Huangjing—From medicine to healthy food and diet

Abstract

AbstractDiet‐related chronic diseases are becoming more common where many consumers and nutritionists are seeking food and lifestyle interventions to improve health and standard of living. To supplement regular dietary intake, scientists are seeking to develop new crops that are productive and nutritious, which can improve health outcomes. This review focused on the history of Huangjing as a medicine, healthy food as part of a diverse diet and as an input into pharmacology uses. The sustainable production of Huangjing and the development of health‐promoting Huangjing products are reviewed through consulting the “Chinese Pharmacopoeia” along with other herbal textual research and modern research publications. Hence, the potential development of Huangjing as a regular part of a healthy diet is discussed. Huangjing has been used as medicine and food in China for over 2000 years. While it contains no starch, it is rich in fructan, saponins, and flavonoids, which have been reported to prevent and treat chronic diseases such as diabetes and obesity. As part of a healthy diet, Huangjing has been developed into innovative products used in meals, snacks, drinks, health foods, and drugs. Furthermore, Huangjing is a perennial plant, is suitable for cultivation in forests, and does not occupy fertile farmland. It is proposed to use the achievements of genomics and targeted precision breeding to make in‐forest cultivation of Huangjing more productive, comprehensively nutritious, and environmentally friendly and obtain high‐quality food from forests and mountains, providing Chinese wisdom for the global food and nutrition security issue.