As the spring breeze blows, wild vegetables grow, and the fresh, tender, and fragrant wild vegetables that blanket the mountains and fields are a generous gift from nature in spring. Wild vegetables are not only delicious foods but also effective remedies for certain diseases. Our country has always had the saying "medicine and food share the same source." Some wild vegetables are themselves commonly used Chinese herbal medicines in folk practices, so it is natural that "wild vegetables can cure diseases" is a widely accepted concept.
In recent years, research has found that many wild vegetables contain bioactive components, which further provides a scientific basis for their disease prevention and treatment properties.
Medicinal and therapeutic effects of common wild vegetables
Dandelion: Also known as yellow-flowered dandelion or Pu Gong Ying. Dandelion's main functions are to clear heat and detoxify, reduce swelling, and promote urination. It has a broad-spectrum antibacterial effect and can stimulate the body's immune function, achieving the effects of promoting bile flow and protecting the liver. It is therapeutic for patients with carbuncles or liver and gallbladder diseases and is effective in treating elevated transaminase levels in hepatitis, cholecystitis, acute conjunctivitis (red eye), and acute mastitis (breast pain). For hepatitis and acute cholecystitis, 60-90 grams of fresh dandelion can be decocted in water and taken orally; 15 days constitute one course, which can be repeated for 1-2 courses. For acute conjunctivitis, the whole fresh dandelion plant (120 grams) or 60 grams of dried dandelion can be decocted in 500-1000 ml of water to make two portions. One portion is taken warm, and the other is used while hot to fumigate and wash the eyes; this, used for 2-3 consecutive times, will bring a cure. For acute mastitis, 30 grams of dandelion and 10 grams of honeysuckle can be decocted with an equal mixture of yellow wine and water, taken twice a day for 3-5 days to reduce inflammation. For general dietary therapy, it can be blanched and eaten raw, stir-fried, or made into soup, such as jellyfish skin with dandelion or shredded pork with dandelion. 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.
Bitter vegetable: Also known as Sonchus oleraceus. Bitter vegetable is rich in elements such as potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, sodium, iron, manganese, zinc, and copper. Bitter vegetable can clear heat and dry dampness, reduce swelling and discharge pus, invigorate blood circulation and detoxify, and cool the blood to stop bleeding. The ethanol extract of the concentrated water decoction of bitter vegetable has an inhibitory effect on acute lymphocytic leukemia, as well as acute and chronic granulocytic leukemia. Common ways to eat it include garlic-mashed bitter vegetable, bitter vegetable with sauce, and bitter vegetable braised with pork liver.
Bracken fern: Also known as juecai or dragon's head vegetable. The leaves of bracken are coiled, indicating they are tender; when they get old, the leaves unfurl. Bracken has the effects of clearing heat, lubricating the intestines, lowering qi to resolve phlegm, promoting urination, and calming the mind. However, dried or salted bracken should be soaked in water before eating to rehydrate it. Common ways to eat it include stir-fried chicken with bracken, braised pork with bracken, and cold-dressed bracken salad.
Platycodon: Also known as Ming Ye Cai or monk's hat, and called "Dolaji" by Koreans. Generally, the root of platycodon is eaten. It has effects such as resolving phlegm and stopping coughs, relieving pain, reducing fever, sedating, lowering blood sugar, reducing inflammation, inhibiting ulcers, and having anti-tumor and antibacterial properties.
Purslane: Also known as purslane or longevity vegetable. It contains various nutrients such as protein, fat, thiamine, riboflavin, and vitamin C. Traditional Chinese medicine believes it has the functions of clearing heat and detoxifying, promoting urination to eliminate dampness, and reducing swelling and pain, making it a good medicinal food for patients with acute enteritis, bacillary dysentery, lung diseases, intestinal pain, and nephritic edema. In recent years, it has been found to promote the secretion of insulin from the pancreas, regulate the body's sugar metabolism, lower blood sugar concentration, and maintain stable blood sugar levels, so it has a certain therapeutic effect on diabetes. In addition, it contains a special unsaturated fatty acid that can inhibit the formation of cholesterol and triglycerides, protecting the cardiovascular system. It can be cooked in many ways after being blanched: stir-fried, cold-dressed, or used as a filling. For example, purslane scrambled with eggs, steamed buns with purslane filling, or cooking a garlic and purslane congee to clear heat and stop dysentery are all good options.
Shepherd's purse: Also known as lingjiao cai or Mai Di Lai. It is a genuine medicinal herb. There has long been a folk saying, "On the third day of the third lunar month, shepherd's purse is as effective as a magic pill." Traditional Chinese medicine believes that shepherd's purse has a bitter and pungent taste and a cool nature, and it has effects such as harmonizing the spleen, promoting urination, stopping bleeding, and improving eyesight. It can be used to treat hypertension, coronary heart disease, dysentery, nephritis, and other conditions. It can be eaten in many ways, such as in cold salads or in soups. Some people also use it as a filling for steamed buns, spring rolls, dumplings, or tangyuan (sweet rice balls), all of which are fresh and crisp.
Watercress: Also known as water celery or river celery. Watercress has effects such as clearing heat and detoxifying, moistening the lungs, strengthening the spleen and harmonizing the stomach, promoting digestion, promoting urination, stopping bleeding, lowering blood pressure, resisting hepatitis, resisting arrhythmia, and having antibacterial properties. It can be made into stir-fried pork with watercress, watercress and lamb dumplings, or a salad of watercress with peanuts.
Spiny shoot: Also known as ci long ya. The part of spiny shoot that is eaten is mainly its tender buds, which can tonify qi, activate blood circulation, expel wind, promote urination, relieve pain, and nourish the kidneys and essence.
Wild garlic: Also known as xie bai or small root vegetable. Its stems and leaves look very similar to garlic and have a scallion and garlic flavor. Its effects are to unblock yang and transform qi, open the chest to disperse stagnation, and move qi to guide stagnation. It treats dysentery and inhibits the increase of peroxides in the blood of patients with hyperlipidemia, preventing atherosclerosis. Common ways to eat it are wild garlic with tofu or making a porridge with wild garlic and white fungus.
Amaranth: The tender stems and leaves of amaranth are usually eaten. It has the effects of clearing heat and promoting urination, detoxifying, and nourishing yin to moisten dryness. In addition to being stir-fried, cold-dressed, or made into soup, amaranth is often used as a filling, such as in cold-dressed amaranth, amaranth with shredded chicken, or amaranth dumplings.
Malantou: Also known as Malantou or roadside chrysanthemum. The leaves are relatively broad, and it is best to pick and eat it before the Qingming Festival. The vitamin A content in malantou exceeds that in tomatoes, and its vitamin C content exceeds that in citrus fruits. It has effects such as nourishing liver blood, clearing liver fire, clearing heat and detoxifying, and improving eyesight. Regular consumption is beneficial for many diseases such as hypertension, pharyngitis, hepatitis, and tonsillitis. Patients with fundus hemorrhage, glaucoma, red and swollen eyes can also take it, especially for glaucoma and red, swollen eyes. It can be stir-fried, cold-dressed, or dried for later use. If used to improve eyesight, it can be stir-fried with pork liver; if the eyes are red and swollen, it can be mixed in equal parts with chrysanthemum brain for a cold salad.
Wild vegetables should not be eaten indiscriminately
At a minimum, you should know whether the wild vegetable you are eating is poisonous or not. It is best not to eat wild vegetables you cannot recognize. This is because some wild vegetables are highly toxic; after eating them, mild cases may result in bloating and vomiting, while severe cases can be fatal. Wild vegetables that have been stored for a long time should not be eaten. Wild vegetables are best eaten fresh after picking. Stored wild vegetables are not only no longer fresh and their fragrant aroma is gone, but their nutritional content is also reduced. Furthermore, stored wild vegetables can easily absorb other flavors and are particularly unpleasant to eat. Bitter wild vegetables should not be eaten in large quantities. Bitter wild vegetables are cool in nature and bitter in taste and have the effect of detoxifying and reducing internal heat, but excessive consumption can damage the spleen and stomach.
Some wild vegetables can cause allergies
Research has found that a considerable number of wild vegetables, such as wild celery, wild onions, water shield, lamb's quarters, purslane, locust flowers, and wild garlic, contain substances that can cause allergic reactions. In people with special constitutions, they can trigger allergic reactions. For example, after eating lamb's quarters, purslane, or locust flowers, exposure of the skin to the sun can easily induce solar dermatitis, leading to symptoms such as redness, swelling, and itching on the eyelids, face, neck, and arms, and even blisters. If too much wild garlic is eaten, symptoms such as a dry throat and red, swollen eyes may occur. Therefore, if symptoms such as general itching, swelling, rash, or subcutaneous bleeding appear after eating wild vegetables, you should stop eating them immediately and seek medical attention to avoid delay, which could lead to damage to liver and kidney function.
Poisonous wild vegetables can be fatal
The following wild vegetables must absolutely not be eaten, as they can be life-threatening:
Wolf's bane: Also known as "duchangcao" (literally "break-gut grass"). It is 0.5 to 1 foot tall, has a shallow yellow root with a sweet taste, and linear-shaped flowers that are yellow, white, or purple. After eating, it causes vomiting, heartburn, and unrelenting abdominal pain, and in severe cases, it can cause death.
Wild carrot: The root is gray in the seedling stage and turns light yellow as it grows, resembling a carrot, so it is also called wild carrot. The seedling stem is red and has no odor; when mature, it has a very strong odor, and both the leaves and roots are highly toxic. Eating it can cause death.
Qu cai niang zi: The leaves are long, thick, and hard with sawtooth edges. The leaves grow close to the ground, and in autumn, it sends up a stem that is 0.5 to over 1 foot tall. The seeds are very small and have white hairs on them. The seedlings can be easily confused with those of qu cai, but qu cai leaves are wider and softer, and the sawtooth edges are not as distinct. Eating it causes facial swelling.