March and April are the peak season for wild vegetables. City dwellers tired of rich meats can benefit greatly from eating more of these seasonal wild vegetables in spring for health maintenance.
China has always upheld the concept of "medicine and food sharing the same source," which is particularly evident in wild vegetables. They contain various bioactive components. Among them, polysaccharides can enhance the human immune system, preventing infectious diseases and tumors; flavonoids can inhibit damage to cells caused by free radicals; and saponins have a significant effect on improving cardiovascular function. Are you familiar with the medicinal value of these 10 common wild vegetables that are also available in the market? 1 Purslane can help treat diabetes
Purslane, also known as purslane or longevity vegetable, is generally reddish-brown with thick, long-ovate leaves, named for its resemblance to a horse's teeth. It contains various nutrients such as protein, fat, thiamine, riboflavin, and ascorbic acid. Due to its relatively high acid content, it has a slightly sour taste.
The medicinal properties of purslane are to clear heat and detoxify, and to cool blood and 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 contains an unsaturated fatty acid called 3-W, which 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. For example, stir-fried purslane with eggs, steamed purslane buns, or making a garlic and purslane congee to clear heat and stop dysentery. 2 Dandelion is good for the liver
Dandelion, also known as蒲公英, is a plant many people have seen in the wild. 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 to achieve the effects of promoting bile secretion and protecting the liver. It can be eaten raw after blanching, stir-fried, or made into soup, such as jellyfish skin mixed with dandelion, or stir-fried dandelion with shredded pork; it can also be mixed with green tea, licorice, and honey to make a cup of dandelion green tea that clears heat and detoxifies, and reduces swelling. 3 Sow Thistle can inhibit leukemia
The scientific name of Sow Thistle is 取麻菜 or 苣荬菜. Its stem is yellowish-white; its leaves are round-lanceolate, green on the surface and gray-green on the back; its flowers are bright yellow and tongue-shaped. Dried sow thistle is rich in elements such as potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, sodium, iron, manganese, zinc, and copper.
Sow Thistle can clear heat and dry dampness, reduce swelling and discharge pus, resolve stasis and detoxify, cool blood and stop bleeding. The ethanol extract of sow thistle, concentrated by water decoction, has an inhibitory effect on acute lymphocytic leukemia, as well as acute and chronic granulocytic leukemia. Common ways to eat it include garlic paste mixed with sow thistle, sauce mixed with sow thistle, and sow thistle stewed with pork liver. 4 Bracken has a sedative effect
Bracken, also known as 蕨儿菜 or 龙头菜, is relatively common among wild vegetables. When the bracken frond is coiled, it indicates that it is fresh and tender; when it gets old, the frond will uncurl.
Eating bracken can clear heat, lubricate the intestines, lower qi and resolve phlegm, promote urination, and calm the mind. However, dried bracken or bracken pickled in salt should be soaked in water before eating to rehydrate it. Common ways to eat it include stir-fried pork tenderloin with bracken, braised pork with bracken, and cold-mixed bracken. 5 Platycodon can help fight ulcers
Platycodon, also known as 明叶菜 or 和尚帽, is what Koreans call 道拉基. It can produce small blue flowers at the tips of its branches. What we usually eat is the root of platycodon, which has effects such as expelling phlegm and relieving cough, relieving pain and reducing fever, sedation, lowering blood sugar, anti-inflammation, anti-ulcer, anti-tumor, and antibacterial. 6 Shepherd's Purse can tonify deficiency and strengthen the spleen
The flowering period of shepherd's purse is from April to June. In fields and by the roadsides, people can often see its small white flowers dotted around. Its main medicinal and food effects are to cool blood and stop bleeding, tonify deficiency and strengthen the spleen, clear heat and promote urination. In spring, you can pick the tender stems and leaves or overwintered buds of shepherd's purse, which can be eaten cold after blanching, dipped in sauce, made into soup, used as a filling, or stir-fried. It can also be simmered into a delicious shepherd's purse congee. 7 Eat Amaranth on hot days
The root of amaranth is generally purple or light purple; its stem rarely has branches and has green or light purple stripes; its leaves are ovate.
What we usually eat are the tender stems and leaves of amaranth, which have the effects of clearing heat and promoting urination, detoxifying, and nourishing yin to moisten dryness. In addition to stir-frying, cold mixing, and making soup, amaranth is also often used as a filling. For example, cold-mixed amaranth, amaranth with chicken shreds, or amaranth dumplings. 8 Water Celery can lower blood pressure
Water celery, also known as 水芹 or 河芹, has a hollow stem, triangular leaves, and white flowers. It mainly grows in damp places, such as by ponds, rivers, and in paddy fields.
Water celery has effects such as clearing heat and detoxifying, moistening the lungs, strengthening the spleen and harmonizing the stomach, promoting digestion and resolving 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 mixed with peanuts. 9 Aralia elata can tonify the kidney and benefit essence
Aralia elata, also known as 刺龙芽 or 辽东楤木, mainly grows in shrubs and forest clearings. Unlike other wild vegetables that are herbaceous plants, it is a woody plant. Its bark is gray and covered with large, hard thorns; its flowers are pale yellowish-white; and its fruit is a spherical, black berry.
The part of Aralia elata that is eaten is mainly its tender buds, which can have effects such as tonifying qi, activating blood, dispelling wind, promoting urination, relieving pain, and tonifying the kidney and benefiting essence. 10 Scallion Bulb can prevent arteriosclerosis
Scallion Bulb, also known as 薤白 or 小根菜, looks very similar to garlic and has the taste of scallions and garlic. Its effects are to unblock yang and transform qi, open the chest and dissipate nodules, and promote qi to resolve stagnation. It is used to treat dysentery and to inhibit the increase of peroxides in the blood of patients with hyperlipidemia, preventing atherosclerosis. Common ways to eat it include scallion bulb mixed with tofu, or making a scallion bulb and white fungus congee.