Stomach heat is characterized by symptoms like bad breath and constipation. To alleviate these, it's important to eat foods that clear stomach heat. So, what foods can help clear stomach heat? Below, the editor recommends 10 foods for this purpose.
1. Plums
Plums are sour and can promote the secretion of gastric acid and digestive enzymes, as well as enhance gastrointestinal motility. Therefore, they improve appetite and aid digestion, and are particularly effective for those with insufficient gastric acid, post-meal bloating, and constipation. Fresh plum flesh contains amino acids such as serine, glycine, proline, and glutamine, which have diuretic and anti-edema effects and provide auxiliary therapeutic benefits for liver cirrhosis. For individuals with stomach heat and loss of appetite, eating plums or drinking plum juice can help clear stomach heat, stimulate the appetite, and improve food intake. The anthocyanins in plums are a potent antioxidant that helps boost the body's immunity. It's recommended to eat no more than 4 plums per day, as excessive consumption can easily cause stomach pain, and those with a weak spleen and stomach should eat fewer.
Plum Jam Ice Cream
2. Pomegranates
The pomegranate is a berry rich in nutrients, with its vitamin C content being 1 to 2 times higher than that of apples and pears. It is native to China's Western Regions and spread to the Central Plains during the Han Dynasty. When ripe, the entire pomegranate is usable: the peel can be used for medicinal purposes, and the fruit can be eaten or juiced. It has high nutritional value for the health of the elderly, so they should consume it regularly. The pomegranate is a rare berry with high nutritional value in its fruit.
Research has found that pomegranates contain large amounts of organic acids, sugars, proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, and potassium. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that pomegranates have the effects of clearing heat, detoxifying, soothing the liver, nourishing blood, activating blood circulation, and stopping diarrhea. They are suitable for patients with jaundice hepatitis, asthma, and chronic diarrhea, as well as women with prolonged menstruation. Moreover, pomegranate juice also contains various amino acids and trace elements, aiding in digestion, preventing gastric ulcers, softening blood vessels, lowering blood lipids and glucose, and reducing cholesterol.
Pomegranate Juice
3. Dendrobium
Dendrobium has a sweet, bland, slightly salty, and cool nature, and it affects the stomach, kidney, and lung meridians. It benefits the stomach, promotes body fluids, and nourishes yin to clear heat. It is used for yin deficiency and fluid depletion, manifested as dry mouth and vexation, thirst, poor appetite with dry heaves, post-illness low-grade fever, and blurred vision. Dendrobium flowers are elegant, exquisite, and lovely with vibrant colors and a fragrant aroma, earning it the title of one of the "Four Great Ornamental Exotic Flowers." Li Shizhen, in his "Compendium of Materia Medica," evaluated Dendrobium officinale as "strengthening yin and essence. With long-term use, it thickens the stomach and intestines, supplements internal deficiencies, balances stomach qi, builds muscle, expels pathogenic heat and prickly heat from the skin, and alleviates cold pain and weakness in the feet and knees. It also calms the mind, relieves anxiety, and promotes longevity and lightness of body."
Modern research has shown that Dendrobium officinale is rich in polysaccharides. After consumption, it forms a protective film in the stomach, reducing alcohol-induced damage while enhancing the liver's metabolic function. By harmonizing within the body, it helps to metabolize alcohol, allowing intoxicated individuals to recover more quickly.
Dendrobium and Ophiopogon Pork Bone Soup
4. Grapefruit
Grapefruit is rich in nutrients and is a fruit that combines disease prevention, health care, and beauty. Its flesh is tender, juicy, and refreshing with a slight aroma, a slightly sour taste, and a hint of bitterness and a tingling sensation. The citral component in grapefruit can effectively reduce the secretion rate of gastric acid and decrease the occurrence of stomach heat. Generally, eating 3 or 4 segments of grapefruit in the morning will keep your breath fresh all day!
Furthermore, grapefruit is also beneficial for skincare. The natural vitamin P in grapefruit can strengthen the function of skin capillaries and accelerate the repair of damaged skin tissue, making it ideal for women who follow the principle of "natural beauty." Research on weight management has shown that grapefruit plays a very important role in maintaining health and combating obesity.
Grapefruit and Apple Juice
5. Water Chestnuts
Water chestnuts have a purplish-black skin and white, sweet, juicy, and crisp flesh, earning them the reputation of "underground snow pears." People in the north call them "ginseng of Jiangnan." They can be eaten raw as a fruit or cooked as a vegetable, making them a popular seasonal favorite. Traditional Chinese medicine considers water chestnuts to be sweet and cold, capable of clearing stomach heat. Due to their cold nature, they have the effects of clearing heat and detoxifying, cooling the blood and promoting body fluids, promoting urination and bowel movements, transforming dampness and resolving phlegm, and aiding digestion to reduce bloating. They can be used to treat jaundice, dysentery, poliomyelitis, constipation, and other ailments, and are especially suitable for consumption after meals.
Water chestnuts not only promote human metabolism but also possess certain antibacterial properties. The phosphorus content in water chestnuts is the highest among all stem vegetables. Phosphorus can promote human development and also regulate the metabolism of the body's three major substances: sugar, fat, and protein, while balancing the body's acid-base levels. Scientists have also discovered an antibacterial component in water chestnuts—umbelliferone. It shows a certain inhibitory effect on *Staphylococcus aureus*, *Escherichia coli*, and *Pseudomonas aeruginosa*.
Pear, Lotus Root, and Water Chestnut Soup
Plum jam ice cream
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Pumpkin roses