Grass Jelly

 Grass Jelly commonly known as cincau in Malaysia, it created by using Platostoma Palustre plants(Chinese Mesona). Grass Jelly is a sweet dessert that is very famous and commonly consumed by Asian countries.  It is created by boiling leaves and stems from the Chinese Mesona plant and a small amount of taro starch to make this herbal dessert.

Before turning the grass jelly into a delicious dessert, Chinese Merosa plants need to dry in the sun for 3 days, dried Chinese Mesona plants can be stored for up to two years.  To make grass jelly, place the dried Chinese Mesona in a pot and boil then for about 40 minutes add taro starch to the pot to thicken the mixture.  Once the grass jelly has thickened place it in the refrigerator to chill and let the mixture set.  After an overnight in the refrigerator, grass jelly can be made into various types of desserts according to our tastes.

Fresh Chinese Mesona(Grass Jelly)

Dry Chinese Mesona (Grass Jelly)

6 benefits of grass jelly.

1. Promotes Digestive Health

Grass jelly helps your digestive system function at its optimal level as the sugar compounds in this plant have the ability to defeat the bacteria that cause stomach pain. Leaves of grass jelly have some alkaloid compounds that contain considerable amounts of vitamins B and C. When consumed, the combination of both vitamins is highly effective in preventing diarrhoea. Moreover, the fibre content in grass jelly helps clean your digestive tract, thereby alleviating stomach pain from heartburn and constipation.

2. Promotes Weight Loss

Grass jelly contains a lot of beneficial nutrients, including vitamins A, B1, C and calcium, phosphorus, and carbohydrates but low in calories. All this makes a perfect fit for your weight loss diet. High-fibre diets aid in weight loss by preventing you from experiencing the occasional hunger pangs and thus reduce excessive eating.

3. Prevents Cancer

Grass jelly contains antioxidant compounds that are potent in eliminating tumour cells in the liver, kidneys, lung, breast and cervical cancer. Thus, the consumption of grass jelly in powder or beverage makes it an effective antidote for the prevention of cancer.

4. Prevents Diabetes

Grass jelly contains bis benzylisoquinoline and chlorophyll compounds which can control the high blood sugar levels of diabetics. These two compounds ensure that sugar found in the grass jelly does not cause any form of an insulin spike.

5. Treats Fever and Sore Throat

Grass jelly is one cool remedy for fever and sore throat as it contains nutrients like alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, andradite, and cardioplegic as well as vitamins A and B. These anti-toxin compounds are more than capable of treating symptoms of fever.

6. Speeds Up Bowel Movement

The two most basic elements for healthy digestion are water and fibre. Lack of fluids in the body can adversely impact your water balance and cause the passage of stool to be challenging. The fibre and water in glass jelly help to channel your food through the digestive tract smoothly for healthy digestion and easy defecation.

Sources: https://www.health-talks.net/2019/03/14/6-benefits-of-grass-jelly/