Chestnuts
Did you know that chestnuts contain up to 70 percent starch, 11 per cent protein, and around 7 percent fat? Chestnuts are also rich in vitamins, minerals, calcium, phosphorus, iron, and vitamins C, B1, and carotene—all of which it has more of than most foods.
The therapeutic and medicinal values of chestnuts, then, are first-class. Chinese medicine thinks that chestnuts are sweet in taste, warm in nature, nourishing to the stomach, and strengthening to the spleen and kidneys.
According to the renowned Chinese medical doctor, Li Shizhen, from the Ming Dynasty, who made in-depth studies on chestnuts: “People who have cold inside and heavy diarrhea, let them eat 20 to 30 roasted chestnuts. The disease will be healed.” They are also good for a weak spleen, a weak stomach, or kidney deficiencies.
Going back in time, we have the old Chinese medicine book Southern Yunnan Materia Medica recording: “Chestnuts eaten raw can stop vomiting [of] blood, nose bleeding, blood in the stool, and other blood diseases.”
Looking at today, we see that even modern medical research says that chestnuts can prevent hypertension and hardening of the arteries. So what are you waiting for? Time to go get some chestnuts.
Ginger
Ginger can be used not only as vegetable or spice, but also as medicine. According to Chinese medicine, ginger enters the energy channels of the lung, spleen, and stomach.
According to pharmacological researchers, ginger prevents ageing and resists oxidation, it can stimulate the secretion of gastric juices, and it promotes digestion. It is excreted by the kidneys, so those who have kidney diseases should not use it.
Ginger tastes spicy and is used to get rid of colds, sputum, and coughs. It is used for treating “cold” diseases and is not supposed to be used for “warm” diseases. In Chinese medicine, different foods have different “temperatures.” The temperature of the food partly determines its effect on the body.
The idea is to restore balance to the body. Thus, if an ailment is said to be cold, such as a cough or runny nose, warmer foods should be taken, such as a ginger and shallot soup. Conversely, if an ailment is hot, such as a dry, sore throat and sweating, cooler food should be taken, such as banana, cucumber, tofu, and so on.
Cooking ginger and brown sugar together and drinking while hot can be an effective way of combating a cold.
The above article is just for reference. Please consult a doctor of traditional Chinese medicine before using it to treat illnesses.
Dr. Benjamin Kong from Sweden and Dr. Xiu Zhou from Germany are the principal editors of the China Research Group.
