I. Korean Honeyed Black Beans: Black Beans for Kidney Nourishment. Korean honeyed black beans are a traditional Korean side dish. Besides being a dietary custom, could there also be health benefits to them? The God of Food once mentioned the effects of black beans in the article "A Glass of Black Soybean Milk Every Day to Nourish the Kidneys and Prevent Aging." Today, let's talk more about black beans.
Li Shizhen of the Ming Dynasty recorded in "Compendium of Materia Medica": "Regular consumption of black beans can prevent a hundred illnesses." Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) posits that foods of a dark color enter the kidney meridian. Black beans are sweet, warm, and non-toxic, entering the kidney, spleen, and heart meridians. They have the effects of nourishing the kidneys, strengthening the body, eliminating dampness and promoting urination, and resisting aging and prolonging life. "Secret Records of Longevity" states: "Consuming black beans makes the skin supple, improves complexion, replenishes essence, increases strength, and is beneficial for the weak and improves appetite."
The protein content of black beans is particularly rich, higher than that of meat, eggs, and milk, earning it the reputation of "King of Plant Protein."
II. The Many Benefits of Black Beans: Don't Easily Believe the Claim That It Helps with Fertility.
Black beans have some folk remedies that friends with the following problems can try:
Premature Graying of Hair: Boil black beans until soft in vinegar, take the liquid, and use about 10 grams each time to wash hair with warm water. It has the effect of darkening hair. Eating 20 roasted black beans and a spoonful of black sesame seeds every night also darkens hair.
Hair Loss: Boil black beans in water, take 50 grams each time, twice a day. If there is no improvement after a month of continuous use, you can switch to salted black beans (add 5 grams of salt for every 500 grams of black beans), following the same instructions as before.
Postpartium Ailments: 1.5 kg of black beans, stir-fry until smoke appears, then place in a wine bottle. Let it sit for more than one day. Take half a small cup each time, 2-3 times a day, until you slightly sweat and the body is moistened, at which point you will be cured. Regular consumption after childbirth prevents wind-related illnesses and dispels stagnant blood.
Yin Deficiency with Night Sweats: 50 grams each of black beans and red dates, and 15 grams of longan pulp (longyanrou), add 3 bowls of water and simmer down to 1 bowl. Take it in two doses, morning and evening. However, the claim circulating online that "black beans can supplement estrogen, thicken the endometrium, and help with pregnancy" is unfounded.
In TCM, black beans are considered effective for irregular menstruation and have a miscarriage-preventing effect. Pregnant women often eating them is beneficial to their health. Therefore, long-term consumption of black beans is suitable for everyone, men and women, old and young, and both the strong and the weak will benefit for life. However, experts remind that black beans aiding in pregnancy is just a folk remedy, with no related clinical application, and its effects have not been proven.