What Are the Benefits of Eating Jujube (Red Dates)?

Jujube is a popular food enjoyed by many people. It is rich in iron, various minerals, and vitamins, which are beneficial to human health. Especially for women, it has a certain effect of tonifying Qi and blood, calming the nerves, and more. Regular consumption can also improve spleen and stomach function. Jujube can be eaten raw, soaked in water, or cooked into porridge. Let's take a look at the benefits and effects of jujube:

1.1. Improving Spleen and Stomach Function

For people with spleen and stomach weakness, diarrhea, and fatigue, eating seven jujube fruits daily or combining them with Dangshen and Baishu can tonify Qi and nourish the spleen and stomach, increasing appetite and relieving diarrhea. Jujube combined with ginger and Banxia can also treat gastritis symptoms such as gastric bloating and vomiting caused by improper diet.

1.2. Tonifying Qi and Blood

Jujube is a nourishing food often used in dietary therapy and medicinal dishes to nourish the body and moisturize Qi and blood. Dr. Sun Andi from the Immunology Department of National Taiwan University strongly advocates eating more jujube, Huangqi, and Goji berries regularly to enhance vitality and immunity.

1.3. Nourishing Blood and Calming the Mind

For women with hysteria, crying, and anxiety, combining jujube with licorice and wheat (Ganmai Dazao Tang) can nourish blood, calm the mind, and soothe the liver and relieve depression.

1.4. Mitigating Drug Effects

Jujube is often used in strong medicinal prescriptions to reduce the side effects of harsh drugs and protect vital energy. For example, in the "Shizao Decoction," jujube is used to alleviate the toxicity of laxatives such as Kansui, Daji, and Wuhua, protecting the spleen and stomach from harm.

2.1. Enhancing Human Immunity

Jujube contains a large amount of carbohydrates, mainly glucose, as well as fructose, sucrose, and oligosaccharides, arabinogalactan, and galacturonan composed of glucose and fructose. It also contains vitamins C, riboflavin, thiamine, carotenoids, nicotinic acid, and other nutrients. These nutrients have strong nourishing effects, improving human immune function and enhancing disease resistance.

2.2. Enhancing Muscle Strength and Increasing Body Weight

Experimental mice given daily doses of jujube decoction for three weeks showed significantly increased body weight compared to the control group. Additionally, in swimming tests, the mice's swimming time was significantly longer than the control group, indicating that jujube has the effect of enhancing muscle strength and increasing body weight.

2.3. Protecting the Liver

Experimental studies have confirmed that administering jujube decoction daily for one week to rabbits with carbon tetrachloride-induced liver injury resulted in a significant increase in serum total protein and albumin compared to the control group, indicating that jujube has a protective effect on the liver.

2.4. Anti-allergic Effect

The ethanol extract of jujube can inhibit the production of antibodies in specific reactive diseases and also inhibit the reactive antibodies in mice, suggesting that jujube has an anti-allergic effect.