Some old people in rural areas dig up fern roots and eat them. Are fern roots edible? Will it be harmful to the human body?

Some elderly people in rural areas dig fern roots and eat them. Is it ok to eat them? I heard that eating too much will cause cancer. Is it true?

As the name suggests, fern roots are the rhizomes of our common ferns, generally referring to the rhizomes of ferns, which can be harvested in autumn and winter every year. In ancient times, during famine years due to lack of food, victims would choose to dig fern roots to satisfy their hunger. Fern roots are rich in starch and can act like preserved fruits.

With the continuous improvement of living standards, the habit of eating fern roots may only exist in a small number of mountainous areas. The documentary "China on the Bite of the Tongue" records that ethnic minorities in western Hunan excavate fern roots to make fern root glutinous rice cakes. edible. The main purpose is to break the fern roots and collect the fern root starch, which can be used to make fern root glutinous rice cake, fern root powder and other delicacies.

However, scientific research has found that fern roots contain a chemical component that is carcinogenic to the human body, called protopterin. The content of protopterin is highest in the leaves of ferns, followed by the roots. The bracken we often eat also contains a small amount of protopterin, so we should not eat too much bracken.

In addition, fern roots also contain some chemical components. Once people consume too much, they can have serious side effects and can easily lead to headaches, irritability, gastrointestinal discomfort and other symptoms. It is said that regular consumption of fern roots may aggravate rheumatism and weaken the human nervous system, especially the urinary system, resulting in symptoms of bedwetting and spermatorrhea, and may even cause mental disorders. Therefore, experts suggest that everyone should eat less, and it is best not to eat this kind of fern root food. Because it was mainly eaten in ancient times when there was no food to satisfy the hunger. In fact, it does not have much nutritional value.

Ferns are herbal plants. Although fern roots may have side effects on the human body as food, they can be used as medicine, clearing away heat, detoxifying, and diuretic. It is commonly used to treat eczema, jaundice, sore throat and other diseases.

It’s time to pick bracken again. Although the content of protopterin in the young bracken sprouts is low, they contain a lot of oxalic acid, so excessive consumption is not good for the human body. Although the food made from fern roots, such as fern root powder, tastes good, we should try to eat less or not at all to avoid causing discomfort.

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Hello, I am a creator in the field of agriculture, rural areas and farmers, and I am very happy to answer your questions.

1. Can fern roots be eaten?

1. Fern root (fern) belongs to the terrestrial plant of the family Pteridaceae and is a perennial herb. The scales are located at the base, and the leaves are one- or two-type or nearly two-type (rare). The height of the leaves is about 30-100cm and the width is 20-50cm. The rhizome is long and the root system is very developed. There are about 66 species of ferns in my country, mainly distributed in South and Southwest China, with a few species in the north and the southern slopes of the Qinling Mountains.

2. Fern roots usually start to be excavated in autumn or winter. They are washed and dried in the sun, which is what we often call "fern roots". Chinese people have long used fern roots as medicine. According to the "Compendium of Materia Medica", Bian Que mixed fern root burnt ashes with oil and applied it to snake bite wounds to treat snake bites. Fern root has starch content, so the extracted starch food, fern root powder, which is very common, must have been eaten by everyone. Fern root is rich in iron, zinc, selenium, vitamins and other trace elements.

2. Will eating it harm the body?

Eating bracken to bracken roots is actually very common. Chinese people have been eating bracken and bracken for thousands of years. "The steep slopes of Nanshan are said to be used to pick ferns." This is the earliest record of Chinese people eating bracken in the Book of Songs. It is best not to eat fern roots directly. Direct consumption may cause symptoms such as headaches and gastrointestinal discomfort. If you are eating bracken, people with cold stomachs and other cold constitutions should eat as little as possible. Whether we eat a food or a medicinal herb is harmful or not depends on the frequency and amount of consumption. Looking at the individual, sometimes people will not have any reaction after taking it, and some people may have adverse reactions after taking it.

The above is only my personal opinion. I hope netizens will correct me if it is inappropriate.