As the saying goes, "A stalk of scallion, ten minutes of vitality." Let's first explore the amazing benefits of scallions! Which is more nutritious, the green leaves or the white stalk?
7 Great Health Benefits of Regularly Eating Scallions
Benefit 1: Boosting Yang and Nourishing Yin
The various vitamins in scallions ensure the normal secretion of human hormones and can effectively stimulate libido, thereby "boosting yang and nourishing yin." Therefore, for men, eating scallions or chives three times a week—whether stir-fried, in cold salads, or used as a seasoning—can achieve this effect.
Benefit 2: Detoxification and Flavor Enhancement
Scallions are pungent in taste and slightly warm in nature, acting to release the exterior, unblock yang, detoxify, and enhance flavor. They are mainly used for wind-cold cold, yin-cold abdominal pain, aversion to cold with fever, headache, nasal congestion, insufficient lactation, and difficulty with urination and bowel movements. Scallions contain volatile oil, the main component of which is allicin, as well as diallyl sulfide and calcium oxalate. Additionally, they contain fats, sugars, carotene, vitamins B and C, niacin, calcium, magnesium, iron, and other components.
Benefit 3: Cancer Prevention
The pectin in chives can significantly reduce the incidence of colon cancer and has anti-cancer properties. The allicin in scallions can also inhibit the growth of cancer cells. Scallions also contain the trace element selenium, which can reduce the content of nitrites in gastric juice and plays a certain role in preventing stomach cancer and other cancers.
Benefit 4: Inducing Sweating and Inhibiting Bacteria
Scallions can stimulate the body's sweat glands to induce sweating and reduce heat. Scallion oil can stimulate the upper respiratory tract, making it easier to expel phlegm. The allicin in scallions has a significant effect against bacteria and viruses, with a stronger inhibitory effect on *Shigella* and skin fungi.
Benefit 5: Relaxing Blood Vessels and Preventing Dementia
Scallions are rich in vitamin C, which can dilate small blood vessels and promote blood circulation, preventing dizziness caused by high blood pressure, keeping the brain agile, and preventing senile dementia. The volatile oil and pungent elements in scallions can remove odors from rich and greasy dishes, creating a special aroma. When eaten with mushrooms, they can also promote blood circulation.
Benefit 6: Lowering Cholesterol
Scallions can reduce the accumulation of bad cholesterol. People who often eat scallions, even if they are overweight, do not see an increase in their cholesterol levels and remain in good physical condition. The green leaves of scallions contain more vitamins A, C, and calcium than the white stalks.
Benefit 7: Relieving Fatigue When Eaten Raw
Like onions, raw scallions contain allyl sulfide, a substance that stimulates gastric juice secretion and helps increase appetite. When consumed with foods rich in vitamin B1, it promotes the conversion of food starch and sugars into energy, which can relieve fatigue.
6 Precautions for Eating Scallions
1. Scallions with Tofu: The oxalic acid in scallions can easily form calcium oxalate with tofu, hindering the body's absorption of calcium. Not only should scallions not be eaten with tofu, but they should also not be consumed with other foods high in calcium.
2. Scallions Stewed with Dog Meat or Rooster: This can easily lead to "internal heat" (上火). People who are prone to this should eat it in moderation. Patients with rhinitis may worsen their condition if they eat scallions stewed with dog meat.
3. Eating Scallions with Honey is Not Advisable: The various enzymes in honey will react with certain components in scallions, producing substances harmful to the human body, which can easily lead to diarrhea and gastrointestinal discomfort.
4. Avoid Eating Scallions While Taking Liuwei Dihuang Pills: Liuwei Dihuang Pills are a treasure in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), and scallions are an indispensable daily ingredient. But do you know what effect the combination of these two has? Scallions and garlic are pungent in taste and warm in nature, able to unblock yang and activate blood circulation, expel parasites and detoxify, and induce sweating to release the exterior. They have a good therapeutic effect on colds, wind-cold, headaches, yin-cold abdominal pain, internal obstruction from parasites, and dysentery. However, in TCM theory, this effect directly counteracts the properties of Rehmannia (地黄) in Liuwei Dihuang Pills. Therefore, the combination of the two is a significant mistake, and it is not advisable to eat scallions while taking Liuwei Dihuang Pills!
5. The White Stalk and the Green Leaves: Which is More Nutritious?
In TCM, scallions are believed to have medicinal effects such as sterilization, promoting lactation, inducing sweating, and aiding sleep. However, people in their daily eating habits are accustomed to keeping only the white stalk and discarding the green leaves. In fact, the green part contains nutrients like chlorophyll and carotenoids that are not found in the white stalk and should not be easily discarded. Chlorophyll plays an important role in the human body, such as resisting radiation, clearing toxins, and strengthening muscles. Therefore, the green leaves are more nutritious than the white stalk.
If the green leaves you buy are old, withered, and yellow, they can be discarded. Don't insist on keeping them just because they are more nutritious, as it will affect the texture of the dish.
6. Who Should Not Eat Too Many Scallions?
Scallions can be eaten by the general population, but people with gastrointestinal diseases, especially ulcers, should not eat them in large quantities. Additionally, scallions have a strong stimulating effect on sweat glands, so people with bromhidrosis should be cautious about eating them in the summer. Those with a "defensive qi deficiency" (表虚) and who sweat excessively should also avoid them. Excessive consumption of scallions can also damage vision.