Clam Meat is the name of a traditional Chinese medicinal material. It refers to the meat of clams belonging to the family Veneridae, such as the pleated crown clam (Cristariaplicata (Leach)), the triangular sail clam (Hyriopsis cumingii (Lea)), and the back-horned toothless clam (Anodonta woodiana (Lea)). It has the effects of clearing heat, nourishing yin, improving eyesight, and detoxifying.It is primarily used to treat restlessness and fever, diabetes, menorrhagia, leukorrhea, hemorrhoids and fistulas, and red eyes.
Clam Meat
Clam Meat is the name of a traditional Chinese medicinal material. It refers to the meat of clams belonging to the family Veneridae, such as the pleated crown clam (Cristariaplicata (Leach)), the triangular sail clam (Hyriopsis cumingii (Lea)), and the back-horned toothless clam (Anodonta woodiana (Lea)). It has the effects of clearing heat, nourishing yin, improving eyesight, and detoxifying.It is primarily used to treat restlessness and fever, diabetes, menorrhagia, leukorrhea, hemorrhoids and fistulas, and red eyes.
Chinese Name : 蚌肉
Aliases : Contains: Jiang, He Wei, and He Hali
Nature, Flavor & Meridian Tropism : Taste: sweet and salty; nature: cold; enters the Liver and Kidney meridians
Benefits & Efficacy
Benefits
Clears heat, nourishes yin, improves vision, and detoxifies.
Indications
Internal heat, diabetes, menorrhagia, leukorrhea, hemorrhoids and fistulas, and red eyes.
Usage and Dosage
Internal use: Boil and eat, 90–150 g.
Precautions
Use with caution in patients with spleen and stomach deficiency-cold.
Chemical Constituents
Cave pearl mussels, wedge-shaped pearl mussels, and pig-ear pearl mussels contain manganese, iron, magnesium, copper, zinc, and other elements.
Pharmacological Actions
Anticancer effects: Active components extracted from the clam meat and clam tears exhibit significant anti-tumor activity against ascites hepatoma and Ehrlich ascites carcinoma in mice, with tumor weight inhibition rates ranging from 30% to 59.2%;In vitro experiments have demonstrated that these compounds can inhibit DNA polymerase α in tumor cells. When toothless clam extract was administered via continuous intraperitoneal injection at doses of 25 mg/(kg·d) or 50 mg/(kg·d) for 7 days to tumor-bearing animals, it exhibited in vivo antitumor effects against S180, Ehrlich carcinoma, Lewis lung cancer, B16 melanoma, and P388 leukemia;In vitro, it exhibited no direct cytotoxic effect on tumor cells such as L1210, P388, HeLa, and S3; this extract enhances the phagocytic function of peritoneal macrophages in mice, non-specifically activates their ability to kill tumor cells, strengthens the immune activity of specific T lymphocytes, and increases the cytotoxic capacity of natural killer cells against tumor cells.
Relevant Discussions
1. *Dietary Therapy Materia Medica*: “Treats severe fever, relieves alcohol toxicity, quenches thirst, and alleviates redness of the eyes.”
2. *Supplement to the Materia Medica*: “Treats menstrual bleeding due to physical exhaustion in women, improves eyesight, removes dampness, and alleviates excessive thirst.”
3. *Rihua Zi*: “Improves eyesight, relieves excessive thirst, alleviates restlessness, clears heat toxins, and treats women’s deficiency-related exhaustion and vaginal bleeding, as well as hemorrhoids, fistulas, menorrhagia, and leukorrhea; neutralizes the toxicity of cinnabar-based medicines.”
4. *Bencao Zaixin*: “Treats liver heat and kidney deficiency, promotes the eruption of rashes, neutralizes smallpox toxins, and provides cooling relief from thirst.”
5. *Suixi Ju Dietary Spectrum*: “Clears heat and nourishes yin; nourishes the liver and cools the blood; subdues wind and relieves alcohol intoxication; improves eyesight and calms mania.”
Applications
Related Compatibility
1. For menorrhagia and metrorrhagia, and leukorrhea: 60 g fresh clam meat, 15 g ginkgo nut meat, 12 g astragalus, 12 g codonopsis, and 9 g angelica. Simmer into a soup and consume.
2. For hemorrhoids: Half a bowl of fresh clam meat.Wash thoroughly, stir-fry in oil first, then season with a small amount of salt, oil, and ginger. Add water and simmer until tender, yielding a total of 1 bowl. Consume the entire portion at once. Take on an empty stomach once in the morning and once in the evening, every other day.
3. To improve eyesight: 60g of fresh clam meat, 9g of cicada flowers. Simmer into a soup and consume. Use with caution during pregnancy. (Recipes 1–3 are from *Medicinal Animals of Guangxi*)
Processing & Preparation
Harvesting & Processing
Can be harvested year-round; remove the meat from the shell, wash thoroughly, and use fresh.
Crude Drug Identification
Botanical Information
Morphological Characteristics
1. Pleated Crown Clam: The shell is relatively large and slightly irregularly triangular in shape. The coronal protrusion on the anterior dorsal margin is inconspicuous; the posterior portion is tall, with the posterior dorsal margin sloping upward and extending to form a large crown. A series of gradually thickening longitudinal ribs runs from the apex of the shell toward the rear along the posterior dorsal surface. The ventral margin is nearly straight.The shell surface ranges from deep yellow-green to blackish-brown; the apical region is often eroded, causing loss of the surface color. The nacre is lustrous. 2. Triangular Sail Clam: The shell is large and flat, with a hard shell and a slightly triangular shape. The left and right apices are closely joined; the posterior dorsal margin is long and protrudes upward to form a large, triangular, sail-like posterior wing, while the anterior dorsal margin is short and pointed.The ventral margin is nearly straight, with a slight curve. The shell surface is uneven, with coarse ribs engraved on the apex. Growth lines are arranged in wide, concentric rings. The inner surface of the shell is smooth, and the nacre is milky white.3. Toothless Angular Clam: The shell is ovoid with angular projections; the anterior end is slightly rounded, the posterior end is obliquely cut, and the ventral margin is arched. Three coarse ribs radiate from the apex along the posterior dorsal surface. The shell surface is greenish-brown. The adductor scar is oblong. The inner surface of the shell has a milky-white nacre.
Distribution Area
1. Plisured Crown Clam: Found throughout China. 2. Triangular Sail Clam: Found in Hebei, Jiangsu, Anhui, Zhejiang, and other regions. 3. Back-Angled Toothless Clam: Found throughout China.