In China's dietary culture, there are many food 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 with 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, they are indeed a healthy food worth eating every day. Fresh jujubes are natural "vitamin C pills," with the vitamin C content in 100 grams of fresh jujubes being nearly four times that of kiwis. The vitamin P content in fresh jujubes is also the highest among fruits, and it can help prevent blood and cardiovascular diseases.
In addition, nutrients in fresh jujubes such as potassium, iron, and B vitamins are also among the highest in fruits. After being dried, the content of most nutrients in jujubes, except for vitamin C, is greatly increased. For example, the calcium content is nearly three times the original amount, and vitamin E increases by nearly three times.
The benefits of jujubes are not limited to these; they are also a "concentrated area" for plant-based nutrients, such as flavonoids, cyclic adenosine monophosphate, and triterpenoids. These active ingredients play an important role in antioxidant, anti-aging, immunity improvement, cancer prevention, 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 seasons without fresh jujubes, eating 3 to 8 dried jujubes a day is also a good choice.