Cold patients should not eat cilantro.

Cilantro stimulates the appetite and improves digestion, making it a commonly consumed vegetable. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), cilantro is considered to warm the middle and strengthen the stomach. For individuals with a cold constitution, consuming an appropriate amount of cilantro can be very effective in relieving symptoms such as stomach cold pain, indigestion, and incomplete rash eruption from measles.

It should be noted that people who are prone to colds should avoid consuming cilantro. This is because cold patients often experience varying degrees of Qi deficiency. Cilantro's pungent nature can disperse Qi, and excessive or long-term consumption can deplete it, impairing the spirit and thereby worsening the Qi deficiency, which in turn makes the cold more severe. In addition to recurrent colds, those with Qi deficiency may also experience symptoms like excessive sweating, fatigue, and lethargy. In such cases, it is best to eat little to no cilantro. Furthermore, postpartum and post-illness patients often have a certain degree of Qi deficiency and should therefore also avoid cilantro.

Garlic and Torn Eggplant Strips

Although people who frequently catch colds cannot eat cilantro, those who are robust, have a good constitution, and only occasionally catch colds can use it to prevent colds. In TCM clinical practice, some pungent and warm herbs are used to treat wind-cold colds, and cilantro happens to have this effect. For such patients with a wind-cold cold, 9 grams of cilantro and 10 grams of green scallion can be decocted in water, sweetened with sugar, and then consumed. Additionally, for individuals with a weak and cold spleen and stomach, one can make a cilantro porridge by adding tangerine peel (to aid digestion and regulate Qi) and ginger (to warm the stomach and dispel cold) to the congee while it's cooking, and then sprinkle in chopped cilantro just before serving. This can help warm the stomach, dispel cold, aid digestion, and relieve stomach pain.

For those experiencing stomach pain caused by indigestion from greasy food, taking 50-100 grams of fresh cilantro, washing it, mashing it, and drinking its juice can effectively relieve the stomach pain.