These two types of vegetables are excellent for cooling the body, and they also have many other benefits, including treating headaches.
Thien Ly flowers (also known as Thien Ly vegetables) and loofah are familiar vegetables in Vietnam. These two vegetables are not only sweet and easy to eat but also effective remedies for headaches.
According to the traditional medicine practitioner Bui Dac Sang (Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, Hanoi Oriental Medicine Association), loofah is a benign fruit. All parts of the loofah have cooling properties, helping to cool the body and detoxify. Besides the fruit, the loofah fibers, leaves, seeds, roots, and tendrils can also be utilized for medicinal purposes in traditional medicine.
Thien Ly Flowers.
Loofah is a benign fruit.
Thien Ly, with its sweet taste and neutral properties, is effective for nourishment, cooling the body, detoxification, preventing heat rash, and enhancing health. This flower also acts as a sedative, effectively treating insomnia.
It can be seen that both of these vegetables are excellent for cooling the body. They also possess many other benefits, including relieving headaches.
1. Using Loofah to Treat Headaches
Method: Take 20g of loofah flowers and 100g of green mung beans (with skins) and simmer them to extract 400ml of liquid. Remove the mung bean residue and add the chopped loofah flowers, boiling for 5-10 minutes. Let it cool, then strain and drink 2-3 times a day.
You can also use loofah to relieve neuralgia in the following way: Warm loofah juice and drink it according to the severity of symptoms. A daily amount of about 100ml is recommended, or you can grind loofah leaves into a paste and apply it to painful areas for effective relief.
Loofah Dish.
Loofah is a benign fruit, and all its parts have cooling properties that help detoxify.
For treating migraines with loofah: Use 15-30g of loofah roots, decoct them to drink daily.
Using loofah for back pain: Take 40-120g of fragrant loofah roots and decoct them with clean water. Drink throughout the day.
2. Using Thien Ly to Treat Headaches
Method: Prepare 5kg of fresh Thien Ly leaves, remove impurities, wash them clean, and dry. Stuff them into a pillowcase for use. A Thien Ly flower pillow helps promote circulation in the neck area, stimulating the release of sleep-inducing substances. This method is highly suitable for those who often experience dizziness, headaches, insomnia, and frequent awakenings.
You can also use Thien Ly flowers for better sleep: Cooking Thien Ly flowers in soup will provide immediate effects. The next morning, you will wake up feeling refreshed and comfortable. Alternatively, use the remedy: 30g of Thien Ly flowers, 10g of jasmine flowers, and 15g of lotus seeds. Decoct these together to drink throughout the day, and continuous use for a week can cure insomnia and reduce headaches.
Another option is to use 25g of dried Thien Ly flowers; steep them in boiling water and drink instead of tea throughout the day; you can brew two pots daily. Thien Ly flower tea helps calm the mind, relieve worries, invigorate, and improve sleep, making it particularly suitable for the elderly.
Considerations When Consuming Loofah and Thien Ly
While loofah has cooling, detoxifying, and meridian-opening effects, individuals who frequently experience abdominal pain, have weak digestive systems, suffer from impotence, or have loose stools should limit their consumption. People with allergic conditions or those who are currently ill should also avoid these vegetables to prevent further discomfort.
Avoid combining Thien Ly with iron-rich foods such as pork, liver, and offal, as it may reduce the effectiveness of Thien Ly.
After consuming Thien Ly tea, do not drink tea brewed from other leaves, as the organic compounds in those leaves may affect the absorption of active ingredients from Thien Ly flowers.
