Areca Seed
http://www.100md.com
《e Natural Health Center》
 |
 |
 |
 |
Herbs for Expelling Intestinal Parasites
Areca Seed
Latin:
Semen Arecae
Origin:
The ripe seed of Areca cathecu L., the Betel Palm, an evergreen arbor, belonging to the Palmae family. These feathery leaved Palms are native to Madagascar and other tropical regions. They are great as potted plants when they are young. They need a minimum temperature of 15 degree Celsius. They can live outside in southern Florida and other subtropical and tropical regions. Areca Cathecu produces the well-known Betel Nut of commerce, which is in great demand in Eastern countries for chewing. It is slender and can grow up to 30 m tall. Seeds can be sown in pots of sandy soil in the spring or summer.
, 百拇医药
Palm consists of approximately 2,800 known species and are economically important. Palms furnish food, shelter, clothing, timber, fuel, building materials, fibres, starch, oils, waxes, wines, and a host of minor products for indigenous populations in the tropics. Palms are chiefly tropical and subtropical trees, shrubs, and vines, usually having a tall, unbranched, columnar trunk. The trunk is crowned by a tuft of large, pleated, fan- or feather-shaped leaves with stout sheathing and often prickly petioles (stalks), the persistent bases of which frequently clothe the trunk.
, 百拇医药
The small, usually unisexual flowers are produced in large clusters. The stem, or trunk, may vary from the length and width of a pencil to a height of about 60 m and a diameter of about 1 m. The leaves may vary in length from several centimetres to more than 9 m. Seeds may be smaller than a match head or the size of a large melon.
The great centres of palm distribution are tropical America (with more than 500 species concentrated in Brazil alone) and tropical Asia.
, 百拇医药
In China, areca seed is mainly produced in the provinces Hainan, Fujian, Yunnan, Guangxi, Taiwan, etc. The ripe fruit is reaped from the end of spring to the beginning of autumn. Boil the fruit in water, dry, peel and remove the seeds, dry them in the sun, soak thoroughly and slice or pound for use.
See also Food, Nuts and Seeds, Areca Seed.
Properties:
Bitter and pungent in flavor, warm in nature, it is related to the stomach and large intestine channels.
, 百拇医药
Functions:
Expels intestinal parasites, removes food stagnancy, activates the flow of qi and induces diuresis.
Applications:
1. To treat a large variety of intestinal parasitoses:
a) Taeniasis (infestation with or disease caused by tapeworms):
This herb often takes effect when used alone or together with pumpkin seeds.
, 百拇医药
b) Ascariasis (infestation with or disease caused by ascarids, such as common round worm) and oxyuriasis (infestation with or disease caused by pinworms):
It is mostly used together with Rangoon creeper fruit (Fructus Quisqualis) and chinaberry bark (Cortex Meliae).
2. To treat diarrhea or dysentery with tenesmus due to retention of food and stagnation of qi:
It is often used with aucklandia root, dried green orange peel (Pericarpium Citri Reticulatae Viride), rhubarb (Radix et Rhizoma Rhei), etc., e.g., Muxiang Binlang Wan.
, 百拇医药
3. To treat edema and beriberi (a deficiency disease marked by inflammatory or degenerative changes of the nerves, digestive system, and heart) with swelling and pain:
a) Excess syndrome of edema and constipation and obstructed urination:
It is often used in combination with India pokeberry (Radix Phytolaccae), oriental water plantain rhizome (Rhizoma Alismatis), fiveleaf akebia stem (Caulis Akebiae), etc., e.g., Shuzao Yinzi.
, http://www.100md.com
b) Beriberi with swelling and pain due to pathogenic cold and dampness:
The herb is often used in combination with Chinese flowering quince (Fructus Chaenomelis), evodia fruit, tangerine exocarp, etc., e.g., Jiming San.
3. To treat malaria with incessant chills and fever:
This herb is always used together with antipyretic dichroa root (Radix Dichroae), caoguo (Fructus Tsaoko), etc., e.g., Jienue Qibao Yin.
, 百拇医药
Dosage and Administration:
6-15 g., decoct for oral administration.
When used alone to expel and kill teniae (tapeworm) and fasciolopses, take a dosage of 60-120 g.
Cautions on Use:
It should be avoided by anyone with loose stools due to deficiency of the spleen or deficiency and sinking of qi.
, 百拇医药
Reference Materials:
'Other Medical Records of Famous Physicians' :
"Relieving polyorexia, eliminating retained fluids, removing accumulation of phlegm in the hypochondria, destroying ascarids, oxyurids and teniae and other harmful parasites and curing taeniasis and other parasitoses."
'On Properties of Herbs' :
"Removing all obstruction and stagnation in five zang-organs and six fu-organs, dispersing hard masses, the sensation of fullness and stagnated qi in the abdomen and relieving edema."
, 百拇医药
'The Compendium of Materia Medica' :
"Diarrhea or dysentery with tenesmus, various pains in the epigastrium and abdomen, constipation and obstructed urination and dyspnea due to stagnation of phlegm and qi."
Toxic or Side Effects:
Modern Researches:
This herb contains alkaloids such as arecoline, arecaidine, guvacine, etc., and it also contains condensed tannin, fatty oil, areca red, starch, resins, etc.
, http://www.100md.com
Arecoline has a rather powerful antiscolic effect on pig teniae by paralyzing the entire bodies of teniae (tapeworms), but it can only paralyze the heads and immature nodal plates of cattle teniae. It has a certain preventive effect on the infection of schistosomes (blood flukes). Arecoline can promote the secretion of saliva and sweat, increase intestinal peristalsis, slowing down the heart rate and reduce blood pressure. Dripping arecoline into the eye can shrink the pupils., 百拇医药