Tangerine Peel During Tet: Unexpected Health Benefits

Tangerines are a familiar and well-loved fruit, especially during the Lunar New Year. Not only do they have a refreshing and delicious flavor, but their peels also hold significant medicinal value in traditional medicine. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), dried tangerine peel is known as “Chen Pi.” Chen Pi has a pungent, bitter taste and warm properties, acting on the spleen and lungs. It contains essential oils that provide a distinctive aroma and play a crucial role in its pharmacological effects. Chen Pi is the general term for the peel of fruits from the Citrus genus, characterized by its distinctive aroma, sour, bitter, and slightly spicy taste.

1. Chemical Composition

Chen Pi contains several beneficial chemical components, including:

- Essential oils: Terpenes, limonene, citral, linalool, geraniol, nerol, citronellal, neral, and geranial.
- Flavonoids:  hesperidin, naringin, neohesperidin, narirutin, poncirin and didymin.
- Organic acids:  axit citric, malic and tartaric.
- Vitamins: vitamin C, vitamin B1.

2. Medicinal Benefits

Chen Pi provides numerous health benefits, especially during Tet when people tend to overeat and move less. Some of its key therapeutic effects include:

- Aids Digestion: Helps warm the stomach, regulate Qi, and strengthen the spleen, aids digestion. Reduces bloating, indigestion, nausea, and poor appetite. This is especially useful when we consume a lot of oily and fatty foods during the Lunar New Year. Soaking dried or fresh tangerine peel in water can help relieve constipation and ease bowel movements. Chen Pi has similar effects, stimulating secretion to enhance digestion and promote intestinal motility.
- Relieves Cough and Phlegm: Chen Pi has expectorant properties and helps reduce coughing, especially in cases of productive cough with phlegm. Boiling dried Chen Pi with water or steeping fresh peel in hot water can help alleviate phlegm-related coughs.
- Reduces Nausea: The fragrance of Chen Pi can help alleviate nausea, particularly in cases of motion sickness.
- Eliminates Bad Breath: The essential oils in Chen Pi have antibacterial properties that help freshen breath. Chewing a few slices of tangerine peel after consuming strong-smelling foods can reduce unpleasant odors.
- Improves Sleep Quality: Boiling Chen Pi in water for a bath can promote relaxation and better sleep.
- Softens Heels and Skin: Rich in vitamins A, C, and E, tangerine peel aids in skin regeneration and reduces cracked heels.
- Enhances Scalp Health: Boiled tangerine peel water can be used as a hair rinse to remove dandruff and promote shiny hair.
- Supports Cardiovascular Health: Flavonoids in Chen Pi act as antioxidants, lowering bad cholesterol and increasing good cholesterol. Vitamin C and potassium support heart function and enhance immunity.
- Aids in Weight Management: Naringenin in Chen Pi helps reduce fat accumulation, supporting weight loss.
- Antibacterial and Anti-Inflammatory Properties: Active compounds like limonene, linalool, and citral exhibit antimicrobial effects, helping treat respiratory infections, digestive disorders, and skin conditions. Flavonoids in tangerine peel also show neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory properties

3. Methods of Use

There are various ways to utilize Chen Pi effectively:

Drinking Tea:
- Fresh peel: Chop fresh peel, steep in hot water (300ml) to relieve cough and phlegm.
- Dried peel: Dry 5g of peel, boil in 400ml of water, and add honey or ginger for enhanced effects. Store in a thermal flask for use throughout the day. Soaking dried tangerine peel in water also helps relieve constipation and bloating.
Other Applications:
- Steam Inhalation: Boil tangerine peel and inhale the steam to relieve nasal congestion.
- Aromatherapy: Smelling fresh tangerine peel can reduce nausea and motion sickness.
- Chewing: Chew small slices of dried peel after meals to freshen breath.
- Bath Soak: Boil the peel of three tangerines for an hour and add it to bathwater for better sleep.
- Foot Care: Mix crushed fresh peel with coconut oil or other carrier oils to soften cracked heels.
- Hair Treatment: Use boiled tangerine peel water or powdered dried peel as a hair mask to combat dandruff.
Culinary Uses (Using Chen Pi):
- Porridge: Boil rice with tangerine peel extract to relieve bloating, nausea, and phlegm-related coughs. Chen Pi porridge can be cooked with jujube and Poria to help alleviate depression.
- Braised Chicken with Chen Pi and Cyperus Root: Chicken is braised with a decoction of tangerine peel and Cyperus root, used for individuals suffering from peptic ulcers, bloating, chest pain, intercostal neuralgia, and epigastric pain..
- Stewed Chicken with Chen Pi and Cinnamon Bark: Chicken is stewed with tangerine peel and cinnamon bark, used for individuals with phlegm stagnation conditions..
- Fish Soup: Boil fish with tangerine peel and herbs to alleviate headaches and nausea.
- Infused Water: Toast and grind dried tangerine peel into a powder and mix with warm water to reduce hiccups.

4. Precautions:

- To ensure safety and effectiveness, consult a healthcare professional before using tangerine peel for medicinal purposes.
- Use peels from fresh, pesticide-free tangerines.
- The recommended daily dose of Chen Pi is 4-12g; excessive consumption may cause stomach irritation or allergic reactions.
- Chen Pi should not be used by individuals with allergic constitutions, those with a deficiency of Yin or Yang, or people who do not have phlegm, stagnation, or dampness.
- Those experiencing a dry cough or hemoptysis (vomiting blood) should also avoid using tangerine peel remedies.

Chen Pi is not just a byproduct but a valuable medicinal ingredient with numerous health benefits. During Tet, utilizing tangerine peels effectively can help improve digestion, boost immunity, and promote overall well-being. We hope this article provides insights into the remarkable advantages of tangerine peel and encourages its practical use.