Pomelo is cold-natured. People with a weak spleen who experience diarrhea should avoid eating pomelo, as it can worsen their condition. Therefore, individuals with a cold and weak constitution should not consume it in excess. What are the taboos for eating pomelo in early winter?
Currently, it is the prime season for eating pomelo. Pomelo is highly nutritious, containing very rich proteins, organic acids, and essential elements for the human body such as calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and sodium, which are difficult for other fruits to match. Pomelo flesh is also rich in vitamin C and components like insulin, which have effects of lowering blood sugar, lowering blood lipids, weight loss, and beautifying the skin. Regular consumption can have an auxiliary therapeutic effect on diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, and arteriosclerosis, and has the function of strengthening the body and beautifying the skin for obese people. In addition, pomelo contains physiologically active substances such as naringin, which can reduce blood viscosity and reduce the formation of thrombus, thus also having a preventive effect on cerebrovascular diseases.
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, pomelo is sweet and sour in taste and cold in nature. It has the effects of regulating qi, resolving phlegm, moistening the lungs, clearing the intestines, nourishing blood, and strengthening the spleen. It is an excellent fruit for nourishing the lungs in winter and relieving coughs after a cold. There are also taboos for eating pomelo:
1. Pomelo cannot be taken with certain medications. Clinical findings show that when a patient with hyperlipidemia takes one tablet of Mevastatin with a glass of pomelo juice, it is equivalent to taking 12-15 tablets of the same drug with a glass of water in terms of lipid-lowering effect. The patient may experience muscle pain, and even kidney damage. Some patients taking the antihistamine terfenadine experience dizziness, palpitations, arrhythmias, and in severe cases, sudden death if they eat pomelo or drink pomelo juice. Other drugs that can have adverse interactions with pomelo include cyclosporine, caffeine, calcium channel blockers, and cisapride. The possibility of an interaction between a glass of pomelo juice and medication can last for 24 hours. Therefore, patients taking medication, especially the elderly, should avoid eating pomelo or drinking pomelo juice.
2. Women taking birth control pills should avoid it. A US study shows that pomelo has the most significant effect on birth control pills. Experts say, "If a woman who has taken birth control pills eats 1-2 pomelos after sexual intercourse, or takes the pill directly with a large glass of pomelo juice, she may become a mother, because pomelo hinders the absorption of the contraceptive pill by women."
3. Pomelo is cold-natured. People with a weak spleen who experience diarrhea should avoid eating pomelo, as it can worsen their condition. Therefore, individuals with a cold and weak constitution should not consume it in excess.
4. Patients with hypertension should not eat pomelo while taking medication. Experts suggest that during the period of taking antihypertensive drugs, do not eat pomelo or drink pomelo juice, otherwise it can cause severe toxic and side reactions such as a sharp drop in blood pressure. Grandma Cai has had high blood pressure for many years. She has been taking her medication on time and paying attention to her diet, and her blood pressure has been well-controlled. Recently, she heard that pomelo is rich in vitamin C and various insulin-like components that can lower blood lipids and blood sugar, so she often ate pomelo. Unexpectedly, recently, after eating more than half a pomelo, Grandma Cai soon experienced dizziness, nausea, palpitations, fatigue, and a drop in blood pressure. Dr. Liu Peng explained that when taking antihypertensive drugs, eating pomelo at the same time is like taking an overdose of antihypertensive drugs, causing a significant and sharp drop in blood pressure, which can even induce angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, or stroke.