Different fruits offer distinct health benefits. Here's how traditional Chinese medicine experts evaluate them:
Apple
An apple a day,
keeps the doctor away.
For chronic diarrhea due to spleen-stomach deficiency-cold, wrap in foil and bake before eating.
Richest in fructose, organic acids, pectin, and trace elements.
1.Pectin: A soluble fiber that promotes cholesterol metabolism, lowers cholesterol levels, and aids fat excretion;
2. Trace Elements: Potassium dilates blood vessels, benefiting hypertension patients; zinc deficiency causes blood sugar metabolism disorders and decreased sexual function.
3. Regulates digestion: Fiber aids excretion; also has an astringent effect on diarrhea.
4. Boil apple peel with several slices of ginger: helps stop vomiting.
5. Mitigates the cold nature of pears, enhancing lung and stomach moisturization.
Autumn Lung-Moisturizing Sweet Soup: Several apples/pears, 1 ounce lily bulbs, 15g dendrobium, 9g bitter apricot kernels,
Papaya,
Custard apple,
Sweet taste, neutral nature, slightly cold.
Protein-digesting enzymes.
1. Contains enzymes similar to human growth hormone; regular consumption maintains youthfulness.
2. Proteolytic enzymes aid in breaking down proteins and starches, greatly benefiting the digestive system.
3. Besides aiding digestion, it relieves summer heat, quenches thirst, moistens the lungs, and stops coughing. It helps with cold-induced coughs with phlegm, constipation, and chronic bronchitis.
Stewed ripe papaya with dried persimmon cures wheezing coughs.
Peeled ripe papaya steamed with honey treats dry lung coughs.
Raw papaya juice or dried powder expels parasites.
Papaya stewed with fish tails or pig's trotters promotes lactation.
Watermelon
Nature: Cold/
Not suitable for those with cold stomach, pregnant women, or individuals with a slightly dry-heat constitution and underlying cold deficiency.
Suitable for robust individuals with excess heat.
If dizziness or nausea occurs from overconsumption, chewing a slice of ginger can provide relief.
Pear
The sovereign of fruits
An excellent heat-clearing agent
Cold in nature/
Those with deficient cold constitution or cold cough should not eat raw pears. They must be steamed over water, added to soups, or simmered with herbs.
Swan pears, fragrant pears, and tribute pears lean toward coolness; rough-skinned sand pears and imported pear varieties are more cold in nature.
Excessive consumption may cause sore throat.
Boil southern/northern apricot kernels, pear (cold-natured), and white fungus (cool-natured) with sugar water to treat hoarseness and dry mouth. Suitable for those with excess heat or deficient fire requiring heat-clearing.
Boil southern/northern apricot kernels, pear (cold-natured), and 9g Fritillaria cirrhosa with sugar water to strongly nourish lung qi.
Boiling southern and northern apricot kernels, pears (cold-natured), and lily bulbs in sugar water nourishes yin and calms the spirit.
Mango
Should not be consumed in excess
Possesses medicinal value
Neutral in nature, sweet in taste; quenches thirst and promotes fluid production.
Those with damp-toxin conditions, skin diseases, or tumors should avoid consumption.
(Eczema/pus discharge/gynecological disorders/edema/athlete's foot—consuming mango may worsen dampness.)
Unripe mangoes may cause allergies.
Contraindicated for asthma.
One of the few protein-rich fruits; satiating when eaten in moderation.
1. Benefits eyesight and moisturizes skin.
2. Detoxifies, relieves indigestion, and lowers blood pressure.
3. Stops vomiting, treats seasickness and morning sickness.
Kiwi Fruit/Kiwi
Cancer Prevention
May worsen cough symptoms when consumed.
1. Contains 20-80 times more vitamin C than apples and 5-10 times more than citrus fruits. This antioxidant effectively inhibits the formation of carcinogenic nitrosamines in the body.
2. Regulates the middle burner and descends qi. Nourishes and strengthens the body, clears heat and promotes urination, clears the stomach and moistens dryness.
3. Treats internal heat and restlessness, prevents scurvy, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer.
4. Particularly effective in treating digestive tract cancers and lung cancer.
Mangosteen
Extremely cold in nature
Extremely cold in nature/
Those with a cold constitution may consume small amounts, but excessive intake is inadvisable.Avoid pairing with cold foods like watermelon, soy milk, beer, Chinese cabbage, mustard greens, bitter melon, or winter melon lotus leaf soup.
If accidentally overconsumed, remedy with ginger tea boiled with brown sugar.
Pineapple
Promotes fluid production and harmonizes the stomach
Wet-heat nature.
Avoid if prone to tracheal or bronchial sensitivity.
Soak in salt water to break down some organic acids and reduce toxicity.
1. Rich in fiber, stimulates the intestines. Has astringent properties; consumed in moderation, it can help stop diarrhea without causing it.
2. Strengthens the spleen and stomach, fortifies vital energy. Bromelain in pineapple breaks down proteins in the stomach and aids digestion.
3. Throat discomfort after eating indicates an allergic reaction; drink a glass of lightly salted water to dilute allergens.
Durian
Used for tonifying deficiency-cold conditions
Nature: Hot and stagnating
Avoid if you have cancer, are recovering from illness, suffer from skin diseases, or have yin deficiency with liver heat.
Those with deficiency-cold constitution may consume it to boost yang and aid fire.
Postpartum women with cold deficiency may use it as a tonic.
Excessive consumption can be counteracted by immediately eating several mangosteens.
Lychee
A fiery temptress
Yang-enhancing
Not suitable for those with real heat, yin deficiency, or excessive fire (skin conditions, dry mouth and throat, insomnia).
Those with gout or diabetes should avoid excessive consumption.
Those with balanced or cold-deficient constitutions may enjoy freely.
If overconsumed, eat cooling watermelon or drink a bowl of lotus leaf and winter melon decoction.
Coconut
Mild in nature.
Coconut meat nourishes yang fire and strengthens the body, suitable for those with weakness, limb fatigue, or easy exhaustion.
Those with excessive internal heat should avoid it.
High in fat and protein.
Coconut sticky rice stewed chicken has tonifying effects.
Coconut water with glehnia root, lily bulb, and dendrobium = clears heat and nourishes yin
Coconut water with winter melon seeds = drains lung fire
Pair coconut water with cooling silver ear fungus or mildly nourishing yellow fungus
Lemon
A fruit for women
Not suitable for those with stomach ailments. Lemon tea is inadvisable.
1. Lemon juice with warm water and salt = effective for phlegm reduction, stronger than oranges or tangerines.
2. Early cold symptoms: Lemon honey water = Soothes sore throat/reduces dry throat discomfort
3. Supports pregnancy [beneficial for mother and baby], beautifies skin, fades spots, prevents pigmentation, improves uterine prolapse, uterine ligament laxity, and even amenorrhea
4. Fresh lemon lowers blood pressure and cholesterol, improves cardiovascular health.
Longan
Not suitable for everyone as a tonic
Those with internal heat or phlegm-fire should avoid excessive consumption.
Excessive intake may trigger joint swelling and pain in gout sufferers.
Individuals with heat-induced asthma may experience lung heat coughing after eating.
Not recommended for those with dry heat, skin conditions, or stomach bloating.
1. When dried, it nourishes blood and calms the mind, offering significant efficacy for heart blood deficiency (unexplained palpitations, fatigue) and insomnia.
Persimmons
Every part is valuable
Sweet and cold in nature
Contraindicated for those with physical weakness, spleen-kidney deficiency-cold, or external wind-cold. Best eaten peeled to prevent iron absorption.
1. Contains 1-2 times more vitamins and sugars than average fruits.
Clears heat, relieves irritability, quenches thirst, generates fluids, moistens lungs, dissolves phlegm, treats heat-induced coughs.
2. Persimmon calyx treats hiccups and nocturnal urination.
3. Persimmon leaf tea is rich in Vitamin C, lowers blood pressure, protects cardiovascular health, and treats insomnia.
4. Dried persimmons have a neutral nature, moistening lungs and regulating qi.
5. The sugar frosting on dried persimmons: A specific remedy for dry throat and stomatitis.
Banana
Lowers blood pressure and promotes bowel movements.
Sweet taste, cold nature.
Suitable for those with dry heat.
Not suitable for those with deficient cold constitution, spleen deficiency with diarrhea, or cold coughs
(Avoid if suffering from stomach cold/nephritis/pregnancy-related edema)
Rich in starch.
1. Moistens the intestines and promotes gastrointestinal motility.
2. Rich in potassium, lowers blood pressure.
Banana stewed with rock sugar = treats chronic cough
Guava
Dampness-removing, diarrhea-stopping
Sweet taste, neutral nature/
Those with liver heat should guard against constipation; eat pitted or combine with fiber-rich fruits like pomelo.
Promotes fluid production, quenches thirst, relieves irritability, stops diarrhea, expels parasites, regulates urinary sugar.