Many people use lotus leaf and winter melon tea to help themselves lose weight because winter melon has the effects of dissipating summer heat, relieving thirst, clearing heat and resolving phlegm, promoting diuresis and edema reduction, and weight loss and detoxification, while lotus leaf has always been a recognized choice for weight loss, with the effects of lowering blood lipids and blood pressure and antiviral properties.

One, winter melon

Winter melon has a slightly cool nature and sweet taste. It has the effects of dissipating summer heat and relieving thirst, clearing heat and resolving phlegm, promoting diuresis and edema reduction, and weight loss and detoxification. Winter melon contains a lot of potassium salt. In every 100 grams of winter melon flesh, there are 0.4 grams of protein, 2 grams of carbohydrates, 0.4 grams of crude fiber, 19 milligrams of calcium, 12 milligrams of phosphorus, 0.3 milligrams of iron, 0.01 milligrams of beta-carotene, 0.01 milligrams of vitamin A, 0.02 milligrams of vitamin B1, 16 milligrams of vitamin C, 135 milligrams of potassium, and 9.5 milligrams of sodium. Winter melon is rich in vitamin C.

Winter melon has a light and refreshing taste with a unique fragrance, making it an ideal vegetable for summer and autumn. Eating winter melon regularly not only helps to dissipate summer heat, relieve thirst, cool the throat, resolve phlegm, and promote diuresis and edema reduction, but also aids in weight loss. Especially for those who are overweight, eating winter melon regularly can make the body slim and healthy. Winter melon is indeed a high-quality and inexpensive food.

Two, lotus leaf

Lotus leaf is a ‘medicinal and edible’ food. The flavonoids rich in lotus leaf are scavengers of most oxygen free radicals, which can increase the activity of SOD (superoxide dismutase) and reduce the generation of MDA (malondialdehyde, a lipid peroxide) and 0X-LDL (oxidized low-density lipoprotein). It can increase coronary blood flow and has an antagonistic effect on experimental myocardial infarction; it has a protective effect on acute myocardial ischemia; it has a significant effect on the treatment of coronary heart disease, hypertension, and other conditions; it also plays an important role in lowering diastolic blood pressure, preventing arrhythmias, and cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, lotus leaf flavonoids are a class of very valuable and undeveloped substances, which can be used as raw materials for cardiovascular diseases and can also be widely used in functional foods, health foods, and beverages. In addition, another major class of active substances in lotus leaf—alkaloids, have significant physiological activity and have obvious effects on lowering blood lipids, antiviral, and other functions.

Three, efficacy and function

Winter melon not only clears heat and detoxifies, but also has excellent effects on weight loss and beauty. The skin of winter melon has a significant diuretic effect. Boiling the skin of winter melon into water for drinking can help eliminate edema and prevent skin pigmentation, thus promoting beauty and health. The main function of the seeds of winter melon is to drain pus, which is effective in treating lung abscess, cough with sputum, appendicitis (ileitis), constipation, and other conditions. The Compendium of Materia Medica states: ‘Winter melon cools the body and relieves heat, benefits the spleen with sweetness, promotes defecation, reduces edema, stops thirst, and alleviates heat-toxin pain and swelling.’ The whole winter melon is medicinal, with its skin, flesh, and seeds being used in medicine. Because winter melon contains low sodium and high potassium, eating more winter melon can have a therapeutic effect on hypertension, kidney disease, edema, and other conditions; winter melon has both preventive and therapeutic effects on silicosis; winter melon also has lactogenic effects on postpartum women. However, those with kidney deficiency should eat winter melon sparingly.