Introduction: For those who enjoy staying up late and are prone to internal heat, if you don't want to drink bitter-tasting herbal teas, then knowing what fruits to eat in the summer to reduce internal heat is essential. So, what fruits can actually reduce internal heat in the summer? Generally, summer fruits are mostly considered cool or cold in nature, and we eat these cool and cold fruits to relieve summer heat.
Heat-clearing Fruit NO.1: Pear
Pear has a water content of up to 84%, earning it the nickname "natural mineral water." It is fresh, juicy, and rich in sugars, proteins, fats, carbohydrates, and various vitamins. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), pears are considered sweet with a slight sour taste, cool in nature, and they target the lung and stomach meridians. They have the effects of clearing heat and detoxifying, promoting fluid production to moisten dryness, and clearing the heart to reduce fire. They are also excellent for moistening the lungs, bronchi, and upper respiratory tract, and can aid digestion and stimulate appetite. With so many benefits, the pear is well-deserving of the title "King of Heat-clearing Fruits."
Eating pears can reduce internal heat, but as pears are cool in nature, eating too many raw ones can be harmful to the body and may easily lead to diarrhea. However, when a pear is boiled into a soup with its skin and core, its cooling nature is reduced, and its effects of moistening the lungs, relieving dryness, and clearing heat are enhanced.
Heat-clearing Fruit NO.2: Mangosteen
The mangosteen is known as the "Queen of Fruits." It is cool in nature, and its flesh is rich in dietary fiber, sugars, vitamins, and mineral elements such as magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, and potassium. In TCM, it is believed to have the effects of clearing heat and reducing fire, aiding weight loss, and moisturizing the skin. Thais pair mangosteen with durian, calling them "husband and wife fruits," because when eating too much durian causes internal heat, a few mangosteens can alleviate it. This hot-and-cold combination is as effective as taking fire-reducing medicine. It seems that people in the hot region of Thailand have recognized the heat-clearing effects of mangosteen.
Heat-clearing Fruit NO.3: Dragon Fruit
Dragon fruit has the effects of clearing heat and detoxifying, reducing intestinal heat, and promoting bowel movements. Eating dragon fruit can also promote eye health, increase bone density, help form cell membranes, prevent anemia, and fight neuritis and angular cheilitis. It also lowers cholesterol, whitens the skin, and prevents freckles. With its light and sweet taste, dragon fruit is an excellent heat-clearing fruit that shouldn't be missed in the summer.
Heat-clearing Fruit NO.4: Pomelo
The pomelo is known as the "natural fruit can." It contains very rich protein, organic acids, and essential elements for the human body such as calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and sodium. The pomelo flesh is also rich in vitamin C and components similar to insulin, which can lower blood sugar and blood lipids. In TCM, pomelo flesh is considered cool in nature and sweet with a sour taste. It has the effects of relieving cough and asthma, clearing heat and resolving phlegm, strengthening the spleen to aid digestion, and promoting food intake. It is relatively mild and a good choice for reducing internal heat.
Heat-clearing Fruit NO.5: Watermelon
How could we forget the king of summer fruits, the watermelon, when talking about heat-clearing fruits? Watermelon is rich in juice and contains many essential nutrients and beneficial substances, such as large amounts of sucrose, fructose, glucose, abundant vitamin C, organic acids, amino acids, and minerals like calcium, phosphorus, and iron. According to TCM theory, watermelon is sweet and bland in taste, and cold in nature. It functions to clear heat and relieve summer heat, promote fluid production to quench thirst, promote urination, whet the appetite, and aid digestion. Its heat-clearing function is also highly praised.
However, a reminder here: many people like to eat iced watermelon in the summer. Watermelon is already a cooling food, so one should not overindulge. Eating too much can easily damage the spleen and stomach, causing abdominal pain or diarrhea. This is especially true for eating spoiled watermelon, which can more easily lead to infections like enteritis.
Heat-clearing Fruit NO.6: Strawberry
Strawberries are sweet and sour, very delicious, and also have a great effect of reducing internal heat. In TCM, it is believed that eating strawberries can reduce internal heat, clear summer heat, relieve fever, and eliminate restlessness. Therefore, for those who are prone to internal heat in the summer, strawberries can be a good choice to cool down.
Heat-clearing Fruit NO.7: Tomato
The tomato, also known as tomato, clears heat and quenches thirst, and nourishes yin to cool the blood. It is very beneficial for dietary therapy for those with thirst, poor appetite, habitual gum bleeding, anemia, dizziness, palpitations, hypertension, acute or chronic hepatitis, acute or chronic nephritis, night blindness, and myopia. It can also be sliced and mixed with sugar for a cold salad, which is sweet, sour, and delicious, and has an excellent effect of reducing internal heat. Green, unripe tomatoes should not be eaten.
Heat-clearing Fruit NO.8: Banana
Most people consider bananas the best food for reducing internal heat. In TCM, bananas are considered sweet, cold, and slightly astringent, and non-toxic. They have the effects of clearing heat and quenching thirst, clearing the stomach to cool the blood, moistening the intestines to promote bowel movements, and lowering blood pressure and promoting urination. They are especially good for those with yin deficiency and intestinal dryness, or blood-heat and qi stagnation. However, for people with a naturally weak spleen and stomach or insufficient yang energy, eating bananas will have the opposite effect, and may even worsen the false fire.
Heat-clearing Fruit NO.8: Grape
Grapes can nourish the yin of the liver and kidneys, quench thirst, moisten the muscles and bones, and benefit vision. They also have a good effect of reducing internal heat and can promote intestinal health, making them a very beneficial fruit during the hot summer season.