Let's talk about Zongzi during the Dragon Boat Festival

This is the 3812th article of Da Yi Xiao Hu

Soon, the annual Dragon Boat Festival is coming. The Dragon Boat Festival is held on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month every year. It is a festival to get rid of diseases and prevent epidemics, and it is also a festival to commemorate the poet Qu Yuan during the Warring States Period.

During the Dragon Boat Festival, there is a custom of dragon boat racing in various places, and another custom is eating zongzi. Due to the vast territory of my country, the tastes of the north and south are different, so zongzi has different flavors in the north and south, and there are also sweet and salty zongzi.

Today we are going to talk about zongzi, which is a food mainly made of glutinous rice wrapped in bamboo leaves and steamed. Various fillings such as jujube, mung beans, pork belly, bean paste, eight treasures, ham, mushrooms, egg yolks, etc. can be added to make zongzi with different flavors. It is one of the traditional foods with the deepest historical and cultural heritage in China.

The main ingredient of Zongzi is glutinous rice, which is also a very common staple food in life, containing carbohydrates, proteins, fats, sugars, B vitamins, and trace elements such as calcium, phosphorus, and iron.

Glutinous rice has the functions of nourishing the middle and replenishing qi, strengthening the spleen and warming the stomach, and improving the body's immunity. It has a nourishing and improving effect on weak spleen and stomach, postpartum sweating, postpartum dysentery, postoperative weakness, night sweats caused by physical weakness, blood deficiency, dizziness and blurred vision; it can promote fat metabolism, replenish calories, restore physical strength, and promote appetite; it can also soothe emotions, improve the nervous system, relieve depression, and improve insomnia.

Of course, you can't eat too much glutinous rice. What kind of people are not suitable for eating too much glutinous rice? Let's give some examples:

1

Diabetic patients

Glutinous rice contains a lot of carbohydrates, which may cause fluctuations in blood sugar. Therefore, diabetics should strictly control the intake of glutinous rice and must not eat too much, especially patients with poor blood sugar control.

2

People with poor digestion

Glutinous rice is a relatively sticky food and is difficult to digest after entering the stomach. For people with weak digestive abilities, it may put a burden on their digestive system. Therefore, people with weak digestive abilities should not eat too much glutinous rice.

3

People with excessive dampness, heat, phlegm and fire

For people who have fever, cough or excessive internal heat, since the gastrointestinal tract will be in a state of inhibition when the body is hot, eating glutinous rice at this time will cause gastrointestinal indigestion and aggravate the symptoms. Therefore, people with excessive damp heat and phlegm fire are not suitable to eat glutinous rice for the time being.

4

Elderly and children

As we all know, the gastrointestinal function of the elderly is relatively weak. If they often eat sticky glutinous rice, their gastrointestinal function will decline and they will not be able to digest food well, which will easily lead to indigestion. Children, whose gastrointestinal function is still in the development stage, often eat glutinous rice, which is difficult to digest, which will damage the stomach and intestines, thus affecting the development of the stomach and intestines. Therefore, the elderly and children should not eat too much glutinous rice.

The Dragon Boat Festival is coming, and it is a good time to eat rice dumplings. Although rice dumplings are delicious, you can’t eat too much.

Author: Tongren Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine

Director of General Medical Department Xu Zhongqing