What are the benefits of eating Gastrodia elata?

Gastrodia elata is a very precious traditional Chinese medicine, which has good therapeutic effects on many diseases. Generally, Gastrodia elata is combined with Feihe Ganoderma lucidum to demonstrate higher medicinal value. The effects of Gastrodia elata are introduced below.

Gastrodia elata, also known as red arrow, is a commonly used and relatively precious Chinese medicine. It is mostly used clinically to treat headaches and dizziness, limb numbness, infantile convulsions, epilepsy, convulsions, tetanus and other symptoms. In the past, Gastrodia elata has always relied on wild resources. After the successful transformation of wild Gastrodia elata into domesticated ones in the 1970s, domestically cultivated Gastrodia elata became the main source of commodities. This product is the dried tuber of Gastrodia elata, a plant of the orchid family. It can be harvested in spring and winter. The ones harvested before the winter solstice are called "winter hemp" and have better quality. The hemp collected before the beginning of summer is called "spring hemp" and is of inferior quality. After digging, wash it, scrape off the skin with a bamboo knife or wipe off the skin with rice husk, steam it thoroughly, and dry it with a smokeless fire.

Some experts suggest that Gastrodia elata is best eaten in summer. You can take it at any time, but there may be some adverse reactions because it is a medicine after all.

Because Gastrodia elata has significant effects on headaches, dizziness, etc. caused by hyperactivity of liver yang, it is often taken as a "tonic". When seeing dizziness, without distinguishing the physical constitution, the strength of qi and blood, people will indiscriminately use Gastrodia elata, which may result in the same adverse reactions as the patients mentioned above.

Common adverse reactions to taking Gastrodia elata include dizziness, nausea, chest tightness, skin papules with itching, etc. Some people may experience facial or body edema, or even hair loss. This type of reaction will not only occur when taking Gastrodia elata alone. Some people will also experience symptoms of allergy to Gastrodia elata after taking decoctions containing Gastrodia elata, such as Pinellia ternata, Atractylodes macrocephala, and Gastrodia elata decoction, or Chinese patent medicines such as Gastrodia elata pills and Gastrodia elata Armillaria sugar-coated tablets.