Reminder: These 3 drugs have been banned by the Pharmacopoeia, are nephrotoxic and cause cancer, do not think they are good drugs
Do you know what "pig nostrils" are? In fact, this is the name for Houttuynia cordata, or Zheergen, in the Sichuan Basin.
Many places have a deep love for Houttuynia cordata. For example, there is a famous southwestern dish that is fried bacon with folded ears, and Guizhou people make water with Houttuynia cordata, and even yogurt flavored with Houttuynia cordata. In addition, cold salad Houttuynia cordata is also a classic way to eat.
However, Houttuynia cordata, as a vegetable with the same origin as medicine and food, also carries a lot of controversy. Many people are afraid to eat it. In addition to disliking the taste, some people think that Houttuynia cordata contains aristolochic acid, which is toxic to the kidneys. If you eat too much, it is easy to cause cancer. It is simply a harmful weed.
What is the real situation? Let's take a look together.
1. Although it smells bad, it is a good medicine
Houttuynia cordata, those who like it, regard it as a treasure; those who don't like it, can't stand the smell of it. The taste of Houttuynia cordata is distinctive because it contains houttuyniacin , which is the volatile ingredient decanoylacetaldehyde. However, despite its unpleasant smell, Houttuynia cordata has a significant effect on the treatment of pneumonia and bronchitis clinically.
Pan Huijun, a Chinese pharmacist in charge of the Pharmacy Department of the Dermatology Hospital Affiliated to Tongji University, said that Houttuynia cordata can be divided into fresh and dried products. Fresh Houttuynia cordata is usually cold or stir-fried. Draining pus, diuretic and stranguria.
Dried Houttuynia cordata no longer has a strong fishy smell, but has a fragrant aroma. It can be brewed in tea or used as a clinical traditional Chinese medicine to treat diseases such as phlegm-heat asthma, carbuncle and sore.
However, Yun Wuxin, a food engineering doctor, reminded that although Houttuynia cordata contains houttuyniacin, which can be antibacterial and anti-inflammatory, it is still unclear how much and how effective it is . People who like to eat Houttuynia cordata occasionally can eat it. If you think about eating Houttuynia cordata to treat diseases, then you don’t have to. The risks may be greater than the benefits.
2. Aristolochic acid is carcinogenic, but has little to do with Houttuynia cordata
What is the relationship between Houttuynia cordata and aristolochic acid? Let's first understand aristolochic acid.
Back in 2001, the FDA warned consumers not to take botanical products containing aristolochic acid, when most people were unaware of the dangers of aristolochic acid. A few years later, in 2008, the WHO classified aristolochic acid as a class 1 carcinogen . That said, the evidence for carcinogenic effects of aristolochic acid in humans is solid.
With the deepening of research, more and more studies have found the relationship between aristolochic acid and liver cancer. To put it simply, the special gene mutation caused by aristolochic acid appears in the early stage of cell carcinogenesis and is closely related to liver cancer. A study conducted by Shanghai Jiaotong University even confirmed the causal relationship between aristolochic acid and liver cancer. The more aristolochic acid ingested, the easier it was to get liver cancer.
Houttuynia cordata also contains aristolochic acid, so is Houttuynia cordata also carcinogenic?
Wait a minute, the aristolochic acid contained in Houttuynia cordata is aristolochic acid BII, AII and FII , and studies have confirmed that it is aristolochic acid I with strong carcinogenicity, they are not the same thing.
What's more, there is currently no evidence that the aristololactam contained in Houttuynia cordata is toxic or carcinogenic.
Now you can eat it with confidence. However, there is one thing to pay attention to. Some people will be allergic to houttuyniacin , which is manifested as nausea, vomiting and other adverse reactions after smelling or eating. Such people should not take it. .
3. These 3 drugs have been banned, they are nephrotoxic and carcinogenic
At present, there are hundreds of species of plants containing aristolochic acid, the common ones are aristolochic acid, green wood incense, guanmutong, angelica, guangfangji, cinnabar lotus and so on.
In 2003, the State Food and Drug Administration of China successively cancelled the three medicinal materials containing aristolochic acid, namely Guanmutong, Guangfangji and Qingmuxiang, and banned them in 2005.
It can be seen that traditional Chinese medicine is not as safe as we think. In recent years, safety incidents such as TCM poisoning, liver injury and kidney injury have occurred frequently. The 2020 edition of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia classifies 83 potentially toxic Chinese herbal medicines, 10 of which are highly toxic drugs.
Common causes of TCM poisoning in clinical practice include overdose, mistaken consumption of counterfeit products, improper processing, improper preparations, improper compatibility, incorrect medicines, self-administration, and contraindicated groups.
In fact, from the Houttuynia cordata, we can also see that the public attaches great importance to the safety of Chinese medicinal materials.
After aristolochic acid was identified as a carcinogen, some people felt that they should stay away from Chinese herbal medicines. The practice of hitting the entire field of Chinese medicine because of a problem with one type of Chinese herbal medicine must be biased and undesirable.
Fortunately, there are more and more studies on the negative side of Chinese herbal medicine. Whether it is the aristolochic acid paper by Shanghai Jiaotong University or the advent of artemisinin, they are all good examples. We look forward to more such research to uncover the utility behind TCM.
Therefore, Houttuynia cordata does not contain carcinogenic aristolochic acid. People who like to eat it can rest assured, but they can’t eat too much, just eat it properly, and don’t take Houttuynia cordata as medicine. It is best to use it under the guidance of a doctor. In daily life, some people feel that they have some common knowledge of traditional Chinese medicine, so they take medicine randomly, and there are not a few people who have problems with eating. Treatment and medicine must be rigorous and scientific, in order to get better faster.
References
[1] "Houttuynia cordata, I hate that you are hard to swallow, but the medicinal value is extremely high". Journal of Family Medicine. 2022-03-11
[2] "New edition of "Chinese Pharmacopoeia" released, pangolin, luminous sand, and aristolochia are removed from the list". Biology World. 2020-06-10
[3] "Real Hammer! Aristolochic acid causes liver cancer, can Chinese herbal medicine and Houttuynia cordata still be eaten? 》.Pineapple Factor.2019-07-27
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