Chestnuts are starchy, sweet and rich in flavour and popular in desserts and cooking. As the weather begins to cool down in Asia, the smell of roasted chestnuts will start to float through the streets surrounding traditional food markets. Chestnuts has been known to "tonify qi, strengthen the stomach and nourish kidney qi" (from Supplementary Records of Famous Physicians). These delicacies are actually lower in calories and fats compared to other nuts and rich in fibres, vitamin c and folate. This makes it super beneficial for lower blood cholesterol and forming healthy bones and vessels.
Chestnuts are great for people with frequent nausea and loose stools due to spleen and stomach deficiency. It can tonify kidney qi to strengthen bone and the lower back for people suffering from lower back and knee weaknesses. Chestnuts are harvested in the cooler climates of autumn which is also a good time to strengthen the kidney qi, so it has been labelled as "the fruit of the kidney".
Try roasting chestnuts in the oven at home and make sure you purchase ones that are sugar-free. Because of its high carbohydrate content, we recommend only eating 6-8 chestnuts as snacks each time.
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