Spring is the season when all grasses and herbs sprout, with hundreds of vegetables and fruits gradually coming to market. But if we consider a comprehensive index, chives stand out as a top contender. Not only do they have a subtle effect on hair growth, but they also benefit the reproductive system, cleanse the intestines, and lower blood lipids.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, chives are considered warm in nature, able to warm the kidneys and boost yang, benefit the spleen and strengthen the stomach, and promote qi circulation and regulate blood. Eating more chives can nourish the liver and enhance the energy of the spleen and stomach. Modern medical research has confirmed that the volatile oils and sulfur compounds in chives can lower blood lipids and prevent arteriosclerosis. They are also rich in fiber, with 1.5 grams of fiber per 100 grams, more than green onions and celery. This can promote intestinal peristalsis, effectively prevent habitual constipation and colon cancer, earning them the name "intestinal cleanser."
1. Nourishing Hair and Promoting Growth
Chives are a unique vegetable containing special components like volatile essential oils and sulfur compounds, giving off a unique pungent aroma that can promote local blood circulation and nourish hair growth.
In addition, chives contain various trace elements and vitamins. In terms of nutritional value alone, they are also among the best vegetables, suitable for nourishing hair and moisturizing the skin.
2. Tonifying the Kidneys and Boosting Yang
Chives are warm in nature and pungent in taste, with the effect of tonifying the kidneys and raising yang. They can stimulate sexual organs and are known in pharmacopoeias as "yang-raising grass." Furthermore, chives have a slight sour taste, which has an astringent effect, helping to secure essence, stop sweating, and treat spermatorrhea.
Chives also contain a certain amount of zinc, an important element for promoting the normal development of male organs and maintaining sperm motility.
3. Strengthening the Stomach and Moistening the Intestines
The unique pungent aroma of chives, which contains special components like volatile essential oils and sulfur compounds, helps to soothe and regulate liver qi, increase appetite. Moreover, chives themselves are rich in vitamins and coarse fiber, which can enhance gastrointestinal motility and promote digestion, treating constipation and preventing intestinal cancer.
4. Promoting Qi Circulation and Regulating Blood
According to TCM, the pungent nature of chives has the effect of dispelling stasis and activating blood, promoting qi circulation, and guiding stagnation. It is applicable to injuries from falls, nausea, enteritis, and chest pain, helping to promote blood circulation, lower blood lipids, and prevent and treat coronary heart disease, anemia, and arteriosclerosis.
5. Bactericidal and Anti-inflammatory
The sulfur compounds in the aroma of chives have certain bactericidal and anti-inflammatory effects. Many hidden pathogens in the body are highly susceptible to them, so eating chives can clear bacteria and kill viruses, improving the body's immunity.
6. Treating Urticaria
Here are two folk remedies: applying mashed chive juice to the nose can treat heatstroke and coma; roasting chives over a fire and applying them to the affected area can treat urticaria.
7. Skincare and Improving Eyesight
Eating more chives means supplementing more Vitamin A, which can beautify the skin, improve eyesight, and moisten the lungs. It also reduces the chances of catching colds, chills, asthma, and other illnesses, killing several birds with one stone.