As a commonly consumed spice vegetable, coriander has functions such as stimulating appetite and improving digestion. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) believes that coriander can ward off all types of pathogenic qi and has the effect of warming the middle jiao and strengthening the stomach. People with a cold constitution can alleviate symptoms such as stomach cold pain and indigestion by consuming an appropriate amount of coriander.
Professor Du Liyang from the Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine at the First Hospital said that people who are prone to catching colds should avoid eating coriander. This is because these individuals often have varying degrees of qi deficiency. Coriander has a pungent taste that can disperse, and excessive or long-term consumption can deplete qi and damage the spirit, thereby triggering or worsening qi deficiency and leading to more frequent colds.
In addition to recurrent colds, individuals with qi deficiency often experience symptoms such as excessive sweating, fatigue, and lassitude. Those with obvious signs of qi deficiency should eat less coriander or avoid it altogether. Postpartum patients and those in the early stages of recovery from an illness also often have a certain degree of qi deficiency, so they should also stay away from coriander.
Although people who frequently catch colds should draw a clear line with coriander, those who are robust, in good health, and only catch colds occasionally can use it to treat a cold. In clinical practice, TCM often uses pungent and warm herbs that release the exterior to treat wind-cold colds, and coriander happens to have this effect.
For patients with wind-cold colds, take 9 grams of coriander and 10 grams of green onion, decoct them in water, add sugar for flavor, and then consume. In addition, people with a cold spleen and stomach can also eat coriander in moderation to warm the stomach, dispel cold, aid digestion, and relieve stomach pain. You can make a coriander congee by adding tangerine peel, which aids digestion and regulates qi, and ginger, which warms the stomach and dispels cold, to the porridge while it's cooking, and then sprinkle in minced coriander just before serving.
For those who suffer from stomach pain caused by indigestion from greasy food, coriander can also help. Take 50-100 grams of fresh coriander, wash it, pound it into a paste, and take the juice. This can effectively relieve stomach pain.