After The Big Fish And Meat During The Chinese New Year, Is It Actually The Savior Of The Intestines?

New Year's dietary dilemma: Constipation quietly strikes

The Spring Festival should be a warm time for families to enjoy happiness and delicious food, but for many people, they may be entangled by the "little devil" of constipation, casting a shadow over the beautiful holiday.
During the Spring Festival, people visit relatives and friends and have family dinners constantly. The table is full of "hard dishes" that they would not like to eat in ordinary days: fresh and juicy Braised pork belly, bright red in color, fat but not greasy, and easy to eat; Golden crispy fried chicken, with a crunchy texture on the outside and juicy and tender chicken inside; There is also the sweet and sour pork ribs with a fragrant aroma, which is irresistible. In addition to these, various nuts, fried goods, candies, and pastries are also placed on the coffee table, so you can grab a handful to eat whenever you have nothing to do. Who can resist taking a few more bites of such a sumptuous diet? But the result was that the digestive system began to 'protest'.
Eating too much big fish, meat, and greasy food leads to neglecting the intake of vegetables and fruits. Due to insufficient dietary fiber, intestinal peristalsis becomes slow, and stool becomes dry and clumpy, as if "roots" have been formed in the intestines and cannot be expelled. Sitting on the toilet every day, working hard for half a day but without any results, that suffocating and uncomfortable feeling is unbearable. Moreover, constipation not only makes people physically uncomfortable but also affects their mood. The originally relaxed and happy atmosphere of the Chinese New Year has become somewhat oppressive due to this small "difficulty in defecation".

Understanding Cistanche tubulosa: a treasure in the desert
In the face of constipation, a small episode during the Spring Festival, there is a magical traditional Chinese medicine that may help us solve problems, and it is the famous "desert ginseng" called Cistanche tubulosa.
The growth environment of Cistanche tubulosa is extremely unique. It parasitizes the roots of the desert plant Salix matsudana and is mainly distributed in the Gobi Desert areas of China, such as Inner Mongolia, Gansu, and Xinjiang, where the climate is extremely dry, the sunshine is strong, and the annual precipitation is less than 250mm. There are strong sandstorms and poorly developed soil, mostly consisting of medium fine sand that is neutral or slightly alkaline, with high salt content and a lack of organic matter. However, Cistanche deserticola can grow tenaciously in such harsh environments. It is like a mysterious desert hermit, silently growing underground most of the time, drawing nutrients and water from the red willow tree, accumulating strength. Only in May and June each year, it will extend its spike-like inflorescence to the ground, blooming yellow, white, or light purple flowers, adding a unique vitality to the barren desert.

Chinese herb cistanche

From the appearance, Cistanche tubulosa is a perennial parasitic herbaceous plant with a height of 40-160cm. The stem is fleshy, thick, usually single, with a wide and thick lower part that gradually becomes thinner upwards. Its leaves are scaly, pale yellow-white, and tightly arranged in a spiral shape on the stem, as if giving the stem a unique layer of armor.
Cistanche tubulosa is a rare and valuable medicine in the field of traditional Chinese medicine. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that Cistanche tubulosa has a sweet and salty taste, a warm nature, and is beneficial to the kidneys and large intestine meridians. It has miraculous effects such as tonifying kidney yang, nourishing essence and blood, moisturizing the intestines, and promoting bowel movements. The Compendium of Materia Medica contains detailed records of the medicinal value of Cistanche tubulosa, which has a certain therapeutic effect on various diseases such as labor injury, semen loss, dark complexion, kidney deficiency, white turbidity, excessive sweating, and constipation. In terms of tonifying kidney yang, it is sweet and warm to help yang, salty to enter the kidneys, and can help supplement the yang energy of the kidneys, improve symptoms such as soreness and weakness of the waist and knees, coldness of the limbs, and mental fatigue caused by insufficient kidney yang. It has significant therapeutic effects, especially on male problems such as fatigue and impotence. On the basis of nourishing essence and blood, it can warm and replenish essence and blood, relieve physical weakness, dizziness, blurred vision, muscle and bone weakness caused by qi and blood deficiency.
And for the constipation problem that troubles everyone during the Chinese New Year, Cistanche tubulosa has a unique "remedy". It belongs to the colon meridian and can enter the large intestine. By warming the intestines and increasing intestinal fluid, it promotes intestinal peristalsis, making stool soft and easy to excrete, effectively improving intestinal dryness and constipation. Whether it is constipation caused by insufficient qi and blood in the elderly or irregular diet during the Chinese New Year in young people, Cistanche tubulosa can play its unique role in moistening the intestines and promoting bowel movements, helping us restore normal intestinal function and regain a relaxed and comfortable feeling in the body.

Desert ginseng

Scientific basis for relieving constipation with Cistanche tubulosa
The effective relief of constipation by Cistanche tubulosa is not an unfounded folk legend, but is supported by solid scientific theories. Behind this is the crucial role played by the various unique components it contains.
Cistanche tubulosa is rich in dietary fiber, which is a good helper for intestinal health. Dietary fiber is like a "little broom" in the intestines. Although the human body cannot digest and absorb it, it can absorb a large amount of water in the intestines, causing it to expand and increase the volume of feces, making them fluffy, soft, and no longer dry and hard. At the same time, dietary fiber can stimulate the intestinal mucosa, promote intestinal peristalsis, and inject vitality into the intestines, pushing feces to move quickly in the intestines and be smoothly excreted from the body. Just like when we clean a room, a broom can sweep away dust and debris from the corners, and dietary fiber can also clean up the accumulated metabolic waste, toxins, etc., in the intestines, keeping them clean and unobstructed.
Lactitol is also a major contributor to the relief of constipation by Cistanche tubulosa. It has strong water absorption, and after entering the human body, it can quickly absorb water from the intestines like a strong sponge, increasing the moisture content of intestinal contents and making the intestinal environment moist. In this way, the dry stool is nourished by water and naturally easily excreted. Moreover, galactitol can regulate the osmotic pressure in the intestine, making it easier for water to enter the intestine, further ensuring the moisture level of the intestine and creating favorable conditions for the smooth excretion of feces.

Effects of cistanche-treat constipation

Click here to view Cistanche deserticola constipation-relieving products

【Ask for more】 Email:cindy.xue@wecistanche.com / WhatsApp: 0086 18599088692 / Wechat: 18599088692

Cistanche polysaccharides also play an important role in promoting intestinal peristalsis. Research has shown that polysaccharides from Cistanche tubulosa can regulate the balance of gut microbiota, increase the number of beneficial bacteria, and inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria. Beneficial bacteria can produce substances such as short-chain fatty acids in the intestine, which can stimulate intestinal peristalsis and enhance the contraction ability of intestinal smooth muscles. It is like upgrading the "power system" of the intestine, making intestinal peristalsis more powerful and efficient, thereby accelerating the transmission speed of feces and effectively relieving constipation symptoms. In addition, polysaccharides from Cistanche tubulosa also have certain immune regulatory effects, which can enhance the body's immunity, help the body resist various diseases, and enable us to enjoy delicious food while also having a healthy gut and strong body.

Cistanche extract powder

Recommended methods for consuming Cistanche tubulosa
After learning about the miraculous effect of Cistanche tubulosa in relieving constipation, everyone is definitely eager to know how to incorporate it into their daily diet and maximize its effectiveness. Below are several simple and practical ways to consume Cistanche tubulosa:
Cistanche tubulosa soaked in water, 

cistanche tea

This is the most convenient way to consume it, as simple as making tea in daily life. Prepare 10-15 grams of Cistanche deserticola, slice it thinly, and place it in a cup. Brew it with boiling water that has just been boiled, then cover the cup and let it steep for 10-15 minutes to fully release the active ingredients of Cistanche tubulosa into the water. The soaked Cistanche tubulosa water has a golden and translucent color, emitting a faint fragrance, a warm and mellow taste, and a slight sweetness. It can be brewed repeatedly until the taste becomes lighter. This method is particularly suitable for busy office workers and those who pay attention to health and wellness. They can have a drink at any time to easily replenish their body's "power" and alleviate mild constipation symptoms caused by prolonged sitting and an irregular diet. However, it should be noted that the water temperature in which Cistanche tubulosa is soaked must be high enough to better stimulate its medicinal effects. In addition, pregnant women, lactating women, and individuals allergic to Cistanche tubulosa are not recommended to consume it.
Cistanche tubulosa soup
Boiling soup is a way of eating that perfectly blends the nutrients of Cistanche tubulosa with the deliciousness of the ingredients. On a cold winter day, a family sits together and drinks a steaming bowl of Cistanche soup, which not only warms the body but also nourishes it. For example, in the classic Cistanche deserticola lamb soup, prepare 200 grams of lamb, 15 grams of Cistanche tubulosa, 10 grams of goji berries, ginger slices, scallions, cooking wine, and salt in moderation. First, wash and cut the lamb into pieces, and blanch it to remove the fishy smell. Wash and slice Cistanche tubulosa; Wash the goji berries thoroughly and set aside for later use. Put all the ingredients into a clay pot, add an appropriate amount of water, bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer for 1-2 hours until the lamb is cooked to perfection. Finally, add an appropriate amount of salt to season. This soup is not only delicious but also warm in nature. When paired with Cistanche tubulosa, it has a stronger effect on tonifying kidney yang and nourishing essence and blood. It can also moisten the intestines and promote bowel movements. It is particularly suitable for people with a yang deficiency constitution, insufficient qi and blood, and constipation symptoms, such as the elderly and postpartum weak women, who can consume it regularly. However, as lamb and Cistanche tubulosa are both relatively warm, people who are prone to overheating should consume them in moderation. When making soup, you can add some heat-clearing and yin nourishing ingredients, such as white radish and yam to neutralize the heat of the soup.
Cistanche tubulosa infused liquor

Cistanche wine

Soaking Cistanche tubulosa in wine is also a common way of consumption, deeply loved by many health enthusiasts. Cut 50-100g Cistanche deserticola into pieces and put it into 500ml Baijiu. The degree of Baijiu should be 50-60 degrees, which can better dissolve the effective ingredients in Cistanche tubulosa. After sealing the container, soak it in a cool and dry place for 1-2 months. During this period, shake the bottle every few days to let Cistanche deserticola fully contact with Baijiu. The brewed Cistanche tubulosa wine has a rich and mellow color, with a unique medicinal aroma of Cistanche deserticola in its aroma. Drinking 15-30 milliliters before going to bed every night can warm and tonify kidney yang, relax muscles and activate collaterals, and help alleviate symptoms such as soreness and weakness in the waist and knees, joint pain caused by insufficient kidney yang. At the same time, it can also improve constipation caused by poor qi and blood circulation. However, it should be noted that people with alcohol allergies, hypertension, heart disease, liver disease, and other diseases are not suitable to drink Cistanche tubulosa wine to avoid worsening their condition. In addition, it is important to control the amount of alcohol consumed to avoid harm to the body caused by excessive drinking.