The apricot is well in season in Perth now – just yesterday the smell was inviting me as I went through the fruit and vege section of my local supermarket.
Did you know all foods have medicinal properties according to Chinese medicine?
…so what does the Apricot do?
The flesh is sweet and neutral in nature (i.e. not hot or cold), most fruits are cold so this is a more unusual property for a fruit.
According to TCM theory, Apricot fruit flesh can “moisten the lungs, relieve asthma, promote secretion of saliva and quench thirst” (Dai Yin Fang & Liu Cheng Jun – Fruits as Medicine, 1999).
For a dry throat with thirst – Eat 2-3 pieces of fresh apriocts in the morning and evening.
You may know that Apricot kernals are used as a Chinese herb – there are two types and one is quite poisonous, needing to be boiled correctly before it’s used. The sweet Apricot Kernel has no poison and dosen’t require boiling. You can tell which one is bitter by tasting the kernel with the tip of the tongue.
People with Diarrhoea should not eat raw apricots – it can worsen the symptoms. Eating large quantities of raw apricot fruits will weaken the Spleen and Stomach.
Once recipie for Constipation in the elderly or constipation after giving birth –
15g Sweet Apricot Kernels, discard the skin add 30 grams of rice and 30 grams of sugar, plus a small amount of water. Grind together into a smooth liquid, then steam until cooked. Eat this in the morning and evening.
This is just one fruit…Chinese medicine views every food as having some kind of “medicinal” properties.
REFERENCES:
Dai, Yin-fang. & Edwards, Ron. & Liu, Cheng-jun. & Gong, Zhi-mei. 1986, Fruit as medicine / by Dai Yin-fang & Liu Cheng-jun ; translated from the Chinese by Ron Edwards & Gong Zhi-mei Rams Skull Press Kuranda, Qld