Ejiao is a solid gelatin block crafted from donkey hide using Dong'e's unique underground water and a state-protected proprietary process. It undergoes over 90 meticulous steps including boiling and concentration. Ejiao is both a medicine in the strictest sense and a food in the strictest sense, serving dual medicinal and dietary purposes with extensive applications.
Traditional Chinese medicine classifies Ejiao as sweet and neutral in nature, with effects of nourishing yin, replenishing blood, and stabilizing pregnancy. Research indicates Ejiao contains multiple proteins, amino acids, calcium, and other components that improve blood calcium balance and promote red blood cell production. Additionally, Ejiao can elevate blood pressure, prevent hemorrhagic shock, and has demonstrated promising preventive effects against progressive muscular dystrophy in animal studies.
Due to differing mechanisms between Chinese and Western medicines, Ejiao generally lacks the numerous side effects associated with Western drugs, which can potentially damage the liver, kidneys, or gastrointestinal tract. Chinese medicines possess properties such as warm, cool, cold, hot, or neutral, making them suitable for different constitutions. When prescribed appropriately, issues are rare. However, even the finest substances require caution when consumed, and these considerations are often referred to as Ejiao's side effects.
Within traditional Chinese medicine, donkey-hide gelatin is regarded as a superior remedy for gynecological conditions. Clinically, it is frequently used to treat pregnancy-related disorders, menstrual issues, postpartum ailments, and certain internal medicine conditions. Combined with chuanxiong (Sichuan lovage root), licorice, dang gui (Chinese angelica root), shu di (prepared rehmannia root), ai ye (mugwort leaves), and bai shao (white peony root), it forms the Jiao Ai Tang formula from the Essential Prescriptions of the Golden Cabinet. This formula primarily addresses abdominal cold pain during pregnancy or persistent postpartum hemorrhage.Combined with Artemisia argyi, Ejiao prevents miscarriage and addresses abdominal pain with bleeding. When taken with Astragalus membranaceus and jujube, it treats shortness of breath, fatigue, dizziness, and palpitations caused by excessive bleeding during childbirth or heavy menstruation.Combined with mulberry bark, gypsum, apricot kernel, licorice, raw rehmannia, ophiopogon, sesame seed, and loquat leaf, it forms the Dryness-Clearing and Lung-Rescuing Decoction for treating dry mouth, nasal dryness, dry cough, and scant phlegm. Paired with pollen, it addresses hemoptysis and epistaxis. When used with good ink, it treats hematuria and bloody stools.Combining Ejiao with Poria, Polyporus, Alisma, and Talcum treats urinary tract infections. Decoction of Ejiao with green onions and honey relieves constipation in the elderly or debilitated. The Huanglian Ejiao Decoction from Shanghan Lun, featuring Ejiao with Coptis, Scutellaria, Paeonia, and chicken egg yolk, addresses restlessness and insomnia.
The pharmacological characteristics of donkey-hide gelatin are: sweet and neutral in nature, with functions of nourishing yin, moistening dryness, nourishing blood, and stopping bleeding. It offers good efficacy with minimal side effects, serving as a primary agent for treating cough due to overwork, bloody discharge during menstruation, palpitations, and dry cough. It is highly effective for chronic diarrhea, bone-steaming fever, and uterine bleeding. It is also a potent remedy for anemia and threatened miscarriage in women.Side Effects of Ejiao Modern pharmacological research confirms that Ejiao also enhances bone marrow hematopoietic function, promotes hemoglobin and platelet production, improves the internal environment, and boosts immune function. As the saying goes, "All medicines have some toxicity," and Ejiao does have side effects, albeit minimal.
Despite its benefits, Ejiao should not be taken long-term by healthy individuals. Additionally, due to its greasy nature, those with weak spleen and stomach function or loose stools should avoid it.
Precautions for Taking Ejiao
1. Use with caution if you have spleen-stomach deficiency-cold
Due to its greasy nature, those with poor digestion or gastrointestinal disorders should reduce dosage or avoid it altogether.
2. Never take during menstruation
Taking ejiao during menstruation may cause excessive bleeding or disrupt future cycles. For blood-nourishing, qi-tonifying, or complexion-enhancing purposes, wait until menstruation has completely ended before use.
3. Pay attention to dosage.
For those without gastrointestinal issues, the optimal dosage is 5g three times daily. Excessive intake may lead to internal heat.
4. Prevent internal heat.
The Compendium of Materia Medica records that donkey-hide gelatin has a sweet and neutral nature, not a hot one. Therefore, it does not inherently cause internal heat; this occurs only under specific conditions.For instance, it may occur if one has a naturally warm constitution, consumes excessive amounts, experiences dry and hot weather, or combines it with highly heating foods like alcohol, longan, or lychee.
How to prevent heatiness from donkey-hide gelatin? If you frequently experience heatiness after consumption, note the following:
First, pair it with cooling, moisturizing, and light foods.For instance, combining donkey-hide gelatin with lotus root starch, lotus seeds, lotus leaves, tomatoes, Chinese yam, or black plums, then simmering them into a porridge to be consumed daily in the morning or evening is an excellent method. Avoid pairing it with warming or dispersing substances like yellow wine.
Second, pay attention to dosage. Generally, consume no more than 3–10 grams per day. Those prone to heatiness should reduce intake. Taking smaller amounts over time can also help improve constitution.
5. Preventing Greasiness
As a medicinal gelatin, donkey-hide gelatin has a sticky texture. While moderate intake poses no issue for healthy individuals, those with loose stools or weak digestion should exercise caution.
The following methods can reduce its greasiness:
1. Stir-fry Ejiao Pearls
Crush the Ejiao and stir-fry it with clam powder in a wok until it puffs into hollow pearls. These crispy, fragrant pearls are easy to digest and convenient to consume.
2. Microwave-Puffed Ejiao Pearls
Puffing Ejiao in a microwave yields crispy, aromatic pearls that dissolve pleasantly in the mouth, delivering a pure, long-lasting flavor with desirable effects.Method: Spread clam powder evenly on a microwave-safe plate to a thickness of about 0.5 cm. Scatter the crushed donkey-hide gelatin pieces (about the size of soybeans) onto the clam powder, spacing them 0.5 cm apart. Close the microwave door, press start, set the power to 10 times, and set the timer for 3 minutes.
You may also purchase pure donkey-hide gelatin powder, which functions identically to the gelatin beads. However, whether using gelatin beads or powder, extra care must be taken to store them in a moisture-proof environment.
Minor Qi-tonifying Herbs
Traditional Chinese Medicine holds that blood deficiency often coexists with qi deficiency, primarily manifesting as a pale, lackluster complexion, shortness of breath, low energy, reluctance to speak, fatigue, and excessive sweating.Traditional Chinese medicine holds that qi and blood mutually nourish each other—qi generates blood, and blood sustains qi. Therefore, to achieve optimal results, donkey-hide gelatin should be used alongside qi-tonifying herbs like astragalus or codonopsis.
Storage of Donkey-Hide Gelatin
Donkey-hide gelatin is highly susceptible to moisture and cannot withstand high temperatures.Store it in an airtight food-grade bag and place it in the refrigerator. However, once removed from the refrigerator, it should be prepared immediately. Homemade donkey-hide gelatin preparations should also be stored sealed in the refrigerator.
The above outlines precautions for consuming donkey-hide gelatin. We reiterate that women should avoid taking it during menstruation. Consumption should only resume after menstruation ends to prevent menstrual irregularities.