Latin name: Smilax glabra
Chinese name: tu fu ling
Other names: China root
What is Smilacis?
Smilacis is a plant native to Eastern Asia. Though it is primarily known for its medicinal use related to relieving toxins and clearing the skin, the root of the plant can also be cooked as a starch.
What are the health benefits of Smilacis?
The rhizome is the basis of smilacis’ herbal properties. It is used to treat a wide variety of conditions, though it is most noteworthy for its use as a detoxifying agent for conditions such as mercury poisoning and for clearing the skin from conditions such as bites, stings, abscesses, boils, cystitis, and acute lesions caused by heat. Other conditions for which smilacis is used include diarrhea, dysentery, rheumatoid arthritis, syphilis, cancer, chronic atrophic gastritis, urinary tract infections, painful menses, fibroids in the ovaries, and damp-heat jaundice.
Are there any precautions for taking Smilacis?
Caution should be exercised when taking smilacis with a liver or kidney deficiency. Do not take smilacis with tea.
Where can I find Smilacis?
Smilacis can be found online, at Asian markets, in herbal specialty stores, and in the offices of Chinese medical practitioners.
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