Eat five kinds of wild vegetables in spring to maintain health and prevent diseases. These "safety" principles should be followed

Spring is the season for eating wild vegetables. Shepherd's purse, Chinese toon, purslane, dandelion, etc. are all well-known wild vegetables. What are the nutritional benefits of these wild vegetables? How to eat them more safely? What precautions should be taken when picking them?

Five common wild vegetables in spring are delicious and healthy

Shepherd's purse - soothes the liver and improves eyesight, clears away heat and stops diarrhea, promotes diuresis and reduces swelling

Song Xin, a nutritionist from the Nutrition Department of Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, introduced that shepherd's purse is the most representative wild vegetable in spring. It tastes very delicious and has the effects of calming the liver and improving eyesight, clearing away heat and stopping diarrhea, and promoting diuresis and reducing swelling.

"From a nutritional point of view, shepherd's purse has the highest protein content among vegetables. It is not only rich in vitamin B2 and vitamin C, but also rich in calcium." Song Xin said that people most often use shepherd's purse and stuffing to make spring rolls, buns, dumplings, etc., or make shepherd's purse into steamed dishes for consumption.

"Shepherd's purse has high medicinal value. It can harmonize the spleen, promote diuresis, stop bleeding, and improve eyesight. Shepherd's purse is rich in vitamin C and carotene, which help enhance the body's immune function." Song Xin said.

Liu Yang, deputy chief physician of the Sub-Health Department of the Oriental Hospital of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, also shared that shepherd's purse, also known as Qingming grass, is a great vegetable for nourishing the liver in spring, so there is a saying that "March 3rd, shepherd's purse is as good as elixir". It can be used to make delicious dishes such as shepherd's purse shredded pork and shepherd's purse tofu soup.

Purslane - lowers blood pressure, protects the heart, clears away heat and detoxifies, kills bacteria and reduces inflammation

Song Xin introduced that purslane, also known as the five-element grass, can be eaten fresh or dried. "In addition to containing protein, fat, sugar, crude fiber, calcium, phosphorus, iron and other nutrients, purslane is also rich in potassium salts and polyunsaturated fatty acids, which have the effects of lowering blood pressure and protecting the heart." He said that there are many ways to eat purslane. In addition to making stuffing, the blanched purslane can also be fried, mixed with cold dishes, cooked in porridge or soup, etc.

Zhao Yan, a nutritionist at the Nutrition Department of Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, said that purslane is not only edible, but also has medicinal value. It can clear away heat, detoxify, kill bacteria and reduce inflammation.

"It should be noted that purslane is a cold product. People with weak spleen and stomach, frequent diarrhea and pregnant women should eat less. In addition, it is best not to eat it with pepper or turtle shell." Zhao Yan suggested.

Fern - helps relieve constipation, helps digestion and reduces weight

Song Xin introduced that fern, also known as dragon head vegetable, is very common in mountainous areas. Fern is rich in protein, fat, minerals and multiple vitamins. The crude fiber in fern can promote gastrointestinal motility, reduce the absorption of fat by the stomach and intestines, and play a role in defecation, digestion and weight loss. The brackenin in fern has a certain inhibitory effect on bacteria and has good effects of clearing heat, detoxification, sterilization and clearing inflammation.

"Common ways to eat bracken include cold bracken salad, bracken stir-fried with shredded pork, etc." Song Xin reminded that bracken is cold in nature and people with weak spleen and stomach should not eat too much.

Toona sinensis - Strengthens the spleen and stimulates appetite

Song Xin said that toon is not only rich in calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium and other ingredients, but also contains organic substances such as toona sinensis, which can strengthen the spleen and appetite, enhance appetite; vitamin C, carotene, etc. can help enhance the body's immunity.

"Scrambled eggs with Chinese toon and Chinese toon mixed with tofu are common cooking methods, but Chinese medicine believes that Chinese toon is an allergenic food and eating too much of it may trigger existing chronic diseases. Therefore, people with chronic diseases should try to eat less of it," said Song Xin.

Dandelion - clearing away heat and detoxifying, reducing swelling and dispersing nodules

"Dandelion can be eaten raw. Wash and drain its tender stems and leaves, then dip them in sauce and eat them. Although it tastes slightly bitter, it is delicious and fragrant." Liu Yang introduced that in clinical Chinese medicine, dandelion is a commonly used Chinese medicine with a wide range of applications and significant therapeutic effects. It has the effects of clearing away heat and detoxifying, reducing swelling and dispersing nodules.

Contaminated wild vegetables should not be eaten as they can easily cause food poisoning

As the weather gets warmer, many people like to dig up some fresh wild vegetables to taste while enjoying the scenery. However, they don't know that many unclean wild vegetables are mixed in, which can easily cause physical discomfort if eaten by mistake.

In particular, wild vegetables growing in grasslands and on both sides of roads where industrial wastewater flows are polluted by wastewater, automobile exhaust, etc., resulting in high levels of heavy metals such as mercury and lead and other harmful substances. If consumed carelessly or in excess, they can easily cause food poisoning.

In this regard, Zhao Yan emphasized: "It is best to buy ready-made wild vegetables at the market, because it is difficult to ensure the safety of wild vegetables if you pick them yourself. If you want to go, you must choose a pollution-free environment, especially not on congested roadsides or industrial pollution areas. And it is recommended that someone with picking experience accompany you."

In daily life, the wild vegetables you pick should be washed before eating. If you experience symptoms of suspected food poisoning such as stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, etc. after eating, you should stop eating immediately and seek medical attention in time.

Be careful when eating wild vegetables to prevent photodermatitis. People with allergies should eat less or no vegetables.

Although wild vegetables are delicious and nutritious, some of them may contain allergenic substances, which can easily cause allergic reactions in people with allergies. For example, some people ate dumplings stuffed with purslane and had an allergic reaction not long after, with itching and redness on their faces and hands. The results of the examination showed that they were diagnosed with "sun dermatitis".

In this regard, Zhang Hong, deputy chief physician of the Department of Dermatology at Qingdao Haici Medical Group, explained that wild vegetables such as ash-gray vegetables, amaranth, purslane, and even rapeseed and celery, which are commonly eaten in daily life, can decompose photosensitive substances in the human body. Some people are very sensitive to such photosensitive substances. If they are eaten too much, these photosensitive substances will accumulate in the body. When they reach a certain concentration, the skin of exposed parts of the human body, such as the face and hands, can cause metabolic disorders and induce dermatitis after being directly exposed to sunlight, which is medically called "sun dermatitis."

"Wild vegetables such as purslane and elm seeds contain allergens. If people who have eaten them expose their skin to the sun, it is very likely to induce solar dermatitis. Therefore, people who are prone to allergies should eat less or not eat them." Song Xin also suggested.

Eat wild vegetables and follow three principles to ensure safety and nutrition

1. Don’t eat if you don’t know: Don’t pick wild vegetables from the roadside, ditches, or around chemical plants in the suburbs. Don’t pick or eat unfamiliar wild vegetables.

2. Soak in salt water: There are many bacteria and impurities on wild vegetables. After washing, they should be soaked in light salt water. It is recommended to soak them for no less than 1 hour.

3. Blanch in hot water before eating: Some wild vegetables are slightly poisonous. Blanching them in hot water before eating can remove the bitterness of the wild vegetables and improve the taste.