🌿 Folk Prescriptions

It’s once again tangerine season. Tangerines are high in water content and rich in nutrients, containing over ten types of substances including vitamin C, citric acid, glucose, and more. Proper consumption can nourish the body, especially beneficial for chronic hepatitis and hypertension patients—eating honey tangerines can boost liver detoxification, accelerate cholesterol conversion, and prevent arteriosclerosis. Moderate intake increases appetite, but improper consumption may do more harm than good. I just learned this—sharing it with you!
Key points to remember when eating tangerines:
Control portion size
Research shows that eating three tangerines daily meets the daily requirement for vitamin C. Excessive intake increases metabolic oxalate, raising the risk of kidney stones and urinary tract stones. Overconsumption also harms teeth and oral health.
Do not eat tangerines with radishes
After radishes enter the body, they rapidly produce sulfate, which metabolizes into thiocyanate—an anti-thyroid substance. If tangerines are eaten simultaneously, the flavonoids in tangerines break down in the gut into hydroxybenzoic acid and ferulic acid, which intensify thiocyanate’s inhibition of thyroid function, potentially triggering or worsening goiter.
Do not eat tangerines with milk
Milk proteins easily react with citric acid and vitamin C in tangerines, coagulating into clumps. This impairs digestion and absorption, possibly causing bloating, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Therefore, avoid drinking milk within one hour before or after eating tangerines.
Do not eat tangerines on an empty stomach or before meals
The organic acids in tangerines can irritate the gastric mucosa, harming the stomach.
Elderly should eat fewer tangerines
Those with weak gastrointestinal, renal, or pulmonary function should limit intake to avoid triggering abdominal pain, lower back soreness, and related symptoms.
Children may develop "heatiness" from eating too many tangerines
Some children experience "heatiness" symptoms such as glossitis, gingivitis, and pharyngitis after consuming too many tangerines. Therefore, children should not eat too many. If overconsumption occurs, stop eating for 1–2 weeks before resuming.
TCM considers tangerines to have moistening lungs, stopping cough, resolving phlegm, strengthening the spleen, regulating qi, and quenching thirst. They are excellent fruit for all ages—especially the elderly, those with acute/chronic bronchitis, and cardiovascular patients. Tangerines are truly a treasure: every part has medicinal value. The peel is called "chenpi" (aged tangerine peel), which regulates qi, dries dampness, resolves phlegm, stops coughing, strengthens the spleen, and harmonizes the stomach. Commonly used for chest and rib distension, hernias, breast engorgement, breast lumps, stomach pain, and food stagnation. The seeds are known as "chenzi," which disperses nodules and relieves pain—used clinically for testicular swelling and mastitis. The "veins" (tangerine network) have functions of unblocking meridians, resolving phlegm, regulating qi, and promoting blood circulation—commonly used for phlegm stagnation cough. Since it contains abundant vitamin P, it effectively prevents hypertension—elderly people eating more are healthier. The leaves have functions of soothing the liver, regulating qi, reducing swelling, and detoxifying—essential for treating rib pain and breast pain. Removing the white inner layer of the peel, leaving only the outer layer, is called "chenhong," which regulates lung qi and expels phlegm—commonly used for coughing and hiccups.
Tangerines contain abundant sugars (glucose, fructose, sucrose), vitamins, malic acid, citric acid, proteins, fats, dietary fiber, and various minerals. A recent study by Australia’s Science and Industry Research Organization found that eating one tangerine daily can help prevent certain cancers (such as oral, throat, and stomach cancer).
Though tangerines offer many benefits, they should be eaten regularly but not excessively. TCM believes tangerines are warm in nature—overconsumption easily causes "heatiness," leading to symptoms like mouth ulcers, dry mouth, sore throat, and constipation. Due to the organic acids in tangerine flesh, avoid eating them on an empty stomach to prevent irritation of the gastric mucosa. Also, tangerines contain significant beta-carotene—eating too many at once or consuming them frequently may cause elevated blood levels, resulting in yellowish skin. In such cases, besides drinking more water and temporarily avoiding citrus fruits, restrict intake of other beta-carotene-rich foods. Skin color typically returns to normal after about one month.