Nutritional value and function of water chestnut

Water chestnuts may look very special and not very pretty, but if you ask people if they are delicious, nine out of ten people will tell you that they are.

Nutritional value of water chestnut

Water chestnut (Trapa natans), also known as water chestnut and sand chestnut in ancient times, is an aquatic plant belonging to the family Trapaeidae or Lythraceae. It is a famous native plant in my country.

water chestnut

It is one of the most famous products of the Chinese nation, and has a history of cultivation of more than 3,000 years. Common varieties include Yuanbao water chestnut, Heshang water chestnut, Lanjiao water chestnut, Bai water chestnut, Hong water chestnut, Wu water chestnut, etc. The flesh of water chestnut is thick and sweet and fragrant. It is suitable for both fresh and old, raw and cooked, and is no less than chestnut. It can be eaten raw as fruit and cooked as food. The nutritional value of water chestnut is comparable to that of chestnut. Every 100 grams of fresh water chestnut meat contains 3.6 grams of protein, 0.5 grams of fat, 24 grams of sugar, and contains niacin, riboflavin, vitamins, calcium, phosphorus, iron and other nutrients, as well as a variety of amino acids. It is regarded as a health-preserving fruit and a good medicinal food for autumn tonic.

Water chestnut effect

Introduction to Water Chestnut

Water chestnut, called "Ling" in ancient times, also known as water chestnut, is one of my country's famous local specialties and has a cultivation history of more than 3,000 years.

Water chestnuts can be used as food or fruit. Li Shizhen described them as green, red and purple. When they are young, they are peeled and eaten. The skin is crispy and the meat is delicious. They are good fruits. When they are old, the shells are black and hard. They fall into the river and are called black water chestnuts. They are picked in winter and dried as fruits. They are good whether they are raw or cooked. In ancient times, water chestnuts were often used as food. For example, Tao Hongjing of the Liang Dynasty said: "Water chestnuts are all burned as grains, but now they are mostly steamed and eaten." Su Song of the Song Dynasty said: "People in Jianghuai and Shandong boil their fruits and eat them as rice instead of food." Li Shizhen of the Ming Dynasty also said: "When they are young, they are peeled and eaten sweet. When they are old, they are steamed and eaten. Wild people dry them and chop them into rice, porridge, cakes and fruits. All of these can help them get through famines. They are beneficial to farmers."

Water chestnuts are rich in starch, protein, glucose, fat and multiple vitamins, such as vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin C, carotene, calcium, phosphorus, iron and other elements. Their nutritional value is comparable to other nuts. Water chestnuts have thick flesh and sweet and fragrant taste. They are suitable for eating fresh or old, raw or cooked. They are as good as chestnuts. They can be eaten raw as fruit and cooked as food.

Traditional Chinese medicine believes that eating water chestnuts can "calm the stomach and nourish the five internal organs, prevent hunger and make the body light." Ancient people believed that long-term consumption of water chestnuts can make the body light, that is, water chestnuts have the effect of losing weight and keeping fit, which may be related to the fact that water chestnuts do not contain fat that makes the body fat.

Water chestnuts have many medicinal functions. The ancient book "Qimin Yaoshu" wrote: "Water chestnuts can nourish the spirit and strengthen the will, eliminate all diseases, and benefit the essence and qi." It is a very good tonic. Li Shizhen said in "Compendium of Materia Medica": eating water chestnuts can "replenish the spleen and stomach, strengthen the thighs and knees, strengthen the body and benefit the qi." He also said that "water chestnut powder porridge benefits the stomach and intestines and relieves internal heat." It is beneficial for the elderly to eat it regularly. Eating it in summer can also have the effect of "moving water, removing heat, and detoxifying." Mashing it into powder and eating it can replenish the middle and prolong life.

Water chestnut is also an anti-cancer medicinal food. According to modern pharmacological experiments, water chestnut is effective in the degeneration of cancer cells and tissue proliferation, and has a certain anti-cancer effect. According to reports from the Japanese medical community, water chestnuts are effective in preventing and treating esophageal cancer, gastric cancer, uterine cancer, and breast cancer. The method is to use raw water chestnut meat, 20 pieces each time, add appropriate amount of water, simmer into a thick brown soup and take it 3 times a day; or use 100 grams of water chestnut meat and 30 grams of coix seed to cook porridge together.