Why mugwort (Ai Cao) is woman's herb?
~ Mugwort's generic name is from that of the Greek moon goddess Artemis, a patron of women.
It acts as an emmenagogue, an agent that increases blood circulation to the pelvic area and uterus and stimulates menstruation. Mugwort is ingested to stop excessive or inappropriate menstrual bleeding.
It is an useful remedy for painful and irregular menstruation. Therefore mugwort is great natural healing herbs for women’s reproductive system.
Mugwort in chinese known as "Ai Cao".
What I know mugwort is widely used in Malalysia for making soup for regulates menstruation, used for stomach troubles, vomiting, and intestinal problems, cure worms, promoting and calming nervousness. Also it purifies blood and prevents getting cancer diseases.
The Benefits of Mugwort:
- This herb also help in speed up curing and healing for cancer and hepatitis C.
- It also widely used for the treatment of diabetes and depression.
- For most organic eaters used Mugwort mashed into liquid form and mixed into their home made bread, cake and noodle for healthy food.
- Used with Mugwort in tea as a remedy for liver problems, depression, jaundice, and stimulate menstruation.
- Good anti-aging and natural skin alternative treatment for skin rashes and pimples. It increase skin's radiance and decrease inflammation.
Mugwort has great anti fungal, expectorant, uterine stimulant, haemostatic and anti-asthmatic properties. You will be amazed for its wonderful and hidden power.Mugwort leaf and stem are used medicinally. The volatile oil includes "thujone, linalool, borneol, pinene, and other constituents". It contains rich enzyme, chlorophyll and minerals.
Note: Taking mugwort with caution and it should not be taken internally for extended periods of time due to its toxin levels call "Thujone".
What is Thujone?
Thujone is a natural chemical compound found in many different plants and flowers. It is especially known in many spices, herbs and essential oils. It has good aroma in smell and slightly bitter in taste.
Mugwort contain thujone (toxin) level too. Though thujone reportedly stimulates the immune system, too much of Thujone caution of its doses use can easily be abused and may cause addiction. it also cause nausea, liver damage if overdosed.
Do not over doses and Precaution when taking Mugwort
Over doses may interfere with the brain and nervous system functions. As it is good stimulant and regulates for woman’s menstrual, for pregnant women should avoid taking too much mugwort due to its affect on menstruation maintenance and other reproductive system functions. It used to help promote labor and assist with expulsion of the afterbirth. Do not take during pregnancy and lactation.
My favorite Mugwort Recipe
Rice wine Mugwort Egg soup
Ingredients:
- Mugwort leaves
- 2 - 3 tbs. Sesame oil
- 3 eggs (beaten and ready for use)
- 2 ginger
- 1 cup of rice wine and 1/2 cup of water
- salt
Method:
1. Remove Mugwort stem and keep the young leaves.
Chop and mashed mugwort leaves (excluding the stem) and chop ginger into tiny pieces.
2. Heat the wok at medium high, drizzle in the sesame oil.
3. Add and stir-fry chopped ginger. Stir-fry until it is almost brown.
4. Stir in the mashed mugwort leaves until it is nearly half cooked. Do not overcooked to maintain its enzyme contains.
5. Add the beaten eggs. Combined well with the mugwort and then stir-fry the mixed eggs and mugwort slightly browned.
6. Add in Water or rice wine and a bit of salt.
7. Serve the Rice wine mugwort soup. Enjoy!
It's ideal for confinement mummy after birth with mugwort
Rice wine is a rich-flavored liquid that is made from fermented glutinous rice, there are a few Chinese dishes, such as Drunken Chicken, we use either quality sesame oil and Chinese wine or Rice wine. This mugwort cooking with rice wind is quite similar to Drunken Chicken Chinese confinement dishes for the confinement period is the “Pui Yuet” for Chinese confinement mummy after birth, taking of this dish is to nurture the mother's health back to its pre-natal state.
There are many taboos to most of us Chinese women, but recipes and taboos vary from region to region. Even though educated, we may feel obliged to toe the line. There is a minority of women who do not regard the confinement tradition seriously. But to believe it better than none, since it is good for women. Choosing mugwort instead of chicken for Chinese traditional culture cooking in confinement period for new mom. It is great food for vegetarian eaters. So I believe it is good to take it before or after menstruation, also good for women in pre-menopause stage.
Usually, after cooking the Mugwort rice wine dish, I used the leftover Mugwort stem or fresh Mugwort leaves in making ~ Senz's Mugwort PMS Herbs Tea.
Senz's Mugwort PMS Herbs Tea (Mugwort combined with Motherwort)
Ingredients:- Mugwort stem or fresh Mugwort - 1 plate (shown in picture)
- Yi Mu Cao ~ Dried Motherwort
- Black sugar 3 tbs. spoons (depends on individual taste)
- 15 slices Ginger (without peeling skin)
- 12 Red dates (cut into small pieces)
Why add ginger
It works as stimulant and aids in the circulation of blood throughout the body, treating wounds, aid in digestion to expel wind, provides stimulation, and creates hormone. Very good for Women suffering from painful menstruation, they can take ginger to ease the symptoms. Its also an antiseptic, which means it is effective in killing the bacteria that causes acne. I like the aromatic, pungent and spicy and medicinal properties of ginger, and prefer to cook it without removes the skin as it will deliver a more pungent taste.
What is Yi Mu Cao ~ Motherwort
Its taste slightly bitter, cold and pungent herbs like Mugwort. As in Chinese Medicine it is used for premenstrual abdominal pain, infertility, post partum abdominal pain with lochioschesis (discharge in post delivery), cardiac symptoms of neurosis, cardiac insufficiency, fast heart rate or other arrhythmias, and hyperthyroidism.
Meridian: Heart, bladder and Liver
Alternative healing usage: it is being used to cool the liver., aid as invigorate blood flows, regulate menstruation, induce urination and reduce swelling.
Note: Not to use in case of blood deficient and in cases of without blood stasis or during pregnancy (Do not use for pregnancy woman). This is dried Motherwort (Yi Mu Cao)
This herb tea is very good for Pre-menopause women, abdominal pain after childbirth and retention of afterbirth to regulating menstruation and promoting blood circulation.
Take caution in taking Motherwort for long term usage as it can be toxic to the kidneys.
Preparation:
1. Cut Mugwort in pieces, put in the leftover mugwort stems.
2. Wash and clean dried Motherwort (Yi Mu Cao) and ready for use.
3. Bring one pot of water to boil. Add in the Red dates and ginger slices and mugwort leaves and stems, Motherwort and to cook for 30 minutes or more.4. Add in black sugar. Simmer for 10 minutes, removes the mugwort, ginger and red dates residues. Pour out the tea and serve warm.
Mugwort has slightly bitter in taste it makes a great appetizer too. This tea may relieve flatulence and bloating. It helps clean toxins from the blood and restores menstruation cycle delays caused by stress.Note: Remember when drinking any herbs tea you should not be taken it more than 3 glasses a day or more than 3 days.
External usage for skin
For skin disease mash mugwort leaves and place it to the wound, best is to boiling a big pot of mugwort and take the water, soak your body in the bathtub for at least 1/2 hour. This is great home spa for skin problem.
Preparation for Mugwort and Epsom salt bath
1. Bring a big pot of water and mugworts to boil.2. Boil it for at least half an hour. Turn off using a strainer to pour the mugwort liquid into a bath tub.
3. Add 5 tbs. of Epsom salt with lukewarm water in bathtub.
4. Bath your body and soak in tub at least 15 to 20 minutes. Then dried off, the result is good for detoxify reducing the skin rashes
The beauty and healing with Mugwort moxibustion
In traditional and beauty treatments, Mugwort then it is shaped into a cigar-like roll placed into a special instrument like a roller to roll on the affected areas for healing therapy, this method of heating specific acupuncture points on the body to treat physical conditions. We called it “Moxibustion” or “Moxi”.This "moxa" stick is then burned and inserted into specific roller and burned close to the skin to heat the specific pressure points. To alleviate rheumatic pains aggravated by cold and damp circumstances. The traditional ways of using mugwort stick for moxibused to relief of gout. It is good to do this step prior to meridian massage for better flow of "qi" and lymphatic drainage circulation.
