How to safely eat citrus fruits in autumn and winter according to Traditional Chinese Medicine?
It is now autumn and winter, and a large variety of citrus fruits are in season. Oranges are loved by people for their golden, bright peels and sweet and sour flesh. In fact, oranges are not just a fruit; they are a "treasure from head to toe" in Chinese medicine. The peel, seeds, pith, and flesh of an orange can all be used medicinally.
The orange peel is the dried mature peel of the small tree Citrus reticulata and its cultivated varieties. It is harvested in late autumn or early winter when the fruit is ripe, then sun-dried or dried at a low temperature. The older the peel, the better its quality, which is why it is also called Chenpi (aged tangerine peel). Orange peel is rich in Vitamin C, which not only boosts the body's immunity but also improves the state of relaxation and tension between cells, strengthening the structure of brain cells and making the skin delicate and elastic. The orange seeds can regulate Qi, resolve stagnation, and relieve pain, and are used for conditions like hernia pain, testicular swelling, and breast lumps. The orange pith refers to the network of vascular bundles between the albedo (the white part of the peel) and the fruit segments. It has the effect of promoting Qi circulation, unblocking meridians, resolving phlegm, and stopping coughs. The flesh of the orange is rich in Vitamin C, containing dozens of times more than apples, pears, and grapes.
Citrus fruits are nutritious and have high medicinal value, but we should still pay attention to how we eat them.
First, don't discard the orange pith when you eat an orange: Many people like to pull off all the white, thread-like pith from the orange segments. This is not a scientific way to eat. This white, web-like pith is called "orange pith" (Jin Luo). It has the function of unblocking the collaterals, resolving phlegm, regulating Qi, and promoting blood circulation. It is not only an excellent food therapy for patients with chronic diseases such as chronic bronchitis and coronary heart disease, but it also has a supplementary therapeutic effect on the chest and hypochondriac pain caused by prolonged coughing.
Furthermore, after eating oranges, people often use the fresh peel to make tea, mistakenly using it as Chenpi (aged tangerine peel) for its effect of drying dampness and resolving phlegm. They believe that drinking fresh orange peel tea is very beneficial for autumn health and disease prevention. This is actually a misconception. Chenpi has the effects of regulating Qi, harmonizing the middle jiao, drying dampness, and resolving phlegm. However, Chenpi is not fresh orange peel; it is made from the mature peel of an orange that has been sun-dried or air-dried. Generally, it needs to be aged for at least a year until its volatile oil content is significantly reduced and its flavonoid content is relatively increased. Only then does its medicinal value become apparent, and the older it gets, the better its quality. Fresh orange peel, on the other hand, is the peel you just peel off when eating an orange. It contains a high amount of volatile oil and does not possess the medicinal properties of Chenpi. Using fresh orange peel to make tea not only fails to provide the medicinal value of Chenpi, but due to the strong, irritating nature of its volatile oils, it can irritate the stomach and intestines, adversely affecting health. Therefore, do not randomly use fresh orange peel to make tea.