Mulberry / MORUS FRUIT / Buah
Murbei(Mulberi) / Morus Alba / 桑椹(Sang shen)
Mulberry
is one of the nutrition treasures of alternative health medicine that has many
health benefits. Mulberry contains fiber, calcium, phosphorus, potassium,
magnesium, carbohydrates, iron and proteins. The fruit can be black, red, pink
or white in color. Mulberries are an excellent source of vitamin B, vitamin C,
vitamin K and iron. They are also a good source of dietary fiber, riboflavin,
phosphorus, magnesium and potassium.
Mulberry
fruits derive their color from anthocyanins. Dried White Mulberries are in golden color,
size is same as raisins and it has sweet, crunchy and chewy taste like dried
figs. This plant pigment is noted for
its powerful antioxidant property. One ounce of ripe mulberry fruits contains
nearly 60mg of anthocyanins. This phytonutrient protects our body from the
harmful oxidation of free radicals. Mulberry prevents plague build up in the
blood vessels. They can prevent cardiac diseases and stroke. The antioxidant
nutrients also protect the brain from cognitive decline. The antioxidant
property of mulberry fruits can prevent development of cancer causing cells.
Mulberry juice is believed to be a
good source of treating anemia and poor blood circulation. In Chinese medicine,
people regularly mix Mulberry juice as a tonic and drink it to alleviate anemic
symptoms and to improve their blood circulation. Mulberry also has the health
benefit of soothing the nerves. Mulberry, like most berries, contains free
radical scavengers that protect the body from degeneration.
Health
& Nutrition Benefits of Mulberry
- Balance internal secretions and
enhance immunity. It promotes proper body fluid production. People
suffering from body fluid deficiency could take ten grams of mulberry
daily with water.
- Strengthens eyesight.
- Enhances appetite, helpful for proper
gastric juice secretion and also improves the ability for digesting and
assimilating.
- Curing health problems like chronic
gastritis, chronic hepatitis, atherosclerosis, anemia, pallor, dizziness,
heart-palpitations and insomnia.
- Promote healthy growth of hair
and blackening.
- Enriches the blood and in the
process, soothes the nerves.
- Promoting the metabolism of
alcohol.
- Hypertension.
- Strengthens body parts like
liver and kidney.
- Treating constipation.
- Fights against inflammation
- Eliminating abdominal
distention.
- Keeps low cholesterol level
- Suppress mutagenesis of
carcinogens.
- Reducing level of blood sugar.
- Prevents cancer of liver.
- Intake of mulberry juice after
any surgery is restorative.
- Mulberry is helpful in
recuperating after long-time sickness.
- Consumption of Mulberry after
childbirth is good for women’s health.
Combining
with Chinese Herbs
In
Chinese markets, mulberry is often provided in the form of a paste called sangshengao.
The paste is mixed into hot water to make a tea to enrich the liver and kidney
and sharpen the hearing and brighten the eyes. For this application, it can be
combined with the traditional formula Yiqi Congming Tang, which is used
for deficiencies in hearing and vision, particularly in the elderly who suffer
from deficiency of yin with deficient heat.
This juice will enhance your health, such as
yin nourishing, enriching the blood, tonifying the liver and kidney, calming
the nerves, promoting the metabolism of alcohol, balancing internal secretions,
and enhancing immunity.
The following are examples of
recommendations for use of morus fruit with other herbs to treat certain
conditions:
- For
deficient yin and blood manifested as dizziness, vertigo, blurred vision,
tinnitus, deafness, insomnia and early graying of hair: Mulberry fruit is
used with ho-shou-wu, ligustrum, and eclipta in the formula Shouwu
Yanshou Dan. This combination can also be used for constipation in the
elderly and for post-partum recovery. Ligustrum and eclipta together make
a basic formula called Erzhi Wan, a well-known formula for yin
deficiency with graying of the hair.
- For
thirst and dry mouth due to deficient body fluids or diabetes, manifesting
as thirst with desire to drink, profuse urine, and lassitude : mulberry
fruit is used with ophiopogon, ligustrum, and trichosanthes root;
alternatively, one can combine it with ophiopogon, glehnia or adenophora,
and yu-chu.
- For
constipation due to dryness in the intestines: mulberry fruit is used with
black sesame seed, ho-shou-wu, and hemp seed (which can be substituted by
flax seed).
- For
chronic arthritis: Mulberry fruit is used with ho-shou-wu and chin-chiu (qinjiao).
- For
nervous stress: Mulberry fruit is combined with schizandra and ligustrum.
- For
insomnia: Mulberry fruit is used with zizyphus, tang-kuei, and hoelen (or
fu-shen). Mulberry fruit can also be combined with rehmannia (both cooked
and raw) to alleviate insomnia due to blood and yin deficiency.