Gastrodia Tuber / Tian Ma (16oz)

天麻/独摇芝/定风草（1磅/盒） 

赤箭、离母、鬼督邮、神草、独摇芝、赤箭脂、定风草、合离草、独摇、自动草、水洋芋

为兰科植物天麻的根茎。 

性味

甘，平。

经脉

入肝经。

主治

息风止痉，平肝阳；祛风通络。主急慢惊风，抽搐拘挛，眩晕，头痛，半身不遂，肢麻，风湿痹痛。

【食疗方】

天麻汽锅鸡

天麻12克，乌鸡500克。将乌鸡剁成块，入开水氽透放入汽锅内，天麻一同放入，加葱、姜、花椒、料酒、精盐，上笼蒸烂即可。

功效：补气血，益精，养肝明目。主治病后体弱，头晕目眩，视物不清，手足麻木无力等。平人食之轻身增力。

Gastrodia Tuber / Tian Ma  (16oz)

Gastrodia has been used to relieve nervous headaches, pain in the trigeminal nerve, nocturnal emissions, difficult breathing, insomnia due to stress, and hypertension. Chemical analysis of gastrodia indicates that it contains significant amounts of calcium, magnesium, and potassium.

Gastrodiae Rhizoma, also called chì jiàn, guǐ dū yóu, or tiān má in Chinese, is considered a top grade (shàng pǐn) medicine described to enter liver channel (gān jīng) in classic literatures of traditional Chinese medicine and has been used for centuries. Many studies investigating its various bioactivities and active compounds have been conducted worldwide. 

This article reviews these biological activities and details the antidepressant pharmacology of Gastrodiae Rhizoma. Gastrodiae Rhizoma treatment exerts an effective inhibition of diverse diseases and disorders, including convulsion, oxidative stress, mental disorders, amnesia, cardio-cerebral-vascular diseases, and inflammation, among others. The antidepressant effect of Gastrodiae Rhizoma was evaluated in animal models and several mechanisms of activity were found, including the modulation and regulation of monoamine oxidase activity, monoamine concentration and turnover, antioxidatant activity, GABAergic system induction, BDNF induction, neuroprotection and anti-inflammatory activity.

From the manufacturer:

The rhizome of Gastrodia elata. The taste is sweet and mild. Gan, Ping. It enters the Liver meridian. Indications: It is used to “stop wind” [nerve pain] and stop spasm, calm liver-yang; expel “wind” and dredge collaterals. It is mainly used for convulsions, dizziness, headache, hemiplegia, numbness, rheumatic arthralgia. 

Diet Therapy

Tianma Steam Pot Chicken  

Ingredients: 

12 grams of gastrodia, 500 grams of black-bone chicken. [Black flesh chicken, available in Chinese butcher shops, is considered more yin (cooling) than regular chicken.]

Chop the black-bone chicken into pieces, parboil it in boiling water, put it in a steamer, add gastrodia elata, add green onion, ginger, pepper, cooking wine, refined salt, and steam it.  

Efficacy: nourishing qi and blood, nourishing essence, nourishing liver and improving eyesight. It is used for frail persons for recovery from illness, dizziness, unclear vision, numbness and weakness in hands and feet, etc. [Fragile, underweight persons can gain strength.]