Introduction: In the world of nutrition, people have long revered eating black-colored foods. These foods, including black sesame, black rice, black jujube, black soybeans, black fungus, and more, are wrapped in a natural melanin exterior and are exceptionally nutritious, capable of regulating the body's physiological health. But did you know that eating more black foods can also brighten our skin! Now, let's talk about the nutritional value of these black foods!
1. Black Soybeans
Black soybeans are rich in amino acids beneficial to the human body, unsaturated fatty acids, and various trace elements such as calcium and phosphorus. They have effects of expelling pus and toxins, reducing swelling and relieving pain, and are beneficial for preventing and treating diseases like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and heart disease.
Li Shizhen said in his "Compendium of Materia Medica": "Long-term consumption of black soybeans improves complexion, making it fair and preventing aging." Therefore, black soybeans are greatly beneficial for women's beauty and skincare. Furthermore, black soybeans can regulate menstruation and have a fetal-protecting effect. Pregnant women who often eat them can strengthen their bodies.
Black Soybean and Black Sesame Paste
2. Black Fungus
It has the effects of clearing the lungs, replenishing qi, activating blood circulation, benefiting the stomach, and moisturizing to nourish and strengthen the body. The colloid in black fungus has strong adsorption capacity and can cleanse the intestines. It also contains nucleic acids and lecithin, which have beautifying, anti-aging, and health-enhancing effects.
Black fungus is a soluble dietary fiber that can enrich the blood. For patients with high cholesterol, myocardial infarction, or cerebral infarction, frequent consumption can help dissolve blood clots and reduce platelet count. As a top-grade edible fungus, regular consumption of black fungus enriches the blood, invigorates blood circulation, prevents platelet aggregation, and stops blood from clotting to form thrombi, helping to prevent coronary heart disease and arteriosclerosis.
Pork Scraps Stir-fried with Black Fungus
3. Blackberry
The blackberry fruit is rich in iron and vitamin C. It can be eaten fresh, or made into candied fruits, jams, and jellies, or used as a filling for pies. It can grow up to 3 meters (10 feet) high and produces soft fruit—often used in desserts, jams, and seedless jellies, and sometimes to make fruit wine. There are several species of Rubus (brambles) called blackberries, and these species hybridize easily, so there are many more cultivated species than wild ones.
The sugar, vitamin C, vitamin B1, and vitamin B2 content in fresh blackberries is comparable to other fruit trees, while the content of organic acids, crude protein, vitamin K, and amino acids is higher than other cultivated fruit trees. It was also found that the vitamin E content is the highest among all cultivated and wild or semi-wild fruit trees, and the selenium content is rare among fruit trees.
It contains 18 types of amino acids, all 8 essential amino acids in high amounts, and is also rich in gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). The content of 6 essential mineral elements for the human body (potassium, calcium, sodium, magnesium, zinc, iron) is also relatively high. Among them, vitamin K promotes the liver's synthesis of clotting substances and has a good effect on promoting blood clotting; vitamin E protects the integrity of cells and their internal structures, prevents the destruction of certain enzymes and internal components, and delays aging; selenium has antioxidant and anti-aging effects, improves immunity, and works with vitamin E as a protective agent against toxic substances; gamma-aminobutyric acid, as a neurotransmitter, promotes brain metabolism, lowers blood pressure and blood lipids, and has anti-arrhythmic effects.
The polyphenols in blackberries may clear cells that can damage the brain, thereby slowing cognitive decline in the elderly, say researchers at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University.
4. Black Plum
Black plums can promote the production of body fluids to quench thirst and are effective in treating diarrhea, coughs, and night sweats. They are rich in vitamin B2, potassium, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, and a large amount of organic acids. Therefore, black plums are a well-deserved excellent anti-aging food.
At the same time, it can kill pathogenic bacteria such as molds that invade the gastrointestinal tract, and also eliminate fatigue, treat bad breath, and relieve hangovers. Moreover, the malic acid in black plums guides an appropriate amount of water to the large intestine, forming feces to be excreted, thus relieving constipation!
Monk Fruit and Black Plum Cough-Relieving Tea
5. Black Sesame
Black sesame has many effects, such as making hair dark and lustrous, nourishing blood and beauty, improving eyesight, nourishing the liver, dispelling wind, moistening the intestines, promoting the production of body fluids, and nourishing hair. The unsaturated fatty acids, vitamin E, calcium, and other elements it is rich in help lower cholesterol and prevent high blood pressure.
At the same time, it can remove free radicals from the body and has significant antioxidant effects. It also has a certain effect in delaying aging, treating indigestion, and preventing gray hair.
Walnut and Black Sesame Paste