Zhaoyang Cili

Zhaoyang Cili

　　Cili is a deciduous shrub, growing up to about two feet tall. Its branches and fruit are covered in thorns, and it has oval-shaped leaves that grow opposite each other, with serrated edges. In spring, it blooms with yellow flowers, and by autumn, the fruits also ripen to a yellow color. The fruit is large, sweet, and has thick flesh. Tests have shown that fresh cili fruit contains about 50 times more vitamin C than sweet oranges, 10 times more than kiwi fruit, and 5 times more than pears or apples. In the early 1940s, the renowned chemist and nutritionist Luo Dengyi experimentally confirmed that, in addition to being rich in vitamin C, cili is also high in vitamin E. As for its medicinal value, Li Shizhen recorded in his *Compendium of Materia Medica* that cili “can relieve depression and dissolve food stagnation.” From a modern medical perspective, cili can help prevent and treat diseases or symptoms caused by deficiencies in vitamins C and E.