RM4.50
What is malva?
Malva, as a matter of fact, refers to a genus in the family called Malvaceae. Based on the statistics there are around 25 to 30 species of plants in this genus, which share the name mallow with a number of other members in the family Malvaceae. However, medicinally malva nut refers to the mature seeds from Sterculia lychnophora Hance or Sterculia scaphigera Wall, which is a member in the family Sterculiaceae. Hence, other names of this herb include Boat Sterculia Seed, Boat-fruited Scaphium Seed, sterculia Scaphigera Seed, semen scaphii lychnophori, sterculia seed, Semen Sterculiae Scaphigerae, Malva nut tree seed, Taiwan sweet gum tree seed, and more. As you can see now, malva and sterculia are different genera. So, don’t confuse this medicinal plant with Malva alcea, Malva verticillata, and other Malva plants even though its nuts are named after malva. Malva nuts are mainly produced in Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, and India. It is usually collected from April to June when the fruits become ripe and cracked. And the seeds are token and dried in the sun.
Nut of malva benefits
Medicinally it is first recorded in Ben Cao Gang Mu Shi Yi (Supplements to Compendium of Materia Medica). It is named Pang Da Hai, literally “fat sea”, because its cracked rind will expand and almost fill the entire cup once it is placed in boiling water. So, plenty of water is required when this nut is cooked or soaked.
From the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, it has two major healing properties. On the one hand, it can relax the bowels, especially constipation caused by internal fire; on the other hand, it cools and disperses lung qi. Because of that, firstly it can be used for the treatment of acute pharyngitis and tonsillitis induced by wind-heat attacking the lung. In this case, 3 to 5 nuts soaking and making tea is highly recommended. Secondarily, it relieves sore throat after flu shot or wind-heat cold induced fever, scratchy sore throat, dry cough without phlegm, voice loss, and mild or extremely swollen sore throat, and so on. In this case, making tea with 5 nuts and 3 grams Gan Cao (licorice root) is a good try. Besides of making tea, it can be still made into refreshing summer desserts and iced drinks for sore throat, chronic pharyngitis, phlegm, voice loss, etc. By the way, keep in mind to stop it no matter it works or not after it has been drunk for 2 straight days.
Modern pharmacological actions of malva nut
1. Bassorin contained can result in the contraction of vascular smooth muscle, improve mucosal inflammation, and relieve spastic pain;
2. Its water extract can promote bowel movements and act as a laxative. And the kernel is with the strongest effect;
3. Its kernel solution, made from dry fat-free powder, has a hypotensive effect on cat.
