Hawthorn is a fruit that is usually round or oval in shape and has a bright red or orange-red appearance, and sometimes it can also be yellow. Its surface is smooth and shiny, with a faint sweet fragrance.
The taste of hawthorn is unique and umami, with some sweet and sour taste. Its sourness is sometimes reminiscent of apples or cherries, while sweetness makes the overall taste more balanced. Hawthorn can be eaten raw, but it is also often used to make sauces, jams, molasses, etc., or in cooking to add a special flavor to dishes.
So in addition to fresh hawthorn, what are the specific benefits of drinking hawthorn dry soaking water to health? and who groups of people are not suitable for drinking hawthorn water? Let's listen to what doctors say!
1. Insist on the 3 benefits of drinking hawthorn water
1. Relieve gastrointestinal discomfort
Hawthorn acid in dried hawthorn is an extensively researched bioactive ingredient with significant antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Antioxidant effect is an important function of hawthorn acid, which alleviates oxidative damage to cells by scavenging free radicals in the body. Free radicals are a class of molecules with unstable electronic structures that are produced in the body and participate in oxidative reactions, which can lead to oxidative damage to cell membranes, proteins, and nucleic acids.
In the gastrointestinal tract, antioxidant effects are essential for maintaining the health of the gastrointestinal mucosa. The mucosa is a protective barrier inside the gastrointestinal tract that is responsible for protecting against harmful substances and facilitating normal digestion and absorption processes. By mitigating oxidative damage to cells, hawthorn acid helps maintain the integrity of this mucosal barrier, thereby improving the overall health of the gastrointestinal tract.
On the other hand, the anti-inflammatory effects of hawthorn acid are essential for alleviating the inflammatory response in the gastrointestinal tract. Inflammation is a physiological response, but if it persists too long or is too intense, it can lead to tissue damage and uncomfortable symptoms. In the gastrointestinal tract, chronic inflammation can cause problems such as gastritis, enteritis, etc., leading to gastrointestinal discomfort. Hawthorn acid helps reduce the discomfort caused by these inflammations by inhibiting the inflammatory response.
2. Reduce blood lipids
The hawthorn acid in hawthorn plays a positive role in protecting cardiovascular health, mainly due to its regulatory effect on lipid metabolism.
Hawthorn acid inhibits lipid synthesis. It reduces the synthesis of cholesterol and triacylglycerol in the body by interfering with the lipid synthesis pathway, so that lipid concentrations in the blood are controlled. This has a significant protective effect on the prevention of cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis.
Hawthorn acid also promotes the breakdown of lipids. It accelerates lipid metabolism in the body by increasing the activity of lipophalytic enzymes, helping to break down and excrete the lipids that have already accumulated from the body. This process not only helps to lower blood lipid levels, but also helps maintain arterial patency.
3. Antioxidant
Hawthorn is rich in natural antioxidants, which makes it play a significant role in maintaining cellular status and fighting oxidative stress. These antioxidants mainly include vitamin C and polyphenols, and their synergistic effect gives hawthorn its excellent antioxidant capacity.
Vitamin C is a water-soluble antioxidant found in hawthorn and is able to scavenge free radicals in the body. Free radicals are unstable molecules caused by metabolism, environmental pollution, etc., and their excessive accumulation may cause damage to cell structure and function. The antioxidant effects of vitamin C help cells resist oxidative stress and maintain cell health and function.
Polyphenols have a strong ability to scavenge free radicals, neutralize excessive oxidized molecules, and prevent the oxidation process from invading cells. This helps to slow down the process of cell aging and maintain cells in a younger, healthier state.
Second, the three categories of people who are not suitable for drinking hawthorn water, see if there are you?
1. Patients with gastric scruff
Hawthorn acid is abundant in hawthorn, and although it is beneficial for relieving general gastrointestinal discomfort, it may bring some negative effects to patients with gastric ulcers whose gastric mucosa has been damaged. Gastric ulcer is a disease that forms on the surface of the gastric mucosa, characterized by damage to the gastric mucosa and the formation of an ulcer surface.
The acidity of hawthorn water may irritate the ulcer surface, and the acidic stimulation may interfere with the healing process of the gastric mucosa and delay the recovery process of the ulcer. Therefore, for patients who already have stomach ulcers, ingestion of hawthorn water may cause an additional burden on the stomach and is not conducive to the healing of ulcers.
In order to protect the health of patients with gastric ulcers, it is recommended that such people avoid or reduce the intake of hawthorn water.
2. People who are sensitive to acidic foods
Individuals with acid food allergies or sensitivities are often more sensitive to acidic stimuli, and the sour taste of hawthorn water can lead to excessive gastric acid secretion, and excessive stomach acid may cause patients to experience symptoms such as stomach discomfort and heartburn. Therefore, for this group, it may be more appropriate to choose other mild beverages that are less irritating to the gastrointestinal tract so as not to aggravate the gastrointestinal discomfort.
3. Pregnant women
Some components in hawthorn water may have an excitant effect on the uterus, causing contractions of the uterine muscles. During pregnancy, the quiet state of the uterus is essential for the proper development of the fetus. If a pregnant woman consumes a drink with a contractile effect, it can lead to improper contractions of the uterine muscles, which can increase the risk of preterm birth.
In order to protect the health of the fetus, it is advisable for pregnant women to avoid foods or drinks with potential pharmacological effects, such as hawthorn water, during pregnancy. During pregnancy, it is recommended that pregnant women choose other drinks that are safer for the fetus, such as weak tea, light soup, juice, etc.
3. Which is better, fresh hawthorn or hawthorn dry soaking water, may be different from what you think!
Fresh hawthorn is rich in vitamin C, flavonoids and other beneficial ingredients, which have the effects of promoting digestion, reducing blood lipids, and antioxidants. Since fresh hawthorn retains more natural ingredients during processing, its nutritional value is relatively richer. Vitamin C plays an important role in supporting the immune system and promoting collagen production, while flavonoids have the effect of lowering cholesterol levels and protecting cardiovascular health.
But hawthorn is rich in moisture, which makes it more susceptible to decay during preservation and transportation. Fresh hawthorn is seasonal, growing mainly in specific seasons, so its availability may be limited during non-growing seasons or adverse weather conditions.
In contrast, dried hawthorn is dehydrated and roasted, which reduces the moisture content, making it easier to preserve and store. This not only helps to extend the shelf life of dried hawthorn, but also reduces the difficulty of transportation and improves the stability of the commodity. Dried hawthorn can be made out of a specific season, making it a year-round ingredient.
From the point of view of preservation and transportation, dried hawthorn is relatively more convenient. It is not limited by seasonality, can be used anytime, anywhere, and is suitable for long-term storage. For those who wish to enjoy hawthorn in different seasons, dried hawthorn offers a more flexible and convenient option.
But in the process of making dried hawthorn, roasting and dehydration can indeed lead to the loss of some vitamin C. High temperature and oxygen are the two main factors that contribute to the degradation of vitamin C, so a portion of vitamin C may be destroyed during high-temperature treatment and dehydration.
Although some vitamin C may be lost in the process of making dried hawthorn, other beneficial components of dried hawthorn, especially flavonoids, are not. These beneficial ingredients are not significantly lost during the production process, but due to the reduction of moisture, they are more concentrated in the dried hawthorn, resulting in a higher nutrient density. Therefore, for the need for higher nutrient density, dried hawthorn is still an excellent choice.
summary
Although hawthorn is beneficial to the human body, we must look at its efficacy rationally and not blindly pursue the rumored effects. It is best to seek the advice of a doctor before consuming any food or using a therapeutic diet, especially if you have a chronic illness or need long-term medication. Only by choosing carefully and rationally matching your diet can you truly achieve the effect of maintaining health.