Water chestnuts have a sweet and sour taste, and are crisp and refreshing. Many people choose to eat them as a fruit, especially in summer. Many people also like to use water chestnuts to make soups, as they have a good effect of clearing heat and detoxifying. So, are water chestnuts high in calories?
The calorie content of water chestnuts (for every 100 grams of edible portion) is 59 kcal (246 kJ). The calories in 100 grams of water chestnuts account for about 2% of the total daily calorie intake recommended by the Chinese Nutrition Society for an average adult to maintain good health.
Modern scientific analysis shows that in addition to being rich in water, 21.8% starch, and 1.5% protein, water chestnuts also contain substances such as calcium, phosphorus, iron, vitamin A precursor, carbonic acid, and vitamins B1, B2, and C. In addition, they contain heat-labile antibacterial components--puchin and effective components for preventing and treating cancer. Experiments have shown that puchin has a certain inhibitory effect on *Staphylococcus aureus*, *Escherichia coli*, and *Pseudomonas aeruginosa*. The Shanghai Cancer Research and Prevention Collaborative Group discovered that various preparations of water chestnuts had an inhibitory effect on tumor cells in animals during the screening of traditional Chinese medicines. The Singapore Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine also introduced that local people use water chestnuts as an adjunctive therapy for esophageal cancer.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, water chestnuts are considered sweet in taste and cold in nature, and they act on the lung and stomach meridians. They have the effects of clearing heat and quenching thirst, promoting urination to resolve dampness and transform phlegm, warming the middle burner and replenishing qi, and dispelling wind and detoxifying. They can be used for conditions such as yin deficiency with blazing fire, lung-heat cough, indigestion, red eyes, and sore throat. Some TCM practitioners also often combine them with jellyfish skin to make "Xue Geng Tang" (Snowflake Soup), which is very effective for clearing heat, resolving phlegm, and lowering blood pressure.
Water chestnuts are highly nutritious and are very useful for clearing heat and detoxifying. However, when eating water chestnuts, we must be sure to peel off the skin completely. When eating them raw, do not overindulge; consume them in moderation. Too much is as bad as too little. Everyone must consume them scientifically.