What are the benefits of eating lotus root in autumn? Autumn is the best season for digging lotus root, as it is at its peak flavor and taste. Many regions have the custom of eating lotus root in autumn, so what are the benefits of doing so?
The weather becomes dry in autumn, so the diet should focus on foods that nourish yin, clear heat, moisten dryness, quench thirst, and calm the mind. Lotus root is one of the best tonic foods of the season. After the Start of Autumn, fresh lotus root becomes a common dish on people's tables.
Fresh lotus root is rich in calcium, phosphorus, iron, and various vitamins. Among tuber foods, lotus root has a relatively high iron content, making it very suitable for patients with iron-deficiency anemia. This is the reason why lotus root is used in soups with other ingredients to nourish the blood. The sugar content of lotus root is not very high, and it is rich in vitamin C and dietary fiber, which is very beneficial for people with weakness, such as those with liver disease, constipation, or diabetes. Lotus root is rich in vitamin K, which has a hemostatic effect and is extremely suitable for people with bruising, hematemesis, epistaxis, hematuria, or bloody stools, as well as for postpartum women.
When eaten raw, lotus root can clear heat, moisten the lungs, cool the blood, and invigorate blood stasis. If fresh lotus root is pressed into juice, its effects are even better. In ancient times, fresh lotus root juice was often mixed with fresh pear juice, fresh water chestnut juice, and sugarcane juice to treat symptoms such as thirst and yin injury from febrile diseases, as well as vexation and restlessness that are difficult to resolve.
When cooked, lotus root can strengthen the spleen and whet the appetite, stop diarrhea, and secure essence. The elderly often eat lotus root to regulate the middle burner, stimulate the appetite, nourish the blood and marrow, calm the mind, and strengthen the brain, thereby prolonging life. Postpartum women can also eat lotus root. Although raw and cold foods are generally avoided postpartum, lotus root is an exception because of its hemostatic and blood-stasis-resolving properties. In addition, lotus root has the effect of clearing the lungs and stopping bleeding, making it a good food for patients with tuberculosis.
Kung Pao Lotus Root Dices