Yellow chrysanthemums dispel heat, while white chrysanthemums improve eyesight . Chrysanthemums have a fragrant, cool, and refreshing aroma; their taste is pungent, sweet, and bitter, slightly cold, and they enter the lung and liver meridians. Currently, there are two types of chrysanthemums on the market: yellow and white. Yellow chrysanthemums are suitable for dispersing wind-heat and can prevent and treat wind-heat colds; white chrysanthemums are suitable for calming the liver, clearing the liver, and improving eyesight, and can be used for symptoms such as headaches and dizziness. There is also a type of wild chrysanthemum, whose flowers are smaller and yellower, and whose shape is not very attractive. Wild chrysanthemums have the strongest heat-clearing and detoxifying effects and are effective in relieving sores, toothaches, and bad breath.
Brew and drink immediately. Chrysanthemum tea is rich in flavonoids, which have excellent antioxidant properties. They help the body eliminate free radicals and have various health benefits, such as lowering cholesterol and inhibiting high blood pressure. However, flavonoids are very unstable and easily oxidized, causing the tea to lose its original yellow color and turn green, thus reducing its health benefits. Therefore, chrysanthemum tea should be brewed and consumed immediately and should not be left for long periods.
People who are sensitive to cold or have weak spleen and stomach should drink less . Regardless of the type of chrysanthemum, it is generally cold in nature. People with yang deficiency (who are usually sensitive to cold) and weak spleen and stomach (who experience stomach pain or discomfort after eating cold food) should not drink too much.
People with a hot constitution should not add rock sugar. For those who are cold-natured or weak, adding rock sugar to chrysanthemum tea can slightly reduce its cooling properties, making it more suitable for their constitution. However, for those who are hot-natured and robust, adding rock sugar will weaken the heat-clearing effect of chrysanthemum tea.
Combined with goji berries, it nourishes the liver and kidneys; with mulberry leaves, it treats colds. Take 6 grams of white chrysanthemum and 10 grams of goji berries, place them in a teacup, pour boiling water over them, and steep for 10-15 minutes before drinking. Chrysanthemum has a sweet taste and nourishes the liver and kidneys; when combined with goji berries, which also nourish the liver and kidneys, its effects are enhanced. Alternatively, take 6 grams of yellow chrysanthemum and 6 grams of mulberry leaves, and steep as above. Both mulberry leaves and chrysanthemum can dispel wind-heat, clear the liver, and improve eyesight; used together, they can relieve symptoms such as fever and headache in the early stages of a wind-heat cold.
