"When hunger is great, the belly is the master." This saying describes the intense appetite one has when hungry, leading them to eat anything to fill their stomach. However, what many don't realize is that some foods are not suitable to be consumed on an empty stomach, as they can be harmful to your health…
Tea
Experts say that drinking tea on an empty stomach can dilute gastric juices, reduce digestive function, and also cause "tea drunkenness," which is characterized by symptoms like palpitations, dizziness, headaches, fatigue, and unsteady standing.
Sugar
Experts explain that sugar is a food that is very easily digested and absorbed. Eating a large amount of sugar on an empty stomach causes the body to be unable to secrete enough insulin to maintain normal blood sugar levels in a short time, causing a sharp rise in blood sugar that can easily lead to eye diseases. Furthermore, sugar is an acidic food, and eating it on an empty stomach can also disrupt the body's acid-base balance and the balance of various microorganisms, which is detrimental to health.
Yogurt
Drinking yogurt on an empty stomach will diminish its health benefits. However, drinking it two hours after a meal or before bedtime not only has nourishing and health-boosting effects but also promotes digestion, relieves gas, and eases bowel movements.
Cold Drinks
Consuming large amounts of frozen foods on an empty stomach can irritate the gastrointestinal tract, causing spasms. Over time, this can lead to disorders in various enzyme-catalyzed chemical reactions and trigger gastrointestinal diseases. It can also cause menstrual irregularities in women during their period.
White Sweet Potatoes
White sweet potatoes contain tannins and pectin, which can stimulate the stomach wall to secrete more gastric acid, causing discomfort such as heartburn.
Bananas
Bananas contain a relatively high amount of magnesium. Eating bananas on an empty stomach can cause a sharp increase in the body's magnesium levels, disrupting the magnesium-calcium balance in the blood. This can have an inhibitory effect on the cardiovascular system and is not good for your health.
Persimmons and Tomatoes
Experts point out that these fruits contain a lot of pectin and tannic acid. These substances react with gastric acid to form indissolvable gel-like masses, which can easily lead to stomach stones.
Alcohol
Drinking alcohol on an empty stomach irritates the gastric mucosa. Over time, this can easily lead to diseases such as gastritis and gastric ulcers. Additionally, a person's blood sugar level is already low when the stomach is empty, and drinking alcohol at this time can easily lead to hypoglycemia. The brain, lacking an adequate supply of glucose, can suffer from functional impairment, leading to dizziness, palpitations, cold sweats, and a feeling of hunger. In severe cases, it can lead to hypoglycemic coma.
Hawthorn and Oranges
These fruits contain large amounts of organic acids such as citric acid, hawthorn acid, and citric acid. Eating them on an empty stomach can cause a sharp increase in the acidity of the stomach, adversely irritating the gastric mucosa and leading to symptoms like bloating, belching, acid reflux, and even worsening gastritis and gastric ulcers.
Garlic
Garlic contains a strong, pungent compound called allicin. Eating garlic on an empty stomach can cause a strong irritation to the gastric mucosa and intestinal walls, leading to gastrointestinal spasms and colic.