Chinese medicine believes that loofah is sweet in taste, cool in nature and non-toxic. It has the functions of clearing away heat, benefiting intestines, cooling blood and detoxicating, activating meridians, relieving summer heat, relieving polydipsia, expelling wind and resolving phlegm, promoting blood circulation, draining milk and killing insects, and is a good health care product in summer.
In addition to Luffa, flower, peel, leaf, vine, network, seed and root of Luffa can all be used medicinally. Melon flowers clear away heat and detoxify, and melon skin can cure sores. Cucumber leaves have the functions of clearing away heat and toxic materials, relieving cough and resolving phlegm, and stopping bleeding and diminishing inflammation for external use. Gua Teng tong Jin Huo Luo, antitussive and expectorant.
Gualuo can treat chest and rib pain and breast swelling and pain caused by qi and blood stagnation. Melon seeds clear away heat, moisten dryness and detoxify. Melon seeds can drive ascaris. Cucumber root is disinfected and antiseptic, which can treat hemorrhoids and stool bleeding. Modern medicine believes that loofah contains antiviral and antiallergic active ingredients. Because of its rich vitamin C content, it can be used to fight scurvy and prevent various vitamin C deficiency. B vitamins are beneficial to the brain health care of children and middle-aged and elderly people. The juice of the stem of Luffa has the special function of keeping skin elastic and can beautify and wrinkle.
Luffa should be peeled when eaten. It can be cold, stir-fried, roasted, made into soup or juice for dietotherapy. For example, it can be made into cold luffa after being washed, sliced and boiled in boiling water, and mixed with sesame oil, soy sauce and vinegar. Stir-fried loofah is light and delicious, clearing away heat and promoting diuresis; Burning mushrooms and loofah to replenish qi and blood and dredge meridians; Tomato and loofah soup can clear away heat and toxic substances, and eliminate restlessness, and is especially suitable for eating when you are hot and bored, thirsty and dry throat. Take a proper amount of raw loofah, wash it, juice it, and add honey according to the ratio of10:1to make the raw loofah juice, which has the effects of clearing away heat, relieving cough and resolving phlegm.