Houttuynia cordata Thunb It is a whole grass with roots in Saururaceae, which is often used to make food or medicinal materials in daily life and has certain nutritional value. There have been rumors on the Internet that Houttuynia cordata contains aristolochic lactam, which may induce kidney disease and cause cancer, and it has aroused widespread concern from all walks of life for a time. However, Chinese medicine believes that Houttuynia cordata is pungent and cold, belonging to the lung meridian, and has the effects of clearing away heat and toxic materials, reducing swelling, treating sores, diuresis and dehumidification. Modern pharmacological experiments also show that Houttuynia cordata Thunb has antibacterial, antiviral, immunity enhancing and diuretic effects, so it is unscientific to say that Houttuynia cordata Thunb is carcinogenic.

In fact, this question was answered at the 20 16 China Food Rumor Forum, and the China Food Rumor Alliance said that the "carcinogenic theory" was not prudent. Aristolochic amide in Houttuynia cordata Thunb is limited, and aristolochic lactam is the main metabolite of aristolochic acid in the body. Although aristolochic acid is listed as a carcinogen of 1 by the International Center for Research on Cancer, they are not the same. Secondly, Houttuynia cordata Thunb has certain antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects. Houttuynia cordata Thunb contains houttuynin (decanoyl acetaldehyde) with antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects, which can effectively inhibit the growth of Staphylococcus aureus, Haemophilus influenzae, Streptococcus pneumoniae and other bacteria, and these bacteria are the chief culprit of fever, cough and sore throat. However, fresh Houttuynia cordata Thunb is a kind of wild vegetable, which has not been cultivated artificially for a long time and is not suitable for daily consumption. When eating occasionally, you can soak it in tap water 1 hour, blanch it with boiling water and mix it with seasoning, which is very safe. However, Houttuynia cordata can't be used as medicine, because the components in plants are very complex, which may induce many problems such as allergies.

Many people may know Houttuynia cordata Thunb. In terms of food, few people like it because of its unique taste. But in southern China, Houttuynia cordata mixed with cold dishes is a very popular alternative food. Not only delicious, but also can clear away heat and toxic materials, diuretic and detumescence. It is a good food for both medicine and food, but it is not people's daily staple food and its consumption is limited. Judging from the current data, the risk of Houttuynia cordata does exist, but it will not be completely abandoned. So far, there is no report about kidney damage caused by eating Houttuynia cordata Thunb. It is understood that Houttuynia cordata Thunb. has been listed in the product catalogue of pollution-free agricultural products certification, and in the Notice of the Ministry of Health on Further Standardizing the Management of Health Food Raw Materials and the first part of China Pharmacopoeia (20 15 edition), Houttuynia cordata Thunb. has been listed in the dual-use list of medicine and food.

In short, Houttuynia cordata does contain ingredients that increase health risks, but it is wrong to say that Houttuynia cordata causes cancer. In life, many things we come into contact with contain harmful ingredients, but as long as they are properly controlled, they will not have much impact on our health. It should be noted that Houttuynia cordata is cold and should not be eaten more, especially for the weak, the elderly and children.