Autumn Chestnuts for Kidney and Spleen Health----Chestnuts, commonly known as栗子 (lìzi), are a specialty of our country, known as the "king of dried fruits" and called the "ginseng fruit" abroad.
People might be surprised to learn that fresh chestnuts contain more vitamin C than tomatoes, which are widely recognized as rich in vitamin C, and over ten times more than apples! Chestnuts also contain a wide range of minerals such as potassium, magnesium, iron, zinc, and manganese. Although their mineral content is not as high as that of hazelnuts or melon seeds, it is still much higher than that of common fruits like apples and pears. Their potassium content is particularly notable, being four times higher than that of apples, which are considered rich in potassium.
[Nutritional Components]
Per 100g, they contain 5.7g of protein, 2g of fat, 40-45g of carbohydrates, and 25g of starch. The vitamin content in raw chestnuts can be as high as 40-60mg, while in cooked chestnuts it is about 25mg. Chestnuts also contain inorganic salts such as calcium, phosphorus, iron, and potassium, as well as various components like carotene and B vitamins.
1. The rich unsaturated fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals in chestnuts can help prevent and treat hypertension, coronary heart disease, arteriosclerosis, and osteoporosis. They are a great tonic for anti-aging and prolonging life; for middle-aged and elderly people, eating chestnut porridge can nourish the kidneys.
2. Chestnuts contain riboflavin, and regular consumption is beneficial for children with persistent mouth sores and adults with oral ulcers.
3. Chestnuts are a type of dried fruit with a high carbohydrate content, providing the body with significant energy and helping with fat metabolism. They have the effect of strengthening Qi and invigorating the spleen, and nourishing the stomach and intestines.
4. Chestnuts are rich in vitamin C, which helps maintain the normal function of teeth, bones, blood vessels, and muscles. It can prevent and treat osteoporosis, soreness and weakness in the waist and legs, pain in muscles and bones, and fatigue. It delays human aging and is an ideal health fruit for the elderly.
According to traditional Chinese medicine, chestnuts are sweet in taste and warm in nature, and are non-toxic. They have the effect of "strengthening Qi and tonifying the spleen, nourishing the stomach and intestines, strengthening the kidneys and sinews, invigorating blood, and stopping bleeding."
Eating chestnuts raw or cooked can treat weak and powerless waist and legs, frequent urination, nausea, bloody stools, chronic lymphadenitis, cervical lymph node tuberculosis, chronic diarrhea caused by deficiency and coldness of the spleen and stomach, and infertility caused by kidney deficiency. Burning dried chestnut shells into charcoal, grinding them into powder, and mixing them with honey before taking with water can treat internal hemorrhoid bleeding.
Some traditional Chinese medicine practitioners also use a combination of chestnut shells, Prunella spike, and Salvia miltiorrhiza to treat acute cervical lymphadenitis and goiter. Its nourishing function for the human body can be compared to that of ginseng, Astragalus, and Angelica sinensis. Chestnuts are sweet and warm in nature, entering the spleen, stomach, and kidney meridians, and have effects such as nourishing the stomach, strengthening the spleen, tonifying the kidneys, strengthening the waist, reinforcing the sinews, invigorating blood, stopping bleeding, and reducing swelling. They are suitable for symptoms such as soreness and weakness in the waist and knees, difficulty in moving the waist and feet, frequent urination caused by kidney deficiency, chronic diarrhea caused by deficiency and coldness of the spleen and stomach, and traumatic fractures, bruising and swelling, skin sores, and muscle and bone pain.
The unsaturated fatty acids and various vitamins in chestnuts have the effect of countering hypertension, coronary heart disease, and arteriosclerosis.
The Medicinal Use of Chestnuts----From a medicinal perspective, the chestnut fruit is an excellent kidney tonic, and also has the effects of strengthening the spleen and Qi, clearing heat and detoxifying, stopping diarrhea, and treating coughs.
Chestnuts can be prepared in many ways: they can be eaten fresh, boiled, sugar-fried, used in dishes, or processed into various foods. In the south, chestnuts are used in dishes as delicacies for banquets; chestnut black-bone chicken, braised lamb with chestnuts, stir-fried chicken with chestnuts, and stewed pig's trotters with chestnuts are all household names. In the north, sugar-fried chestnuts are glutinous, fragrant, and sweet, and delicious. When the chestnut meat is finely ground and cooked with glutinous rice to make porridge, it has a fresh aroma and is also a superior medicinal food. Chestnuts with japonica rice can strengthen the spleen and stomach, increase appetite, and also nourish the kidneys and strengthen the bones and sinews. They are especially suitable for the elderly with poor appetite due to functional decline, and weakness and soreness in the waist and knees.
Chestnuts not only contain a large amount of starch but are also rich in protein, fat, B vitamins, and other nutritional components, and are high in calories. The vitamin B1 and B2 content in chestnuts is abundant; the vitamin B2 content is at least four times that of rice, and they also contain 24mg of vitamin C per 100g, which is incomparable to grains.
Although chestnuts are rich in nutrients, whether raw or cooked, their protein, fat, and various vitamin contents are not high. Their main component is carbohydrates (sugars). Chestnuts provide relatively high energy, but this is because fresh raw chestnuts contain more water, making their various nutrient contents relatively lower than those of dried and cooked chestnuts. Because the carbohydrate content in chestnuts is not low, when eating them for nourishment, it is important to avoid eating too many, especially for diabetics, so as not to affect blood sugar stability.
It's really a surprise to learn how many benefits chestnuts have. However, although chestnuts are good, eating too many can easily cause bloating and indigestion. So, how many should you eat?
It's fine to eat 7 or 10 cooked chestnuts at a time, twice or even three times a day. It's best to eat chestnuts as a snack between meals, and never eat a large amount after a meal, as this is not good for maintaining a healthy weight. Also, be sure to throw away any spoiled chestnuts; do not eat them to avoid poisoning. Also, do not bite the chestnut shells with your mouth. Raw chestnuts are difficult to digest, and cooked ones can easily cause stagnation of Qi. Eating too many at once can damage the spleen and stomach.
When eating chestnuts, you should chew them slowly and finely until they become a pulp with no residue, and then swallow them bit by bit to achieve a health-protective effect.