SkyBlue Cross Alternative Health Blog

Tuesday, 3 January 2012

Lotus Seeds' Health Benefits

By: http://www.SkyBlueCross.com
Lotus seeds, called lian zi in Chinese, can be used in food as well as purely for medicine. This Chinese herb is used mainly for the spleen, heart and kidneys, but also possesses calming qualities.

 Lotus flower blooming

 History
 The lotus flower was brought to China thousands of years ago.
 The lotus flower originated in India, but was taken to China, as well as to other parts of the world, 2,000 years ago. Now it is grown on a large scale in China, with the majority of the seeds coming out of the south.
 Food
 Lotus seeds are used in Chinese recipes.
 Lotus seeds are used in many Chinese soups and desserts. They are sweet-tasting and are a good source of protein.
 Benefits and Contraindications
 Lotus seeds are calming and can assist with insomnia.
 One of the medicinal benefits of lotus seeds is stopping chronic diarrhea, according to Mike Adams, creator of NaturalNews.com and HerbReference.com. Subhuti Dharmananda, director of the Institute for Traditional Medicine in Portland, Oregon, says the seeds "alleviate restlessness, palpitations, and insomnia."
 Warning
 Because lotus seeds have antidiarrheal properties, people with indigestion or constipation should avoid them.
 Fun Fact
 Lotus seeds are also eaten in the southern United States, called by the Cajun population "graine a voler," which in French means "flying seed." The name stems from the phenomenon that the seeds can actually pop out of the pods on their own as the pods dry.


 Nutritional Value
 According to the website NutritionData.com, lotus seeds are good source of protein, magnesium, potassium, and phosphorus. They are also low in saturated fat, sodium, and cholesterol. Subhuti Dharmananda, Ph.D., director from the Institute for Traditional Medicine, also reports that lotus seeds are a good source of protein and used in soups in traditional Chinese cooking. The website Nutritional Wellness also lists iron and zinc among trace elements included within the seeds.
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 Anti-Aging Properties
 All lotus seeds contain the anti-aging enzyme L-isoaspartyl methyltransferase, which is said to help repair damaged proteins, according to the Kushi Institute, a macrobiotic website. Because of this, many cosmetic companies are now finding ways to include the seeds in anti-aging blends. Daike Tian, in an article on the Water Gardeners International website, states that lotus seeds contain kaempferol, a natural flavonoid which prevents inflammation. Tian claims this this helps repair aging gum tissue.
 Medicinal Uses
 Dharmananda claims that lotus seeds have astringent properties that have specific benefits to the kidneys, helping to restore vital energy within the body. He states that the seeds are also used to treat sexual conditions. In accordance with Chinese medicine, the sweet and neutral taste of lotus seeds said to nourish the spleen and alleviate diarrhea. Dharmananda goes on to claim that the seeds are traditionally thought to have sedative or calming properties, and are therefore used to treat insomnia or restlessness. Tian claims that within Chinese medicine, the lotus embryo, or heart of the lotus seed, benefits the heart because of its bitter and cooling properties. The bitter components are said to include the isoquinoline alkaloids, which he claims have antispasmodic and calming effects, which he claims can help dilate blood vessels, thus reducing blood pressure.
 Combination Formulas
 Lotus seeds are often a vital component when combined with other herbs to create traditional formulas within Chinese medicine. Dharmananda lists several on the Institute for Traditional Medicine website. The Sheng Ling Baizhu San blend is well known and is said to help weak digestion and alleviate diarrhea. The formula Qingxin Lianzi Yin can be used for urinary and reproductive disorders, including urinary tract infections and prostatitis

 Overview
 Homer told about the lotus eaters who deterred Odysseus's men on their epic journey and whose fare made people forgetful and apathetic. Truth divulging from legend, the seeds and leaves are edible and have been used in dishes for thousands of years without making anyone lose their memory. Besides being edible and ornamental, the lotus plant has many health benefits as well.
 What is Lotus
 The lotus, Nelumbo nucifera, is a fresh water plant that has been cultivated in southeast Asia and the Mediterranean for over 5000 years, according to Plant Culture. China and Japan classify the lotus as a vegetable and regularly eat the roots, called rhizomes, as well as its stems and leaves. The petals are used to spice dishes and to make teas. The seeds, a major export from China, are prepared in many way for eating or healing applications.
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 Preparing and Eating
 The seeds can be eaten raw but are typically dried before export. Typically, Asians roast the seeds or use them to prepare traditional foods such as "moo pies," as well as red bean and lotus seed soup for newlyweds, according to the Institute of Traditional Medicine. Inside of the seed is a bitter embryo. Many recommend removing the bitter part before cooking. It is the embryo and seed extracts which are often used for medicinal purposes.
 Nutrition
 Eating 1 oz. of raw lotus seeds provides 94.3 calories. While 1 oz. of seeds is a very small sample size it is a low-fat, cholesterol-free snack. Lotus seeds contain no sugar but do provide 18.3 g of carbohydrates and 4.4 g of protein as well as 4.6% and 5.6% of the daily values of calcium and iron, respectively. Calorie Lab notes that the seeds are also a good source of thiamine, phosphorus, potassium and manganese.
 Health Benefits
 Western research has found many uses for the whole of the lotus plant. The seeds are powerful antioxidants and help fight inflammation and aging, writes D. Tian, Ph.D, author of "The Versatile and Valuable Lotus," in the November 2008 edition of the "Water Gardeners International Online." He adds that good investigative evidence supports using the seeds as an antiviral; they can help fight the herpes 1 virus. Dr. Tian also reports that since the 1960s, research has found the seeds to be useful in lowering hypertension. Most of the studies have used animals in a lab setting, but there is good promise for human trials.
 Traditional Medicine
 Practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine view the seeds as astringent, meaning among other things that they can decrease abnormal fluid leakage from organs such as the spleen, kidney and heart, according to Dr. Tian. Men are given lotus seeds as part of treating deficient kidney function related to sexual problems. The inner part of the seeds, the bitter greens or embryos, are considered "cooling," and are used to treat the heart for "pathogenic heat."
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 References
 Plant Cultures: Lotus History
 Institute for Traditional Medicine: Lotus Seed


Reference:: http://www.livestrong.com

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