Can pregnant women eat Houttuynia cordata?

Nowadays, wild vegetables from the mountains have become dishes on people’s tables, and they are as highly regarded as other dishes. This is mainly because wild vegetables are not as polluted by pesticides as is commonly believed, and are relatively green and healthy. Moreover, wild vegetables are very rich in nutritional value. Houttuynia cordata is a typical example of wild vegetables. It is juicy and leafy and extremely nutritious.

Houttuynia cordata is an extremely good food for many people. However, can pregnant women also eat Houttuynia cordata? As a special group in a family, pregnant women should pay special attention to their diet.

Houttuynia cordata tastes pungent and is cold in nature. It can clear away heat and detoxify, reduce swelling and treat sores, promote diuresis and remove dampness, clear away heat and stop dysentery, and strengthen the stomach and aid food. It is used to treat lung abscesses, sores, swelling and toxins, hemorrhoids, bloody stools, and heat accumulation in the spleen and stomach caused by real heat, heat toxins, dampness, and rapid heat. Modern pharmacological experiments have shown that this product has antibacterial, antiviral, immunity-enhancing and diuretic effects.

Clinical reports show that Houttuynia cordata is widely used to treat upper respiratory tract infection, influenza, lung abscess, cancerous pleural effusion, lung cancer, cervical erosion, acute bacillary dysentery, acute icteric hepatitis, mumps and many other diseases. Foreign countries have also isolated a cancer prevention and anti-cancer substance from Houttuynia cordata; in addition to being effective for gastric cancer, it also has a certain therapeutic effect on middle and late stage lung cancer, choriocarcinoma, malignant hydatidiform mole, and rectal cancer. In Japan, Houttuynia cordata is popular. In addition to traditional Chinese medicine and medicated diet therapy, it is also used in the form of functional health foods (tea, beverages, etc.).

Pregnant women can eat Houttuynia cordata, but they should eat less! Houttuynia cordata is good for the body, but don’t eat too much, because Houttuynia cordata is a Chinese herbal medicine after all. As the saying goes, all medicines are poisonous, so it is better to eat it in moderation.

Through the above, we have a detailed understanding of Houttuynia cordata and know that this plant has extremely good effects on the human body. Therefore, Houttuynia cordata can be used to alleviate the corresponding symptoms for some special groups of patients. However, pregnant women must eat less.