dampness-resolving
Coix Seed (Yi Yi Ren)
薏苡仁 · Yìyǐrén
Coix lacryma-jobi var. ma-yuen
性味
Cool
味
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.
🌿 功效
- •Promotes urination and drains dampness
- •Clears damp-heat
- •Strengthens the spleen (fried)
- •Relieves painful obstruction of sinews
- •Clears lung and intestinal abscesses (traditional)
📖 用法用量
9–30 g in decoction, congee, and soups; dry-fry before use for spleen tonification.
🔬 现代研究
Coixenolide and coix polysaccharides are studied for immune modulation; coix seed oil (Kanglaite) has been used in Chinese oncology supportive care.
⚠️ 禁忌
Avoid in pregnancy (traditional caution) and with constipation from fluid dryness.
