Chinese people have a long-standing habit of eating "beans," with red beans, mung beans, and their bean products being common fixtures on the dining table. Although both red beans and mung beans serve as "guardians" of human health, their "natures" are not entirely the same. Only by better understanding the characteristics of these "beans" can we apply them as both medicine and food according to our individual physical conditions to achieve a more effective调理 (regulation).
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) holds that red beans are neutral in nature, with a sweet and sour taste, and are non-toxic. They have functions such as nourishing and strengthening the body, strengthening the spleen and nourishing the stomach, promoting urination to remove dampness, clearing heat and detoxifying, promoting lactation, and nourishing the blood. They are particularly suitable as a dietary therapy for patients with various types of edema. Modern research has found that red beans also contain a type of saponin substance that can promote bowel movements and urination, and has a supplementary therapeutic effect on edema caused by heart or kidney disease. [China Food]
In contrast, mung beans are sweet in taste and cold in nature, and have the effects of clearing heat and detoxifying, as well as relieving summer heat and quenching thirst. Modern medical research has shown that mung beans are rich in protein. The protein content in raw mung bean milk, made by soaking and grinding raw mung beans, is quite high, and when taken orally, it can protect the gastrointestinal mucosa. Furthermore, the phytosterols in mung beans can help lower serum cholesterol levels by reducing the absorption of cholesterol in the intestines and inhibiting its synthesis, making them especially suitable for patients with hyperlipidemia.
Although these two types of beans each have their own "advantages," it is especially worth noting that for women, red beans are particularly suitable. Red beans are rich in iron and have a blood-nourishing effect, making them an excellent tonic for women during their menstrual period. According to Japanese tradition, when a daughter has her first period, her mother will cook a pot of red bean rice. Besides the symbolic meaning of blessing the girl's transition to womanhood, it also has the practical effect of supplementing nutritional needs during menstruation and preventing iron-deficiency anemia.
Many young mothers often become extremely anxious about insufficient milk production or a complete lack of it after childbirth. In China's traditional food therapy, there are many empirical and folk remedies for promoting lactation. For example, for insufficient milk caused by a deficiency of qi and blood, one can take nourishing foods like pig's trotter soup. For patients with breast distension, pain, and a lack of milk caused by qi and blood stagnation, red beans can also help. Red beans have the effect of relieving distension and promoting lactation. By cooking 120 grams of small red beans into a porridge in the morning and evening for 3-5 consecutive days, the desired effect can be achieved.