In recent years, the health benefits of wild vegetables have gradually become known, and even city dwellers have developed the habit of eating wild vegetables for health. So, which wild vegetables have health benefits? Let's take a look together.
1. Dandelion: Good for the liver
Its pollen contains vitamins and linoleic acid, while its stems and leaves contain choline, amino acids, and trace elements. The main functions of dandelion are to clear heat and detoxify, reduce swelling, and promote urination. It has a broad-spectrum antibacterial effect and can also stimulate the body's immune function, achieving the effects of promoting bile secretion and protecting the liver.
2. Purslane: Treats diabetes
Because it contains a relatively high amount of acidic substances, it tastes slightly sour when eaten. The medicinal function of purslane is to clear heat and detoxify, and cool blood to stop bleeding. Because it is rich in noradrenaline, it can promote the pancreas to secrete insulin, regulate the body's sugar metabolism process, lower blood sugar concentration, and maintain stable blood sugar, so it has a certain therapeutic effect on diabetes. In addition, it also contains an unsaturated fatty acid that can inhibit the production of cholesterol and triglycerides, and has a protective effect on the cardiovascular system. There are many ways to eat it, such as stir-frying after blanching, cold mixing, or making fillings.
3. Platycodon: Anti-ulcer
Platycodon is also called Mingye Cai or Heshangmao. "Dolakki" in Korean refers to it. It can produce small blue flowers at the tips of its branches. What we usually eat is the platycodon root, which has the effects of resolving phlegm and relieving cough, relieving pain, reducing fever, calming the nerves, lowering blood sugar, reducing inflammation, resisting ulcers, anti-tumor, and inhibiting bacteria.
4. Bracken: Calms the mind
Bracken is also called Ercai or Longtoucai, and it is relatively common among wild vegetables. When the bracken leaves are curled, it indicates that they are fresh and tender. When they get old, the leaves will unfold. Eating bracken can clear heat and lubricate the intestines, lower qi and resolve phlegm, promote urination, and calm the mind. However, dried or salted bracken should be soaked in water before eating to rehydrate it.
5. Sonchus: Inhibits leukemia
The scientific name of Sonchus is Quma Cai or Jumai Cai. Its stem is yellowish-white; the leaves are round-lanceolate, green on the surface and gray-green on the back; the flowers are bright yellow and tongue-shaped. Dried Sonchus is rich in elements such as potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, sodium, iron, manganese, zinc, and copper. Sonchus can clear heat and dry dampness, reduce swelling and discharge pus, resolve stasis and detoxify, and cool blood to stop bleeding. The ethanol extract of Sonchus, concentrated by water decoction, has an inhibitory effect on acute lymphocytic leukemia, acute and chronic granulocytic leukemia. Common ways to eat it include Sonchus with minced garlic, Sonchus with sauce, and braised Sonchus with pork liver.
6. Shepherd's purse: Tonifies deficiency and strengthens the spleen
The flowering period of shepherd's purse is from April to June. In fields and by the roadside, people can often see small white flowers of shepherd's purse dotted around. Its main therapeutic effects are cooling blood to stop bleeding, tonifying deficiency and strengthening the spleen, clearing heat and promoting urination. In spring, you can pick the tender stems and leaves or the overwintering buds of shepherd's purse. After blanching, they can be eaten cold, dipped in sauce, made into soups, fillings, or stir-fried. You can also cook a delicious shepherd's purse porridge.
7. Water celery: Lowers blood pressure
Water celery is also called Shuiqin or Heqin. Its stem is hollow, the leaves are triangular, and the flowers are white. It mainly grows in humid places, such as by rivers and in paddy fields. Water celery has the effects of clearing heat and detoxifying, moistening the lungs, strengthening the spleen and stomach, promoting digestion and guiding stagnation, promoting urination, stopping bleeding, lowering blood pressure, resisting hepatitis, resisting arrhythmia, and antibacterial. Common dishes we eat include stir-fried water celery with pork, water celery and lamb dumplings, and water celery with peanuts.
8. Aralia elata: Nourishes the kidneys and benefits essence
Aralia elata is also called Cilongya. It mainly grows in shrubs and forest clearings. Unlike other wild vegetables, it is not a herbaceous plant but a woody plant. Its bark is gray and covered with large, hard thorns; the flowers are pale yellowish-white; and the fruit is a spherical, black berry. The part of Aralia elata that is eaten is mainly its tender buds, which can replenish qi, activate blood, expel wind, promote urination, relieve pain, nourish the kidneys, and benefit essence.
9. Scallion root: Prevents arteriosclerosis
Scallion root is also called Xiebai or Li Suan. Its stems and leaves look very similar to garlic and have the taste of onion and garlic. Its effects are to unblock yang and transform qi, open the chest and dissipate stagnation, and promote qi to guide stagnation. It can also treat dysentery and inhibit the increase of peroxides in the blood of patients with hyperlipidemia, preventing atherosclerosis. Main ways to eat it are scallion root with tofu, or making a scallion root and white fungus porridge.
10. Amaranth: Nourishes yin and moistens dryness
Amaranth has the effects of clearing heat and promoting urination, detoxifying, nourishing yin and moistening dryness. In addition to stir-frying, cold mixing, and making soups, amaranth is also often used as a filling. For example, cold amaranth, amaranth with shredded chicken, and amaranth dumplings.