Mồng tơi has long been used as a refreshing leafy vegetable as well as remedies for many illnesses
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Mồng tơi has long been used as a refreshing leafy vegetable as well as remedies for many illnesses
Mồng tơi, also known as creeping spinach or climbing spinach (Basella alba), is widely grown throughout the country as a leaf vegetable. This succulent spinach is rich in vitamins A and C, and such minerals as calcium and iron. It is low in calories by volume, but high in protein per calories. Its succulent mucilage is a rich source of soluble fiber.
In Vietnam, especially in summer, mng ti is often cooked with shrimp (or crab meat) and luffa to make a soup that is very delicious and refreshing. This leaf vegetable has long been used to cure ejaculation problems for men, boost the production of breast milk for nursing mothers, relieve fever, treat constipation and urination disorders, and detoxify the body. It is also used to stop bleeding and heal external wounds.
The soup of mng ti, luffa and shrimp (or crab meat) is recommended as a laxative to treat constipation. It can also help nourish and rejuvenate the skin.
To relieve joint pain, simmer creeping spinach and pig legs and eat the soup a few times a week.
The soup prepared with mng ti, rau ngót (Sauropus androgynus), rau má (Centella asiatica) and the giblets of a chicken or a duck is a remedy of choice for those males with sexual troubles.
To cure early ejaculation, cook a soup with climbing spinach, soybeans, peanuts and pig bone. Eat the soup hot and then drink a glass of warm water with some slices of fresh ginger soaked in it. Repeat the remedy a few times a week.
The soup prepared with mng ti and ác chicken (a small chicken species with white feather, black skin and black bone) and black beans (or soybeans, or peanuts) is very good for nursing mothers. The soup is believed to help boost breast milk, recover health and beautify skin and hair. It is also good for the stomach and digestion. Eat the soup once or twice a week.
To beautify facial skin, squeeze this creeping spinach and apply the juice onto the face before going to bed, and then wash the face well the next morning. This juice can be applied onto burns to accelerate the healing process.
Mng ti is good for those with diabetes or high cholesterol level in the blood, as this vegetable can help discharge fats from the body.
As mng ti is considered to be “cool” in traditional Vietnamese medicine, it is not recommended for those with diarrhea.
(Source: SGT)
