Shepherd's purse is also called spring dish, also called wild shepherd's purse, ground dish, grass protection and chicken heart dish. It grows in fields, roadsides and courtyards. Wang Dongxu, deputy chief physician of Nanjing Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, said that Capsella bursa-pastoris has the functions of clearing heat and stopping bleeding, clearing liver and improving eyesight, inducing diuresis and reducing swelling. "Bielu of Famous Doctors" states that "the main benefit is liver qi, and the middle is harmonious"; "Food Classics" says "tonifying the heart and spleen"; "Lu Chuan Ben Cao" says "detumescence and detoxification, cure sores and furuncle, cure conjunctival congestion". Shepherd's purse contains a lot of carotene, B vitamins and vitamin C, and the content of calcium and iron is also high. Compared with common vegetables in spring, the content of oxalic acid in shepherd's purse is relatively low, so calcium, iron and other substances in shepherd's purse are relatively easy to be absorbed by human body.
Wang Dongxu said that office white-collar workers are prone to dry eye, and shepherd's purse is rich in carotene. Eating shepherd's purse can prevent dry eye and relieve its symptoms. Because shepherd's purse is cold, people with weak spleen and stomach should not eat it, especially those with irregular stools and frequent loose stool.
There are many dietotherapy methods for shepherd's purse, which can be fried, boiled, stewed and stuffed. They are all fresh, tender and delicious with unique flavor. Wang Dongxu specially recommended the following three therapeutic remedies for shepherd's purse, so readers may wish to have a try.