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Ovum
HEN'S EGG
The yolk, white, and shell of a
hen's egg are used in Chinese and Unani medicine for a wide range of
complaints. use of yolk for heart conditions is echoed in the Western use of
lecithin to break down blood fat deposits.
Every bit of the egg - the yolk, the white,
and the shell - has a long history of medicinal use. In addition, the egg's oval shape has given it a mystical role as a
treatment for wholeness and harmony.
PARTS USED
Yolk, white, shell, lecithin from yolk.
ACTIVE INGREDIENTS
Mainly in yolk: B complex
vitamins, vitamin E, lecithin, vitamin A, choline, inositol, iron, and trace elements.
ACTIONS
Yolk: nutritious; egg white: astringent;
eggshell: reduces muscle tension and spasm, discourages discharge.
MEDICINAL USE
Egg yolk, which has a high food value,
has long been used by Chinese and Unani physicians as a medicine for the heart.
Egg white is given in Chinese medicine to soothe sore throats and by Unani physicians for healing wounds and burns.
The shell is taken in Chinese medicine for tuberculosis,
inflammation of the stomach lining and scrofula (tuberculosis of the lymph glands),
and in Unani medicine for skin and eye diseases. Lecithin (a waxy fat rich in choline and inositol)
is taken by Westerners to break down blood fat deposits and for dementia.
PREPARATIONS
Fresh, powdered shell, lecithin in granules or liquid.
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