Coix Seed (Yi Yi Ren)
薏苡仁 · Yìyǐrén
Coix lacryma-jobi var. ma-yuen
Family: Poaceae · Part used: Seed (dehulled) · Origin: Pubei, Guangxi, China
Nature
Cool
Flavor
Sweet, bland
Meridian
Spleen, Stomach, Lung
Yi Yi Ren is the food-medicine of dampness — the pearl barley that drains water, clears heat, and even soothes the sinews. Legend records a Han general who carried sacks of it north, accused of smuggling pearls. Dry-fried, it turns warmer for spleen-cold dampness; raw, it cools and clears damp-heat.
🌿 Functions & Actions
- •Promotes urination and drains dampness
- •Clears damp-heat
- •Strengthens the spleen (fried)
- •Relieves painful obstruction of sinews
- •Clears lung and intestinal abscesses (traditional)
📋 Traditional Indications
- •Edema and heavy limbs
- •Damp-heat urinary discomfort
- •Joint heaviness and pain
- •Spleen-deficiency diarrhea (fried)
- •Skin dampness and blemishes (traditional)
📖 Usage & Dosage
9–30 g in decoction, congee, and soups; dry-fry before use for spleen tonification.
🍵 Classic Recipes
Yi Mi Hong Dou Soup
Coix seed 30 g + adzuki bean 30 g, simmered 60 minutes — the classic dampness-draining drink.
Si Shen Tang
Coix + yam + lotus seed + euryale — the four-spirits spleen soup.
🔬 Modern Research
Coixenolide and coix polysaccharides are studied for immune modulation; coix seed oil (Kanglaite) has been used in Chinese oncology supportive care.
⚠️ Contraindications
Avoid in pregnancy (traditional caution) and with constipation from fluid dryness.
