What are the benefits and effects of arrowhead? What are the dietary restrictions?

Arrowhead, also known as scissors grass, swallowtail grass, and vegetable egg, belongs to the Alismataceae family and is a perennial herbaceous plant. It originated in our country, and is cultivated more in the south. So what are the benefits and effects of arrowhead? What nutritional value does it have? And what dietary restrictions are there? How to select arrowhead?

1. What are the benefits and effects of arrowhead?

The corm of arrowhead tastes sweet and astringent, is slightly warm in nature, and enters the lung and heart meridians; it can astringe the lungs, relieve cough, stop bleeding, and firm the intestines; it mainly treats conditions such as phlegm nodules and scrofula, lumps, sores and boils, lung-heat cough, panting and gasping, palpitations and anxiety, edema, and difficult urination.

1. Clears heat and stops bleeding, resolves toxin and reduces swelling, disperses nodules. Used for hemoptysis, vomiting blood, difficult labor, retention of the placenta after childbirth, abnormal uterine bleeding and leukorrhea, urinary tract stones, and erysipelas in children; for external use, it treats carbuncles, swelling, and sores, and venomous snake bites.

2. Cancer prevention and anti-cancer: Arrowhead contains a variety of alkaloids such as colchicine, which can increase the cAMP level in cancer cells and inhibit the proliferation of cancer cells undergoing mitosis. It has anti-cancer, anti-tumor, detoxifying, and carbuncle-dispersing effects, and is often used to prevent and treat tumors.

3. Detoxification and diuresis: Traditional Chinese medicine believes that arrowhead mainly resolves hundreds of toxins, can detoxify, reduce swelling, and promote urination, and is used to treat various unnamed swellings and toxic conditions and venomous snake bites.

4. Strengthens the body and moistens the body: Arrowhead contains a variety of trace elements and has a certain cardiotonic effect. At the same time, the water and other active ingredients contained in arrowhead have the effects of clearing lung heat and moistening the lungs to relieve cough.

2. What nutritional value does it have?

Arrowhead is a low-fat, high-carbohydrate food. Its carbohydrate content is higher than that of lotus root and water chestnut, second only to gorgon fruit. Its phosphorus content is 11 times higher than that of sweet potato, and its vitamin B12 content is also very rich. Arrowhead contains a variety of trace elements and has a certain cardiotonic effect. At the same time, the water and other active ingredients contained in arrowhead have the effects of clearing lung heat and moistening the lungs to relieve cough. Arrowhead mainly resolves hundreds of toxins, can detoxify, reduce swelling, and promote urination, and can be used to treat various unnamed swellings and toxic conditions. Arrowhead is rich in starch, protein, sugars, inorganic salts, vitamins B and C, trypsin, and many other nutrients. When paired with pork (or pig large intestine), garlic, fried tofu, and so on, arrowhead can be processed into crispy and delicious dishes such as braised pork with arrowhead, Monk Wearing a Hat, and stir-fried lean meat with arrowhead slices.

3. What dietary restrictions are there?

Although arrowhead is rich in nutrients, it should not be eaten in large amounts. Eating too much can cause intestinal wind and hemorrhoids, abnormal uterine bleeding and leukorrhea, dry heaving, damage to the teeth, loss of complexion, and dry skin and flesh; pregnant women in particular should be especially cautious about eating it.

4. How to select arrowhead?

1. Look at the color: arrowhead is an aquatic vegetable, grows underwater, and its surface is ivory white. If it is out of water for too long, photosynthesis will occur after contact with air, and the surface will turn green. Therefore, when selecting arrowhead, if the surface color is green, it means it has been stored for a relatively long time and is not very fresh.

2. Look at the shape: the corm shape is round and neat, and the leaf stalk is slightly curved and upturned.