As the saying goes, "Eat three jujubes a day, and you'll never look old." The most prominent feature of red dates is their high vitamin content. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that jujubes can replenish the middle jiao, benefit qi, nourish the blood, and promote the production of body fluids.
Fresh jujubes are richer in vitamins; however, they are seasonal, not always available, and eating too many may harm digestion. Although dried jujubes have a lower vitamin content, their iron content increases, and their nutrients are more easily absorbed, making them more suitable for dietary therapy. Here are several ways to eat jujubes and their benefits.
1. Soaking red dates in water to nourish the liver and detoxify
A detail in the preparation of red dates determines their effectiveness. The skin of red dates is tough and difficult to digest. If soaked whole, it is hard to fully extract their active ingredients. Therefore, it is best to break them open before soaking.
It is also important to note that fresh red dates should not be soaked or boiled in hot water. This is because they are extremely high in vitamin C, and using hot water will severely destroy it.
2. Making red date tea to replenish qi and protect the throat
Tea made from blackened (pan-roasted) red dates can treat stomach cold and stomach pain.
If longan is added, it becomes a blood- and qi-replenishing tea, suitable for people who use their voices frequently, such as teachers and sales clerks.
3. Simmering red dates in soup to relieve coughs and moisten the lungs
The "Bixiao Fang" (Effective Formulas), written by Meng Shen in the Tang Dynasty, records that a soup made with red dates, tremella (silver ear fungus), and rock sugar can relieve coughs and moisten the lungs.
Ingredients: Tremella: 20g (about half a piece), Red dates: 20, Rock sugar: 60g (amount can be adjusted to personal taste)
Method: Soak the tremella in water until it expands, remove the stem, tear it into small pieces. Place it in a pot with the red dates and rock sugar. Add 6 bowls of water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low heat and simmer for another half hour before turning off the heat.
4. Boiling red dates with eggs to nourish the blood and beautify the skin
Simmer red dates and longan in brown sugar water until the dates are soft and the longan is tender. Crack an egg into the mixture and continue to cook gently over low heat until the egg is cooked.
Red dates, longan, and brown sugar all have blood-nourishing properties, and the resulting egg dish is very nourishing.
5. Cooking red dates in congee to calm the mind and aid sleep
In traditional Chinese medicine, for women with symptoms like irritability, anxiety, and an unsettled mind, an appropriate amount of lily and lotus seeds can be used with red dates for regulation. If cooked with millet, the sedative effect of red dates can be enhanced.
6. Soaking red dates in wine to ensure smooth blood vesselsDuring the soaking process, the nutrient-rich organic matter in red dates is more easily dissolved in the alcohol, which has a certain effect on maintaining smooth blood vessels.
What not to eat with red dates
1. Red dates + Scallions: Can easily lead to indigestion
The most prominent feature of red dates is their high vitamin content; they can tonify the spleen and stomach, benefit qi and promote body fluids, nourish the heart and moisten the lungs, nourish blood and calm the mind, improve complexion, clear the nine orifices, assist the twelve meridians, and harmonize with other medicines. Scallions contain volatile oils and pungent substances with a stimulating aroma that can remove odors from rich and greasy dishes, stimulating the secretion of digestive fluids and increasing appetite.
While red dates tonify the spleen and stomach, and scallions can stimulate the secretion of digestive fluids, combining the two can lead to disharmony of the spleen and stomach, easily causing indigestion. Furthermore, traditional Chinese medicine considers scallions to be a pungent, heat-producing food, and red dates are also sweet, pungent, and hot. Eating them together can easily increase internal heat.
2. Red dates + Sea crab: Can easily lead to chills and fever
Sea crabs and red dates are considered to be in conflict; eating them together can easily lead to chills and fever. There should be at least a 2-hour interval between consuming them.
3. Red dates + Animal liver: Destroys vitamins
Red dates should not be eaten with animal liver at the same time. Animal liver is rich in elements like copper and iron. These metal ions can easily oxidize the vitamin C in other foods, rendering it ineffective. Therefore, red dates should not be consumed with animal liver.
4. Red dates + Fish + Scallions: Can cause indigestion
Red dates are neutral in nature and can nourish the spleen and stomach, and benefit qi and blood. Eating them with fish and scallions can lead to indigestion. Therefore, it is best not to eat congee made with red dates, hairtail, and scallions.
5. Red dates + Catfish: Can lead to hair loss
Eating catfish and red dates together can lead to hair loss, which can be neutralized by eating crab. Therefore, when eating red dates, one should not consume catfish.
6. Red dates + Whitebait: Can cause pain in the waist and abdomen
Whitebait is extremely nutritious, with the effects of moistening the lungs to relieve coughs, being good for tonifying the spleen and stomach, benefiting the lungs, and promoting urination. However, whitebait cannot be eaten with dried dates, as it can cause pain in the waist and abdomen.
7. Red dates + Milk: Affects protein absorption
After eating red dates, do not immediately eat high-protein foods such as dairy products. Because vitamin C can cause the protein in these foods to clump, making it difficult to absorb. Therefore, you should wait 1-2 hours after eating red dates before consuming high-protein foods.
8. Red dates + Scrophularia: Incompatible functions
Scrophularia has excellent effects of clearing heat, reducing fire, and detoxifying, and can prevent and alleviate conditions like fever and sore throat. As it is a cold-natured food, it can prevent and treat warm diseases. Red dates are sweet and warm in nature, with effects of tonifying the spleen and stomach, and benefiting qi and body fluids. They cannot be eaten with scrophularia because their functions and effects are completely opposite.
9. Red dates + Dried shrimp: Can cause poisoning
Eating dried shrimp and red dates together can cause poisoning. Therefore, when eating red dates, you should not consume dried shrimp at the same time.
10. Red dates + Cucumber, Radish: Destroys vitamins
Red dates should not be eaten with cucumber or radish. Radish contains ascorbic acid oxidase, while cucumber contains vitamin-decomposing enzymes. These two components can destroy vitamins in other foods.