Bear meat is a name for a traditional Chinese medicinal ingredient. It refers to the meat of the black bear (Selenarctos thibetanus G. Cuvier) and the brown bear (Ursus arctos Linnaeus) of the bear family. It is effective in replenishing deficiencies and strengthening tendons and bones. It is primarily used to treat beriberi, numbness caused by wind-dampness, uncoordinated movement of the hands and feet, and spasms of the tendons and meridians.
Bear Meat
Bear meat is a name for a traditional Chinese medicinal ingredient. It refers to the meat of the black bear (Selenarctos thibetanus G. Cuvier) and the brown bear (Ursus arctos Linnaeus) of the bear family. It is effective in replenishing deficiencies and strengthening tendons and bones. It is primarily used to treat beriberi, numbness caused by wind-dampness, uncoordinated movement of the hands and feet, and spasms of the tendons and meridians.
Chinese Name : 熊肉
Nature, Flavor & Meridian Tropism : Sweet in taste, warm in nature
Benefits & Efficacy
Benefits
Restores vitality and strengthens tendons and bones.
Indications
Beriberi, wind-induced numbness, uncoordinated movement of the hands and feet, and tightness and spasms of the tendons and meridians.
Usage and Dosage
Internal use: Boil and eat in appropriate amounts.
Precautions
1. *Collected Notes on the Classic of Materia Medica*: “Those with chronic illnesses must not eat bear meat, as it will prevent the illness from ever being cured.” 2. *Thousand Gold: Dietary Therapy*: “If one has abdominal masses and suffers from alternating chills and fever along with emaciation, eating bear meat will ensure the illness never goes away.”
Chemical Constituents
Canned bear meat (species unspecified) contains 63.85% moisture, 7.27% crude protein, 26.79% crude fat, and 1.09% ash.
Relevant Discussions
1. *Qianjin: Dietary Therapy*: “Treats wind-induced numbness and loss of sensation, as well as muscle stiffness and the five types of paralysis.”
2. *The Mirror of the Dietary Physician*: “Treats beriberi; addresses stroke, wind-heat in the heart and lungs, and uncoordinated movement of the hands and feet.”
3. *Compendium of Medical Essentials: Properties of Medicinal Substances*: “Tonifies the middle and boosts qi; moisturizes the skin and muscles; strengthens tendons and muscles.”
4. *Suixi Ju: Dietary Harmony*: “It replenishes deficiencies and eliminates parasitic worms.”
Applications
Related Compatibility
1. To treat stroke, wind-heat in the heart and lungs, uncoordinated limbs, wind-induced numbness, five types of muscle weakness, and confusion and restlessness: One jin of bear meat. Cut it up and prepare it as a cured meat according to standard methods; consume on an empty stomach.
2. For treating beriberi, wind-induced arthralgia with numbness, and the “Five Loosenesses” with taut tendons: Half a jin of bear meat. Marinate it in fermented soybean paste with ginger, Sichuan pepper, scallion whites, salt, and soy sauce, then consume on an empty stomach. (Recipes 1–2 are from *The Mirror of Dietary Medicine*)
Processing & Preparation
Processing Methods
After hunting, slaughter the animal and harvest the meat for medicinal use. It may be used fresh, or dried in the wind, smoked, or cured.
Crude Drug Identification
Botanical Information
Morphological Characteristics
1. Black Bear: Large in size, measuring 1.5–1.7 m in length and weighing approximately 150 kg. The head is broad and round. The muzzle is short and pointed; the tip of the nose is bare, and the eyes are small. The ears are relatively long and covered with long hair, extending beyond the sides of the head. The neck is short and thick, with particularly long hair on both sides. There is an inverted V-shaped white patch on the chest. The tail is very short. The fur is uniform, lacquer-black, and glossy.The limbs are thick and robust; both front and hind feet have five toes. The carpal pad on the front feet is broad and connected to the palmar pad, while the plantar pad on the hind feet is also broad and thick—wider at the front and narrower at the back—with a hairless partition in the middle of the inner side. They possess claws. Except for the brown nose and face, the white lower jaw, and the inverted V-shaped white patch on the chest, the entire body is glossy black.2. Brown Bear: Larger in build, measuring about 2 m in length and weighing 200–300 kg. The head is broad and round, with a relatively long muzzle and a broad nose, the tip of which is bare and slightly flared to the sides.The ears are small and mobile, covered with fur both inside and out. The shoulders are prominent, the loin is robust, and the tail is short. All four limbs are sturdy; both front and hind feet have five toes, with the claws on the front feet being longer than those on the hind feet. The claws are laterally flattened and curved, and are dark brown in color. The entire body ranges in color from dark brown or nearly black to very pale silvery-gray, brownish-yellow, or reddish-brown. Adult bears lack white markings on the chest.
Distribution Area
1. Black Bear: Extremely widespread, found in Northeast China, North China, Southwest China, South China, as well as Shaanxi, Gansu, Qinghai, Anhui, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Fujian, Taiwan, and Tibet. 2. Brown Bear: Found in Northeast China, as well as Gansu, Qinghai, Xinjiang, Sichuan, Guizhou, and Tibet.