The nutritional value and medicinal value of longan. The various ways to eat longan.

Are you familiar with the nutritional and medicinal value of longan? If you are not sure, please read the following introduction.

Nutritional value of longan

Longan is one of the four best fruits in Lingnan and has a very high medicinal value. Li Shizhen once said: Litchi is the most expensive food, while longan is the best in terms of benefits. Longan is sweet and refreshing when eaten fresh, and has high nutritional value. It is rich in high carbohydrates, protein, multiple amino acids and vitamins, especially vitamin P. For middle-aged and elderly people, it can protect blood vessels and prevent vascular hardening and brittleness. Not long ago, someone abroad discovered that it contains an active ingredient with anti-aging effects when studying longan. This is consistent with the saying in the earliest pharmaceutical monograph "Shenlong Bencao Jing" that longan can make the body light and not old. Therefore, some people believe that longan is an anti-aging food with good development potential.

Longan is also called longan after it is dried. Remove the shell and core to get the longan flesh, which is a legal medicine in the Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China. It is sweet and warm in nature and enters the heart and spleen meridians. It can nourish the heart and spleen, nourish blood and calm the mind. It is mainly used to treat qi and blood deficiency, palpitations, forgetfulness and insomnia, and blood deficiency and chlorosis.

Longan's consumption and taboos

Longan is used as medicine, such as the famous ancient prescription "Guipi Decoction" (Jisheng Recipe), which is a combination of longan, Atractylodes macrocephala, Poria cocos, Astragalus membranaceus, Ziziphus jujuba seeds, etc., which is clinically used to treat excessive thinking, mental fatigue and spleen damage, and forgetfulness. The use of longan flesh in the prescription means that it is sweet and can benefit the spleen and improve intelligence.

During the hot summer and dry autumn, many menopausal women and elderly people with qi and blood deficiency sweat profusely and feel upset. At this time, you can use appropriate amounts of longan meat and American ginseng, boil them in water and drink them instead of tea. There is also a simpler way of chewing longan meat in the folk. For middle-aged and elderly women who clinically show dizziness, memory loss, mental depression, and loss of appetite, you can add a small amount of Codonopsis to longan meat and steam it for later use. Before going to bed every night, take about 20-25 grams, put it in your mouth, chew it slowly, and take it with a small amount of warm water. This method must be adhered to for a period of time before it can gradually become effective. The user's mental state can be significantly improved, and the original symptoms of dizziness, palpitations, insomnia, forgetfulness, sweating, etc. can disappear, the complexion is ruddy, and the appetite is improved. However, this method is not suitable for patients with Yin deficiency and excessive fire, clinical manifestations of upset and bitter mouth, red tongue, yellow tongue coating, and exogenous wind-heat. In addition, patients with diabetes should not take too much longan meat because it has high glucose. For women who are postpartum, weak, anemic, etc., longan meat can be added with angelica, wolfberry, and a few red dates (pitted) to stew chicken. For pregnant women, especially in the early stages of pregnancy, it is not advisable to take longan meat to prevent fetal movement, "spotting" and premature birth.

There are many ways to eat longan

1. Longan ginger soup: It has the effect of warming the spleen and stomach, and is used for spleen deficiency diarrhea. Take 15 grams of longan meat and 10 grams of ginger, add water to boil the juice, and drink it instead of tea for 1 week.

2. Longan peanuts: They have the effects of nourishing qi and blood, strengthening the spleen and calming the mind, and are used for anemia, insomnia, etc. Add 10 grams of longan meat and 15 grams of peanuts in skins, add a small amount of salt and cook them before eating.

3. Longan Danshen Soup: It has the effects of nourishing the heart and spleen, promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis, and is used for coronary heart disease. Use 30 grams of longan pulp, 15 grams of Danshen and Polygala tenuifolia, add water to decoct the juice, and then add a small amount of brown sugar to adjust the taste, and take it twice a day.

4. Longan and American ginseng juice: It has the effect of invigorating qi and calming the mind, and is used for palpitations, shortness of breath, insomnia and forgetfulness. Put 30 grams of longan pulp, 6 grams of American ginseng, and a little sugar in a bowl and steam it, remove the residue and drink the juice, and take it twice a day.

5. Stewed chicken with longan and wolfberry: It has the effects of nourishing blood, nourishing the liver, and calming the nerves. It is used for palpitations, insomnia, forgetfulness, etc. caused by insufficient yin and blood. Wash the chicken, hollow out the abdominal cavity, put in 30 grams of longan meat and 50 grams of wolfberry, steam it in water, and eat it in several times.