Peach! Does it make you live longer?

According to Chinese legends, peach is a fruit of the fairies and it is said to lengthen life span. This is why the Chinese God of Longevity is always holding a peach in his hand. The traditional Chinese also like to present this as a birthday gift, for the very same reason …. implying that they wish the recipient a long and prosperous life.

Talking about nutrition, the Chinese also believe that peach clears heat from the body, moisturize the intestine and improve blood circulation. Older folks should try to eat peaches more often, to get more blood and more oxygen flowing through their bodies. However, the Chinese believe that pregnant women should not take too much of it. It’s an old wife’s tale. I’m not sure why that is. I’ve search the Internet for information on this, but no info in English has turned up. But you know, my mum has always said that the Chinese are an observation lot. The local uneducated folks probably couldn’t explain why peaches are bad for pregnant women and don’t have a scientific explanation for stuff, but I would assume, over thousands of years of observation, they must have noticed that there are bad side effects of eating buckets of peaches at a go.  A peach a day is probably ok. It has good amounts of folate, that is good for the growing baby inside.

Some of the info taken from Cook Easy! Eat Healthy! Fruit and Vegetables (Chinese book)
Photo of cut peach by Patrick Tregenza, courtesy USDA Agricultural Research Service Image Library

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