While delicacies are tasty, they are not necessarily healthy. Nowadays, when people eat, nutrition and health are often the top priority. More and more people are realizing that eating expensive does not mean eating well. In Chinese "cuisine," there are four types of vegetables that seem unremarkable but have been called "longevity vegetables" by our ancestors.
Kelp Lowers Blood Lipids
"Kelp is indeed a vegetable with very high nutritional value," Professor Zhang Hude from the Health Preservation Room of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine told reporters. Kelp grows in the sea and is a type of seaweed with an extremely high iodine content. Kelp is also rich in crude protein, sugar, calcium, and other nutrients, with several times the content of spinach and rapeseed.
Zhang Hude pointed out that the alginic acid in kelp has a blood pressure-lowering effect and also plays a certain role in preventing leukemia and itai-itai disease. Kelp starch can lower blood lipids, help prevent arteriosclerosis, and reduce cholesterol. "Salads and soups are common ways to eat it, but people with a weak spleen and stomach and pregnant women should not eat too much."
Kelp with Soybeans
Shiitake Mushrooms Prevent Cancer
Shiitake mushrooms were the first edible fungi domesticated and cultivated by the Chinese people and have a long history of consumption in our country. Because of their rich nutrition and delicious taste, they are known as the "king of mushrooms." Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang of the Ming Dynasty often ate this vegetable and considered it a "longevity vegetable." Zhang Hude told reporters that shiitake mushrooms "boost qi without causing hunger, treat wind and break blood, and benefit the stomach and aid digestion." Folk remedies often use them to treat headaches and dizziness. Modern research has proven that shiitake mushrooms can regulate the body's immune function, reduce the possibility of tumor development, and have anti-cancer and cancer-fighting effects.
Shiitake Mushrooms with Rapeseed
Bracken Ferns Reduce Inflammation
Bracken ferns, also known as dragon head vegetables or ruyi vegetables, are a common wild vegetable in mountainous areas. "A few years ago, I vigorously promoted bracken ferns. They are rich in protein, fat, carbohydrates, minerals, and various vitamins, and have high nutritional value," said Zhang Hude. The bracken factor in bracken ferns has a certain inhibitory effect on bacteria and has good effects of clearing heat and detoxifying, sterilizing, and reducing inflammation. It also has certain therapeutic effects for fevers, eczema, sores, and other ailments. "When eating, blanching in boiling water can remove the astringent taste. Bracken ferns are cold in nature, so people with a weak spleen and stomach should not eat too much," Zhang Hude reminded.
Spicy Bracken Ferns
Purslane Kills Bacteria
Purslane, also known as the five-element herb or longevity vegetable, is widely distributed in China. It can be eaten fresh or dried and is a wild delicacy recorded in ancient books. Purslane can be stir-fried with shredded pork, or made into a soup or congee with egg and shredded pork, and is delicious, crisp, tender, and smooth. "In addition to containing protein, fat, sugar, crude fiber, and various nutrients such as calcium, phosphorus, and iron, purslane itself has high pharmacological effects," said Zhang Hude. Purslane contains a large amount of noradrenaline, potassium salts, and rich citric acid, malic acid, etc., which can help stabilize blood sugar, lower blood pressure, and protect the heart.
Stir-fried Purslane