Is it safe for pregnant women to consume soup cooked with ingredients like dangshen, beiqi (astragalus), and goji berries?
Pregnant women can consume stewed soup containing ingredients such as Codonopsis Root, Astragalus Root, and Wolfberry under medical supervision. Ancient wisdom states: "Feeding the mother with qi nourishes her essence, while feeding her with flavor nourishes her form. The fetus's vitality depends on the spleen and stomach's nourishment, thus incorporating tonics like Codonopsis Root, Astragalus Root, and Wolfberry into the stew can greatly benefit pregnant women by strengthening their constitution." However, since all medications possess properties of warmth, coldness, heat, or coolness, their application must be tailored to the individual's constitution.
Properties and Benefits of the Ingredients:
Codonopsis Root (Dang Shen) has a sweet taste and neutral nature, functioning to nourish the spleen and lungs, promote the production of body fluids and nourish the blood.
Astragalus Root (Bei Qi) is also sweet in taste, with a slightly warm nature, and is used to invigorate qi, strengthen the exterior, promote the expulsion of toxins, generate flesh, promote urination, and alleviate edema.
When combined, these two herbs primarily enhance qi, making them ideal for pregnant women who experience chronic fatigue, low voice, feelings of shortness of breath, dyspnea upon exertion, poor appetite, and loose stools, symptoms often associated with deficiency of qi in the lungs and spleen.
Wolfberry (Gou Qi Zi) has a sweet taste and neutral nature, known for its ability to nourish the kidneys and essence, as well as tonify the liver and improve eyesight. Regular consumption of wolfberry-based medicinal cuisine can nourish the liver and kidneys, promote the production of body fluids, and nourish yin.
Combined Effects:
In summary, the combination of these three herbs in stewed soup strengthens the spleen and qi, nourishes the lungs and kidneys, enhances the pregnant woman's constitution, and fortifies the fetus's vitality.