The effect of lotus

I believe that we are all very familiar with the lotus. We also call the lotus lotus or water lily. The lotus has a very high appreciation value. In addition, the lotus has edible and medicinal effects. Eating lotus regularly can have a good health-preserving effect and health-care effect. Therefore, in daily life, we must be good at using lotus to serve our health.

The lotus has many benefits. As long as we understand the various benefits of the lotus, I believe everyone will like the lotus more. The lotus has a good effect of clearing the heart and nourishing the kidneys. Eating lotus regularly can also help relieve heat.

Lotus (scientific name: Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn.), also known as lotus and water hibiscus, belongs to the Nymphaeales, Nelumbo family, a perennial aquatic herbaceous flower. The underground stem is long and thick, with long nodes, and the leaf shield is round. The flowering period is from June to September. The petals are solitary at the top of the pedicel. There are many petals, embedded in the receptacle hole. They are red, pink, white, purple, etc., or have colored patterns and borders. The nut is oval and the seed is ovate.

There are many varieties of lotus, which can be divided into two categories: ornamental and edible. It is native to tropical and temperate regions of Asia, and there are records of its cultivation in China as early as the Zhou Dynasty. The whole lotus is a treasure. The lotus root and lotus seeds are edible, and the lotus seeds, rhizomes, lotus nodes, lotus leaves, flowers and seed embryos can all be used as medicine. His character of remaining untainted despite being stained by the mud is always praised by the world. "The lotus leaves are endless and green, and the lotus flowers are red in the sun" is a true portrayal of the beauty of lotus. The lotus' noble character of "being hollow inside and straight outside, without vines or branches, growing out of the mud without being stained, and washing in the clear water without being coquettish" has always been one of the themes of poets and writers throughout the ages for singing and painting.

In May 1985, lotus was named one of the top ten famous flowers in China. The lotus is the national flower of India, Thailand and Vietnam.

Edible value

In ancient China, there was a tradition of picking plum blossoms in spring to give as gifts to distant relatives, and picking lotus in autumn to remember loved ones. Since ancient times, Chinese people have regarded lotus seeds as a precious food. Today, it is still a high-end nourishing and nutritious product, and many places specialize in lotus seed production. Lotus root is the best vegetable and candied fruit. Lotus leaves, lotus flowers, lotus stamens, etc. are also favorite medicinal foods of the Chinese people. This shows the richness and diversity of lotus food culture. Traditional lotus seed porridge, lotus pod jerky, lotus seed powder, lotus root slices with meat, lotus leaf steamed meat, lotus leaf porridge, etc. The leaves are used as a substitute for tea and also as packaging material.

The underground stems of lotus grow in the mud and may be contaminated by toxic substances. However, due to the particularly fine epidermal tissue of lotus root and the hypodermis containing tannin, it has a certain ability to block or absorb toxic substances. Therefore, toxic substances mostly adhere to the epidermis or penetrate into the epidermis. When eating lotus root, be sure to peel it to prevent toxic substances from being ingested.

Medicinal value

"Compendium of Materia Medica" records that lotus, lotus seeds, lotus skins, lotus pods, lotus stamens, lotus seed cores, lotus leaves, lotus stems, and lotus root nodes can all be used for medicinal purposes. Lotus can promote blood circulation and stop bleeding, remove dampness and eliminate wind, clear the heart and cool blood, and relieve fever and detoxify. Lotus seeds can nourish the heart, benefit the kidneys, tonify the spleen, and astringe the intestines. Lotus stamens can clear the heart, benefit the kidneys, astringe the essence, stop bleeding, relieve heat and eliminate restlessness, and promote salivation and quench thirst. Lotus leaves can clear away heat and dampness, raise yang and stop bleeding, and help lose weight. The simple ingredients in lotus leaves are very effective in cleansing the intestines and stomach, reducing fat and removing blood stasis. Lotus root nodes can stop bleeding, disperse blood stasis, and relieve heat and toxins. Lotus stems can clear away heat and relieve summer heat, ventilate and promote water circulation, and drain fire and clear the heart.

These Chinese medicines come from the same plant, but different parts have different effects: lotus root nodes can stop bleeding and disperse blood stasis; lotus leaves can clear away heat and dampness, promote the flow of clear yang and stop bleeding; lotus stems can clear away heat and relieve summer heat, ventilate and relieve summer heat; lotus leaf stalks can clear away heat and dampness, harmonize blood and stabilize the fetus; lotus flowers can promote blood circulation and stop bleeding, remove dampness and eliminate wind; lotus pods can remove blood stasis, stop bleeding and remove dampness; lotus stamens can clear the heart, benefit the kidneys, astringe the essence and stop bleeding; lotus seeds can nourish the heart, benefit the kidneys, tonify the spleen and astringe the intestines. The "Xiang lotus seeds" from Hunan are the most famous; lotus skins can be astringent, and ginseng can tonify the spleen yin; lotus seed cores can clear the heart, remove heat, stop bleeding and astringe the essence. Due to the wide variety of lotus varieties, the medicinal effects of different parts of different varieties may vary slightly.

Above we introduced what lotus is. We know that lotus is also called lotus or water lily. Lotus has many functions and effects on our human body, so we must know how to use lotus to serve our health. In the above article, we introduced the functions of lotus in detail.