The Winter Melon Liquid: A Dietary Therapy Recipe for Deficiency Edema and Cancerous Ascites
The recipe of Winter Melon Liquid (Donggua Ye) is recorded in the medical writings of the late renowned TCM physician Liu Minshu. Winter Melon Liquid is specifically indicated for deficiency-type edema. When edema arises after a prolonged illness, or the mild ascites of cancer patients gives rise to puffiness, applying Winter Melon Liquid at the very onset of edema yields excellent results.
The method of preparing Winter Melon Liquid is as follows:
Take one winter melon, cut off a lid at the stem end, and scoop out the seeds and pulp without damaging the flesh. Add 500 g (one jin) of rock sugar, then secure the cut lid back in place with bamboo skewers. Place the melon beside a charcoal fire, about an inch from the embers, and roast it slowly over gentle heat until the flesh liquefies and the rock sugar has fully dissolved. Pour out the liquid and it is ready as Winter Melon Liquid. The patient drinks it in place of tea. In mild cases a single dose effects a cure; in severe cases three doses suffice.
Winter melon is a very mild food that promotes urination and moves qi. Replacing drug therapy with dietary treatment is both effective and safe. Research shows that among its vitamins, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), thiamine, riboflavin and nicotinic acid are present in relatively high amounts; vitamin B1, which has anti-cancer effects, is particularly abundant in winter melon seeds. Its mineral elements include potassium, sodium, calcium, iron, zinc, copper, phosphorus and selenium—eight in all—with potassium markedly exceeding sodium, making it a typical high-potassium, low-sodium vegetable. This is highly beneficial for patients with kidney disease, hypertension, arteriosclerosis, cirrhotic ascites, coronary heart disease, nephritis and edema who require a low-sodium diet; the element selenium also possesses anti-cancer and other functions. It contains eight of the nine essential amino acids (tryptophan excepted), with relatively high levels of glutamic acid and aspartic acid, as well as ornithine, γ-aminobutyric acid and histidine, which children especially need. Winter melon contains no fat and its dietary fiber reaches 0.8%; it is nutrient-rich with a well-balanced profile. Nutritional quality index calculations indicate that winter melon is a wholesome, high-quality food.
Traditional Chinese medicine holds that winter melon is sweet in taste and slightly cold in nature, with the effects of clearing heat, promoting urination, resolving edema and reducing weight. In addition, it can clear the lungs and resolve phlegm, and treats hemorrhoids and other conditions. If pregnant women eat more winter melon, not only is childbirth easier, but the fetus also benefits greatly. A decoction of winter melon vines has a unique effect on prolapse of the rectum. However, because winter melon is slightly cooling, those with deficiency-cold of the spleen and stomach accompanied by diarrhea, as well as those with yang deficiency and frequent urination, should not eat too much of it.