Eating Lily in Autumn to Alleviate Dryness and Moisturize Lung Yin
Autumn is a season of harvest—clear skies, crisp air, and pleasant weather. As yang energy recedes and yin grows, the climate becomes cool and dry, with dryness being the dominant feature of autumn. According to TCM theory, autumn corresponds to the lungs. Autumn dryness easily damages the lungs, leading to symptoms like dry skin, dry mouth and throat, and cough with little phlegm. With late autumn foliage withering and grass dying, people may feel melancholy, emotionally unstable, irritable, and depressed. Timely adjustment and nourishment can effectively reduce these discomforts.
Lily is an ideal remedy for alleviating autumn dryness and nourishing lung yin. With thick texture, sweet aroma, and a delicate, refreshing taste, lily is neutral in nature and slightly bitter in flavor. It moistens the lungs, stops coughing, calms the mind, and relieves anxiety. It is effective for lung heat dry cough, hemoptysis, lung deficiency, shortness of breath, and pulmonary tuberculosis with bleeding.
Additionally, lily has cooling, calming, and soothing effects, useful for residual heat after febrile illnesses, irritability, insomnia, mental unrest, and menopausal symptoms such as fatigue, poor appetite, low-grade fever, insomnia, and thirst.