What are the nutrients of hawthorn? How to choose hawthorn

Hawthorn, also known as red fruit and mountain red, has a relatively high content of pectin, which is a dietary fiber that helps gastrointestinal motility and promotes defecation. Although it tastes sweet and sour, it is also a relatively nutritious fruit. The following content will share with you how to choose hawthorn.

Contents of this article

1. What are the nutrients of hawthorn?

2. How to choose hawthorn

3. Precautions for eating hawthorn

What are the nutrients of hawthorn

Hawthorn, also known as red fruit and mountain red, if you look up the Chinese food composition table, you will find that it, along with apples and pears, is included in the pome fruit category.

The carbohydrates in fresh hawthorn are mainly composed of fructose and glucose. Its sweetness is combined with organic acids and has a sour taste.

Hawthorn tastes sweet and sour, but it is also a relatively nutritious fruit.

Hawthorn is very sour, and a lot of it is vitamin C. The vitamin C content in fresh hawthorn is 53 mg/100 g, and some varieties of hawthorn can even have 100 mg/100 g of vitamin C. This amount is much higher than the apples, citrus and other fruits we usually like to eat.

At the same time, the pectin content in hawthorn is relatively high, reaching about 5%. Pectin is a dietary fiber that helps gastrointestinal motility and promotes defecation.

In addition, hawthorn is rich in flavonoids, which have good antioxidant properties and are also good for human health.

How to choose hawthorn

Look at the color: When buying hawthorns, try to pick those with bright red color, as they are fresher and more mature; those with too light color are not mature enough.

Look at the appearance: hawthorns should be of moderate size, round, without damage or insect eyes. In addition, hawthorns with rough skin are generally more sour, while smooth ones are sweeter.

Look at the weight: When buying hawthorns, pick them up and weigh them. If they are too light, it means that there is very little water in them. Therefore, it is best to buy fresh hawthorns that feel heavier. Don't buy hawthorns that are soft when you pinch them. The harder ones are fresher.

Precautions for eating hawthorn

Hawthorn is appetizing but can easily cause stones. Many people think that hawthorn is appetizing and sweet and sour, so they will eat a lot of it carelessly. People with stomach problems should eat less hawthorn. Excessive consumption of hawthorn may cause stomach stones. Because hawthorn contains high levels of pectin and tannic acid, it is easy to condense into water-insoluble precipitation after contact with stomach acid, and stick together with food residues to form stomach stones. Stones can cause gastric ulcers, gastric bleeding, and even necrosis and perforation of the stomach wall, making stomach problems more serious. Cooking hawthorn will reduce the impact of tannic acid.