This product is the seed kernel of the annual grass plant foxtail millet, widely cultivated in northern China.

As recorded in the "Fengtu Ji" by Zhou Chu of the Western Jin Dynasty: "On the Dragon Boat Festival in midsummer, cook the horn-shaped dumplings." Li Shizhen's "Compendium of Materia Medica" from the Ming Dynasty states: "The ancients used wild rice leaves to wrap foxtail millet and cooked it into a pointed shape, resembling the leaves of the Windmill Palm, hence called zongzi." Therefore, in ancient times, foxtail millet was used to make zongzi. When it was switched to sticky rice remains to be investigated.

bubble_chart Properties and Meridians

Cool, sweet and salty. act on kidney, spleen and stomach channels (Chen foxtail millet rice bitter cold).

bubble_chart Efficacy

Invigorating the spleen and harmonizing the stomach, tonifying deficiency and damage, relieving restlessness and quenching thirst, promoting urination.

bubble_chart Indications

Spleen-stomach weakness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or food injury (dyspepsia) abdominal distension and fullness. Insomnia, or physical weakness with low-grade fever.

1. Used for spleen-stomach weakness, emaciation, lack of strength, abdominal distension and fullness, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting. Can be used alone with foxtail millet, or combined with Chinese Yam, Lotus Seed, Poria, etc., ground into powder and cooked into porridge. Alternatively, foxtail millet can be ground into flour, mixed with water to form pills, taken 10 grams each time, boiled with salt, and consumed on an empty stomach with the juice. For children with diarrhea due to spleen deficiency and indigestion, foxtail millet and Chinese yam can be ground into fine powder, cooked into a paste, and fed with an appropriate amount of sugar.
2. Used for general physical weakness or postpartum weakness. Cook foxtail millet with Chinese dates into porridge and consume with brown sugar.
3. Used for stomach heat consumptive thirst and dry mouth. Cook aged foxtail millet into rice.
4. Used for difficulty in urination with heat. Can be combined with Plantain Seed and decocted into a soup for consumption.

bubble_chart Documentation

1. In "Shi Yi Xin Jing," it is said: "To treat consumptive thirst and dry mouth, cook foxtail millet rice and eat it, which is beneficial."
2. Bencao Gangmu: "Foxtail millet rice has a salty and bland taste, with a cold purgative and diuretic nature. It is the grain of the kidneys, suitable for kidney diseases. Conditions such as consumptive thirst, diarrhea, and dysentery are all related to kidney disorders. It promotes urination, thereby expelling kidney pathogens, and reduces stomach fire, making it suitable for spleen and stomach ailments."
3. "Sui Xi Ju Yin Shi Pu": "The effects of foxtail millet rice are similar to those of indica and japonica rice, but it has a cooler nature, making it suitable for patients to consume."

bubble_chart Usage and Dosage

For internal use, decoct in water or cook into porridge. For external use, grind into powder and sprinkle or boil into a liquid for application.

bubble_chart Cautions and Contraindications

Avoid consuming with Bitter Apricot Seed. Riyong Bencao: "Consuming with Bitter Apricot Seed may cause vomiting and diarrhea." "Dietary Guidelines": "Not suitable for those with a cold stomach to consume in large amounts."

bubble_chart Modern Pharmacology

Foxtail millet contains protein, fat, starch, calcium, phosphorus, iron, carotene, vitamin A, vitamin B₁, vitamin B₂, and more. Compared to rice, foxtail millet has higher levels of protein, fat, and vitamins. Additionally, it contains niacin and vitamin A, making it particularly suitable for postpartum women and children. In northern regions, not only do postpartum women consume foxtail millet porridge, but it is also cooked for newborns, serving as a sweet and nourishing food that aids in gastrointestinal function. Furthermore, sprouted foxtail millet grains, known as foxtail millet sprouts, contain starch, vitamin B, protein, and other nutrients, which are beneficial for digestion. They can be dried or baked (at temperatures not exceeding 60 degrees Celsius) and then ground into powder for consumption.