Nutritional value and medicinal value of lentils

Lentils are also known as moon beans, moth beans, eyebrow beans, hedge beans, magpie beans, southern lentils, Liangyan beans, sheep's eye beans, puffed beans, tea beans, southern beans, small sword beans, tree beans, vine beans

Lentil knowledge introduction:

Lentil is a cultivated species of the genus Lentil in the family Fabaceae. It is a perennial or annual twining vine. The young pods or mature beans are edible.

Lentils contain protein, carbohydrates, toxic proteins, lectins, and saponins that can cause hemolysis. Therefore, you must be careful when heating them. Lentils must be cooked before eating, otherwise food poisoning may occur.

What are the nutritional values ​​of lentils

Lentils are rich in nutrients, including protein, fat, carbohydrates, calcium, phosphorus, iron, dietary fiber, provitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin C, cyanogenic glycosides, tyrosinase, etc. Lentil skins are particularly rich in B vitamins. In addition, there are phospholipids, sucrose, and glucose. Lentils also contain hemagglutinin, a protein substance that can increase the synthesis of deoxyribonucleic acid and ribonucleic acid, inhibit immune response and the movement of white blood cells and lymphocytes, so it can activate the lymphocytes of tumor patients to produce lymphotoxins, which have non-specific damaging effects on body cells, so it has a significant effect on tumor regression. Tumor patients should eat lentils often, which have certain auxiliary therapeutic effects. Lentils have a light fragrance without being pungent, mild in nature and slightly yellow in color, which is most suitable for the spleen.

Medicinal value of lentils

There are several varieties of lentil seeds, including white, black, and reddish brown.

1. White lentil is mainly used as medicine, which has certain anti-cancer effects, strengthens the spleen, replenishes qi, eliminates dampness, and relieves heat;

2. The ancient name of black lentil is "magpie bean", which is not used for medicinal purposes;

3. The reddish-brown ones are called "red snow beans" by the people in Guangxi. They are used as liver-clearing and anti-inflammatory drugs, and can treat eye cataracts.

Lentils are suitable for:

It is edible for general population.

1. It is especially suitable for people with spleen deficiency, sweet stools, reduced appetite, chronic diarrhea, women with spleen deficiency and leukorrhea, and children with malnutrition (simple indigestion). It is also suitable for people with summer colds with dampness, acute gastroenteritis, indigestion, heat headaches, dizziness, nausea, irritability, thirst, heart and stomach pain, and loss of appetite. It is especially suitable for cancer patients.

2. However, people suffering from cold or fever, cold or malaria should not eat it.

Lentils therapeutic effects:

Lentils are sweet, neutral in nature, and are tangy and sweet in taste.

It has the effects of strengthening the spleen, harmonizing the middle, replenishing qi, removing dampness, and relieving heat;

It is mainly used to treat spleen deficiency and dampness, poor appetite and loose stools, dampness and turbidity flowing downward, excessive vaginal discharge in women, damage to the middle due to summer heat and dampness, vomiting, diarrhea and convulsions.

Lentils cooking instructions:

1. Soak in cold water (or scald with boiling water) before cooking. Because white lentils contain a blood coagulation substance and hemolytic saponin, it is not suitable to eat raw or fried. Some people may experience poisoning reactions such as headache, dizziness, nausea, and vomiting 3 to 4 hours after eating.

2. The mature beans can be cooked or made into bean paste.