During the hot summer, the spleen and stomach functions of the human body are relatively poor, and appetite is often poor. Eating bitter foods can restore spleen and stomach function, increase appetite, and since bitter flavors enter the heart, they can reduce heart fire. Scientific research has found that bitter foods are rich in amino acids, vitamins, alkaloids, and bitter substances, and have effects such as antibacterial and anti-inflammatory, aiding digestion, increasing appetite, refreshing the mind, and eliminating fatigue.
Bitter Melon: Nutritious, the unripe tender fruit is used as a vegetable, which can be served cold or stir-fried with meat or fish. It is crisp, refreshing, and has a unique flavor. It has the effects of increasing appetite, aiding digestion, clearing heat, relieving fatigue, clearing the heart and brightening the eyes, and replenishing qi and strengthening yang.
Bitter Lettuce: Calms the mind, replenishes qi, and strengthens vision. Pickled bitter lettuce is a delicious summer side dish for rice, with effects of being refreshing, whetting the appetite, relieving summer heat, and clearing the mind and relieving irritability.
Dandelion: Can be used as a vegetable or as medicine to treat diseases, with effects such as clearing heat, detoxifying, stopping diarrhea, protecting the liver, strengthening the stomach, lowering blood pressure, inhibiting bacteria, and anti-cancer.
Bitter Bamboo Shoots: Taste bitter yet sweet, with a cooling but not cold nature. They have effects such as detoxifying, reducing weight and fitness, strengthening the stomach and resolving stagnation. People often use bitter bamboo shoots, pork ribs, and pickled vegetables to make a bitter bamboo shoot pot, which has a delicious taste and leaves a lasting aftertaste.
Kuding Tea: Has effects such as clearing heat and detoxifying, sterilizing and reducing inflammation, relieving cough and reducing phlegm, strengthening the stomach and resolving stagnation, refreshing the mind and brightening the eyes, benefiting vision and sharpening the mind, weight loss and cancer prevention, as well as anti-radiation, activating blood circulation, lowering blood lipids, and reducing cholesterol. It has significant therapeutic effects on treating pharyngitis, stomatitis, hypertension, obesity, and acute gastroenteritis.
Bitter Apricot Kernels: Extremely nutritious, containing fatty acids, protein, and various free amino acids, and the mineral content is also very high. However, bitter apricot kernels contain about 3% of a toxic substance—amygdalin—which must be removed by methods such as boiling before consumption, and excessive consumption at one time is not advisable. Bitter apricot kernels are an important medicinal herb with three main functions: moistening the lungs, promoting digestion, and dispersing stagnant qi.
Buckwheat: Contains large amounts of protein, fat, vitamin B2, rutin, vitamin P, chlorophyll, and other nutrients. It can reduce the permeability of capillaries, maintain microvascular circulation, and lower human cholesterol, with the effect of calming the blood and strengthening the brain.
It should be noted that bitter foods should not be consumed in excess, as they can easily cause adverse symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and indigestion.