Ginger, garlic, onion, chili pepper, pepper, and Sichuan peppercorn are indispensable flavorings in our daily diet. They appear in the vast majority of dishes, and with them, the flavor of the food becomes more delicious and the color more appealing. So, besides that, what other functions and effects can they have, and are there any taboos to consider when consuming them?
Ginger promotes sweating and lowers body temperature
Ginger is warm in nature and pungent in taste. It contains oily volatile substances such as gingerol, as well as gingerol, vitamins, gingerol, resin, starch, fiber, and a small amount of minerals. It can enhance blood circulation, stimulate gastric juice secretion, excite the intestines, promote digestion, and strengthen the stomach to increase appetite.
In addition, ginger can kill bacteria in the mouth and intestines, achieving the purpose of cleaning the mouth. In the hot summer, eating ginger can also promote sweating to lower body temperature and refresh the mind, and relieve fatigue, listlessness, loss of appetite, insomnia, bloating, and abdominal pain. Therefore, there is a popular proverb in China that goes, "Eat radish in winter and ginger in summer, and you won't need a doctor to write a prescription." It is worth noting that although ginger is beneficial, those with yin deficiency and internal heat, as well as hemorrhoid patients, should avoid it.
Chili peppers prevent colds
Chili peppers are hot in nature and pungent in taste. They contain a variety of nutrients such as B vitamins, vitamin C, protein, carotene, capsaicin, citric acid, iron, phosphorus, and calcium. The vitamin C content is particularly high, ranking among the top in vegetables.
It has the effects of warming the middle jiao to dispel cold, stimulating the appetite to aid digestion, promoting sweating to remove dampness, and also has a certain bactericidal effect. It is quite effective in preventing colds, arteriosclerosis, night blindness, and scurvy. Chili peppers also have the effects of preventing cancer and delaying aging. In particular, red chili peppers are known in folk circles as "red medicinal herbs." Because of its strong nature and intense stimulation, it should not be eaten in large quantities. Those with eye inflammation, stomach ulcers, high blood pressure, toothaches, pharyngitis, and other infections should avoid it.
Garlic can resist viruses
Garlic is warm in nature and pungent in taste. It contains nutrients such as protein, fat, carbohydrates, B vitamins, and vitamin C, as well as sulfur and selenium organic compounds (allicin) and various active enzymes. In addition, its content of elements such as calcium, phosphorus, and iron is also very rich.
It has the effects of killing parasites, detoxifying, eliminating stagnation, promoting qi circulation, and warming the stomach. It has a certain therapeutic effect on food stagnation, cold pain in the epigastrium and abdomen, dysentery, malaria, whooping cough, carbuncles and swellings, edema and distension pain, and insect or snake bites.
In addition, eating garlic can prevent influenza, treat fungal infections, and has the effects of lowering blood pressure, lowering blood lipids, lowering blood sugar, and a strong anti-cancer effect. It is one of the most potent plant antibiotics currently known, and is known as "penicillin grown in the soil." However, those with yin fire flourishing, diarrhea, hemorrhoids, gastrointestinal bleeding, and eye diseases should not eat it.
Sichuan peppercorn relieves pain
Sichuan peppercorn is warm in nature and pungent in taste. It contains components such as limonene, sanshools, unsaturated organic acids, and volatile oil. It has the effects of warming the middle jiao to strengthen the stomach, dispelling cold and removing dampness, detoxifying and killing insects, and regulating qi to relieve pain. It is effective for treating indigestion, hiccups, belching and vomiting, joint and muscle pain caused by wind-cold-dampness evil, dysentery, and roundworms. Modern pharmacological research has also found that it has a certain local anesthetic and analgesic effect, and also has a significant inhibitory effect on various bacilli and cocci. However, patients with bronchial asthma, diabetes, gout, cancer, and pregnant women should use it with caution.
Onion prevents arteriosclerosis
Onion is warm in nature and pungent in taste. It contains a variety of nutrients such as protein, sugar, crude fiber, selenium, thiamine, riboflavin, prostaglandin A, amino acids, and calcium, phosphorus, iron, vitamin C, carotene, B vitamins, etc. Its volatile oil contains a substance that lowers cholesterol—diallyl disulfide.
Onion has the effects of clearing heat and resolving phlegm, detoxifying and killing insects, stimulating the appetite to transform dampness, lowering lipids and sugar, aiding digestion, calming the liver and moistening the intestines, expelling phlegm, promoting urination, inducing sweating, preventing colds, and inhibiting bacteria and preserving freshness. It can prevent and treat arteriosclerosis and also has a cancer-preventing effect. Because it integrates nutrition, health care, and medical treatment, onion is known as "the queen of vegetables" in some European and American countries. However, people with eye diseases or after suffering from a febrile disease should not eat it.
Pepper dispels wind and strengthens the stomach
Pepper is warm in nature and pungent in taste. It contains nutrients such as volatile oil, piperine, crude fat, crude protein, and starch. It comes in black and white varieties and can treat indigestion, enteritis, bronchitis, colds, and rheumatism. Modern pharmacological research has also found that the piperine, piperidine, and volatile oil in pepper have the effects of dispelling wind and strengthening the stomach. Patients with diabetes, gout, arthritis, hemorrhoids, cancer, bronchial asthma, etc. should best avoid eating pepper.