Flu season has arrived!
But how can we better prepare ourselves?
Personally, I don’t rely on flu medicine; in fact, I can’t even remember the last time I took any. Fortunately, I rarely get the flu, and that’s because I act at the very first sign of feeling unwell. Instead of waiting for symptoms to worsen, I turn to traditional Japanese superfoods to support my body naturally, and my go-to medicinal food is Kuzu (aka Kudzu)
Kuzu, also known as Kudzu, is a traditional starch extracted from the root of the kuzu plant, native to Japan and China. It has been used for centuries in both cooking and traditional medicine, valued for its powerful healing properties and as the healthiest natural thickener. Today, it’s widely recognised for its ability to calm the nervous system, support immunity, and gently restore balance to the body.
Kuzu root – same height as a man!
I prefer using medicinal foods over conventional flu medicine because they support the body in a more holistic way. While standard flu medications often come with unwanted side effects.
What are some symptoms of standard flu medication?
Common flu medication: Panadol Cold & Flu Relief + Cough
- Common side effects: Headache, dizziness, nervousness, difficulty sleeping, nausea, and skin rash or itching.
- Allergic reactions: Swelling of the lips, tongue, throat, or face; skin rash or peeling; mouth ulcers; breathing problems.
- Serious symptoms: Unexplained bruising or bleeding, vomiting, loss of vision.
- Cardiovascular effects: Unusually fast pulse rate or irregular heartbeat sensations.
Why should you choose Kuzu over standard flu medication?
- Kuzu offers healing benefits beyond symptom relief, such as reducing inflammation, lowering blood pressure, and supporting heart and liver health. Unlike cold medications, which mainly mask symptoms temporarily.
- Kuzu supports long-term wellness, contributing to cancer prevention, hormone balance, and detoxification, while conventional flu medicine may contribute to chemical accumulation and potential health risks over time.
- Kuzu provides positive side effects, including immune support, reduced menopausal symptoms, and improved blood sugar regulation. Whereas conventional medicine may cause dizziness, nausea, skin rashes, and elevated heart rate.
- Kuzu promotes natural recovery by enhancing the body’s own healing response, while medications like paracetamol and phenylephrine can suppress symptoms without addressing the root cause.
- Kuzu supports nervous system balance and helps relieve tension, including headaches and muscle stiffness, while cold medications often list nervousness and difficulty sleeping as side effects.
- Kuzu is safe for regular use, even as a preventative remedy, whereas cold medications come with warnings about serious adverse reactions like allergic swelling, breathing issues, and vision loss in rare cases.
These are a few ways you can cook with Kuzu!
Top Left: Kuzu, Top Right: Kuzu yu, Bottom right: Kuzu apple, Bottom left: Japanese superfoods noodle soup
Kuzu-yu (top right) is the most common way to consume kuzu in Japan. It’s a warm, soothing drink made from kudzu root starch and often lightly sweetened. Kuzu has no flavour, making it easy to add to both savoury and sweet dishes — turning your favourite meal into natural medicine!
I’m not saying you should never take conventional medicine; it can be fast-acting and effective when needed. However, medicinal foods offer a gentler, more supportive approach that works with the body over time. While they may not be as immediately potent, I often combine kuzu with other Japanese superfoods to enhance their effect and support deeper healing.
This recipe is from my Japanese Superfood Cookbook, where you can find lots more tips and recipes to incorporate into your cooking.
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