In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the production of phlegm is mainly related to the lungs and the spleen. When wind or cold evil invades the lungs, it causes the body fluids within them to condense and transform into phlegm. If dampness evil invades the body, or if there is excessive thinking, fatigue, and improper diet, it can also damage the spleen, causing it to lose its function of transportation and transformation, leading to the internal retention of water and dampness which then condenses into phlegm. Below, the editor recommends several common fruits and vegetables in daily life that can nourish the lungs, strengthen the spleen, and eliminate phlegm.
Tangerine Peel
When cooking congee, add a few small, clean pieces of tangerine peel before the water comes to a boil. After the congee is cooked, it will not only be fragrant and delicious but also particularly appetizing. It has a good therapeutic effect for people with bloating or a cough with excessive phlegm.
Collect fresh tangerine peels, clean them, and soak them in water for 2 days. Then, cut them into thin strips and marinate them with sugar for 20 days to become a very tasty appetizer to go with wine—Tangerine Peel Salad. It is not only sweet, fragrant, and refreshing but also helps to sober up.
6 grams each of tangerine peel, ginger, and perilla leaf, decocted in water with an appropriate amount of brown sugar. Drink twice daily. The effect is also very good.
Citrus
Citrus fruits are rich in citric acid, vitamins, and essential elements for the human body such as calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and sodium. They have the effect of promoting the production of body fluids to stop coughs, used for symptoms of dryness and heat in the stomach and intestines; they have the function of harmonizing the stomach and promoting urination, used for abdominal discomfort and difficult urination; and they have the effect of moistening the lungs and transforming phlegm, suitable for coughs caused by lung heat. The nature of citrus is mild, so even patients can consume it in moderation.
When eating citrus, be sure not to pull off the white vascular network (pith) on the outside of the segments. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, citrus network is believed to have the function of unblocking the collaterals, transforming phlegm, and promoting the flow of qi and blood. It is not only an excellent therapeutic food for patients with chronic diseases such as chronic bronchitis and coronary heart disease, but it also has a辅助 therapeutic effect on chest pain and discomfort caused by prolonged coughing.
White Radish
White radish can clear heat, transform phlegm, promote the production of body fluids to stop coughs, and benefit the stomach to aid digestion. Eating it raw can treat thirst from heat illness, coughs from lung heat, and thick phlegm. If juiced and consumed together with sugarcane, pear, or lotus root, the effect is even better.
It is often said in folk traditions: White radish has a nature and flavor that is偏冷 (slightly cold). People with a cold constitution or poor respiratory health should not eat it often. In fact, white radish has a very good effect for stopping coughs from a cold with lung-heat symptoms. Additionally, white radish contains a bactericidal substance. For colds with heat pathogens and a sore throat, you can cut the white radish into small pieces, add honey, and after an hour, the radish will release its juice. Drinking this juice can be beneficial for coughs.
Pear
Pears have effects such as clearing heat and detoxifying, moistening the lungs and promoting the production of body fluids, and stopping coughs and transforming phlegm. Eaten raw, juiced, stewed, or made into a paste, they have a good therapeutic effect for coughs from lung heat, measles, coughs in the elderly, and bronchitis. If juiced and consumed together with water chestnuts, honey, or sugarcane, the effect is even better.