According to nutrition experts, peaches are rich in various vitamins, minerals, and fruit acids, and their iron content is the highest among fruits. Iron is a major raw material for blood production in the human body and is extremely beneficial to health. Peaches hold an important place among many herbaceous plants.
Peaches are mild in nature and flavor, containing various vitamins, fruit acids, and inorganic salts such as calcium and phosphorus. Their iron content is 4 to 6 times that of apples and pears. Peaches have the effect of nourishing qi and blood, and promoting the production of body fluids. Due to their high iron content, peaches are an ideal supplementary food for patients with iron-deficiency anemia.
While most people don't consider peaches to have any particular nutritional value, the ideal world free from conflict and disease is often referred to as Shangri-La, and ancient Chinese people believed peaches had life-prolonging effects, regarding them as a kind of elixir. Even today, peaches are used in medicinal remedies.
Nutritional components
Per 100 grams of edible portion of a peach, the energy is 117.2-7.7 kilojoules, containing approximately 0.8 grams of protein, 0.1 grams of fat, 10.7 grams of various sugars, 8 milligrams of calcium, 20 milligrams of phosphorus, 10 milligrams of iron, 60 micrograms of provitamin A (carotene), 30 micrograms of vitamin B1, 20 micrograms of vitamin B2, 6 milligrams of vitamin C, 0.7 milligrams of niacin, and also contains various other vitamins, malic acid, and citric acid.
The main component of peaches is sucrose, while the content of vitamins and minerals is relatively low. However, they are rich in pectin, a type of fiber, which helps regulate the intestines. Peaches are used in traditional Chinese medicine because the glycosides in the buds are effective for diuresis and constipation. Peach leaves are also said to be used for bathing and to treat prickly heat.
Traditional Chinese Medicine Perspective
Traditional Chinese medicine believes that peaches are warm in nature and sweet and sour in taste. They have the effects of nourishing the body, tonifying the heart, promoting body fluid production, quenching thirst, eliminating food stagnation, moistening the intestines, and relieving fatigue and fever. They are known as the "fruit of the lungs" and are suitable as an auxiliary food therapy for people with hypoglycemia, lung disease, and weakness with cough. Peach kernels have the effects of removing blood stasis, moistening dryness and lubricating the intestines, and relieving cough. They can treat blood stasis, amenorrhea and abdominal pain, high blood pressure, and constipation (used as a Chinese medicine, not eaten raw). Unripe peaches (smaller than peaches) can be steeped with tea leaves to make a beverage. This has the effects of astringing sweat and stopping bleeding and can treat symptoms such as night sweats due to yin deficiency and hemoptysis. Peach leaves also have insecticidal effects. Boiling them in water and washing the vulva can treat vaginal trichomoniasis. Peach blossoms have the effects of reducing swelling and promoting diuresis. They can be used to treat edema, ascites, constipation, difficulty urinating, and beriberi with edema.
Peaches are delicious, but there are some things to avoid:
1. Unripe peaches should not be eaten, otherwise they may cause bloating or boils;
2. Even ripe peaches should not be eaten in excess, as too many can cause internal heat and inflammation.
3. Rotten peaches should never be eaten;
4. Peaches should not be eaten with soft-shelled turtles;
5. Diabetic patients should eat fewer peaches when their blood sugar is too high.
Healthy eating habits
If peaches have some rotten or spoiled parts, they can be used to make a stew like ganache. Ganache is usually made with mango and then added to curry, which softens the pungent flavor and adds nutrition and taste. Peaches can also be used as a substitute.
Finely chop coconut (rich in iron and calcium), onion (which promotes vitamin B1 absorption), and ginger (which aids digestion). Cook them with sugar and vinegar for about 30 minutes. To enhance the sweetness and thicken the pectin, add thinly sliced peaches and cook for another 20 minutes, or until the water becomes thick.
Preservation of peaches
Peaches should be stored at room temperature. In a dry freezer, the aromatic components will evaporate, and the sweetness will decrease. Furthermore, the way peaches are stored can subtly alter their flavor. To enjoy delicious peaches, pay attention to how they are stored.
