Zea, Corn Silk, Yu Mi Xu 玉米须
Yu Mi Xu (TCM)
Krauterbuch, Lonitzer, 1578
Flora von Deutschland, Kohler, 1886Botanical name:
Zea mays
Parts used:
Corn Silk
Temperature & Taste:
Neutral, Sweet.
Uses:
1. Clears Heat and Damp, Promotes Urine, Clears Stones (TCM, West, Ayurveda):
-obstructed urine with scanty or difficult urination
-acute and chronic nephritic edema, chronic cystitis, gravel, irritable bladder
-congested or chronically inflamed kidneys.
-phosphatic and uric acid calculi
-Prostatitis
-Gonorrhea.
2. Clears Liver Heat and Damp (West, TCM):
-pain and tenderness of the Liver region, nausea, irritability as seen in cholecystitis, Gall Bladder stones
-Jaundice
-Icteric hepatitis and hepatic cirrhosis (TCM)
3. Benefits the Kidneys:
-Diabetes mellitus (TCM)
-bed-wetting in children.
4. Settles Wind:
-Hypertension
-Tics from deficiency of the Heart. (TCM)
5. Stops bleeding:
-bleeding of the nose or gums.
Dose:
Decoction: 6–18 grams (up to 50 grams for severe Edema)
Main Combinations:
1. Edema:
i. Corn Silk with Kidney Bean decocted
ii. Corn Silk with Lobelia chinensis, Alisma Ze Xie
iii. with Damp and Spleen deficienbcy, Corn Silk with Pyrrosia, Poria Fu Ling, Alisma Ze Xie, Atractylodes Bia Zhu
iv. severe, decoct Corn Silk with Barley, Celery, with a little Cinnamon and drink the soup
2. Cystitis, UTI:
i. Corn Silk with Barley
ii. Corn Silk, Agrimony, Couch Grass, Plantain seed
iii. with frequent urine, Corn Silk with Bearberry
vi. Corn Silk, Bearberry, Birch leaf, Licorice, Couch grass
v. from Heat and Damp, Corn Silk with Plantain seed
3. Gravel and Stones:
i. Corn Silk with Lygodium, Plantain seed
ii, Corn Silk with Queen of the Meadow, Collinsonia, Viburnum
iii. Corn Silk with Tribulus, Maidenhair, Nettle, Melon seed (This has been studied)
4. Nephritis:
i. Corn Silk with Knotgrass (Bian Xu), Dianthus Qu Mai, Talcum (Hua Shi), Licorice
5. Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy, Corn Silk with Bearberry, Saw Palmetto, Nettle
6. Liver disease, Corn Silk with Agrimony and Dandelion
Cautions:
Generally Safe. Not used in marked Yin deficiency.