What foods can help reduce internal heat the fastest?

Excess heat, or "Shanghuo," typically refers to an internal imbalance of yin and yang, leading to an excessive buildup of heat toxins in the body. This condition may be associated with improper diet, irregular lifestyle habits, high mental stress, and other factors. Symptoms may include mouth ulcers, sore throat, constipation, among others. The following foods are recommended to quickly reduce internal heat:

1. Eat more fruits rich in vitamin C: Such as oranges, grapefruits, and kiwifruits. Vitamin C helps enhance immune function and promotes wound healing.

2. Foods that promote dampness removal and clear internal heat: Such as winter melon and red adzuki beans. These foods are suitable for various conditions caused by excessive internal heat and can help remove dampness, clear heat, and assist the body in expelling excess heat.

3. Heat-clearing and detoxifying foods: Such as mung beans, bitter melon, and cucumber. These foods have the effects of clearing heat, detoxifying the body, and promoting diuresis to reduce internal heat. For example, bitter melon has a bitter taste and cold nature, and is effective in clearing heat and toxins, relieving summerheat, and improving vision.

4. Drink plenty of water: Maintaining adequate water intake helps the body eliminate toxins.

5. Medication treatment: When symptoms are severe, under a doctor's guidance, certain traditional Chinese herbs with heat-clearing and detoxifying properties may be used, such as honeysuckle, forsythia, and indigo naturalis root.