There are countless delicious foods in life. Some are tasty and nutritious, while others are delicious but not good for your health. For example, foods like spicy dishes and chocolate, while having unique flavors, can greatly harm your digestive system, so you should eat them in moderation!
Orange Juice
Acidic drinks can irritate the esophagus, stimulating sensory nerves and causing the affected area to become red and swollen. If the first thing you do in the morning is drink a large glass of orange juice, you will increase the acidity in your stomach and intestines.
Orange juice itself is very nutritious, but you need to choose the right time to drink it. The best times are with meals or between meals.
Fried Foods
Fried foods like chicken nuggets and french fries are inevitably rich in oil and high in fat. The accumulation of these two substances in the stomach can lead to illness. When heated to high temperatures, oil produces a substance called "acrylic acid," which is difficult to digest.
Spicy Foods
Red chili peppers or jalapeños can irritate the inner lining of the esophagus, causing an unpleasant burning sensation after eating and increasing the burden on the stomach.
Chocolate
Chocolate can relax the lower esophageal sphincter, causing stomach acid to reflux and irritate the esophagus and throat. Therefore, eating too much not only brings excess calories but also leads to suffering from gastroesophageal reflux disease.
Therefore, when choosing chocolate, it's best to opt for dark chocolate. This is because dark chocolate contains various beneficial minerals for the human body, such as calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, and copper. Among all types of chocolate, it has the lowest sugar and fat content.
Broccoli and Cabbage
Broccoli and cabbage are standouts in the cruciferous vegetable family. They are not only rich in vitamins and dietary fiber but also have anti-cancer and anti-aging effects.
But even though they are rich in dietary fiber and various nutrients, these vegetables cannot be completely trusted as healthy. This is because high-fiber vegetables can help expand your stomach capacity and easily lead to an accumulation of excess gas in the intestines.
Creamy Mashed Potatoes
Potatoes are a very tasty and nutritious staple food and are often used for weight loss because they are low in calories. However, mashed potatoes with added cream or cheese are not as good as you might imagine. In the United States, there are 30 to 50 million people with lactose intolerance. If you are one of them, creamy mashed potatoes are not suitable for you. This is because the milk, cream, or cheese added to the mashed potatoes can make your stomach very uncomfortable.
Actually, if you want to eat mashed potatoes, it's best to steam them at home for safer consumption.
Beans
Beans are notorious for causing indigestion. The oligosaccharides in beans, such as stachyose and raffinose, are fermented by intestinal bacteria, which can produce gas and lead to symptoms like burping, rumbling stomach, bloating, and abdominal pain.
Patients with severe peptic ulcers should not eat bean products because they are high in purines, which can promote gastric juice secretion. Patients with acute gastritis and chronic superficial gastritis should also avoid bean products to prevent stimulation of gastric acid secretion and gastrointestinal bloating.
Raw Onions
Onions, garlic, and chives are full of various nutrients that are very beneficial to health, such as protecting the heart, but they can also cause stomach discomfort, such as gas and abdominal cramps. However, cooking onions seems to neutralize the nutrients that cause gastrointestinal discomfort.
Ice Cream
If you experience bloating, abdominal cramps, and gas after eating ice cream, this is a sign that you should stay away from these dairy-rich foods.
Eating too many cold foods like ice cream, popsicles, and iced drinks can affect the normal function of the digestive system, making food difficult to digest and easily damaging the spleen and stomach. Although they are delicious to eat, they can later lead to a loss of appetite and stimulate the spleen and stomach, creating a vicious cycle of bloating and abdominal pain.
However, there is a simple solution to this problem: blanch them in hot water before eating to soften them. This will neutralize the sulfur compounds that cause gas.