Many people know that chrysanthemums have the function of clearing the liver, improving eyesight, and dispersing wind and heat. However, many people are not clear about the varieties and benefits of chrysanthemums, and only have a superficial understanding. Below, we will introduce the benefits of different types of chrysanthemums.
Yellow Chrysanthemum: Dispersing Wind and Heat
Yellow chrysanthemums (more accurately called "tongue-shaped flowers") are yellow in color, such as Hangzhou yellow chrysanthemums. Currently, the most popular variety in the market is the golden chrysanthemum, which belongs to yellow chrysanthemums.
Benefits: Yellow chrysanthemums have a slightly bitter taste and strong heat-clearing ability. They are often used to disperse wind and heat. If you have internal heat or mouth ulcers, drinking water infused with yellow chrysanthemums can help alleviate the symptoms.
White Chrysanthemum: Soothing the Liver and Improving Eyesight
If you want to soothe the liver and improve eyesight with chrysanthemum tea, then white chrysanthemum is recommended. The petals of white chrysanthemums are white, and commonly seen varieties include Chu chrysanthemums and Hangzhou white chrysanthemums.
Benefits: Hangzhou white chrysanthemums have the effect of clearing the liver and improving eyesight. They are suitable for conditions such as liver fire, blurred vision, dizziness, and excessive internal heat.
There is also a variety called fetal chrysanthemum, which refers to the unopened flower buds of Hangzhou white chrysanthemums. The buds are spherical, well-formed, with unopened petals, golden color, and a strong fragrance. When used to make tea, the tea has a golden color, pure aroma, and strong taste. This is considered a top-quality chrysanthemum.
Wild Chrysanthemum: Clearing Heat and Detoxifying
There is also a small, spherical type of chrysanthemum known as wild chrysanthemum.
Strictly speaking, wild chrysanthemums are not cultivated chrysanthemums. Cultivated chrysanthemums are deliberately grown, while wild chrysanthemums grow naturally, often found by the roadside and on hillsides.
Benefits: Wild chrysanthemums have the effect of clearing heat and detoxifying. They are suitable for conditions such as red and swollen eyes, boils, carbuncles, and excessive internal heat. Although both types of chrysanthemums have heat-clearing effects, they focus on different aspects. Using them together may have an overly cooling and purging effect.
How to Choose Chrysanthemums
Check the color: Chrysanthemums with dull or excessively bright colors should be avoided. Dull colors indicate poor quality, while excessively bright colors may be the result of sulfur fumigation.
Feel the texture: High-quality chrysanthemums should feel neither hard nor damp, but soft and smooth to the touch.
Smell the fragrance: Chrysanthemums should have a clear and pleasant fragrance. If there is a sour smell, it may indicate sulfur fumigation, so it is best not to purchase them.
Who Should Avoid Drinking Chrysanthemum Tea
People with a cold constitution should not drink chrysanthemum tea regularly.
Chrysanthemums have a cooling nature. People with a cold constitution, who are sensitive to cold, have a cold stomach, or easily experience diarrhea, should not consume chrysanthemum tea regularly.
Chrysanthemums can lower blood pressure, so patients with low blood pressure are also advised against drinking chrysanthemum tea.
If individuals with allergies experience rash or other allergic reactions after drinking chrysanthemum tea, they should stop consumption immediately and seek medical attention if necessary.
