Plum Juice

Plum Juice

　　Plum juice is a traditional Beijing summer drink. In hot weather, many families would buy dried plums to make it at home (some use bayberries instead), adding a bit of white sugar to balance the tartness and serving it chilled. The main ingredients of plum juice include dried plums, hawthorn, osmanthus, licorice, and rock sugar. The *Compendium of Materia Medica* states: “Plum fruits are harvested when half yellow and smoked to become dried plums.” It helps reduce heat, cool the body, calm the mind, relieve pain, and can even treat coughs, cholera, and dysentery. The legendary tale *Madame White Snake* even mentions how dried plums ward off epidemics. This soup aids digestion, regulates the middle energizer, promotes qi flow and dispels blood stasis, stimulates saliva and quenches thirst, regulates lung qi, calms the nerves, and eliminates vexation. Regular consumption can indeed prevent and cure illnesses, promote health, and is an invaluable health drink for the hot summer months.

　　Nutritionally speaking, plums are rich in organic acids such as citric acid and malic acid. Among them is a special type of citric acid that can effectively inhibit lactic acid and eliminate harmful substances that cause blood vessel aging. Excess lactic acid in the body is a major cause of fatigue. Therefore, drinking a glass of plum juice when feeling tired in the summer can be very refreshing, revitalizing muscles and vascular tissues. Additionally, these acids stimulate the secretion of salivary and gastric glands, not only quenching thirst but also helping prevent motion sickness during travel or alleviating hangovers after excessive drinking.

　　Plums contain a variety of vitamins, especially a very high level of vitamin B2—hundreds of times more than other fruits. Although they taste acidic, plums are alkaline foods. Eating too much acidic food like meat makes plum juice beneficial in balancing the body’s blood pH.

　　According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, people with excessive liver heat should eat more plums. They not only help reduce liver heat but also aid spleen and stomach digestion and nourish the liver. Additionally, plums act as a natural throat soother, gently moisturizing inflamed throat areas and relieving pain.

　　However, children should eat less plum-based food. Their gastric mucosa is delicate and cannot withstand prolonged exposure to acidic substances, which over time may lead to stomach or duodenal ulcers.