Introduction
Yi Yi Ren, also known as Coix seed or Job's Tears, carries a rich history rooted in folklore and traditional medicine. The plant's name stems from its hard, tear-like seeds that gleam with a bluish-gray porcelain-like finish, said to resemble the tears of Job, a biblical figure known for his suffering. According to legend, Job's tears sowed into the ground, sprouting into a luxuriant plant of rare beauty, hence the name.
In China and across other parts of Asia, Yi Yi Ren, or Job's Tears, is highly valued for its potential medicinal benefits. According to traditional Chinese medicine, this plant possesses cool nature, and sweet taste. It enters into the Spleen, Stomach, and Lung meridians. It is believed to fortify the Spleen, alleviate dampness, promote the elimination of painful obstructions, clear heat, and discharge pus. However, its use during pregnancy requires careful consideration. While Yi Yi Ren has been employed in treating conditions such as edema, arthritis, obesity, and precocious puberty, recent research has highlighted its potential therapeutic uses, notably in the treatment of warts.
Yi Yi Ren and Warts
The first study, a placebo-controlled, double-blind trial, investigated the effectiveness of Yi Yi Ren in treating infectious warts in children. Yi Yi Ren extract proved more effective than the placebo in reducing papules after four weeks, although this effect diminished by the eighth and twelfth weeks. Side effects were mild and occurred in a small number of cases.
Participants were aged between 2 to 15 years, and those under two years old were also included if they could take the test drug. The trial lasted for 12 weeks, administering 6g/d for participants under 30kg and 12g/d for those over 30kg.
The results showed that the efficacy of the Yi Yi Ren extract was 56/91 (61.5%), while the placebo group's efficacy was 56/101 (55.4%). There was no significant difference between the two groups. However, the number of ineffective cases in the placebo group was about twice that of the Yi Yi Ren group.
After four weeks, the Yi Yi Ren extract had a better residual rate and effectiveness than the placebo. The Yi Yi Ren extract showed better effects in male patients and clear effects in patients with atopic dermatitis.
The second study study further supports the potential effectiveness of Yi Yi Ren, in treating viral warts. In this study, all patients were treated with Bojungikki-tang gami with Yi Yi Ren. While one patient received only the herbal medicine, the others were treated with a combination of herbal medicine, acupuncture, sweet bee venom acupuncture, and moxibustion. The results of the treatments were evaluated based on the patients' conditions and photographic evidence of the lesions. Following the Korean medical treatment, all patients' viral warts disappeared significantly, and there were no recurrences reported. The study concludes that Korean medical treatment, potentially including Yi Yi Ren, could be an effective method for treating viral warts.
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In the third study, a retrospective analysis of 194 condyloma patients treated with Chinese Medicine treatments, including Yi Yi Ren, showed a significant reduction in wart size and number, with complete clearance in a considerable number of patients. The treatment was found to be safe with only three cases of recurrence reported within six months of follow-up in the complete clearance group.
The last study presents a case of plantar warts, which had been resistant to conventional treatments. The warts responded significantly to Mahaengeuigam-tang, a traditional Chinese medicine inclusive of Yi Yi Ren, administered over a three-month treatment period. The warts were substantially reduced with no relapses or adverse effects reported over the subsequent eight months.
Discussion
The presented studies suggest that Yi Yi Ren (Job's Tears or Coix seed) may hold promise as an effective treatment for various types of warts, including plantar warts and condyloma. Warts are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV) and can occur more frequently in children due to their immature immune systems. In many cases, children may not notice or hide their warts, leading to them growing larger and spreading, which may eventually become difficult to treat.
HPV is a viral infection that causes excessive proliferation of skin or mucosal epithelium. Warts can often resolve on their own, but if the immune system is compromised or functioning abnormally, resistance to the wart virus may decrease, resulting in persistent warts. Furthermore, because warts can resemble corns or calluses, they may often be mistaken for these conditions, leading to delayed treatment and possibly progressing to intractable warts.
Particularly in children, who may be sensitive to pain or fearful, and in cases where the range of the lesion is wide, making local treatment difficult, or when the warts have a long history and do not respond well to conventional treatments, traditional medicine could be a useful alternative. A key component of this treatment is Yi Yi Ren, which is known for its sweet and cold properties. It is believed to strengthen the spleen and eliminate dampness and also to cool heat and expel pus
Yi Yi Ren is believed to regulate the composition of lymphocytes in peripheral blood and enhance cellular immunity, thus exhibiting antiviral and antitumor effects. Therefore, it is frequently used in the treatment of HPV infections, including warts on the hands and feet.
However, while the findings from these studies are promising, they do not conclusively establish the efficacy of Yi Yi Ren in the treatment of warts. The duration of its effectiveness may vary, and in some cases, the effect seemed to diminish over time. Further research is required to fully understand the extent of Yi Yi Ren's effectiveness and its mechanism of action in the treatment of warts. Future research should also consider potential side effects and contraindications to ensure safe usage.
It is commonly said that Yi Yi Ren, subside sexual libido. Research has demonstrated that it can be used as an FSH((Follicle stimulating hormone) inhibitor for the treatment of precocious puberty. [5]
Moreover, Yi Yi Ren (Job's Tears) is frequently used in traditional Korean medicine for the treatment of obesity. Experimental studies on obese rats have confirmed its anti-obesity effects. In rats fed a high-fat diet, the increased leptin levels were found to decrease with the administration of Yi Yi Ren. In obese individuals, leptin levels are usually high due to continuous production by fat cells, leading to heightened leptin resistance. When utilizing Yi Yi Ren in the treatment of obesity, some cases may target these leptin levels, but the majority probably aim to suppress appetite and increase satiety.[6]
A study investigating the effects of Yi Yi Ren on the body composition of obese patients used a formula known as Chegam Uiin-tang. This treatment was combined with a very low-calorie diet, likely to mitigate the hunger stress from the diet and reduce potential side effects during weight loss. The study's outcomes included weight loss, reduction in body fat, decrease in abdominal obesity index, and preservation of fat-free mass, all of which can be seen as positive results suggesting the potential use of Job's Tears as a dietary aid.[7]
Conclusion
Collectively, these studies suggest that Yi Yi Ren could be a potentially effective and safe treatment for various types of warts, including plantar warts and condyloma. However, the duration of its effectiveness may vary, and in some cases, the effect seemed to diminish over time. While Yi Yi Ren shows promise in treating warts, further research is needed to fully understand its effectiveness and mechanism of action in this context.
Reference
1. 高橋邦明 et al. ヨクイニンエキス製剤による伝染性軟属腫の治療経験. 皮膚, 1987 年 29 巻 2 号 p. 339-344.
https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/skinresearch1959/29/4/29_4_762/_pdf/-char/ja
2. Lee, Jae-Hwi, & Shim, Gye-Seon. (2015). Five Cases of Viral Warts Treated by Korean Medicine. The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology, 28(2), 121–129. https://doi.org/10.6114/JKOOD.2015.28.2.121
3. 윤정제, 조수지, 김철윤. (2019). 한의학적 치료를 활용한 성기사마귀 환자 194례의 임상 특성 연구. 동의생리병리학회지, 33(5), 295-301.
https://koreascience.kr/article/JAKO201933056482021.pdf
4. 김슬기,마행의감탕으로 치료한 족저 사마귀 환자 한방 치험 1례, 경희대학교 한의과대학 비계내과학교실
https://www.jikm.or.kr/upload/pdf/201410/[%EC%B5%9C%EC%A2%85]-23.pdf
5. Trinh TA, Park SC, Oh J, et al. Preventive Effect and Safety of a Follicle Stimulating Hormone Inhibitory Formulation Containing a Mixture of Coicis Semen and Artemisia capillaris for Precocious Puberty: A Preliminary Experimental Study Using Female Rats. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2017;2017:2906014. doi:10.1155/2017/2906014
6. 박경무, 임형호 and 송윤경. (2012). 의이인탕 과립제가 고지방식이로 비만이 유도된 C57BL/6J Mice에 미치는 항염증 및 항비만 효과. 한방재활의학과학회지, 22(2), 47-66.
7. 김동열, The Effect of Very low calorie diet and Chegameuiintang on Body Composition in Obese Patients, Journal of society of Korean medicine for obesity research v.1 no.1 , 2001년, pp.21 - 32
http://www.koreascience.kr/article/JAKO200103039781260.pdf