Medicinal Wine
Aliases：Bái Jiǔ (literally "white wine" / Chinese distilled liquor), Shāo Jiǔ (literally "burning wine" / distilled liquor), Huáng Jiǔ (literally "yellow rice wine" / Chinese yellow wine), Mǐ Jiǔ (literally "rice wine"), Qīng Jiǔ (literally "clear wine" / refined wine), and Chún Jiǔ (literally "pure wine" / mellow wine). (These are various types or alternative names for medicinal wine used in Chinese medicine.)
Jiu (Medicinal Wine) is a traditional Chinese medicinal material. It is a beverage produced by fermenting and distilling raw materials such as rice, glutinous millet, and sorghum. China has a long history of winemaking with a wide variety of products, the main types being white wine (distilled liquor), yellow rice wine, and rice wine. It was first recorded in Mingyi Bielu (The Miscellaneous Records of Famous Physicians).
Efficacy & Actions
Unblocks the blood vessels, enhances the action of other medicines, warms the stomach and intestines, wards off wind‑cold, assists medicinal potency, and relieves pain.
Indications
Wind‑cold‑dampness bi‑impediment, muscle spasms and contracture, chest impediment with heart pain, cold pain in the chest and abdomen, traumatic injuries, persistent lochia after delivery, and deficiency‑cold abdominal pain.
Modern Pharmacology
Promotes blood circulation: Moderate consumption of alcohol can dilate blood vessels and increase blood flow. Aids digestion: Small amounts of alcohol can stimulate gastric juice secretion and enhance appetite. Analgesic effect: Alcohol has sedative and analgesic effects on the central nervous system. Antibacterial effect: Ethanol has disinfectant and bactericidal properties. As a solvent: It can extract active components from medicinal materials, such as alkaloids, volatile oils, etc.
Ingredients
The main component of wine is ethanol.
Usage & Dosage
For oral administration: Take an appropriate amount, warmed, 10–30 mL each time; or use as a medicinal guide, to be taken together with a decoction. For topical application: Apply an appropriate amount to the affected area, or use it to soak medicinal materials for external application. For processing: Used for soaking to make medicinal wine, and for stir‑frying medicinal materials with wine (wine‑frying), etc.
Contraindications
Contraindicated during pregnancy. Use with caution in breastfeeding women. Contraindicated in children. Contraindicated in patients with liver disease (such as hepatitis, cirrhosis, and fatty liver). Use with caution in patients with hypertension or heart disease. Contraindicated in patients with gastric ulcers or pancreatitis. Should not be taken in excess: Excessive consumption can damage the liver and stomach, impair the spirit, and may even lead to poisoning and death. Should not be taken concurrently with certain medications (such as cephalosporin antibiotics, sedatives, and hypnotics). If alcohol consumption is necessary during the course of medication, consult a physician.
Selected Formulas
For wind-cold-dampness impediment with lower back and leg pain (empirical formula) Take Duhuo (Angelica pubescens), Weilingxian (Clematis), Niuxi (Achyranthes bidentata), Sangjisheng (Taxillus chinensis), and other herbs. Soak in white liquor to make a medicinal wine. Take 10-20ml warm daily. For traumatic injuries with blood stasis and swelling pain (empirical formula) Take Sanqi (Panax notoginseng) powder, Ruxiang (Frankincense), Moyao (Myrrh), and other herbs, taken with yellow wine as a guide. For postpartum lochiostasis (empirical formula) Take yellow wine with brown sugar, warm and take twice daily. For deficiency-cold abdominal pain (empirical formula) Take yellow wine warm, add 3 slices of fresh ginger and an appropriate amount of brown sugar.
Daily Consumption
Wine can be used both as a beverage and as a medicinal guide or supplementary ingredient in medicinal diets: Medicinal wine: Soak medicinal materials in white wine or yellow rice wine, seal the container, and allow it to infuse for a period of time before consuming. Cooking wine: Adding yellow rice wine or white wine during cooking can remove fishy odors, enhance aroma, and aid digestion. Warmed wine: In winter, warm yellow rice wine before drinking to warm the stomach and dispel cold.
Medicinal Parts
It is a liquid (mainly an ethanol solution) produced by fermenting and distilling raw materials such as rice, glutinous millet, and sorghum.
Selection & Storage
Store in a cool, dry place in a sealed container, protected from light and moisture.
