Medicinal Wine Encyclopedia - (Treasure Edition)

Author: Wang Wei / Country: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2006-06-01
Features: The Health Benefits of Medicinal Wine
Medicinal wine is a type of prepared wine that incorporates traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) herbs, representing a perfect combination of alcohol and herbal medicine. TCM herbs are the traditional medicine of the Chinese nation. Compared to Western medicine, they possess unique characteristics: they are derived from nature, exhibit significant efficacy, have fewer side effects, and low toxicity. They are effective in preventing and treating common and chronic diseases, as well as enhancing the body's immune and self-regulating abilities. More importantly, they have a unique role in treating difficult and chronic conditions that Western medicine cannot address.
Alcohol itself is a medicine and can also be used for healing. It is the essence of water and grains, with a pungent and sweet taste, and a warm nature, affecting the heart and liver meridians. It has functions such as promoting blood circulation, removing blood stasis, dispelling wind and cold, eliminating cold accumulation, soothing stomach cold, nourishing the spleen, strengthening the intestines, facilitating digestion, and moisturizing the skin. Additionally, it can guide medicinal properties upward, enhance the efficacy of herbs, and, when consumed moderately, can strengthen the heart, invigorate the spirit, boost energy and digestion, eliminate fatigue, and enhance mental clarity.
Modern medicine has proven that alcohol is an excellent organic solvent. Its main component is ethanol, which has good penetration and can easily enter the tissues and cells of medicinal herbs. It can dissolve most water-soluble substances in TCM herbs, as well as organic substances that are not soluble in water but require non-polar solvents. This helps to better utilize the original effects of medicinal herbs. After consumption, alcohol can promote the efficacy of herbs, allowing their therapeutic effects to be maximized and rapidly delivered. Additionally, various medicinal wines can be formulated according to different TCM prescriptions to treat various conditions.
The health benefits of medicinal wine have been valued by medical practitioners throughout history. The Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji) by Sima Qian includes 25 medical cases treated by the Han Dynasty physician Chunyu Yi, two of which involved the use of medicinal wine to cure patients. The famous medical sage Zhang Zhongjing often added a moderate amount of wine to herbal decoctions when treating diseases, such as the Ejiao Tang (Licorice Decoction) used to treat Shanghan Xuejie (paroxysmal arrhythmia) and Jiaoyi Tang (Angelica and Ephedra Decoction) used to treat uterine bleeding and pregnancy-related bleeding. Other prescriptions like the Danggui Sini Tang (Angelica and Cinnamon Decoction) and Shixiao San (Fritillaria Decoction) were prepared with wine for decoction.
In addition to being widely used for treating diseases, the health-enhancing properties of medicinal wine have also been increasingly recognized. For example, Tusujiu (Tiger Bone Wine) is made from herbs such as rhubarb, cinnamon, dodder, asparagus, safflower, pepper, aconite, and red beans. Legend has it that this wine was created by the Han Dynasty physician Hua Tuo and is still consumed on the first day of the Chinese New Year in China and Japan to prevent epidemics and expel pathogens. Another example is Yiyirenjiu (Job's Tears Wine), made from high-quality job's tears powder mixed with grain and rice to ferment, which has the effects of dispelling wind-dampness, strengthening muscles and bones, and tonifying the spleen. Other medicinal wines include Chrysanthemum Wine, Rehmannia Wine, Goji Berry Wine, and Polygonatum Wine, all of which have been proven through long-term medical practice to have positive effects on strengthening the body and prolonging life.
In recent years, scientific research methods have been used to experimentally study and clinically observe certain medicinal wines, confirming their unique efficacy. The Qinhai Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine conducted experimental research on the blood rheology and microcirculation of healthy adults using Cordyceps Wine. Cordyceps Wine is primarily made from Cordyceps militaris, supplemented with Cistanche deserticola, Panax ginseng, Goji Berry, and Polygonatum, and is fermented using hulless barley alcohol. Drinking Cordyceps Wine can improve blood rheology, significantly accelerating blood flow and thereby enhancing blood circulation, tissue perfusion, and the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to tissues. It also aids in clearing and removing harmful substances from tissues.
Harmonizing internally and externally, ensuring smooth qi and blood flow, is a crucial condition for longevity. Severe cardiovascular diseases affecting middle-aged and elderly people often stem from "blood stasis." Cordyceps Wine has the functions of promoting blood flow and resolving stasis, providing a theoretical basis for its health benefits for middle-aged and elderly individuals. Another example is Shandong Gugujiaojiu (Shandong Dog Bone Wine), which has the effects of dispelling cold and pain, promoting blood circulation and dispelling wind, and strengthening muscles and bones. It has shown good efficacy in treating rheumatoid arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, with a clinical verification rate of 97.7% for 222 cases.
During research on the immune effects of Guolingjiu (Turtle Age Wine) on mice, researchers also compared the effects of the original Guolingjiu powder and the refined Guolingjiu powder. They found that all three preparations significantly enhanced the phagocytic function of mouse macrophages and promoted the production of hemolytic antibodies in mice, with the wine preparation being the most effective.
Currently, researchers worldwide are exploring safe and effective lipid-lowering drugs. Chinese medical workers have selected herbs such as Panax ginseng, Salvia miltiorrhiza, and Acanthopanax senticosus to create Sanshenjiu (Three Ginseng Wine), which has been used to treat 37 patients with hyperlipidemia. The results showed significant reductions in cholesterol, beta-lipoproteins, and triglycerides, with a one-month course achieving a 77.5% effective rate and a two-month course achieving a 97.4% effective rate.
The effects of medicinal wine encompass both the properties of alcohol and the efficacy of medicinal herbs. Since each medicinal wine is formulated with different TCM herbs, its effects vary accordingly. Overall, the functions of medicinal wine are very broad, including both tonifying wines that address deficiencies in the body's yin, yang, qi, and blood, and therapeutic wines that dispel pathogens and treat diseases. Their specific effects differ. For example, health-preserving and beauty-enhancing wines, primarily aimed at tonifying and strengthening the body, have functions such as nourishing qi and blood, warming the kidneys and strengthening yang, nourishing the stomach and generating essence, calming the heart and mind, anti-aging, and prolonging life. Therapeutic wines, primarily aimed at treating diseases, have functions such as dispelling wind and cold, stopping cough and wheezing, clearing heat and detoxifying, nourishing blood and promoting circulation, and soothing meridians. The effects vary depending on the disease.
Medicinal wine is a combination of alcohol and medicinal herbs. However, the herbs added are selected and targeted according to specific requirements, and their inclusion varies, leading to different effects for each type of medicinal wine. Therapeutic wines, for example, are formulated to prevent and treat diseases and have strict requirements in their prescriptions, being specifically designed for particular conditions. Tonifying wines, while also having certain preventive and therapeutic effects on diseases, primarily serve to nourish and strengthen the body, promoting health, vitality, and disease prevention. Due to the advantages mentioned above, medicinal wines are used to treat nearly all clinical disciplines.
For example, in internal medicine, they are used for conditions such as rheumatism, hemiplegia (post-stroke sequelae), impotence (sexual dysfunction), cough and asthma (respiratory infections); in gynecology, for conditions such as amenorrhea, dysmenorrhea, infertility, consumptive cough, postpartum diarrhea, postpartum dizziness, and mastitis; in pediatrics, for conditions such as rickets and wind epilepsy; in surgery, for conditions such as thromboangiitis obliterans; in dermatology, for conditions such as eczema, cracked hands, allergic dermatitis, leprosy, psoriasis, and vitiligo; in orthopedics, for conditions such as trauma and fractures; in stomatology, for conditions such as toothache and dental caries; and in ophthalmology and otolaryngology, for conditions such as tinnitus, deafness, hoarseness, and blurred vision. In total, there are over 100 conditions treated with medicinal wine.
With the integration and mutual penetration of traditional Chinese and Western medicine, many new medicinal wines have emerged recently, targeting modern diseases. Examples include Kuanchangjiu (Dilatation Wine) for preventing artificial abortion syndrome, Yuzhongjiu (Contraceptive Wine) for contraception and preventing implantation, Yinxingyejiu (Ginkgo Leaf Wine) for preventing and treating cardiovascular diseases, Nangongling (Cysticercus Wine) for treating cysticercosis, and Gujiajiu (Anti-Osteophyte Wine) for treating osteophytes. These reflect the recent development and role of Chinese medicinal wine. P8-10