On the way home from work, I saw several fruit shops selling mulberries, which reminded me of the fun times I had picking and eating them with my friends as a child. Back then, I just thought this fruit was delicious with its sweet and sour taste. Now I know it's also quite nutritious.
Mulberries, also known as mulberry fruits or mulberry jujubes, are the mature fruit of the mulberry tree. The mulberry season is from April to June each year. Ripe mulberries are oily, sweet and sour, and very delicious, making them a favorite for many people. Some people find mulberries unappealing and not very appetizing looking. But don't worry, after reading this article, you'll fall in love with them.
Nutritional Value of Mulberries
Ripe mulberries are rich in nutrients. Every 100 grams of mulberry contains 81.8 grams of water, 1.8 grams of protein, 0.3 grams of fat, 4.9 grams of fiber, 10 grams of carbohydrates, 1.2 grams of ash, 30 micrograms of carotene, 0.02 milligrams of thiamine, 0.06 milligrams of riboflavin, 6.95 milligrams of vitamin E, 33 milligrams of potassium, 0.27 milligrams of zinc, 0.08 milligrams of copper, and 4.8 micrograms of selenium. In addition, they also contain tannic acid, malic acid, vitamin C, and fatty acids. Their fats are mainly linoleic acid, oleic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, and small amounts of caprylic acid, nonanoic acid, decanoic acid, myristic acid, and linolenic acid. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that mulberries nourish the liver and kidneys, nourish yin and blood, and calm wind. They are used to treat conditions such as palpitations and insomnia, dizziness and vertigo, tinnitus, constipation, night sweats, scrofula, and joint stiffness.
Benefits and Effects of Mulberries
1. Nourishing the Liver and Kidneys
Traditional Chinese medicine believes that the liver stores blood and the kidneys produce marrow, serving as the body's energy storage base. Mulberries are sweet and cold in nature and have the effect of nourishing the liver and kidneys. Men should pay attention: from a Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective, for those with sexual dysfunction and a mixed cold-heat constitution, it's best not to indiscriminately tonify the kidneys and strengthen yang, as it can make the condition worse. Drinking mulberry juice in the summer can not only replenish energy but also improve the quality of sexual life.
2. Improving Reproductive Sub-health
Passing on one's legacy is a major life task! 50% of infertility is attributed to declining male sperm quality. Mulberries can improve this "reproductive sub-health" and are an important ingredient in many formulas for treating necrospermia. Therefore, men can eat more mulberries.
3. Nourishing Blood and Beautifying the Skin
Modern pharmacological research has shown that mulberries contain various vitamins, especially rich in phosphorus and iron, which can benefit the kidneys and enrich the blood, giving people a rosy complexion and black, shiny hair. When combined with black beans and jujube pulp, they can also provide melanin that darkens hair and the protein needed for hair growth.
In modern times, a scholar has developed a wonderful recipe for hair and beauty: 2000 ml of mulberry juice, 100 grams of black soybeans, and 500 grams of red dates. Soak the black soybeans in the mulberry juice until they swell and soften, then steam them. Soak and steam again for a total of five times. Dry the beans and grind them into powder. Steam the red dates, remove the pits, and mash them into a paste. Mix this paste with the black bean powder, form it into cakes, and steam again. Let it cool and then refrigerate. Eat it as a morning meal or a snack every day. If you want a head of shiny, black hair and a rosy complexion, it's worth a try.
4. Other Benefits
Of course, besides the benefits mentioned above, mulberries have many other effects. Promoting saliva production, moistening the intestines, clearing the liver and brightening the eyes, calming the mind and nourishing the skin, and enriching the blood and darkening hair are all benefits of mulberries. Modern medicine has also discovered that mulberries have health benefits such as regulating the immune system, promoting the growth of hematopoietic cells, anti-mutation, anti-aging, lowering blood lipids, and protecting the liver.
Precautions for Eating Mulberries
1. Those with a weak spleen and stomach who experience diarrhea should not consume them.
2. Pregnant women are forbidden from eating mulberries.
3. Mulberries are high in sugar, so diabetics should avoid them.
4. Children should not eat too many mulberries. Excessive consumption can lead to nosebleeds because mulberries contain trypsin inhibitors, which affect the human body's absorption of iron, calcium, zinc, and other substances.
5. Unripe mulberries cannot be eaten. Because mulberries contain hemolytic allergens and hyaluronic acid, excessive consumption can easily lead to hemolytic enteritis.
6. Mulberries should not be stored in iron containers. Because mulberries break down acidic substances, they can have a chemical reaction with iron, leading to poisoning, and in severe cases, death.
How to Select Mulberries
When buying, pay attention to berries that are plump, thick, not leaking juice, and firm. Red mulberries are more sour, so the purple ones are the sweetest, indicating they are ripe.
But you really have to be careful with your clothes when eating mulberries. If mulberry juice gets on them, it cannot be washed off with laundry detergent. For mulberry juice on cotton clothes, washing with soap will not only fail to remove the stain but will also make the color darker. You should immediately soak the stained area in white vinegar for a few minutes, then rinse with clean water.
In addition, for fresh stains, you can sprinkle salt on the stain, rub it gently with your hands, wet it with water, and then soak it in a fruit juice remover solution to wash it clean.