Eating Shepherd's Purse in Spring for a Light and Happy Mood
Introduction: Shepherd's Purse, also known as Di Cai or commonly "Bai Sui Geng" (Hundred-Year Soup), is an annual wild herbaceous plant of the Brassicaceae family. Shepherd's Purse has extremely strong cold resistance and vitality. As soon as the severe winter passes and early spring arrives, it emerges on the ridges, grasslands, and by the streams across the country.
The medicinal use of Shepherd's Purse was first recorded in Tao Hongjing's "Ming Yi Bie Lu," which states it can "benefit the liver and harmonize the middle." The "Compendium of Materia Medica" notes its ability to "improve eyesight and benefit the stomach." Traditional Chinese Medicine considers Shepherd's Purce to be neutral in nature and sweet in taste, with the effects of harmonizing the spleen, promoting urination, stopping bleeding, improving eyesight, and lowering blood pressure. It can be used to treat dysentery, edema, strangury, chyluria, hematemesis, hematochezia, metrorrhagia, excessive menstrual flow, redness and swelling of the eyes, etc. Research has found that Shepherd's Purse is rich in vitamin C and carotene, which helps improve the body's immune function, lower blood pressure, and promote digestion. At the same time, the abundant vitamin A in Shepherd's Purse can treat eye diseases such as night blindness and cataracts. Shepherd's Purse contains a large amount of dietary fiber, which enhances intestinal motility and promotes excretion after consumption, thereby boosting metabolism and helping to prevent hypertension, coronary heart disease, obesity, diabetes, colorectal cancer, and hemorrhoids.
Shepherd's Purse has high medicinal value, and its roots, flowers, and seeds can all be used as medicine. The whole plant can be used as medicine, with effects such as improving eyesight, cooling, relieving heat, promoting urination, and treating dysentery. The flowers and seeds can stop bleeding and treat conditions like hematuria, nephritis, hypertension, hemoptysis, dysentery, measles, dizziness, and eye pain.
Shepherd's Purse is suitable for consumption in spring, but the following points should be noted: choose Shepherd's Purse without flowers, as it is more tender and delicious; the root of Shepherd's Purse has high medicinal value and should not be removed when eating; Shepherd's Purse should not be cooked for too long, as prolonged cooking will destroy its nutritional value and cause it to turn yellow; Shepherd's Purse can promote bowel movements, so those with loose stools should consume it with caution; people with a deficient and cold constitution should not eat Shepherd's Purse; when cooking with Shepherd's Purse, do not add garlic, ginger, or cooking wine for seasoning, as this may destroy the fresh and natural flavor of the vegetable itself.