What is the effect of jujube?
Although it is an unsightly fruit, both Eastern and Western medicine highly appreciate its nutritional value and health benefits.
Nutritional value of jujube
In 100g of jujube (about 3 fruits) there are 79 calories, 1g of protein, 20g of carbohydrate, 10g of fiber, vitamin C (77% of daily needs), potassium (5%).
Vietnamnet newspaper quoted the health website Healthline as saying that due to its high fiber content and low calories, jujubes are a healthy snack. In addition, this fruit contains a number of vitamins and minerals, especially rich in vitamin C, which has antioxidant and immune-boosting properties.
Jujubes contain carbohydrates in the form of natural sugars, which provide energy for the body. Dried fruits are much higher in sugar and calories than fresh ones.
Health benefits of jujube
Below are the health benefits of jujube:
May improve sleep and brain function
Vietnamnet newspaper quoted Pub Med Central as saying that, according to the US National Institutes of Health, extracts from jujube fruit and seeds increased sleep duration and quality in mice. Furthermore, animal and test-tube studies have shown that the fruit can improve memory and protect brain cells from damage caused by neurotoxic compounds.
Research in mice has even shown that apple seed extract helps treat dementia caused by Alzheimer's disease. However, you can't eat apple seeds.
Rich in antioxidants
Jujubes are rich in antioxidant compounds, mainly flavonoids, polysaccharides, and triterpenic acids. Their high vitamin C content also has a similar effect.
Antioxidants can prevent and reverse damage caused by free radicals. When present in excess, free radicals are thought to be a cause of a number of chronic conditions, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer.
Enhance immunity, fight cancer cells
Research by Chinese scientists has shown that a type of sugar in jujube has antioxidant properties, fights free radicals, neutralizes harmful cells and reduces inflammation. Reduced levels of inflammation and free radicals can prevent chronic diseases.
In addition, the fiber in jujube promotes the production of immune cells that destroy harmful elements that invade the body.
Jujubes contain a large amount of vitamin C. Meanwhile, animal studies have shown that high doses of vitamin C injections can kill thyroid cancer cells. Test-tube analyses have also found that jujube extracts can kill breast, ovarian, cervical, liver, colon, and skin cancer cells.
However, most of these studies were conducted in animals or in test tubes, and more human studies are needed before firm conclusions can be drawn.
Improve digestion
About 50% of the carbohydrates in jujube come from fiber - which speeds up the movement of food through the digestive tract and reduces constipation. Jujube extract protects the lining of the stomach and intestines, reducing the risk of ulcers, injuries, and the amount of harmful bacteria residing in the intestines.
Finally, the fiber in apples may act as food for beneficial bacteria, allowing them to thrive and outcompete harmful bacteria.
Medicinal dishes from jujube
The article by Doctor Hoai Vu in the Health & Life Newspaper gave instructions on how to make some dishes and medicines from jujube as follows:
Stewed red dates with rabbit meat
15 red dates, 200g rabbit meat. Put red dates and rabbit meat in a pot to stew until cooked, or you can also put them in a clay pot to stew until soft, add enough spices and eat. The effect is to nourish the blood and qi, suitable for people with hemorrhagic purpura.
Heart-nourishing porridge
10g ginseng, 10 red dates, 10g ophiopogon, 100g glutinous rice, 10g poria, and enough brown sugar. Put ginseng, dates, ophiopogon, and poria into a pot to boil and get water. Add glutinous rice to cook into porridge, then add enough brown sugar. Effect: nourishes blood and heart, suitable for people with tuberculosis due to weak heart blood.
Salvia miltiorrhiza porridge
30g red sage, 50g glutinous rice, 3 red dates, 50g brown sugar. Add water to red sage to cook soup, strain the residue then add glutinous rice, red dates and sugar to cook into porridge, eat hot or warm, twice a day, 1 course is 10 days, drink every 3 days. Effect: promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis, suitable for people with coronary artery disease.
Red dates and peanuts
50g red dates, 100g peanuts, 50g red sugar. Wash red dates, soak in warm water; boil peanuts briefly, let cool, peel; put red dates and peanut skins in a pot, add a little cold water, simmer for about 30 minutes, remove peanut skins, add red sugar, wait until the sugar dissolves. Effect: nourishes the spleen and produces blood, suitable for people with iron deficiency anemia.
Stir-fried red dates with chestnuts and chicken: 15 red dates, 150g chestnuts, 1 chicken. Clean the chicken, cut it into pieces and stir-fry over high heat, add a little seasoning and water, boil until the chicken is cooked, add red dates and chestnuts, simmer until soft, then eat. The effect is to nourish the spleen and kidneys, suitable for people with weak qi due to low blood pressure.
