The water chestnut is one of the more distinctive foods that can act as a fruit or be added to dishes.

Water chestnut is pronounced (bí qí), the shape of flat, thin skin, crisp meat, crisp and sweet, the outer skin of the fruit is black or reddish-brown, perennial aquatic plants for the Salix family, with more than 2,000 years of cultivation history.

We are most familiar with the name "water chestnut". Water chestnut grows in paddy fields, its roots grow at the bottom of the soil, and its fruit is white and flawless. In fact, in addition to the fruit, water chestnut seedlings and roots have high utilization value. The Dictionary of Traditional Chinese Medicine says, "Water chestnut is sweet, slightly cold, non-toxic, and has many powerful effects, such as warming the middle and benefiting the qi, clearing away heat and opening up the stomach, eliminating food and resolving phlegm.

Water chestnut is rich in nutrients, juicy and sweet (but there are individual is more bitter), can be eaten raw or cooked (for example, I love to eat water chestnuts, because I personally think that the taste of cooked food is missing the element of sweetness than raw food).

1, water chestnut can regulate the acid-base balance of the human body water chestnut contains a lot of phosphorus, phosphorus is the human body's growth and development, maintain physiological functions of the necessities of the teeth and bones of the development of a great deal of good, can help to regulate the acid-base balance. 7-8 years old children eat very beneficial, when I was a child I often eat as a snack.

2, water chestnut can cure constipation, stop thirst water chestnut in the crude protein, starch, can help promote intestinal peristalsis, on the smooth bowel laxative has a good effect, can solve the constipation trouble. Water chestnut is tender and juicy, which can treat the symptoms of thirst. People to middle age, eat more water chestnuts, than eating health products laxative and so on, much better.

Water chestnuts should not be eaten raw, because the water chestnuts are long in the soil, it will be easy to have bacteria, parasites attached to the above, so, to be cooked in the food, safer.

Because it is a cool ingredient, so do not eat more. The body is not easy to eat cold friends, eat must be washed, because long in the mud surface attached to a lot of bacteria.