Asparagus Root Congee

[Dietary Differentiation Records]

[Ingredients of the Porridge Prescription] 15-20 grams of Ophiopogonis Radix, 1-2 liang of japonica rice, and a small amount of rock sugar.

[Efficacy and Indications] Nourish yin, moisten the Lungs, promote fluid production, and helps with occasional cough. Suitable for tuberculosis patients with insufficient Kidney yin, internal heat due to Yin Deficiency, scanty body fluids and dry mouth, insufficient Lung yin, Lung deficiency with heat, dry cough with little or no sputum, blood in sputum, as well as afternoon low-grade fever and night sweats.

[Decoction Method] First, decoct Ophiopogon japonicus (Tian Men Dong) to obtain a thick decoction, strain out the dregs, add non-glutinous rice to cook into porridge. After it boils, add an appropriate amount of rock sugar, and continue to cook until it forms porridge.

[Explanation of Congee Efficacy] Asparagus cochinchinensis is the tuberous root of the perennial herb Asparagus cochinchinensis of the Liliaceae family. The best quality is characterized by being plump, dense, yellowish-white, and translucent. It is produced in most provinces of China, with Guizhou having the largest output and the best quality.

Asparagus root tastes sweet and slightly bitter, is non-toxic, plump and rich in lipids, and enters the Lung and Kidney meridians. Therefore, it can nourish the yin of the Lung and Kidney and is effective in supports Lung and Kidney deficiency heat. As stated by the Ming Dynasty medical scholar Li Shizhen, asparagus root “moistens dryness, nourishes yin, clears Lung heat, and reduces fire.” According to the “Five Elements Theory” in traditional Chinese medicine, “metal” refers to the Lung, and clearing metal means clearing Lung heat. Ben Cao Zheng Yi records that “asparagus root is plump and rich in lipids. Although Ben Jing describes it as bitter and neutral, it is actually quite sweet, with a thin qi and thick flavor, and its function is purely to nourish body fluids with its soft and moistening properties.” Therefore, many experienced traditional Chinese medicine practitioners often use it in clinical practice when encountering patients with Lung and Kidney deficiency and Yin Deficiency with internal heat. Although asparagus root is mainly sweet in taste, a slight bitterness can still be detected upon careful chewing, which is due to the presence of the bitter component steroidal saponins. When cooking porridge, adding an appropriate amount of rock sugar can not only correct the slightly bitter taste but also enhance its nourishing effects.

Asparagus root congee is a dietary therapy prescription for patients with Lung and Kidney Yin Deficiency. It is suitable for patients with tuberculosis or bronchiectasis who have injured Lung yin, dry cough without phlegm, hemoptysis, night sweats, and afternoon low-grade fever, as well as for patients with insufficient Kidney yin, internal heat due to Yin Deficiency, dry throat and mouth, and thirst without a desire to drink. Dietetic Differentiation Records, Volume II records: “Asparagus root congee mainly moistens Kidney dryness, supports phlegm-related cough in the elderly and dry cough in the young, nourishes Kidney deficiency, and supports ascending ministerial fire, virtual heat, and virtual sweating.” The “phlegm-related cough in the elderly” mentioned here should be avoided if it is caused by wind-cold.

According to pharmacological experiments, Asparagus cochinchinensis (Tian Men Dong) has a certain inhibitory effect on the dehydrogenase of leukocytes in patients with acute lymphocytic leukemia, chronic granulocytic leukemia, and acute monocytic leukemia. It can also inhibit the respiration of leukocytes in patients with acute lymphocytic leukemia, thereby exerting an anti-malignant tumor effect. In addition, Asparagus cochinchinensis is effective against general benign breast tumors, especially breast lobular hyperplasia. Regardless of the size of the lump, it acts quickly and can supports most cases. According to clinical reports, when Asparagus cochinchinensis was used alone to supports 52 patients with breast lobular hyperplasia and fibroadenoma, after supports, 30 cases achieved clinical supports, 16 cases showed marked improvement, 5 cases were effective, and 1 case was ineffective. Therefore, for such patients, if guided by the principles of syndrome differentiation and supports in traditional Chinese medicine, consuming Asparagus cochinchinensis porridge is an extremely ideal adjuvant dietary therapy method for patients with the Yin Deficiency and internal heat syndrome.

[Precautions] The course of supports for Ophiopogon japonicus porridge is 3 to 5 days, and it should be taken again after an interval of 3 days. Since Ophiopogon japonicus is a sweet, cold, and moistening herb, it is not suitable for individuals with cold-deficiency diarrhea or cough caused by exogenous wind-cold.

[Reference Materials]

[Porridge Recipes · Six Types of Porridge]: “Ophiopogon japonicus porridge, supports cough due to heat.”