Water lotus is high in fiber, low in calories and can prevent cancer? Nutritionist Zhao Hanying: The golden ratio of calcium and magnesium is a great sleep aid

99.9% of Taiwan's "water lotus" comes from Meinong, Kaohsiung. The "water lotus" with emerald green color and appearance as thin as a rope is one of the must-have delicious home dishes. It not only tastes sweet and crisp, but is also rich in dietary fiber, potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron ions and other essential nutrients for the human body. Water lily is also very low in calories, with only 17 calories per 100 grams. It can be said to be a high-fiber, low-calorie vegetable with a very high CP value! There are even claims on the Internet that eating water lilies can help prevent cancer. Does water lily really have such magical effects? Let us hear what nutritionists say!

Water lotus is rich in nutrients! Nutritionist: High fiber, low calories and delicious

The water lily, commonly known as wild lotus, is actually the stem of a plant from the Menyanthes family. Its correct scientific name is "Nymphoides aquatica". Because of its crispy and refreshing taste and its ease of cooking, it has become one of the common delicacies on the tables of many restaurants and gourmets.

In addition to its good edible quality, nutritionist Zhao Hanying said that the nutritional value of water lilies should not be underestimated! According to the Food Nutrition Database of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, every 100 grams of water lily contains only 17 calories, which is 0.68 times the average 25 calories in a typical serving of vegetables (about the size of a fist). The dietary fiber content is as high as 1.87 grams, even higher than the 1.5 grams in an apple of the same weight.

The golden ratio of calcium and magnesium in water lotus! Relieve insomnia and stabilize nerves

As for the calcium content, water lily contains about 25.6 mg per 100 grams, which is not high compared to other dark green vegetables. However, nutritionist Zhao Hanying emphasized that in addition to calcium, it also contains 10.37 mg of magnesium, which is a good ratio of 2 to 2.5 times more calcium than magnesium. Therefore, moderate consumption of water lotus is not only effective in improving insomnia, but also in combating anxiety problems.

The "water lotus" is emerald green in color and as thin as a rope. It not only tastes sweet and crisp, but also contains dietary fiber, potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron ions and other essential nutrients for the human body, and has a high CP value!

Water lotus is rich in nutrients! Contains minerals iron and zinc

Moreover, every 100 grams of water lily contains 3.72 milligrams of iron. Eating a handful is equivalent to taking in one-third of the 10 milligrams of iron recommended daily intake for adult males and one-fifth of the 15 milligrams for adult females as stated in the Department of Health's "Dietary Reference Intakes for Chinese People".

Even zinc, which is essential to the human body and helps accelerate wound recovery and maintain skin health, is found in oysters, clams, milk, nuts, and animal offal. It contains 0.6 mg per 100 grams of water lotus. This shows that water lotus is nutritionally diverse!

Water lotus is rich in potassium and helps reduce edema

In addition, every 100 grams contains up to 228.67 mg of potassium ions, which is 1.5 times the 150 mg found in the same amount of lemon. Moderate consumption is more beneficial to maintaining the sodium-potassium ion balance in the human body and accelerating metabolism. Modern office workers often eat out for three meals a day and eat heavy flavors, which causes edema problems.

Can eating water lotus help prevent cancer? Nutritionist: No direct relationship

However, can eating water lilies really prevent cancer as claimed on the Internet? In this regard, nutritionist Zhao Hanying pointed out that if we only look at the nutrients in water lilies, there is no direct correlation.

If it is selected as one of the 579 fruits and vegetables, supplemented for a long time, and combined with the three dietary principles of less salt, less oil, and less refined sugar, it can indeed help improve the problems of modern people such as insufficient dietary fiber intake and poor bowel movements. Therefore, it naturally has an indirect effect in preventing cancer.

But even so, if you don't develop a regular routine, regular exercise, and a balanced diet, it would be a pipe dream to want to prevent cancer by just eating water lilies!

The "water lotus" is green in color and looks as thin as a rope. It has a crisp and delicious taste!

KO three highs and edema! Nutritionist recommends 2 water lotus dishes

Although eating water lilies cannot directly prevent cancer, nutritionist Zhao Hanying emphasized that from a nutritional perspective, water lilies are still a rare high-value vegetable! In view of this, he specially designed 2 dishes to target obesity, three highs, and edema, which are common problems of modern people; the cooking steps are simple, and the water lotus dishes are both nutritious and delicious, for reference for friends in need:

★Stir-fried water lily bulbs for the obese, high-blood sugar and high-blood sugar groups

Ingredients: 100 grams of water lily, 30 grams of lily, 10 grams of carrot, a small piece of old ginger, appropriate amount of soy sauce, 5 cc of mirin.

practice:

1. Wash and cut 100g water lily into sections for later use.

2. Wash the lilies, peel them into slices and set aside.

3. Wash, peel and cut ginger and carrot into shreds for later use.

4. Add the old ginger into the pan and stir-fry, then add the lily and water lily, stir-fry until the water lily turns darker in color, then add a little soy sauce and mirin to season according to personal taste and serve.

Effect:

Water lotus and lily can provide the human body with rich and good dietary fiber, while moderate consumption of old ginger and mirin made from rice koji as the main ingredient can help increase the body's blood circulation and accelerate metabolism. It is very suitable for friends who suffer from obesity and the three highs.

★ Fried water lily with three fresh ingredients - reduce edema and eliminate constipation

Ingredients: 100 grams of water lily, 50 grams of soaked dried mushrooms, 20 grams of corn shoots, appropriate amount of garlic and sea salt, and 5 grams of coconut oil.

practice:

1. Wash and cut 100g water lilies into sections, and wash and cut corn shoots into small pieces for later use.

2. Wash and soak the dried mushrooms, then cut into shreds and set aside.

3. Peel and mince the garlic.

4. Take a wok, heat the wok, add garlic and sauté until fragrant, then add mushrooms, corn shoots and water lily in order, stir-fry until the color of the water lily turns darker, add sea salt to taste and serve.

Effect:

Water lotus, which is high in potassium, can be eaten together with shiitake mushrooms, which are rich in dietary fiber and polysaccharides, and corn shoots, which have a sweet taste, are high in fiber, and contain lutein, which is essential for the human body. This can not only help you say goodbye to puffy face and edema, but also accelerate intestinal peristalsis and expel stool.

It is also worth noting that although coconut oil has a relatively high content of saturated fatty acids, because it is a member of the edible oils containing medium-chain fatty acids, it can be more effectively oxidized and utilized by the human body and quickly converted into energy metabolism compared to long-chain fatty acids. Therefore, this recipe only uses 5 grams of coconut oil, which not only adds flavor to the food but also reduces the risk of causing body fat.

[Nutritionist's Tips]:

However, nutritionist Zhao Hanying also reminded that although water lilies are rich in nutritional value, due to their high potassium content, they are not suitable for chronic kidney patients who need to restrict potassium in their diet, as well as dialysis patients. Excessive intake can cause hyperkalemia, which may lead to cardiac arrhythmia in patients. Therefore, it is recommended that people with the above medical history should consult a professional doctor or nutritionist before consuming it for better protection!