MATERIA MEDICA: OPHIOPOGON 麦门冬

Posted by YINA BEAUTÉ on July 24, 2020
MATERIA MEDICA: OPHIOPOGON 麦门冬 - YINA

MATERIA MEDICA: 
OPHIOPOGON JAPONICUS / MAI MEN DONG

We've often extolled the potent powers of Ginseng.  While undeniably a superhero on its own, Ginseng can always use a sidekick.  In fact, Ginseng's nourishing benefits are amplified when combined with this plump and lush Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) root. 

This lesser-known but remarkable plant is Ophiopogon japonicus or Mai Men Dong (麦门冬), an important ally with Ginseng to keep your skin cool and hydrated.

Native to China and East Asia, this pretty grass-like plant is often cultivated as an ornamental ground cover as well as for pharmacological use in Chinese Medicine.  Although not quite as striking or well-known as Ginseng, Mai Men Dong is a valuable herb in TCM for the past two thousand years.

An anti-inflammatory perennial plant that’s also a tonic and tranquilizer, the tuberous root is often used in combination with other herbs in TCM to nourish Yin and clear heat, particularly in the stomach, lung, and heart.  The herb is described as cool, slightly bitter, and sweet.  It has anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, and anti-tumor effects and is commonly prescribed in classical and modern Chinese Medicine to treat issues such as dry cough, xerostomia, insomnia, night sweats, arrhythmia, diabetes, dermatitis, etc.

HOW DOES MAI MEN DONG BENEFIT THE SKIN? 

The juicy root of this evergreen plant is rich in saponins (anti-inflammatory), polysaccharides (skin conditioning), and flavonoids (skin protective).  These beneficial compounds help increase the moisturizing factors in keratinocytes - the outer layer of your skin.  Studies have found that Mai Men Dong extracts restore hydration and improve skin barrier function.  We’ve formulated with this skin-plumping root to help retain moisture, prevent irritations, and to keep the skin soft and pliable.

Citations:
https://biomeddermatol.biomedcentral.com/track/pdf/10.1186/s41702-017-0005-4
http://traditionalherb.org/chinese-herbs/ophiopogon-root-mai-dong/
https://bmccomplementalternmed.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12906-016-1539-5
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1094553902903433

 
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