Sour vine fruit is the fruit of the plant sour vine, which belongs to the Rubiaceae family. Sour vine fruit has a sour and sweet taste and is used in traditional medicine for its strengthening, blood-tonifying, insecticidal, and antimicrobial effects. Let's introduce the efficacy and usage of sour vine fruit.
【Efficacy of Sour Vine Fruit】
Immature sour vine fruit is green and very sour, so it is generally not eaten. However, when the fruit is ripe, it turns blood-red and has a sour-sweet taste, making it very delicious.
Sour vine fruit contains abundant vitamin C and anthocyanins, which are beneficial for the body when consumed in moderate amounts. It has anti-aging and beauty effects.
However, due to improved living conditions in rural areas, more and more people are unfamiliar with this wild fruit. Therefore, sour vine fruit is now rarely considered as a wild fruit and is more commonly used as a medicinal herb.
The fruit, leaves, and roots of sour vine can all be used in traditional medicine. The fruit has the effect of strengthening and tonifying the blood, while the leaves have the effect of dispersing stasis, relieving pain, and treating bruises and swelling.
【Usage of Sour Vine Fruit】
Harvest and processing: Medicinal roots, leaves, and ripe fruits. The fruits are harvested in summer, steamed and dried for later use. The roots and leaves can be harvested throughout the year, with the roots being washed, sliced, and dried, while the leaves can be used dried or fresh.
Taste and function: Roots and leaves: Sour and astringent, slightly warm. Fruits: Sweet and sour, neutral. It has the functions of detoxification, reducing swelling, dispersing stasis, stopping pain, and astringency. Ripe fruits can strengthen and tonify the blood.
Main uses: Amenorrhea, enteritis, dysentery, sore throat. Dry roots are used at a dosage of 5 qian (about 15 grams) to 1 liang (about 30 grams); for vitamin C deficiency and anemia, the fruits or leaves can be decocted at a dosage of 3-5 qian (about 9-15 grams). Fresh leaves can be crushed and applied externally for bruises and swelling, or the juice can be used topically for itchy skin.
It is best to consume fresh ripe fruits. After harvesting, wash them with boiling water, eat the fruit flesh, and remove the seeds. This is especially beneficial for the treatment of vitamin C deficiency.
【Side Effects of Sour Vine Fruit】
People with weak spleen and stomach, indigestion, and loose stools should not consume sour vine fruit.
Sour vine fruit has excellent health benefits, but it is a Chinese herbal medicine with a particularly sour taste. When consumed in moderate amounts, it does not have any obvious side effects. However, individuals with excessive stomach acid or those suffering from gastric ulcers and duodenal ulcers may worsen their condition and harm their gastrointestinal health after consuming sour vine fruit. This is the most common side effect observed after consuming sour vine fruit.
