☯ TCM Properties
Activates the Blood, dispels Blood Stasis, regulates Qi, stops bleeding, resolves toxins and kills worms
Traditional Chinese Uses
Mi Cu is rice vinegar, produced by fermenting rice (Oryza sativa) to acetic acid, and is used both as a medicinal and as a processing adjuvant. Sour and bitter and warm, it enters the Liver and Stomach channels, where it invigorates the Blood and dispels Blood stasis, regulates Qi, stops bleeding, resolves toxicity and calms or expels parasitic worms. It is used for Blood-stasis and Qi-stagnation pain, for various types of bleeding, for roundworm lodged in the biliary tract (colicky abdominal pain), and topically for fungal skin conditions and swellings.
In pharmacy, vinegar-processing—frying herbs such as Yan Hu Suo, Xiang Fu and Chai Hu with vinegar—guides their action to the Liver and enhances their Blood-moving and pain-relieving effects. Overuse can injure the Spleen, Stomach, teeth and sinews.
Botanical Description
Mi Cu is rice vinegar, a processed liquid produced by the alcoholic and subsequent acetic fermentation of cooked rice (Oryza sativa, family Poaceae). Traditional preparation begins with steamed glutinous or non-glutinous rice that is inoculated with a starter culture (qu) of moulds, yeasts, and acetic acid bacteria, fermented over weeks to months in earthenware jars, and finally clarified and aged. The resulting liquid is pale amber to deep brown depending on grain type and aging, with a characteristic mild, slightly sweet acidity dominated by acetic acid together with lactic, succinic, and amino acids that contribute to flavour and traditional pharmacological character. As a derived rather than botanical product, Mi Cu is treated here as a non-plant edge case.
Dosage
| Form | Amount | Frequency | Duration | Population | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| decoction | 6-15g | Daily | — | — | — |
This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications.
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