Lotus Seeds: Benefits, Uses, Nutritional Value and How to Eat Them Correctly

Lotus seed, a name in traditional Chinese medicine. It is the dried mature seed of the lotus, a plant in the water lily family. As a healthy green food, it both clears heat and purges fire, and is rich in nutrients. So how do you eat lotus seeds? What are the benefits and uses of lotus seeds? Do you know the nutritional value of lotus seeds?

1. Benefits and Uses of Lotus Seeds

1. Lotus seeds are very rich in calcium, phosphorus and potassium. Every kilogram of lotus seeds contains 81.3 g of protein, 9.8 g of fat, 304 mg of sugar, 436 mg of calcium, 1.397 mg of phosphorus and 31.4 mg of iron, and also contains various other vitamins, trace elements, nelumbine, and substances such as goldthread glycoside. Besides providing components for bones and teeth, they also help promote blood clotting, activate certain enzymes, maintain nerve conduction, calm the nerves, and maintain muscle contractility and heartbeat rhythm. They also have a certain effect in treating neurasthenia, chronic gastritis, indigestion and high blood pressure. Abundant phosphorus is also a major component of nuclear protein in cells, helping the body metabolize protein, fat and carbohydrates and maintain acid-base balance, and it also plays an important role in sperm formation. Lotus seeds have the benefit of nourishing the heart and calming the mind.

2. Middle-aged and older people, especially those who do mental work, can eat them regularly to strengthen the brain, enhance memory, improve work efficiency and help prevent the onset of Alzheimer's disease. The green core in the center of the lotus seed is called the lotus plumule. It contains various alkaloids such as liensinine and isoliensinine. It tastes extremely bitter and has the function of clearing heat and purging fire, as well as a notable cardiotonic effect, and can dilate peripheral blood vessels and lower blood pressure. It can treat mouth and tongue sores and help with sleep. Used as a tonic medicine, it tonifies the spleen and stops diarrhea, benefits the kidneys and astringes essence, and nourishes the heart and calms the mind. It can treat chronic diarrhea due to spleen deficiency, prolonged diarrhea and dysentery, seminal emission due to kidney deficiency, spermatorrhea, incontinence of urine, abnormal uterine bleeding and leukorrhea in women, restlessness of the heart and mind, palpitations, and insomnia.

2. Nutritional Value of Lotus Seeds

1. Cancer prevention and anti-cancer effects: Lotus seeds are good at tonifying deficiencies of the five viscera and promoting the flow of qi and blood through the twelve meridians, keeping qi and blood flowing smoothly without stagnation. The oxidized nelumbine contained in lotus seeds has an inhibitory effect on nasopharyngeal cancer. All of this constitutes the cancer-preventing and anti-cancer nutritional health function of lotus seeds;

2. Lowering blood pressure: The non-crystalline alkaloid N-9 contained in lotus seeds has a blood pressure-lowering effect;

3. Strengthening the heart and calming the mind: The alkaloids contained in the lotus plumule have a notable cardiotonic effect, while liensinine has a relatively strong anti-calcium and anti-arrhythmic effect;

4. Nourishing and tonifying deficiency, stopping emission and astringing essence: The raffinose contained in lotus seeds is a tonic suitable for both young and old, and is especially a commonly used nutritional delicacy for those who are chronically ill, postpartum, or frail in old age; lotus seed alkaloids have the effect of suppressing sexual desire, and for young people with frequent dreams, frequent seminal emission or spermatorrhea, eating lotus seeds has a good effect in stopping emission and astringing essence.

3. How Do You Eat Lotus Seeds?

1. White fungus and lotus seed soup

Method: Prepare 20 g of white fungus, 50 g of lotus seeds, an appropriate amount of red dates, 100 g of rock sugar, and an appropriate amount of goji berries. First, add an appropriate amount of clear water to the white fungus and soak it for more than three hours for later use. Soak the washed lotus seeds and red dates for two hours as well for later use. Wash the goji berries. Then cut off the root of the soaked white fungus, tear it into small pieces and put them in a container, rinse with clear water, take them out and put them in a pot, add an appropriate amount of clear water, bring to a boil over high heat, switch to low heat and simmer for 1 hour. Then add the lotus seeds and red dates and stew for half an hour. Add the rock sugar and stir until melted. Continue cooking for half an hour, then add the goji berries, stir evenly, and it is ready to eat.

Benefits: It has the benefits of calming the mind and nourishing the heart, stopping diarrhea and tonifying the spleen, lowering blood sugar and blood lipids, and moistening the lungs. It is suitable for people with insomnia.

2. Pumpkin, red date and lotus seed sweet soup

Method: Prepare 300 g of pumpkin, an appropriate amount of red dates, 20 g of lotus seeds, a little osmanthus, and a certain amount of rock sugar. First wash the lotus seeds and red dates for later use. Wash the pumpkin, peel it and cut it into pieces. Put the red dates and lotus seeds into a pot, add an appropriate amount of water, bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer over low heat for 20 minutes. Add the pumpkin and continue to stew for 20 minutes. After turning off the heat, add the rock sugar, stir until melted, then add a little osmanthus for flavor and decoration, and it is ready to eat.

Benefits: It has the benefits of detoxifying and reducing swelling, calming the mind and nourishing the heart, tonifying the spleen and strengthening the stomach, and lowering blood lipids. It is suitable for most people.

3. Lotus seed, lily and red bean porridge

Method: Prepare 50 g of lotus seeds, 20 g of lily bulbs, 60 g of red beans, and an appropriate amount of rice. First wash the lotus seeds, soak them until softened, then remove the lotus plumule. Soak the red beans in water until opened for later use. Wash the rice and lily bulbs. Add half a small pot of water to a pot, bring to a boil, add the rice, lily bulbs, red beans and lotus seeds, stir evenly, bring to a boil, then turn to low heat and simmer for 1 hour, and it is ready to eat.

Benefits: It has the benefits of calming the mind and nourishing the heart, nourishing the stomach and tonifying the spleen, stopping diarrhea and moistening the lungs. It is suitable for people with poor digestion to eat regularly.