digestive
Germinated Barley (Mai Ya)
麦芽 · Màiyá
Hordeum vulgare
Nature
Neutral
Saveur
Sweet
Meridian
Spleen, Stomach, Liver
Mai Ya — sprouted barley, germinated just until the sprout matches the grain — is the gentle digestive that specializes in starches and grains where hawthorn handles meat. Uniquely, generous doses assist the flow of milk; fried, it may reduce it — a herb whose direction changes with its preparation, as classical pharmacists well knew.
🌿 Fonctions
- •Promotes digestion of grains and starches
- •Moves liver qi and eases distension
- •Assists or reduces lactation depending on dose and preparation
📖 Usage
10–15 g in decoction (up to 60–120 g for weaning, fried); sprout tea after meals.
🔬 Recherche moderne
Barley sprout amylases and hordenine are studied for digestive-enzyme support; germinated barley foodstuff has clinical evidence in gut health.
⚠️ Contre-indications
Nursing mothers should avoid large doses (may reduce milk supply).
