While mountain delicacies and sea delicacies are 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 China's local "vegetables," there are four types that seem unremarkable but are called "longevity vegetables" by our ancestors. These four longevity vegetables are affordable for everyone.
Seaweed Lowers Blood Lipids
"Seaweed is indeed a vegetable with very high nutritional value," Zhang Hude, a professor from the Health Preservation Room of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, told reporters. Seaweed grows in the sea and is a type of algae with a very high iodine content. Seaweed 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 seaweed has a blood pressure-lowering effect and also plays a certain role in preventing leukemia and itai-itai disease; seaweed starch has the effect of lowering blood lipids, which can help prevent arteriosclerosis and lower cholesterol. "Cold-mixed dishes 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 fungus domesticated and cultivated by Chinese people and have a long history of consumption in our country. Because they are nutritious and delicious, 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, relieve hunger, treat wind, break blood, and benefit the stomach and help digestion," while 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 tumor induction, and have anti-cancer and cancer-fighting effects.
Shiitake Mushrooms with Rapeseed
Bracken Fern Relieves Inflammation
Bracken fern, also known as dragon head vegetable or ru yi vegetable, is a 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, with very high nutritional value," said Zhang Hude. The bracken factor in bracken fern has a certain inhibitory effect on bacteria and has good effects of clearing heat and detoxifying, sterilizing and reducing inflammation. It also has a certain therapeutic effect on fever, eczema, sores, and other ailments. "When eating, blanch it in boiling water to remove the astringent taste. Bracken fern is cold in nature and taste, so people with a weak spleen and stomach should not eat too much," Zhang Hude reminded.
Purslane Kills Bacteria
Purslane, also known as the five-element grass or longevity 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 egg and shredded pork, which is delicious, crisp, tender, and smooth. "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.
Pickled Chili Purslane