The fresher, the more dangerous! A type of "daylily" on the high green mountains, if eaten incorrectly, it can cause poisoning!

There is a song whose lyrics may be familiar to many people: "On the high green hills, daylilies bloom..." (Are you singing along?)

The daylily we eat is a kind of daylily. It is delicious and a bit "chewy" after being properly cooked. However, daylily cannot be eaten casually. If it is not handled properly, it may cause poisoning.

In this article, we will talk about the nutritional value of day lily, and then tell you how to enjoy the deliciousness of day lily "safely".

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How nutritious is daylily?

Daylily is also called daylily, daylily, and forget-me-not. It is known as one of the "four great vegetarian mountain delicacies" along with mushrooms, fungus, and winter bamboo shoots . It is not only ornamental, but also edible. It has a golden appearance, a fragrant and delicious taste. It is a rare delicacy whether it is stir-fried or made into soup.

The fresh and fragrant daylily is also very nutritious. It is the best in many nutrients among vegetables. It is not only rich in dietary fiber, but also provides us with abundant nutrients such as carotene, calcium, potassium, magnesium, iron, zinc, selenium, etc., and the protein content of daylily is also very advantageous among vegetables.

1

Dietary fiber

The insoluble dietary fiber content of fresh daylily is as high as 7.7 grams per 100 grams, which is higher than that of vegetables we often eat, such as Chinese cabbage, broccoli, celery, etc., and even nearly 8 times that of celery stalks .

The dietary fiber content of dried daylily is higher, at 12.4 g/100 g . Sufficient dietary fiber intake can help us increase satiety, promote defecation, and prevent constipation; on the other hand, it helps regulate blood lipids, stabilize blood sugar, and is beneficial to cardiovascular health.

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2

carotene

The carotene content of fresh daylily is as high as 1840 micrograms/100 grams. Although this content is not as high as that of carrots, it is higher than that of pumpkin and is more than twice that of pumpkin.

Eating more foods rich in carotene is beneficial to the health of eyes and skin, especially for office workers and students who use their eyes every day. It can reduce the damage of blue light to the retina, protect eyesight, and prevent and relieve dry eyes.

3

calcium

The calcium content of fresh daylily is higher than that of milk, at 301 mg/100 g, which is nearly three times that of milk. Although the absorption rate is not as good as that of milk, at least it can win in terms of quantity.

4

Potassium and Magnesium

The potassium and magnesium content of fresh daylily are 620 mg/100 g and 85 mg/100 g respectively. This means that if you eat 100 grams of properly cooked fresh daylily, the potassium and magnesium content you intake can meet 33% and 26% of the daily requirement of an average adult respectively. This can not only reduce neuromuscular tension and relieve fatigue, but also help maintain heart and blood pressure health.

5

Zinc

The zinc content of fresh daylily is 3.99 mg/100 g, which is second only to dried red pepper and dried black bamboo shoots in the vegetable classification of the "Chinese Food Composition Table".

Zinc supplementation not only plays a positive role in reproductive health, but is also essential for the development of the immune system and maintaining normal immune function in the human body.

6

selenium

The selenium content of fresh daylily is 4.22 micrograms per 100 grams, and in dried daylily it is as high as 24.8 micrograms per 100 grams. Selenium plays a variety of physiological functions in the human body, including antioxidant effects, immune effects, and regulation of thyroid hormones.

7

iron

The iron content of fresh daylily is as high as 8.1 mg/100 g, which is higher than spinach, which is believed to have a high iron content. It is 2.8 times that of spinach, and even higher than lean pork, which is 1.3 times that of spinach.

However, as a plant, the iron absorption rate of daylily is not as good as that of animal food, so don't expect to supplement iron by eating it.

8

Antioxidants

Daylily is rich in polyphenols, such as catechins, chlorogenic acid, rutin, quercetin, etc. It is also rich in flavonoids, mainly in the form of flavonols and flavonoid glycosides, as well as a small number of isoflavones and dihydroflavonoids. They all have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, can reduce the body's inflammatory response, and are also friendly to cardiovascular health.

To sum up, although the nutritional value of daylily is very high, it should be noted that the calories of daylily are not low ! The calories of fresh daylily are as high as 214 kcal/100 grams, which is nearly 10 times that of the leafy vegetables we often eat.

Currently, almost all the day lilies available on the market are dried. If one person eats it, generally about 25 grams of dried day lily is enough for a meal , which is about a handful in one hand. A serving of scrambled eggs with day lily is very delicious.

Image source: Photographed by the author

Image source: Photographed by the author (one handful weighs about 25 grams)

Image source: Photographed by the author

Beware of poisoning ! The fresher, the more dangerous

But it should be noted that the fresher the daylily is, the more dangerous it is to eat. Be careful of poisoning.

From 1978 to 2020, more than 30 incidents of poisoning caused by eating fresh day lilies were reported in my country over the past 40 years, causing more than 900 people to be poisoned.

This is because a component in fresh daylily can cause nausea, vomiting, dry mouth and diarrhea when consumed.

As for what this ingredient is? In previous studies, it has been believed that this ingredient is colchicine. After being absorbed by the gastrointestinal tract, colchicine is partially oxidized to dicolchicine, which will irritate the gastrointestinal tract and cause gastrointestinal discomfort symptoms such as abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea. After steaming and blanching, colchicine will be decomposed and can be eaten safely.

However, in recent years, some researchers have put forward different views on the "toxic ingredients" in day lily. The study believes that day lily does not contain colchicine, but contains co-eluting components of multiple compounds, which are easily soluble in water and can be decomposed by steaming and blanching. It can be safely eaten after cooking.

No matter what this "toxic ingredient" is, it is a fact that it can cause physical discomfort and poisoning symptoms in consumers.

It's safe to eat this way

Since fresh daylily is poisonous, does that mean it cannot be eaten? Not really.

As long as fresh daylily is properly handled, it is still possible to "taste fresh" . If you want to enjoy the deliciousness of fresh daylily and avoid poisoning, you must first understand the correct handling method.

The stamens of fresh daylily contain high levels of toxic substances, so you need to remove the stamens first, then wash and blanch them, then soak them in cold water for an hour or two, and cook them thoroughly. This will remove the toxic substances and avoid food poisoning.

Although it can be eaten after such an operation, it is really too troublesome. If any step is not done properly, there may be a risk of food poisoning. The most recommended is to buy dried day lily directly . The drying process of day lily can destroy the toxins it contains, so it is safer to eat.

Dried daylily needs to be soaked in warm water for 1-2 hours before consumption, then washed. The water used to soak the dried daylily may turn yellow. This is not because the daylily has been dyed. If you look closely, you will find that its pollen has dissolved in the water, causing the water to look yellowish.

Image source: Photographed by the author

Don’t eat the “daylily” in the flower bed!

In May this year, a couple in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, picked up day lilies from the park and took them home to cook vermicelli. Unexpectedly, the couple were poisoned, felt dizzy, and vomited continuously, and were admitted to the hospital. The doctor thought that the couple might have eaten large-flowered daylilies, and after emergency treatment, they were out of danger.

Both the large-flowered daylily and the golden baby daylily are ornamental plants and can often be seen in the flower beds of parks. They look very similar to daylilies and belong to the genus Hemerocallis in the lily family, but not all of them are safe to eat.

The content of toxic substances in the flower buds of Hemerocallis dasyphylla and Hemerocallis chinensis are 12.21 times and 11.83 times higher than that of daylily, respectively. If not handled properly, the risk of poisoning is high.

In particular, even after steaming and blanching, the content of toxic substances in golden baby is still higher than that in day lily, which means that although the treatment reduces the consumption risk of golden baby, it still cannot guarantee its consumption safety.

Figure: Reference [5]

Therefore, don’t pick wild flowers on the roadside, and don’t eat the flowers in the flower beds casually!

Summarize:

Although daylily is colorful and delicious, you must know the correct way to eat it! If you are worried, just buy dried daylily directly, which is worry-free and safe. At the same time, I would like to remind everyone: Don't eat the "daylily" in the flowerbed!

References

[1] Zhu Zhun, Xia Bin, He Wei, Zeng Jianguo, Qing Zhixing. Research progress on daylily and colchicine[J]. Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Pharmacy, 2021, 27(10): 127-131

[2] Ma Wei, Gao Jie, Xing Qian, Zhao Dan, Zheng Xiaonan, Jie Minchang. Safety analysis of fresh daylily[J]. Modern Food, 2021(23):153-155. DOI:10.16736/j.cnki.cn41-1434/ts.2021.23.045.

[3] Yang Yuexin. Chinese Food Composition Table 6th Edition Volume 1[M]. Peking University Medical Press, 2018

[4] Li Mingyue, Liu Hongyan, Xiao Jing, Geng Fang, Wu Dingtao, Li Huabin, Gan Renyou. Research progress on active ingredients, biological activities and processing technology of day lily[J]. Food Industry Science and Technology, 2022, 43(19): 427-435

[5] Ji Hua, Wang Lin, Jia Lihai, et al. Effects of different treatment methods on the edible quality of daylily buds[J]. Journal of Food Safety and Quality, 2020, 11(18): 6557-6561. DOI: 10.19812/j.cnki.jfsq11-5956/ts.2020.18.054.

Planning and production

Review | Ruan Guangfeng, Deputy Director of Kexin Food and Health Information Exchange Center

Planning丨He Tong

Editor: Wang Mengru

Proofread by Xu Lailinlin