TCM clinic: Eat this fruit for better sleep
WHO IT IS FOR: People who do not get enough rest and are overworked, women who have recently given birth or suffer from irregular menstruation, as well as elderly people are known to have deficiencies in qi or blood.
Chronic illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease tend to deplete a person’s qi and blood too, so these patients may benefit from consuming longan aril, Ms Ou said.
WHO SHOULD AVOID IT: Those with a weak stomach or spleen, usually marked by a bloated abdomen and loose stool, should use longan aril with caution.
It is believed that sweet herbs help nourish the body but are harder to absorb and so may aggravate these symptoms.
A warm herb is also not suitable for people with “heat-dampness”, as shown by their tendency to tyre easily, cough up yellow or green phlegm and suffer from bloatedness, Ms Ou said.
WHAT RESEARCH HAS SHOWN: A study published in the international journal Food And Chemical Toxicology in 2007 reported that longan seeds contain high levels of polyphenolic compounds that help counter degenerative processes in the human body by absorbing free radicals.
The authors from the Chulabhorn Research Institute in Thailand found that longan extracts of fresh and dried seeds exhibited strong antioxidant activities similar to those of Japanese green tea extract.
They said their preliminary studies suggest that longan seed extract can be used as a natural dietary antioxidant supplement or in a natural skin-whitening agent.
Source: Mind Your Body, The Straits Times
Category: Features, Wellness and Complementary Therapies
