Is bird's nest food or medicine? Long-term adherence to eating, but there are unexpected benefits
Many fans wonder whether bird’s nest is medicine or food? In fact, bird's nest is not included in the list of medicines in the "Chinese Pharmacopoeia", so bird's nest should not be a medicine, but a food. So does bird's nest really have that great effect?
1.Is bird's nest medicine or food?
In the original place of bird's nest, these bird's nests have been classified as a kind of natural nourishing products since ancient times, with the most unique protease, and the bird's nest itself is also a food. Bird's nest is rich in sialic acid and even has a variety of different nutrients. They are naturally occurring carbohydrates. Bird's nest contains epidermal growth factor, which can stimulate the proliferation of a variety of cells, mainly epidermal cells or other corneal injuries. It also has a good effect on wound repair or healing, and can effectively regulate cells in cosmetics. Growth and differentiation.
2. Why do we insist on eating bird's nest as a food?
The Chinese have a long history of eating bird's nest tonic. The content of sialic acid in bird's nest is relatively high, which cannot be replaced by other foods.
At present, an important indicator of the quality of bird's nest is the content of sialic acid. Although sialic acid is present in the food we eat daily, the content in general food is very low; in addition, because the nutrients in food are quite complex, sialic acid glycoprotein needs to be hydrolyzed in the digestive tract before sialic acid can become a monomer. The utilization rate of the released and then reaching the human organs is quite low, which is why we eat bird's nest.
3. What is sialic acid?
Sialic acid (SA), whose scientific name is "N-acetylneuraminic acid", is a naturally occurring carbohydrate. Sialic acid is a derivative of 9-carbon monosaccharide, a negatively charged ion that can make saliva feel smooth. It not only has the function of "inducing" invading bacteria, the current cognition is the transmitter of gangliosides, and it is an integral part of the brain.
Sialic acid can prevent the invasion of germs. Sialic acid is also the receptor of influenza virus. It is the binding site where influenza virus binds to mucous cells. In humans, the brain has the highest content of sialic acid. The content of sialic acid in brain gray matter is 15 times that of internal organs such as liver and lungs.
Therefore, the long-term nourishment of bird's nest can strengthen the foundation, cultivate vitality, and help enhance physical fitness and disease resistance. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that bird’s nest is sweet and smooth in nature and enters the lungs, stomach, and kidney meridian. It has the power of nourishing yin, nourishing the lungs, replenishing qi and replenishing the middle. The sialic acid in it is the "patron saint" of the frail and sick, and can block external viruses. Invade, regulate the circulation in the body, and strengthen the physique. Therefore, many people of all ages, men and women will use bird's nest to achieve the effect of tonic.