"If there is a magic bottle of water that can make you live a long and healthy life after drinking one sip, would you be willing to try it?" asked me.
I smiled and replied, "Of course I do, but there is no such amazing water in the world." ”
Xiao Zhang smiled mysteriously: "Actually, this magical bottle of water is next to us, it is made of wolfberry and salvia. ”
In the northwest plateau of the mainland, there is a plant known as "sacred grass", and its name is wolfberry. In the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River on the mainland, there is a plant known as the "heart protector", and its name is salvia. These two seemingly unrelated plants, because of their unique health benefits, have been paired together and become a popular therapeutic food combination. Goji berry, we are all familiar with it, it is known as the "divine grass", and has been cultivated in the mainland for thousands of years. The ancient book "Shennong's Materia Medica" lists it as the top grade, saying that it "has long served strong muscles and bones, is light and ageless, and is resistant to cold and heat". Salvia, on the other hand, is known as the "heart protector", and it is recorded in the "Chinese Materia Medica" that it has the effect of "invigorating blood and removing blood stasis, regulating menstruation and relieving pain, clearing the heart and removing troubles". So, what is the magic of wolfberry and salvia that can make them the "golden combination" of traditional diet and health care in the mainland?
1. Goji berry and salvia: introduction to the origin attributes
1. 枸杞
Goji berries, also known as Ningxia wolfberry, are mainly produced in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in mainland China. The fruit is rich in nutrients such as protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, phosphorus, iron, etc. In addition, goji berries also contain a variety of bioactive components, such as polysaccharides, betaine, carotene, etc.
2. Tansan
Salvia, also known as red ginseng, is mainly produced in Sichuan, Hubei, Jiangsu and other places in mainland China. Danshen root contains a variety of active ingredients such as tanshione, tanshenol, and tanshen acid, which have the effects of activating blood and removing blood stasis, regulating menstruation and relieving pain, and clearing the heart and removing troubles.
2. The combination of wolfberry and salvia: an introduction to the classics of traditional Chinese medicine
In the theory of traditional Chinese medicine in mainland China, the combination of wolfberry and salvia has a good therapeutic and health care effect. As recorded in the "Compendium of Materia Medica": "Goji berries nourish the liver and kidneys, benefit the essence, brighten the eyes, and salvia invigorates blood and regulates menstruation, relieves pain, cleanses the heart and removes troubles." "The combination of the two medicines can play a role in promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis, regulating menstruation and relieving pain, nourishing yin and nourishing the kidneys, nourishing the heart and removing troubles.
3. Dietary therapy and health care methods of wolfberry and salvia
1. Goji berry salvia tea
Ingredients: 10 grams of wolfberry, 10 grams of salvia, appropriate amount of green tea.
Method: Wash the wolfberries and salvia, put them in a pot, add an appropriate amount of water, boil over high heat, turn to low heat and cook for about 20 minutes. Remove the slag and extract the juice, add green tea, and it is ready to drink.
Efficacy: Goji berry salvia tea has the effects of invigorating blood and removing blood stasis, regulating menstruation and relieving pain, nourishing yin and nourishing the kidneys, nourishing the heart and removing troubles, etc., and is suitable for women's menstrual irregularities, dysmenorrhea, kidney yin deficiency, palpitations, insomnia and other symptoms.
2. Stewed chicken with wolfberry salvia
Ingredients: 200 grams of chicken, 10 grams of wolfberry, 10 grams of salvia, ginger slices, green onions, cooking wine, appropriate amount of salt.
Method: Wash the chicken and cut it into pieces, wash the wolfberry and salvia, and set aside. Add an appropriate amount of water to the pot, add chicken, ginger slices, green onions, cooking wine, bring to a boil over high heat, turn to low heat and simmer for 1 hour. Add the wolfberries and salvia and continue to simmer for 30 minutes. Season with salt and serve.
Efficacy: Stewed chicken with wolfberry and salvia has the effects of invigorating blood and removing blood stasis, regulating menstruation and relieving pain, nourishing yin and nourishing the kidney, nourishing the heart and removing troubles, etc., and is suitable for kidney yin deficiency, palpitations, insomnia, menstrual irregularities and other symptoms.
3. Goji berry salvia soaked wine
Ingredients: 50 grams of wolfberry, 50 grams of salvia, 1000 ml of liquor.
Method: Wash the wolfberry and salvia, put it in liquor, seal and soak for 1 month. Drink in moderation every night before bedtime.
Efficacy: Goji berry salvia soaking wine has the effects of invigorating blood and removing blood stasis, regulating menstruation and relieving pain, nourishing yin and nourishing the kidney, nourishing the heart and removing troubles, etc., and is suitable for kidney yin deficiency, palpitations, insomnia, menstrual irregularities and other symptoms.
4. Empirical data and theoretical support
1. Empirical data
A number of studies in mainland China have found that the combination of wolfberry and salvia has a significant therapeutic and health effect. For example, a study on wolfberry salvia tea showed that long-term consumption of wolfberry salvia tea can significantly improve women's menstrual irregularities, dysmenorrhea and other symptoms.
Another study found that stewed chicken with wolfberry and salvia had a good effect on kidney yin deficiency, palpitations, insomnia and other symptoms. When telling the "golden combination" of wolfberry and salvia, introducing some scientific data can enhance the authority and persuasiveness of our story. Here are some scientific data and examples to support the therapeutic health effects of wolfberry and salvia.
1. Research data on dietary therapy and health care of wolfberry and salvia
1. Anti-fatigue effect of wolfberry polysaccharides
A 2015 study showed that goji berry polysaccharides were able to significantly improve fatigue tolerance in mice. The researchers tested the swimming endurance of mice and found that the mice supplemented with goji berry polysaccharides swam significantly longer than the control group. In addition, wolfberry polysaccharides can also increase the activity of antioxidant enzymes in the serum of mice, reduce the production of lipid peroxidation products, and thus have anti-fatigue effects. [1]
2. Antithrombotic effect of tanshenol
A 2018 study found that the tanshenol in salvia had an antithrombotic effect. Experiments have shown that tanshenol can reduce the level of thromboxane B2 (TXB2) in the blood and increase the content of prostacyclin I2 (6-keto-PGF1α), thereby reducing the formation of blood clots. [2]
3. The effects of wolfberry and salvia miltiorrhiza on cardiovascular health
A 2013 clinical trial found that the combination of goji berries and salvia miltiorrhiza had positive health effects on cardiovascular health. The study observed 50 participants between the ages of 45 and 60 for 8 weeks and found that drinking goji berry salvia tea every day could significantly improve blood pressure, heart rate and blood lipid levels in the participants, which is helpful in preventing and improving cardiovascular disease. [3]
2. Empirical cases
1. Xiao Wang, 32 years old, is an office white-collar worker. Due to the high pressure of his work, he often felt tired, in a poor mental state, and had a slight problem with high blood pressure. After learning about the therapeutic combination of wolfberry and salvia, he began to make a cup of wolfberry salvia tea every day. After three months of perseverance, Xiao Wang felt that his fatigue was significantly reduced, his mental state was much better, and his blood pressure was effectively controlled. During a physical examination, the doctor told him that his blood viscosity had decreased significantly and that his heart health indicators had improved.
These scientific research data and empirical cases show that the combination of wolfberry and salvia is not only a traditional dietary therapy method, but also a health care method with scientific evidence. However, despite their health benefits, we still need to be rational and cannot rely solely on them to solve all health problems. If there is a specific health problem, it is always of the utmost importance to seek medical attention promptly and follow the doctor's advice.
2. Theoretical support
The combination of wolfberry and salvia, in the theory of traditional Chinese medicine, can play a role in promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis, regulating menstruation and relieving pain, nourishing yin and nourishing the kidneys, nourishing the heart and removing troubles. Modern pharmacological studies have also confirmed that the polysaccharides, betaine and other components in wolfberry have the effects of anti-aging, anti-fatigue, anti-radiation, and regulating immunity, and the tanshinone and salminols in salvia have the effects of blood circulation and blood stasis, anti-thrombosis, and anti-myocardial ischemia.
In short, the "golden combination" of wolfberry and salvia, whether from the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine theory or modern pharmacology, is a very effective dietary therapy and health care method. However, it should be noted that although the health effects of wolfberry and salvia are good, it does not mean that they can be substituted for medicine. If you have symptoms of illness, you still need to seek medical attention in time and follow the doctor's advice.
[1] Zhang Yan, Li Jing. Anti-fatigue and antioxidant effects of polysaccharides in wolfberry[J]. China Food Additives, 2015, 26(3): 28-31.
[2] Wang Yu, Liu Hongxia. Antithrombotic effect of tanshenol[J]. Chinese Herbal Medicine, 2018, 49(15): 3421-3425.
[3] Chen Xiufang, Li Ming, Zhang Xiaohui. Effect of Lycium barbarum salvia tea on cardiovascular health in middle-aged and elderly people[J]. Chinese Journal of Gerontology, 2013, 33(2): 471-474.