Medicinal uses of kumquats displayed during Tet (Vietnamese New Year)

VnExpress•31/01/2024

The pulp and seeds of the kumquat have many medicinal uses, such as regulating qi, dissolving phlegm, treating coughs with chest tightness or coughing up blood, relieving back pain, and treating early-stage breast cancer...

During Tet (Vietnamese Lunar New Year), families often buy meaningful plants to display in their homes, such as apricot blossoms, peach blossoms, and kumquat trees. Among these, kumquat trees are a popular choice due to their reasonable price and ease of care.

Explaining why kumquat trees are chosen by many people as decorative plants during Tet (Lunar New Year), Dr. Huynh Tan Vu, Head of the Day Treatment Unit, University Medical Center of Ho Chi Minh City - Campus 3, said that in Chinese, the pronunciation of "kumquat" is similar to the word "auspicious" in "auspicious," meaning to encounter much luck and blessings.

When buying kumquat trees for Tet (Vietnamese New Year), buyers usually choose trees with lush green leaves, evenly distributed yellow fruit, and abundant fruit, symbolizing prosperity and promising a bountiful harvest, success in business, and good health in the new year. If they are lucky enough to find a tree with both ripe and unripe fruit, as well as young shoots, it is considered even better, as it represents completeness, success, and good fortune.

Interestingly, kumquats are not only used to decorate homes during Tet (Vietnamese New Year) but are also very beneficial for consumption and medicine. People can eat the segments of the kumquat or use them to make jam, syrup, or infused wine. Furthermore, according to traditional Chinese medicine, the segments, peel, and leaves of the kumquat are used to treat liver diseases, digestive problems, coughs, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular diseases.

According to Doctor Vu, there are two parts of the kumquat fruit that can be used as medicine to treat many diseases, but few people know about them and often discard them when eating. First, the kumquat pith has a bitter taste, is neutral in nature, and is rich in vitamin P, which helps prevent and treat high blood pressure, making it very beneficial for the elderly. Kumquat pith also helps regulate qi, dissolve phlegm, clear meridians, and unblock meridians; it is often used to treat qi stagnation in the meridians, chest tightness, coughing up blood, etc.

Secondly, kumquat seeds, also known as kumquat kernels, have a slightly bitter and spicy taste, a warm nature, and are effective in regulating qi, relieving pain, and dissolving lumps. They are often used to treat prolapsed cysts, testicular swelling and pain, back pain, mastitis, and early-stage breast cancer... In addition, kumquat seeds combined with lychee seeds and another remedy are very effective in treating male infertility.

Doctor Vu advises that when eating kumquats, you shouldn't throw away the fibers and seeds; instead, make use of them by drying and storing them properly for later use.

Some medicinal remedies using kumquat

Treatment for the common cold: Take 30g of fresh kumquat peel and 15g of Saposhnikovia divaricata, add 3 cups of water, decoct until 2 cups remain, mix with white sugar and drink one cup while hot, then after half an hour reheat and drink the remaining cup.

To treat colds and headaches: Boil kumquat leaves and other aromatic leaves such as lemongrass, chrysanthemum, mulberry, basil, pomelo leaves, lemon leaves, etc., in water to drink and use for steam inhalation to induce sweating.

To treat rheumatism, back pain, and body aches: 16 g of kumquat root, 12 g of Smilax glabra, 12 g of Achyranthes bidentata, and 8 g of Angelica sinensis. Chop all ingredients finely and decoct with water or soak in alcohol for drinking. Alternatively, cook into a paste and mix with alcohol for consumption.

Treatment for cough caused by wind-heat: 20 g of kumquat root bark, 10 g of mulberry root bark, 10 g of licorice root or leaves (or 5 g of licorice root). Slice all three thinly, dry them in the sun, decoct with 400 ml of water until only 100 ml remains, add sugar, and divide into 2-3 portions to drink throughout the day.

To treat cough with excessive phlegm: Mix 8-16 green kumquats with a small spoonful of granulated sugar or honey, a pinch of salt, and 5g of soot (from burning wood). Steam the mixture over rice for 15-20 minutes, then mash and mix well. Divide into 2-3 portions and drink throughout the day.

Treatment for dysentery: 20 g of kumquat bark, 20 g of pomegranate peel, 20 g of banana peel, 2 g of rosehip root, 10 g of guava buds, finely chopped, dried, and brewed into a decoction for drinking.

To treat abdominal pain, back pain, and knee pain: Boil 15-30g of kumquat root in water and drink the decoction.

Treating tooth decay: Dig up kumquat roots, wash them clean, add a little salt, chew and hold in your mouth. The toothache will subside after a while.

To treat swelling and bruising: Take 40g of kumquat leaves, divide them into two parts. Dry one part, roast it until golden brown, and brew it into a tea. Use the other part fresh, crush it, and apply it to the affected area. Repeat this process for 3-4 days.

Treatment for chronic abscesses: 20 g of kumquat leaves, 20 g of lemon leaves, 10 g of bamboo extract, all dried, ground into a fine powder, sieved, and sprinkled onto the wound.

Treatment for boils: Take equal amounts of kumquat root and rice wine lees, crush them together, heat them slightly, and apply the mixture to the boil.

Treatment for snake bites: Take a handful of kumquat leaves, wash them thoroughly, crush them, add a little salt and a cup of cooled boiled water, strain the liquid and drink it, and apply the remaining pulp to the wound.

To treat vomiting: Take 10g of kumquat peel and 15g of loquat leaves, wrap them in cloth, and boil them in water to drink.

Cough with excessive phlegm: 10 g of processed tangerine peel, 3 g of powdered Fritillaria bulb, 15 g of processed loquat leaves, decocted and drunk.

Testicular cyst, swelling of the testicles: Equal amounts of kumquat seeds and fennel seeds, roasted until golden brown, then ground into a powder. Take 3-6g daily with warm wine.

Pain and distension in the flanks: 10 g of kumquat peel, 10 g of green tangerine peel, 10 g of cyperus rhizome, decocted and drunk.

Dr. Vu noted that the parts of the kumquat used for consumption and medicine must be safe and free from chemicals.

Kumquats used for Tet (Vietnamese New Year) decorations may have been treated with chemicals by growers to stimulate the fruit to be uniform, beautiful, large, and round. Therefore, we should discard any fruit that wilts or falls off, or cut them off after Tet. Only eat the fruit that grows later to ensure safety and avoid chemical poisoning.

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