Top 10 Seasonal Vegetables for Better Health

It's the perfect time for a seasonal change. What vegetables should we eat during this time to not only supplement our nutrition but also be refreshing and healthy? Let's introduce these vegetables and their benefits one by one.

Vegetables to eat more of during the seasonal change

Eat more water-rich gourds

Summer temperatures are high, and the body loses more water than in other seasons, requiring timely replenishment. Winter melon leads all vegetables in water content, reaching up to 96%, followed by cucumber, pumpkin, loofah, chayote, squash, bitter melon, watermelon, and more. This means that eating 500 grams of gourds is equivalent to drinking 450 ml of high-quality water. Additionally, all gourd vegetables are high in potassium and low in sodium, which helps lower blood pressure and protect blood vessels.

Sautéed Chayote with King Oyster Mushroom

Eat more cooling and damp-dispelling "cooling" vegetables

The most significant factor affecting the human body in summer is the "heat-dampness toxin." Once heat-dampness invades the body, it can cause pores to open, excessive sweating, leading to a deficiency of Qi, as well as disrupt the function of the spleen and stomach, causing poor food digestion. Eating some cooling vegetables helps produce saliva to quench thirst, relieve vexation and summer heat, clear heat, and detoxify the bowels. Cooling vegetables available in summer include bitter melon, loofah, cucumber, casaba melon, watermelon, muskmelon, tomato, eggplant, celery, chrysanthemum greens, lettuce, asparagus, and more.

Eat more "fire-extinguishing" and "toxin-dispelling" bitter vegetables

Scientific research has found that bitter foods contain amino acids, vitamins, alkaloids, glycosides, trace elements, and more, possessing various medical and health benefits such as antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects, reducing heat and summer heat, refreshing the mind, and eliminating fatigue. Modern nutritionists believe that bitter foods can promote gastric acid secretion, increase its concentration, and thus enhance appetite. Common bitter vegetables include bitter melon, bitter herbs, dandelion, and lotus leaves.

Eat more anti-inflammatory and antibacterial vegetables

High summer temperatures provide a favorable environment for the rapid growth and spread of pathogens, making it a season with a high incidence of human diseases, especially intestinal infectious diseases. Eating more "antibacterial" vegetables at this time can help prevent illness. These vegetables include: garlic, onion, chives, green onion, scallion, garlic sprouts, and others.

Scrambled Eggs with Onion

Top 10 Health-Promoting Vegetables for the Seasonal Change

1. Bitter Melon

Bitter melon is the top choice for clearing heat and reducing internal heat. It has the effects of detoxification, cooling, and preventing heatstroke. Furthermore, bitter melon is rich in vitamin C, which can boost the human immune system while also providing beauty and skincare benefits. So, how could summer be complete without this recommended vegetable?

2. Cucumber

Many people know that cucumber has a skin-whitening effect. It also contains coarse fiber, vitamins B1, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin C, and more. It helps produce saliva to quench thirst, relieves vexation and summer heat, reduces swelling and promotes urination, and can treat sore throat, limb swelling, and dysentery with bloody stools. In addition, cucumber also has a weight loss effect, making it an indispensable summer vegetable.

3. Tomato

Tomato is a frequent guest on summer dining tables. Its well-known benefits include being rich in vitamin C, which can effectively whiten the skin, making it a top choice for girls' skincare. Additionally, tomato has antibacterial, anti-cancer, cooling blood, and clearing stomach and spleen functions. Eating tomatoes in the summer can also effectively prevent heatstroke.

Eggplant, Not Oily or Greasy

4. Eggplant

A friendly reminder here: don't peel the eggplant when you eat it, because the skin is rich in vitamin B. Regularly eating eggplant (with the skin) has certain benefits for preventing high blood pressure, arteriosclerosis, cerebral thrombosis, and age spots. Importantly, eggplant's peak season is summer, when it's widely available at a reasonable price, offering great value for money.

5. Celery

Celery contains nutrients such as protein, fat, carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. It is particularly rich in vitamins B and P. The mineral content of calcium, phosphorus, and iron is also higher than in most other green vegetables. Celery is not only nutritious but also has medicinal value. As a cooling vegetable, celery can be consumed appropriately in the summer according to one's dietary preferences.

6. Lettuce

Lettuce is an indispensable vegetable in many cuisines, often seen in Korean barbecue and Chinese hot pot. Besides its pleasant texture, lettuce contains lactucarium, which has清热 (clearing heat), anti-inflammatory, and sedative effects. Lettuce is also low in calories, making it a good choice for people on a diet.

Stir-fried Beef Shreds with Asparagus

7. Asparagus

Asparagus has a sweet and cold nature, with the effects of clearing heat and promoting urination. Therefore, in the scorching summer, eating asparagus is a good choice. Additionally, the tips of green asparagus are rich in vitamin A, which is beneficial for eye health. Asparagus is rich in flavonoids, which have antioxidant effects. Regular consumption has good anti-aging benefits and also has anti-tumor properties. On a hot summer day, a cold salad of asparagus would be a great dish.

8. Carrot

Carrots are very helpful for improving constipation and are rich in beta-carotene, which can neutralize toxins. Fresh carrots have a better detoxifying effect because they can clear heat and detoxify, moisten the intestines, and promote bowel movements. You can juice them and add honey and lemon juice for a delicious, thirst-quenching drink that is also good for detoxification.

9. Chinese Yam

Chinese yam can regulate the digestive system, reduce subcutaneous fat accumulation, prevent obesity, and boost immune function. The detoxifying effect is best when eaten raw. You can peel and chop fresh Chinese yam and pineapple into small pieces, juice them together for a drink that helps regulate the stomach and intestines.

Gu Lao Rou (Sweet and Sour Pork with Pineapple and Chinese Yam)

10. Mung Bean

Mung beans have the effects of clearing heat and detoxifying, dispelling dampness and promoting urination, and relieving summer heat and quenching thirst. Drinking more mung bean soup is beneficial for detoxification and reducing swelling, but the cooking time should not be too long to avoid the destruction of organic acids and vitamins, which would reduce their effectiveness.