Basic Introduction to Jiemei Jujube
Jiemei Jujube is a specialty product of Jiemei County, Bayinguoleng Prefecture, Xinjiang. The jujubes from Jiemei County have a great taste, pure color, are free from diseases and pests, rich in organic substances and high in sugar content, making them among the best jujubes.
Jiemei County has a warm temperate continental climate with abundant water, soil, light, and heat resources, and large day-night temperature differences, all of which are very suitable for the growth of jujubes. In particular, the local jujube trees belong to a stunted variety. Although there are strong winds and sandstorms in spring, they do not affect the flowering and fruiting of jujubes. Moreover, jujube trees are resistant to wind, salt, and drought, making large-scale planting beneficial in combating desertification.
The arid and low-rainfall climate of Jiemei County makes the local jujubes taste great, have a pure color, be free from diseases and pests, be rich in organic substances and high in sugar content, making them among the best jujubes.
Nutritional Value
In China's herbal book “Ben Jing” (The Classic of Materia Medica), it is recorded that jujubes have a sweet and warm nature, enter the spleen and stomach meridians, and can replenish the middle energizer, nourish blood, calm the spirit, and moderate the effects of other herbs. Modern pharmacology has discovered that jujubes contain proteins, fats, sugars, organic acids, vitamin A, vitamin C, trace amounts of calcium, and various amino acids.
Jujubes can enhance human immunity and inhibit cancer cells. Pharmacological studies have found that jujubes can promote the production of white blood cells, lower serum cholesterol levels, increase serum albumin levels, protect the liver, and contain substances that inhibit cancer cells, and may even transform cancer cells into normal cells.
People who regularly consume fresh jujubes rarely develop gallstones. This is because the rich vitamin C in fresh jujubes transforms excess cholesterol in the body into bile acids. With less cholesterol, the probability of stone formation decreases accordingly.
Jujubes are rich in calcium and iron, which play important roles in preventing osteoporosis and postpartum anemia. Middle-aged and elderly people often suffer from osteoporosis during menopause, while teenagers in their peak growth and development periods and women are prone to anemia. Jujubes have an extremely ideal therapeutic effect on these groups, the effectiveness of which is usually incomparable to that of drugs.
Jujubes also have a good nourishing effect on people who are physically weak after illness.
The rutin contained in jujubes softens blood vessels, thereby lowering blood pressure, and has a preventive and curative effect on hypertension.
Jujubes can also counteract allergies, eliminate fishy and strange odors, soothe the mind and calm the spirit, improve intelligence and brain function, and stimulate appetite.
Jujubes can also effectively enhance muscle strength, relieve fatigue, dilate blood vessels, increase myocardial contractility, and improve myocardial nutrition.
Jujubes contain large amounts of carbohydrate substances, mainly glucose, but also fructose, sucrose, oligosaccharides composed of glucose and fructose, arabinogalactans, and galacto-oligosaccharides; as well as large amounts of vitamin C, riboflavin, thiamine, carotene, niacin, and other vitamins, which have a strong nourishing effect and can improve human immune function and enhance disease resistance.
9. In experiments on mice, daily oral administration of a decoction of jujubes for three weeks significantly increased body weight compared to the control group. Furthermore, in swimming tests, the swimming time of the mice was significantly longer than that of the control group, indicating that jujubes have muscle-strengthening and weight-increasing effects.
10. Experiments have confirmed that in rabbits with carbon tetrachloride-induced liver damage, daily feeding of a jujube decoction for one week resulted in significantly higher total serum protein and albumin levels compared to the control group, indicating that jujubes have a liver-protective effect.
11. Ethanol extracts of jujubes can inhibit antibody production in specific allergic reactions and also suppress the production of reactive antibodies in mice, suggesting that jujubes have antiallergic effects.
12. Jujubes contain flavonoids, such as -bis-desoxyglucoside A, which have sedative, hypnotic, and hypotensive effects. Among them, the isolated hesperidin C glycosides have central nervous system inhibitory effects, including reducing spontaneous movement, inhibiting reflex responses, and producing rigid stupor, so jujubes have calming and sedative effects.
13. Jujubes contain various triterpenoid compounds, including oleanolic acid and hederagenin, both of which have been found to have anticancer activity and inhibit sarcoma S-180. The nutrients in jujubes can enhance human immune function, having a certain effect in preventing cancer and maintaining the functions of human organs.
14. Jujubes, also known as large jujubes, dried jujubes, and jujubes, are rich in proteins, fats, sugars, carotene, B vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin P, as well as phosphorus, calcium, iron, etc. Among them, the content of vitamin C ranks first among fruits and is known as a “natural vitamin pill.”
15. Jujubes are rich in cyclic adenosine monophosphate, which is a necessary substance for human energy metabolism. It can enhance muscle strength, relieve fatigue, dilate blood vessels, increase myocardial contractility, and improve myocardial nutrition, playing a good role in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases.
16. Jujubes have the effects of tonifying deficiency and enhancing qi, nourishing blood and calming the spirit, and strengthening the spleen and harmonizing the stomach. They are good health and nutritional supplements for patients with spleen weakness, blood deficiency, fatigue, weakness, insomnia, and other conditions.
17. Jujubes have good therapeutic effects on acute and chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, anemia, and allergic purpura.
18. Jujubes contain triterpenoids and cyclic adenosine monophosphate, which have a strong inhibitory effect on cancer and antiallergic effects.
Product Characteristics
The shape of Jiemei jujubes is inverted ovate or long oval. The skin is dark red, the surface wrinkles are fine and shallow, the fruits are tightly packed, the shape is full, the flesh is thick, and the taste is sweet and mellow. The seed is spindle-shaped and separate from the flesh, with a sweet aroma.
Historical Folklore
According to historical records, jujubes are native Chinese traditional famous and excellent specialty tree species. Archaeologists have discovered jujube fossil kernels at the Feiliang Culture Site in Xinzhen, proving that jujubes have a history of over 8,000 years in China. As early as the Western Zhou Dynasty, people began to use jujubes to ferment and brew jujube wine, which was used as a superior tribute, to entertain guests. The nutritional and health benefits of jujubes were discovered and utilized by people in ancient times. “The Book of Songs” already has a record of “stripping jujubes in August.” “The Book of Rites” mentions using jujubes, chestnuts, honey, and sugar to make dishes. “Strategies of the Warring States” states that “in the north, there are the benefits of jujubes and chestnuts… sufficient food for the people,” highlighting the importance of jujubes in northern China. “Han Feizi” also records how jujubes and chestnuts were used to save people during famines in Qin. Therefore, jujubes have always been regarded by the people as one of the “iron-rod crops” and “wooden-grain foods.” Jujubes have been used medicinally for a long time. “Shennong's Classic of Materia Medica” already included jujubes, and they have been recorded in medical texts through the ages, with increasing understanding of their health and therapeutic effects. To this day, jujubes are still considered important tonic products. Li Shizhen said in “Compendium of Materia Medica” that jujubes have a sweet taste and warm nature, can replen