Water chestnut belongs to the family Trapaceae. Also known as water chestnut, water chestnut and water chestnut, it is sweet, cool and nontoxic. It is the fruit of the annual herb water chestnut. Its skin is crispy and fleshy, and it can be eaten after being cooked and peeled, or it can be eaten with porridge. Because the sound of "Ling", like "Ling", means "dexterity and cleverness". In Xiaoshan, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, it has been given a new meaning. Every year on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, when HongLing matures, it will be regarded by the local people as the Qixi begging festival. Because its flesh is heart-shaped, it is considered as a symbol of mutual affinity between lovers. After the water chestnut is peeled off, it looks like a "heart".

In Jiangmen, Guangdong, water chestnut is also a must-have snack for Taishan people to visit Tanabata on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month. Do you know the benefits of eating water chestnut?

The benefits of eating water chestnut

1, enhancing immunity

Water chestnut is rich in carbohydrates, protein, vitamin B, vitamin C, calcium, phosphorus, iron, potassium and other nutrients, and its nutritional value is equivalent to that of starch nuts. It is regarded as the fruit of health preservation and a good medicinal diet for autumn tonic. Regular consumption can help us supplement nutrition and increase human resistance and immunity.

2. Healthy spleen and stomach

According to the Compendium of Materia Medica, water chestnut "can replenish the spleen and stomach, strengthen the legs and knees, and strengthen the tendons and qi". Water chestnut has a high starch content, tastes like chestnuts after cooking, and is easy to digest and absorb. It is a good tonic and has the function of regulating the spleen and stomach.

Step 3 lose weight and keep fit

According to a medical book, water chestnut "nourishes the five internal organs, is not hungry but intellectually suitable for people." The so-called Homo sapiens has the function of losing weight and keeping fit. Because water chestnut is low in calories and rich in dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals, it can promote gastrointestinal peristalsis and help digestion. As a staple food, it can not only satisfy the stomach, but also lose weight and shape.

4. Anti-cancer

According to an early report in Japan's Central Medical Journal, water chestnut has certain anticancer effect. This is because water chestnut contains an anticancer substance, named AH- 13, which can inhibit the degeneration and tissue proliferation of cancer cells, phagocytize cancer cells, and especially prevent cancer of digestive system.

5, clearing away heat and quenching thirst

Water chestnut tastes similar to lotus root. Raw water chestnut tastes sweet and cool. Proper consumption can clear away heat and relieve summer heat. Eating water chestnut raw in autumn can also prevent autumn dryness. However, the taste changes after cooking, and it is mild in nature, which has the function of invigorating spleen and benefiting qi.