are sweet and slightly bitter, warm in nature, non-toxic, and have the effect of clearing heat, stimulating appetite, dispelling depression, and dissolving phlegm. They are often used to treat diseases such as high fever, thirst, chest tightness, cough, sore throat, burns, tuberculosis, loss of appetite, dizziness, etc. Ancient medical books such as Compendium of Materia Medica, Compendium of Materia Medica, Hundred Herbs, Compendium of Materia Medica, Compendium of Medicinal Herbs, and List of Medicinal Herbs have all recorded many medicinal recipes using apricot blossoms with quite profound insights. Some specific examples can be cited as follows:

- Poisoning causes mental disturbance, headache, dizziness: (1) Boil 9g of apricot blossoms to drink or combine apricot blossoms with sea bean flowers and fresh lotus leaves in sufficient quantity, boil to drink. (2) Steep 15g of apricot blossoms, 15g of white chrysanthemums, 15g of roses to drink as tea.

- High blood pressure, angina: 3g apricot flower, 10g cassia seed, steep with boiling water in a sealed container, after 15 minutes it can be used, drink instead of tea during the day.

- Mai gangrene, stomach pain, hepatitis and mild cirrhosis: 5g mai flower is simmered with 100g rice to make porridge, add white sugar, divide into several meals a day. Mai gangrene is a condition of feeling like there is something in the throat causing obstruction, unable to cough up, unable to swallow but does not hinder eating and drinking. For this disease, people also use 12g mai flower, 3g cinnamon flower, 20g tea, mix the three ingredients well, divide into 3 times to brew and drink instead of tea.

- Bloating, flatulence: Apricot blossom 10g, costus root 10g, cyperus rotundus 15g, decoct and drink.

- Stomach ache due to cold: equal amounts of plum blossom and cinnabar, dried, ground into powder, drink 3 - 6 g each time with light wine.

- Hiccups: 5g apricot blossoms, 5 red ears (thrush), 3 slices of fresh ginger, 100g of rice. Boil fresh ginger and thrush to get the water, discard the residue, then add rice and cook into porridge. When cooked, add apricot blossoms, boil for a few times, and divide into several meals a day.

- Vomiting: 5g apricot blossom, 5ml fresh ginger juice. Steep apricot blossom with boiling water in a sealed container for about 20 minutes, then strain and add fresh ginger juice and drink. Use 2 doses per day.

- Acute pharyngitis and tonsillitis: (1) Apricot blossom 6g, Scrophularia 9g, Indigo root 9g, decoct to drink. (2) Apricot blossom 15g, Honeysuckle 15g, Gypsum 15g, Scrophularia 9g, decoct to drink. (3) Steep 9g Apricot blossom in boiling water in a sealed container, drink instead of tea during the day.

- Chronic pharyngitis: (1) 6g apricot blossom, 5g gardenia flower, 20g tea. Mix the three ingredients and divide into 2 doses, steep with boiling water and drink instead of tea, 1 dose per day. (2) Cook apricot blossom and cymbidium flower in sufficient quantity with 60g of rice into porridge, divide into several doses per day, 1 dose per day.

- Persistent cough: (1) Steep 9g of apricot blossoms and drink as tea during the day. (2) 10g of apricot blossoms, 10g of fritillary flowers, 60g of rice, cook all into porridge, add a little honey, divide into several servings during the day.

- Severe dehydration due to heat stroke causing thirst and chest tightness: Apricot blossom 10g, ginseng leaves 10g, licorice 10g, ophiopogon 15g, patchouli 6g, decoct and drink.

- Anorexia due to heat stroke: 10g apricot flower, 50g lotus leaf, steep in boiling water and drink as tea during the day.

- Chest tightness, difficulty breathing: Apricot blossom 10g, red salvia 10g, qua lau 15g, decoct and drink during the day.

- Rheumatoid arthritis: 9g apricot blossom, 9g heather vine, 9g rhubarb, dam flower soaked in 200ml of alcohol, drink 30 - 50ml each time.

- Acute conjunctivitis: 6g apricot blossom, 9g chrysanthemum, boil well then add a little honey to drink.

- Injury due to dislocation: 9g apricot blossom, 9g willow leaves, 9g mountain dragon fruit, soak with 250ml white wine, drink 2 times a day, 50ml each time.

- Bleeding wound: 10g of apricot flower, roasted until the properties are preserved, then ground into powder and sprinkled on the wound.

- Ulcers of the lips and oral mucosa: Crush a sufficient amount of fresh apricot blossoms with white sugar, squeeze out the juice and apply to the lesion.

- Lymph nodes: Adequate amount of apricot blossoms, 1 chicken egg. Use a sharp knife to poke a small hole in the egg, then stuff the apricot blossoms inside, steam until cooked and eat, once a day, 7 times is a course of treatment.

- Ulcerative dermatitis: Soak 6g of apricot flower in peanut oil or sesame oil. After 2 weeks, it can be used. Apply to the affected area twice a day.

- Burns: Soak a sufficient amount of apricot blossom with tea tree oil and apply to the burned area.

In addition, in traditional cuisine, apricot blossoms are also used by the ancients as a food to make nutritious and strong dishes along with other foods such as pork, goat meat, sea cucumber, chicken eggs, carp, shiitake mushrooms... Thus, with its elegant beauty and pure fragrance, apricot blossoms not only have profound aesthetic value but are also a good medicine and a unique food.

According to Zing.vn