While mountain delicacies and seafood may be delicious, they are not necessarily healthy. Nowadays, when people eat, nutrition and health are often the top priority. More and more people are realizing that expensive food does not mean good food. In Chinese cuisine, there are four types of "vegetables" that seem unremarkable but are called "longevity vegetables" by our ancestors.
Kelp lowers blood lipids
"Kelp is indeed a vegetable with very high nutritional value," Zhang Hude, a professor from the Health Preservation Department of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, told reporters. Kelp grows in the sea and is a type of seaweed with a very high iodine content. Kelp is also rich in crude protein, sugar, calcium, etc., with several times the content of spinach and rapeseed.
Zhang Hude pointed out that the alginic acid sodium 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 weak spleen and stomach and pregnant women should not eat too much."
Shiitake mushrooms prevent cancer
Shiitake mushrooms are the first edible fungi domesticated and cultivated by Chinese people, with 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 "benefit qi and relieve hunger, treat wind and break blood, and benefit the stomach and help digestion". In folk medicine, they are often used to treat headaches and dizziness. Modern research has proven that shiitake mushrooms can regulate the human immune system, reduce the possibility of inducing tumors, and have anti-cancer and cancer-fighting effects.
Bracken fern reduces inflammation
Bracken fern, also known as dragon head vegetable or ru yi vegetable, is a very common wild vegetable in mountainous areas. "A few years ago, I vigorously promoted bracken fern. It is rich in protein, fat, carbohydrates, minerals, and various vitamins, and has high nutritional value," said Zhang Hude. The bracken fern in bracken fern has a certain inhibitory effect on bacteria, has good effects of clearing heat and detoxifying, sterilizing and reducing inflammation, and has a certain therapeutic effect on fever, eczema, sores, and other diseases. "When eating, blanch it in boiling water to remove the astringent taste. Bracken fern is cold in nature, so people with weak spleen and stomach should not eat too much," Zhang Hude reminded.
Purslane kills bacteria
Purslane, also known as wu xing cao or chang ming cai (long-life vegetable), is widely distributed in our country and can be eaten fresh or dried. It is a wild delicacy recorded in ancient books. Purslane can be stir-fried with shredded pork, or made into a soup with eggs and shredded pork, which is delicious, crispy, tender, and soft. "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.