Duck meat is not only rich in nutrients but also the main ingredient in many delicious dishes. However, not everyone should eat it as it could be ha.rmful to health.

Duck Meat – A Premium Tonic Loved by the Chinese and Japanese

Poultry meats such as chicken, duck, and goose are considered excellent sources of white meat for health. Among them, duck meat has a very high nutritional value. In 100g of duck meat, there is about 25g of protein (far surpassing beef, pork, goat, fish, and eggs).

Additionally, the nutritional content of duck meat, such as calcium, phosphorus, iron, and vitamins (B1, B2, A, D, E), as well as nicotinic acid, is very high.

In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), duck meat is considered sweet, slightly salty, and cool in nature. It is believed to nourish Yin, support the stomach, and is beneficial in treating cardiovascular diseases, tuberculosis, and can..cer. Duck meat helps with urinary disorders, heat-related illnesses, and nourishes the five organs and water pathways. It’s recommended to choose male ducks with green heads or white ducks with black bones and beaks. Furthermore, Japanese medical texts also note that duck meat can generate body fluids, calm the mind, and nourish the sto.mach.

Duck meat can be used in some medicinal recipes as follows:

• For anemia and body weakness:  Take one whole duck, 49 jujubes, lotus seeds, ginkgo nuts, and 3g of ginseng. Clean the duck, remove the seeds from the jujubes, soak and peel the lotus seeds and ginkgo nuts, and chop the ginseng into small pieces. Use wine, soy sauce, and oil to coat the duck inside and out. Then, stuff all the ingredients into the duck, sew it up, and cook it thoroughly. This remedy helps improve health.

• For hea.daches, dizziness, nausea, vom.iting, edema, and low urination: Take one duck, 200g red beans, 10g cardamom, and fresh onions. Clean the duck, grind the red beans and cardamom, then stuff them into the duck, sew it up, and cook it with water. Add onions, but no salt, and eat to relieve symptoms.

• For anemia: Use 300g lean duck meat, minced and marinated, 100g rice, and 300ml sugarcane juice. Simmer the mixture until it’s soft, then stir in the duck meat. Boil further until the duck is fully cooked. Eat three times a day for a week.

Delicious as it is, duck meat should be avoided by these 5 groups of people:

1.  People with gout

Duck meat contains a high amount of purines, so those suffering from gout should avoid eating it to prevent raising uric acid levels in the bo.dy.

2.  People with weak digestion

Duck meat is cool in nature and can cause stomach discomfort or diarrhea for people with weak digestive systems.

3.  People who have just undergone surgery

People recovering from surgery should avoid consuming pungent or strong-tasting foods like duck, as it can delay wound healing.

4.  People with a cough

Pungent foods like duck can irritate the throat, make breathing difficult, and exacerbate coughing symptoms.

5.  People who are suffering from a cold

Those with a cold typically have weak immune systems and feel fatigued. Duck meat, being cool in nature, can lower the bo.dy’s temperature and may lead to sto.mach discomfort, di.arrhea, and worsen cold symptoms before recovery.