I used to hear people saying, "Peach protects a person, apricot hurts a person, and a dead person is buried under a plum tree." There are different versions of this saying in different places, such as "Peach nourishes a person, apricot hurts a person, and a person is buried under a plum tree." "Peach fills a person, apricot hurts a person, and a person is buried under a plum tree." Netizens from different regions even competed with each other over which sentence was correct.
Apricots and plums are seasonal fruits in summer. They taste sour and delicious. It’s hard to resist the temptation if you don’t eat them. Are they really that scary? Is there any benefit to eating peaches without any harm? Next, let us analyze them one by one and restore the truth behind the proverbs.
“Peach protects people”, but some people are not suitable to eat it
Peach contains high iron content, so eating peaches can prevent and treat iron deficiency anemia; peaches are rich in pectin , regular consumption can prevent constipation, and is also helpful in preventing high blood fat and high cholesterol. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that peaches have the effects of promoting fluid production, moisturizing the intestines, activating blood circulation, and eliminating accumulation. They are mainly used to treat symptoms such as thirst due to lack of fluid, intestinal dryness, constipation, and amenorrhea. They can be eaten fresh or preserved. "Southern Yunnan Materia Medica" records: "Cure poison accumulation, promote menstruation, moisturize the large intestine, and eliminate heart accumulation. Rhubarb peach, when eaten, refreshes the mind and prolongs life." "Suixiju Diet Manual" records: "To replenish the heart, activate blood circulation, quench thirst, satisfy hunger, peach promotes body fluid and relieves heat." It can be seen that peaches not only have edible value, but also have medicinal value that cannot be ignored. However, it should be noted that peaches are sweet in taste and warm in nature, and eating too much will cause heat. "Southern Yunnan Materia Medica" records: "Eating more can stimulate the spleen and help heat, making people swell and cause sores and boils." For those who usually have excessive internal heat and are prone to sores and boils, eating more peaches is tantamount to "adding fuel to the fire." Furthermore, peaches have a high sugar content, with up to 7 grams of sugar per 100 grams, so they are not suitable for diabetics.
"Apricot hurts people", where exactly does it hurt?
Traditional Chinese medicine believes that apricots are sour, sweet, and warm in nature. They have the effects of moistening the lungs, calming asthma, producing body fluids and quenching thirst. They are mainly used to treat dryness of the lungs, coughs, and thirst for body fluids and wounds. As for the disadvantages of eating apricots, it was first recorded in "Compendium of Materia Medica": "(Bian Que believes) eating too much can cause chronic diseases, blindness, and loss of eyebrows." Cui Yuxi's "Food Classic" believes: "Don't eat too much, it will cause carbuncles. It hurts the muscles and bones." There is no clear evidence as to whether eating too much apricots will cause old diseases, blindness, etc. But you need to pay attention to three points when eating apricots: First, because fresh apricots are highly acidic, overeating will not only increase stomach acid and cause gastric diseases, but also corrode teeth and induce dental caries; second, apricots are warm in nature, and eating too much can easily increase the heat and cause sores and boils. People with body heat and children with "pure yang bodies" should not eat too much; thirdly, Chinese medicine believes that sourness enters the liver, and the liver controls the tendons, so "acidity will weaken the tendons, and there is no need to eat more acidity if the tendons are sick", otherwise it will have the disadvantage of damaging the tendons and bones.
"Burying dead people under the plum tree" is an overstatement
As for plums, Sun Simiao believed that "you should not eat too much, as it will make you weak". The main reason is that plums are cold in nature, and too much plums make people weak. Eating it can easily hurt the spleen and stomach. "Suixiju Diet Manual" also believes that "eating more phlegm can help dampness and heat, malaria and dysentery, especially those with weak spleen." Therefore, eating too much plums will easily damage the spleen and stomach and help phlegm and dampness. The spleen and stomach are the source of human qi and blood
biochemistry. If the spleen and stomach are injured, life will be shortened and life will be shortened. We must listen to the experience of our predecessors. However, the effect of plums cannot be ignored. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that plums can clear away heat and promote fluid production. Fresh plums can be consumed in moderation in cases of asthenia, bone evaporation heat, diabetes, thirst, and liver cirrhosis ascites.
To sum up, when dealing with folk proverbs, we need to dialectically analyze the pros and cons. We should neither give up eating because of choking, nor should we eat without restraint. We just need to control everything in moderation. In addition, the kernels of these three fruits are toxic and should not be eaten easily.