What Vegetable Is Water Shield? Price, Benefits and Uses of This Perennial Aquatic Plant

Water shield, also known as water sunflower, water shield, jingcai, pocai, horse-hoof vegetable and lake vegetable, is a perennial aquatic rhizomatous herbaceous plant commonly found in ponds. Because it is rich in collagen, multiple vitamins and minerals, it is widely eaten. So what vegetable is water shield? How much does it generally cost per jin? What benefits and effects does it have?

Water shield belongs to the genus Brasenia in the water lily family (Nymphaeaceae). It is a perennial rhizomatous aquatic herbaceous plant, delicious and smooth-tender, and one of the precious vegetables. It originated in southeastern China, especially in areas such as Taihu Lake in Jiangsu, Gaobin Lake in northern Jiangsu, and West Lake in Hangzhou, where production is greatest. It is a perennial rhizomatous aquatic vegetable. The leaves of water shield are elliptical and dark green, and both the tender stems and the undersides of the leaves have a gelatinous transparent substance. The edible part is the young leaf that is submerged in water and has not yet unfurled.

Latest price:

Water shield comes onto the market in March. At this time, because the quantity is small, the price of water shield is relatively high, at about twenty-plus yuan per jin. After water shield goes out of season, a small amount will still circulate in the market, at a price of at least ten-plus yuan per jin. Therefore, those who want to eat water shield had best eat more of it before October.

Nutritional value:

Water shield is a precious wild aquatic vegetable. It is rich in gelatinous protein, acidic polysaccharides, amino acids, carbohydrates, fats, multiple vitamins and minerals. Regular consumption of water shield has health benefits as both food and medicine.

Benefits and effects:

1. Benefits intelligence and strengthens the body

Water shield is rich in zinc and is the “zinc king” among plants. It is one of the best foods for children to benefit intelligence and strengthen the body, and it can help prevent and treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children.

2. Clears heat and detoxifies, kills bacteria and reduces inflammation

The mucilaginous substance of water shield contains multiple nutrients and polyxylose, and has a good heat-clearing and detoxifying effect. It can inhibit the growth of bacteria, clear stomach fire and purge intestinal heat when eaten, and when mashed and applied externally it can treat carbuncles, cellulitis and boils.

3. Prevents and treats anemia and hepatitis

Water shield is rich in vitamin B12, which is a component necessary for cell growth and division and for maintaining the integrity of the myelin sheath of nerve cells. Clinically it can be used to prevent and treat conditions such as pernicious anemia, megaloblastic anemia, hepatitis and cirrhosis.

4. Enhances immune function

Water shield contains an acidic heteropolysaccharide that can not only increase the weight of an immune organ — the spleen — but also significantly promote macrophages to engulf foreign matter. It is a good immune booster that can enhance the body's immune function and prevent disease.

5. Prevents cancer and fights cancer

The polysaccharides in the mucilage of water shield have an inhibitory effect on certain tumors in experimental animals. After culturing B lymphocytes into which cancer-causing genes had been introduced together with carcinogens, the components of water shield were then added, and the results showed that it had a strong inhibitory effect on the activation of the cancer-causing agents.