Medicine from perilla leaves combined with fresh ginger
Perilla leaves, when combined with fresh ginger, tangerine peel or chicken eggs, are not only a rustic dish but also a remedy to help relieve colds, coughs, stomachaches and even lose weight.
For a long time, perilla has been a popular spice in Vietnamese meals, often eaten raw or cooked with soups and porridges. However, few people know that when combined with fresh ginger, an ingredient with warming, anti-inflammatory properties, perilla has many outstanding health benefits, from supporting cold relief, reducing coughs, to regulating digestion and controlling weight.
According to physician Bui Dac Sang, Hanoi Oriental Medicine Association, perilla is a year-round herb, spicy, warm, grows in many rural areas of Vietnam. In traditional medicine, perilla leaves have the effect of dispelling wind-cold, relieving colds, stabilizing pregnancy, reducing abdominal pain, anti-inflammatory and antiseptic. Ginger is also a valuable medicinal herb, often combined with perilla to increase therapeutic effectiveness.
Relieve colds and fever with perilla and ginger water
One of the most common uses is to boil perilla leaves with ginger to drink. This remedy is often used when people have a cold, mild fever, cough or fatigue.
How to do: Take a handful of fresh or dried perilla leaves, three slices of fresh ginger and a little tangerine peel, wash them, put them in a pot and boil with about a bowl of water. Drink while it is still hot and then cover yourself with a blanket to rest. This will help your body sweat, reduce fever and feel comfortable quickly.
Another remedy is to cook porridge to relieve colds. Chop a handful of perilla leaves, mix with green onions, a few slices of fresh ginger and put them in a bowl of hot porridge. Add an egg, stir well and eat while still hot. This porridge not only helps warm the body but also provides nutrition for people who have just recovered from illness.
Reduces bloating, stomach pain and aids digestion
Not only used to relieve colds, perilla leaves can also help reduce symptoms of bloating and indigestion. Patients only need to crush perilla leaves, squeeze out the juice, add a little salt and drink directly. This method is simple but quite effective, especially in cases of cold stomach and indigestion.
In traditional medicine, the combination of perilla leaves and mulberry root bark boiled in water to drink also helps reduce coughs, soothe the throat and clear the trachea - suitable for people with mild respiratory diseases such as sore throat and flu.
Support healthy weight loss, easy to apply at home
Not only does it have medicinal properties, perilla juice is also used by many people as a natural weight loss aid. Perilla contains vegetable protein, vitamins B, C and minerals such as iron, calcium, magnesium - ingredients that can promote metabolism, increase energy consumption and reduce fat absorption into the body.
To use, simply soak perilla leaves in diluted salt water, wash, put in a pot with 2.5 liters of water. Boil for about 2 minutes, turn off the stove and let cool. You can add a few slices of lemon to enhance the flavor, store in the refrigerator to drink gradually throughout the day. Drink 10-30 minutes before meals to help reduce cravings and support more effective weight control.
Other benefits of perilla
Modern research has also shown many benefits from perilla. Perilla leaves are rich in essential oils, especially alpha-linoleic acid - an unsaturated fatty acid that has anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic and even mood-regulating effects, preventing mild depression.
Perilla leaf extract also has antibacterial properties, inhibiting the growth of pathogenic bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus, dysentery bacillus, E. coli. In particular, when you have a minor wound, you can crush young perilla leaves and apply them directly to the damaged skin to stop bleeding, disinfect and prevent scarring.
Notes on use
Although it is a folk remedy that is easy to make and harmless, users still need to pay attention to the dosage and frequency of use. People with allergies, pregnant women or those who are being treated for underlying diseases should consult a doctor or traditional medicine specialist before using it for a long time.
Perilla leaves and ginger – two rustic ingredients in the kitchen, when combined properly, can become a “natural medicine” to help improve health and support the treatment of many common symptoms in daily life.
