In our country's food culture, there are many dietary proverbs about jujubes, such as "a jujube a day keeps old age away," "three jujubes a day, and you won't need a doctor," and "five grains plus jujubes are better than lingzhi grass." Do these proverbs have a scientific basis?
In fact, jujubes do not have the aforementioned magical effects. However, from the perspective of modern nutrition, it is indeed a good food worth eating every day. Fresh jujubes are natural "vitamin C pills," with the vitamin C content in every 100 grams of fresh jujubes being nearly 4 times that of kiwis. The vitamin P content in fresh jujubes also ranks first among fruits, and it can prevent and treat blood diseases and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.
In addition, the content of nutrients such as potassium, iron, and B vitamins in fresh jujubes is also among the highest in fruits. After jujubes are dried, the content of most nutrients, except for vitamin C, is greatly increased. For example, the calcium content is nearly 3 times the original, and vitamin E has increased by nearly 3 times. The benefits of jujubes are not limited to these; they are also a "concentration site" for plant-based nutrients, such as flavonoids, cyclic adenosine monophosphate, and triterpenoids. These active ingredients can play an important role in antioxidant, anti-aging, improving immunity, anti-cancer, and anti-fatigue. Therefore, both fresh and dried jujubes are treasure troves of nutrients. It is best to eat a handful or two of fresh jujubes every day. In the season without fresh jujubes, eating 3 to 8 dried jujubes every day is also a good choice.